Jonathan Malm
A Tale of Two Storytellers

“I have an idea for a book I want to write.”

It was Thanksgiving, and the family was all together. My dad and brother were in the room – both writers like me – and I wanted to share my great story idea.

“A boy grows up with an inventive father. The dad’s always creating new contraptions – kind of like a wacky Willy Wonka character. But one day, the dad finds out his father died. He’s thrust into a depression, and the boy has to figure out how to relate to his dad. All seems lost until one day the dad discovers a treasure map…”

“Hold on,” my brother interrupted. “What’s the inciting incident in this story?”

My frustration manifested tight lips and a red face. “Just. Uh. Just listen to the story.

David Clark
The Strength of Your Story

Let’s talk for a second about stories, shall we? More specifically, let’s talk about YOUR story. Although I don’t know what it is, I know it’s incredibly personal. Depending on your age, it may be a long story ... Or maybe it’s been pretty short. Many might know your story. Or you may have kept it hidden and only shared it with a few. I also know that your story has involved strength. That’s right. I guarantee it’s taken some amount of strength to get to where you’re at. (And you’re here, so it’s not over yet!) But have you identified that strength and used it to share your story with others? If not… Where do we start?

Eric Walley
Listen First

The most terrifying people in the world are 7th & 8th graders. I know this from first-hand experience because I used to teach 7th & 8th grade band. Teaching 60+ kids in your classroom at once after handing them noisemakers is like a scene out of Hurt Locker. One stray fart noise and it’s all over.

As a band director, one of my jobs (other than counselor, disciplinarian, parent, teacher, psychologist, custodian, psychic, doctor) was to listen and respond to what I heard the band play. In order to respond with constructive feedback I had to listen obsessively.  My ear would be tuned in to every note, rhythm, instrument group & specific student.

Brian Mann
Did We Get Everything?

In storytelling, I’ve found that there’s often a moment of truth at the end of an interview. For me, it used to be a moment of panic.

I'd go out to film someone’s story without much interview prep beforehand. I'd show up with a few questions handy just in case, but most of my attention went to figuring out gear and filming locations. 

We’d arrive, set up, fine-tune our shots, and start rolling. I’d ask the person to share their story. I’d keep the conversation moving forward, making sure everyone was engaged. But my head was somewhere else. "How’s the light? Is that a plane flying overhead? This guy’s a talker. Oh they’ve got dogs, fantastic."

Most of the time, I was half-following a story I was half-familiar with, assuming we'd figure it out in post. Then suddenly, we'd arrive at the end of their story. And I had to make the call. Are we good? Should we go back and cover something again, or can we wrap up and pack down?

David Clark
Courageous Storytelling

We spend a lot of time talking about why stories matter. We’re told that storytelling is one of—if not the most effective means of communication. There’s something special about connecting with a story that causes us to see things differently, or to feel less alone in our own story. But in order for us to get to this place of connection, a story has to be heard. Someone has to start. Someone has to go first.

What if that person was you?

The Story of Our Story Team

A few years back, I started dreaming about building a ministry team at our church that focused on storytelling. I was the Creative Arts Pastor at WoodsEdge, our church near Houston. I oversaw all the programming for our weekend services, and my team created all the media each week.

Our church is a passionate church. And I began to see how much of an impact our stories were having. We made all kinds of videos – announcements, promos, sermon intros and funny stuff. But when we told a story, it connected big time.

I had no idea what a storytelling ministry would (or should) look like for us. But I knew that we needed to let more people in on this. And I knew we wanted to empower and raise up artists for this ministry. This meant inviting volunteers into our storytelling process for the first time, something we had never really done before.

This past year we launched our Story Team. And to be honest, it was a shot in the dark. We had prayed about it a lot but still had questions about how it would all work. We launched it anyway. The dream was to help create a culture of storytelling at our church. Not only would we be a team that produced stories, we would be the ones to champion the value of personal stories – because each one matters.

As we started to meet, we asked each team member to write out their story and share it with the group. We wanted them to experience what it feels like to get vulnerable and open up, so they could walk someone else through that process.

Every month we would gather at the table around some food and listen to 3 or 4 stories. After each person shared, I asked our team to speak back what they had heard, what they loved and what impacted them. The response was absolutely life-giving. Each person’s vulnerability was met with encouragement and acceptance. The room felt deeply connected in a holy sort of way.

