(Re) Discovering Narrative to Communicate God’s Message
Quotes from the book that really caught my attention
“While there are many reasons why the church in America is in decline, the most striking reason is that people are no longer connecting with the redemptive story of the Bible. We live in a culture that is craving narratives, and images – anything that can provide some meaning to their nihilistic lives. The church has the greatest story ever told. That story, Scripture tells us, is the power of God to transform lives. yet few are listening. What is wrong with this picture?”
“A few years ago would you have paid more than a dollar for a cup of coffee? Now you walk into a coffeehouse where you hear cool music, watch the coffee – bar – attendants make your drink, perhaps relax on one of the hip pieces of furniture, and think that a $3 cup of coffee is a bargain. Why? Because you bought more than coffee-you paid for an experience. It’s caffeine for the senses.”
“Today’s emerging generations no longer need the informed to be the informer. The internet has given them unprecedented access to information that’s only a few clicks away. This shift in need has also brought a shift in learning styles. Experience that is interactive and relational not only attracts the younger generations, but it is the key to educating them as well.”
“What if we were to take our message and begin speaking the language of the natives? Instead of telling people Jesus is the light of the world, what if we showed them the stark difference between light and darkness?”
These are just a few of the things that really kept my attention in this book.
Book Description:
The “Been there, done that” culture is starving for reality. Hardly satisfied with the modern conventions of citing facts and figures and pushing propositions, emerging churches are jumping into the narrative form of communication with both feet. But not all emerging church leaders have an inherent handle on the craft and skill of using narrative as a sermon form. Experiential Storytelling zeros in on the hows and whys of narrative, as well as the importance of sharing personal experience to double your storytelling ammunition. In addition, author Mark Miller goes several steps further, giving examples of real-time, hands-on experiences for church members as innovative extensions of traditional teaching and preaching that offer them greater scriptural understanding and ownership of the gospel story. Chapters include: • The Dawning of the Age of Experience • Once Upon a Story • Awakening the Sleeping Giant in the Church—C*R*E*A*T*I*V*T*Y • Reimagining the “Sermon” • Elements of Experiential Storytelling • Killer Apps
It is worth your time to read if you have an interest in communicating with the culture of today, especially the younger generations. I could not put the book down for about three fourths of the way and after that it became less interesting. Still worth the read. It is a quick read and the first few chapters are the best.
The Church Has The Greatest Story Ever Told
I believe that and I want to get the message out to others.
Ronnie