Bible Storying

Because of the preference for no teaching, the book includes only the stories and a brief preface for the storyer. The concept for the book was based on a doctoral study that detailed the practice of certain Asian women who gathered to tell their misfortune stories as a way of discharging their emotions. The stories are arranged chronologically but can be used in any order as a resource. The chronological arrangement provides a subtle evangelistic drift that grows more intensive toward the latter stories. The story set has found wide use not only in Asia but among women of other cultures and worldviews.

This book is a compilation of Bible stories often used in ministry to those with leprosy and leprosy-like skin diseases. The desire was to show the compassion of God and many of the healing experiences of those said to have leprosy. While leprosy was a punishment in some stories, it was not intended to imply that God uses leprosy to punish people, nor to place a curse on them.

I consider this set of stories to be a resource from which the Bible storyer can choose most appropriate stories to tell. There is a range of stories about blindness, sight, perceiving, and healing. There are obviously both physical and spiritual blindness. The object is to give hope to the Blind who can “see” Jesus through the Bible stories, and in their hearts can see Jesus as they have faith in him. None of us have seen God or Jesus in person. Yet we do see both in the stories and events in our lives as we live, pray, and teach using the Bible stories.

Not long after the initial spread of Bible Storying a need arose to provide panoramic presentations of selected Bible stories. Since Fast-tracking is story-only, it is a form of proclamation that has proved helpful as an affirmation and review in discipling, and an effective means of probing for evangelistic interest among new listeners. Fast-tracking also provides a very powerful means of presenting the Christmas Story or the Passion Story. This book looks at an overview of Fast-tracking the Bible Stories and should be helpful to encourage and equip the Bible storyer to be prepared when opportunity occurs.

The Ebenezer Stories have been prepared for discipling women believers coming from typical Asian worldviews. The purpose of the stories is to present Jesus as the One to meet family needs, so the women will discontinue seeking help from animistic practices through beseeching the spirit world or worshiping village deities. In these cultures the women are often the family intercessor for their family needs. The title reminds that Jesus is the Rock of Salvation and the Stone of Help waiting to bless the women and their families as they faithfully follow Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

Bible storying methodology places focus on selecting Bible stories, oralizing stories for telling, and how to tell and dialog the stories with listeners.  More attention needs focusing on the time of invitation to believe or act upon the stories.  Experience continues to teach how this may vary from people group to people group.  The book suggests some of the tested approaches and what to do when listeners respond early or do not respond as expected when an invitation is given.

Hope Stories from the Bible present a series of Bible stories that are useful in presenting biblical truth to people who are discouraged or desperate. These stories show reasons for hope even in conditions that are far less than desirable. This group of Bible stories give assurance to those suffering a variety of difficulties.

Bible Storying is a rapidly growing methodology for communicating Christian truth or persons who are primarily oral learners. This collection of stories from the Bible that relate to death and dying provide those who use the Bible Storying method guidance for telling stories. These stories are especially useful for persons in cultures where there is excessive fear of death or strong concerns about loved ones who have died.

Water Stories from the Bible presents a group of Bible stories centered around the subject of water. these stories have proved most effective in communicating biblical truth to people who stand in great need of water or who are experiencing some efforts to provide safe water.