The Basics of Chronological Bible Storying

Part One - The Nine Principles of Chronological Bible Storying

The nine principles of chronological Bible storying serve as an overview of what storying is all about, but it also provides a foundation for an understanding of what storying is, as well as providing some application and how to story. It is a summary. Some of these principles relate more to evangelising than to discipleship. And in that case, Ill point out the dierences. Also, some of the elements of the nine basics will be covered more in depth and in detail later. The rst principle of chronological Bible storying is that storying is chosen because it is a primary communication vehicle of the people were working with, of oral communicators. What that means is that we choose to use storying because it is the learning and communication preferences of the people. We have a tendency to want to default to how we learn, and how we were taught, and how we want to teach, and yet, we recognise that eective communication is when we look at how they learn, and how they teach, and how they communicate. So it is the primary communication vehicle. Another aspect of that to realise is that this is a systemic approach, which means that storying is not just methodology, but it is missiology. Its not just what we do, its why we do it. Just as in the approach to church planting movements, its not just methodology, but it is missiology. So the rst principle is that storying is a primary communication vehicle, and it is systemic. The second principle is that storying is based entirely upon the Bible. Storying is not teaching. We allow Gods Word to do the teaching. