“The Sorting” by Cortney Haley. Inspired by Mt 25:31-46

Where can biblical storytelling be used in evangelism?

Anyplace life happens. Perhaps most especially in those places and situations Jesus mentions in Matthew 25: when feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger (including refugees and immigrants), caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned (literally and metaphorically). This can include grass roots, interpersonal venues like the example above, as well as structural, communal venues.

Biblical Storytelling and Evangelism: One on One

By Amelia Boomershine

I visited a woman in jail who had been on trial for a serious crime. She had just accepted a plea bargain. She had been attending my biblical storytelling “Circle of the Word” since December, including seven weeks of stories from Jesus’ passion and death. She had missed class when we engaged the resurrection story because of being on trial.

I knew she needed that resurrection story and asked her if she wanted to hear it. She said, “Oh yes” as her eyes filled with tears. So I told it to her. She listened with head bowed, eyes closed, like the words were washing over her. Then I talked through the story, adding some information about it as I had done in Circle.

This is a woman who grew up in the church and knows the stories well. But she needed a reminder of what God has done for her so she would know she was loved no matter what. Hearing the words of the story “live” from another person helped her to experience that love. For me it was also an experience of the power of the Gospel (“good story”) of Jesus to convey divine presence and love.

Evangelism happens whenever we tell another person about grace—God’s unconditional love for them. Sometimes a person has never heard about God’s unconditional love. Sometimes a person never heard that message, even if they have attended church. And all of us need regular reminders.

Visit my Circle of the Word website www.circleoftheword.gotell.org

Now It’s Your Turn

I recently completed an “interview” with Kathy Culmer for a presentation she is developing on biblical storytelling and evangelism. The articles above are a couple of my responses.

Kathy would love to have your input, too. Help her encourage evangelism through biblical storytelling by sending your answers to these interview questions. This is a meaningful Lenten exercise. Download the PDF here. 

When complete, email your responses to khculmer@gmail.com

Kathy Culmer: Author, Speaker, Storyteller

1. Evangelism simply put is…
2. Why would biblical storytelling be a useful tool for evangelism?
3. How can biblical storytelling be used in evangelism?
4. When can biblical storytelling be used in evangelism?
5. Where can biblical storytelling be used in evangelism?
6. How have you personally used storytelling and/or biblical storytelling in evangelism?
7. Any other thoughts, examples or guesses about this topic?

Improving Your Storytelling
Hold to the Joy and Purpose

by Kathy Culmer

I would say that my storytelling took a turn for the better when I was able to stop holding on so tightly to the words and embrace the story more and when I realized that I had something more to deliver than just the words. I was holding on so tightly to the correctness of the words and the fear of making a mistake that I was being bound by them.

So, while my focus at one time was much more about the words, now I see the words more as tools for helping me tell the story. I try to focus more on telling the story as truthfully as I can and being generous enough in my telling that I give some of me away along with the story in each telling.

My telling, then, took a turn I guess, not so much when I learned to do something differently, i.e., learned or put into practice a new technique, but when I learned to look at what I was doing differently and find joy and purpose in it.

This tip for improving your storytelling is reprinted with permission from “Scholarly Musings” published online by the Network of Biblical Storytellers. This month’s tip comes to you from Kathy Culmer, D.Min.—author, storytelling, speaker, teacher. She is an Episcopal laywoman, raised in the Baptist church, so her knowledge of Christian tradition is broad and deep. Kathy is a leader in the Network of Biblical Storytellers. Visit her website: kathyculmer.com