Many of us will enjoy a good story, some of us might be good at telling a story too.
Simply the Story is a group which focus on telling Bible stories. We support a project using Simply the Story material in the Gulf where groups of migrants are equipped to share their faith through telling Bible stories. Many migrant workers in the Gulf region have low levels of literacy so story telling is a great way to introduce Jesus to others.
In Northern Ireland we can also equip ourselves to share stories of Jesus through story telling. Perhaps you have read a great book recently or seen a great film – you might tell your friends about this by trying to tell the story. We know that we should be excited to tell stories about Jesus, but we can all find this hard.
Rev Lesley-Ann Wilson has been learning Bible stories and sharing them with others using the Simply the Story material for some time. Jesus used stories to teach, and we can use those same stories to help people engage with God’s Word today.
In partnership with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland some Simply the Story training is planned for January 2024 in Union Theological College. Participants can attend a three-day Foundational Workshop from Wednesday 10th – Friday 12th January where they will learn how to easily remember and tell Bible stories, how to ask great questions so that their friends and family can unlock spiritual treasures and personal applications from the stories. Others may choose to attend the Full In-Depth Training option which begins on Monday 8th and overlaps with the Foundational Workshop to finish on Friday 12th. The weeklong training will allow participants to be able to pass on story telling skills to others.
As we interact with others, we demonstrate our faith and our understanding of God’s Word – we might be the only Bible people read! This training will equip us to share the Bible better and to see more lives transformed by the powerful message of God in His Word.