This made a huge impact on us as leaders and helped us realize several things.

The first thing is that people crave connection and stories deliver on that. There’s something very human about letting down your guard and sharing something difficult. But when we’re willing to share it, it connects on a deep level with other people.

We also realized that storytelling is a ministry, not just a craft. Not all of our team members needed training to produce stories – filming and writing and taking photos. Some of our team members are just really good listeners. They’re wired for empathy, and that’s a crucial component for walking people through an interview process.

Other team members had a passion for untold stories, for the people you wouldn’t expect, the stories that are less flashy and more everyday. These were people that could help us find new stories because they were already looking for them.

And then we had team members who were more creative – writers, photographers and filmmakers. They were the ones to bring along on photo shoots and film projects so they could begin to grow and be empowered as artists.

Along the way, I’ve seen our team become more intentional and confident in what they’re doing. And we’ve gotten some traction as we’ve done this work together. It hasn’t always been easy. Working with a larger group takes patience. Training people takes time. If you’re used to fast production schedules (like we are), it’s an adjustment. But it’s been absolutely worth it.

We still have moments when we have no idea what to do next. But we’ve gotten to a point where we’re doing this ministry together. Storytelling is a team sport. And we’re willing to push through uncertainty because we believe in each other and in what we’re doing.
 


P.S. If you’re considering starting a storytelling ministry in your church, we would love to chat with you, to hear what you’re dreaming about and encourage you. Shoot us an email anytime.

 

Why We Tell Stories

I’ve been telling stories on film for over a decade in the local church. And I’ve noticed something along the way … people respond to stories.

They remember them too. Years after we’ve shown a story in our church, it’s not unusual for our team to hear people talking about something that impacted them, something they’ve hung onto over time. What we really love hearing people talk about are the things God did in these stories – how He saved someone or healed them, how a child was adopted, how a marriage was saved from certain disaster. This might be the most beautiful part of the ministry of storytelling – we get to share a glimpse of how good God really is.

We’re in a golden age of storytelling these days. We’re enamored with everything ‘story.’ When I tell people that people that I’m a storyteller, it usually sparks interest (or they roll their eyes and silently mock me – which is fair enough.) Story is a buzzword that won’t go away. Because it’s all around us, it’s something that needs meaning in order to matter.

So why do we tell stories?

First, we’re following in the footsteps of Jesus. He told stories and taught in parables, making the secrets of Heaven accessible to people’s imaginations, describing His Kingdom in a way only He could. By telling stories, Jesus met people right where they were.

We tell stories because they glorify our good God. They demonstrate His unyielding faithfulness, whether He transforms a situation or redeems someone’s perspective in suffering. It stirs our hearts to know that God is still at work, still speaking and moving and healing and making all things new.

We tell stories because they matter, both to God and to us. Our story is a chronicle of our faith so far, the things we’ve experienced and the insights we’ve learned. It’s one of the most precious things we have.

We tell stories because they create impact. They speak truth that resonates deep in the hearts of people. Audiences can relate with struggle, with unresolved conflict, doubt and uncertainty. We need to know we’re not alone in all this. Stories remind us of this.

This past year, I launched a Story Team at WoodsEdge Church with the vision to foster a culture of storytelling at our church. God began bringing us people with a similar passion, and our ministry has begun to take shape and grow.

Along the way, we connected with leaders in other churches who want to tell more stories too. Some are getting started, some want to get more intentional in building a team or grow in the craft of storytelling.

So we’ve launched Tell More Stories as a community resource for storytellers in the local church. Our aim is to share practical, approachable insights that empower you to tell more stories and create more impact in your ministry.

Storytelling is hard work. (It’s a TON of work!) It’s high expectations, limited resources and never enough time. We’re right there with you – it’s where we live too. But we’ve learned that it gets easier when you have a team to help you out. We want to be that team for you.

We want to help you get more intentional, clear and focused as a storyteller. We want to help you understand what moves you and what will move your audience. We want to pass along any resource that’s been helpful to us. And we want you to use it to bless your church for God’s glory. We tell stories because it’s what we were created to do.

So if you’re a storyteller in the church, you’ve come to the right place.