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The Basics of Chronological Bible Storying

Part Three - The Storying Session

When you take part in a storying session, it is important to arrive, enter, and begin relating to peopleaccording to the cultural norms that youve observed in that location. Some cultures have very elaborate

greeting and entering rules. In many cultures its considered rude to leave or arrive without greeting or

saying goodbye to everyone. In some places you need to consider the order in which you greet people.

Often its from the eldest to the youngest, but consider those things so that youre not creating another

barrier by coming in and bringing a style of greeting that becomes uncomfortable to them.

When you move into the storying session, assume appropriate positions that would be normal in a story

telling session in your culture. Usually this doesnt involve having a pulpit in front of you with everyone

sitting in rows! Often it will be seated around the room with people sitting around in the same posture as

you. Be comfortable and try to ensure that other people are comfortable as well.

If this storying is considered evangelism, we would suggest that you dont have a worship time. If youre

storying is part of discipleship, worship should become a natural thing. You need to be consistent because

youre setting the pattern for the worship that people will be offering to our Lord.

Start the storying session according to local customs. As you continue with the storying session, make sure

you include time for review. Have people tell your story again, and if youve told them previous stories, allow

time for them to review them too. It may also be appropriate to do dramas as they review the stories, giving

them tools to help them to pass these stories on to others. One thing you may like to do before you enter

the story time is to give them a listening task. Tell them to listen for particular items in the story that may be

coming up. This can be a help in the dialogue session that will happen after the story.

When you finish telling the story, do not shift to a literate style. Ask your questions in a way that people in

that environment would normally ask questions in their culture.

Before you leave, make sure youre not departing prematurely. Often after a dialogue session, the real issues

will start coming up, and people will want to talk about the things that are affecting them. The way the

story is actually coming across will often be more clear after youve finished your agenda. So consider it

part of your responsibility to stay and listen to them and have fellowship with them and give opportunities

for them to bring up issues that your story may have brought up to them. It will also give you time to

increase your understanding of the culture and to develop closer friendships with the people that youreworking with. Be sure to depart in an appropriate way without being rushed. Many of us are very, very time

conscious. The people we work with often are not, and theyre very aware of the unspoken things we say

when we finish something and decide to rush off. They can be very sensitive about things we did not intend

to say to them by rushing off, as if the time with them was just one more slot on our agenda.

Note: Article taken from IMB

www.imb.org