Disciplemaking Strategies: Bible Storying

Disciplemaking Strategies: Bible Storying
The Bible Storying method is an excellent disciplemaking strategy. It’s based on the reality that “even if people like learning through reading, reading by itself is not the best way to move information from the head to the heart.” (Real Life Discipleship, p 156)

One of the best things about Bible Storying is that it keeps the Bible central to the process of making disciples who make disciples. Jim Putman, pastor of Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho, notes, “We believe that the Bible is the best curriculum available, but we also believe that having trained leaders with the Bible in their hands is God’s best way of making disciples.” (p. 157)
If you are looking for a simple, reproducible method of disciplemaking that places a high value on the authority of Scripture, utilizes the Bible as the curriculum, and affects people at a heart level, consider Bible Storying.

Here’s how it works…
1. Choose a story set from the Bible that is relevant (OT to the Cross, The Gospels, Book of Acts, etc.)

2. The group leader learns one of the stories or assigns someone to learn the story. (Learn so the story is told without reading it, but not word for word.)

3. While the storyteller tells the story, the group reads along to see if the storyteller has missed anything.
4. When finished, the storyteller or leader will rebuild the story, pointing out anything that was missed.
5. The leader often asks someone to tell the story back to everyone without reading. (No one knows who will be asked, so everyone pays attention.)

6. Once the story has been told, rebuilt, and told again, the group leader asks questions to draw out the important truths in the story. For example:
a. What new things did you discover in the story that you did not know before?
b. What did you learn about God?
c. What did you learn about people?
d. Which person is most like you in the story?
e. What will you take away from this discussion?
f. What will you do with what you have learned?
7. Each person identifies application points for their own life.

Bible Storying gives every believer an opportunity to engage in the disciplemaking process. You will quickly discover that you don’t have to be an expert to tell a story. By simply telling the story, asking questions, and committing to this process – you can reproduce disciplemakers!
8 Benefits of Storying
1. It helps people know the Bible.
2. It helps recruit leaders. (Storytelling is part of the human experience.)

3. It is better for real learning.
4. It better arms people for service.
5. It helps people disciple their kids.
6. It helps leaders assess where people are spiritually.
7. It keeps small groups from being boring.
8. People get to know each other.

TODAY’S MISSIONAL CHALLENGE

Use Bible Storying with a small group of friends. Discuss the benefits of this strategy for disciplemaking!
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Author
Dave DeVries
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Dr. Dave DeVries is a coach, trainer and strategist – and founder of Missional Challenge. He is passionate about coaching and training church planters and missional leaders. His training skills have been used to mobilize church planters, pastors and ministry leaders across the country and around the world. Missional Challenge partners together with churches, networks and denominations to advance disciplemaking movements globally.With 25+ years of church planting and leadership development experience, Dave brings his passion and encouragement to those he trains and coaches. He created The Multiplication Cycle™ to assist church planters to start churches by making disciples. He has trained and coached hundreds of coaches and church planters across the United States and internationally.Dave has been coaching pastors and church planters for more than ten years. His experience in church multiplication led to his doctorate in transformational leadership at Bakke Graduate University. He also received a Master of Divinity from The Master’s Seminary and graduated from Biola University with a B.S. in Business Administration.