Aren’t Bible stories just for children?
Jesus often taught through stories and frequently answered challenging situations and questions by employing a story or a question. Also, a large portion of the Bible is in story form; estimates say that 50-75% is narrative. We, too, should model these two ways that, over the ages, God has to communicate with us!
When both the emotions and the mind are engaged, as happens in sharing good stories and discussing them, people are more likely to both remember what they have heard and become motivated to change. Learn more about this in lesson 1.1 Why Tell Stories?
How long does it take to go through the Bible StoryFire series?
It takes approximately __ hours to listen to all the lessons and 30 minutes to view each of the four StoryFire models. If you know which model meets your group’s needs, you can watch just one. Most of the twenty-five lessons are less than five minutes in length.
We recommend that those who are new to Bible storytelling and discussion listen to all the audio lessons. However, those who are familiar with Bible storytelling can choose the specific lessons that meet their needs.
Can I do this course alone?
Yes! . . . well mostly. All the lessons and video may be learned by yourself and at your convenience. But to test your skills, you must practice a Bible storytelling and discussion model with a group! The proof is in the pudding! Plan to get a group together for a half-hour if you are going to practice the entire process. You can do this with as few as two other participants, but we advise a slightly larger minimum for your group for better interaction during the discussion.
How can I use StoryFire for missions?
Storytelling is valued in every culture, so using StoryFire models to share the Gospel can be very effective. For best results, learn as much as possible about your target audience before you share stories in order to avoid accidentally miscommunicating due to ignorance about cultural norms.
It is our experience that national pastors, evangelists and teachers learn these skills quickly, and effectively incorporate them in many areas of ministry. Normally, we train leaders in a two or three-day workshop made up of modeling, teaching and practice (similar to the StoryFire Leader’s Guide outlines). The trained leaders can then continue training others through their daily mentoring relationships.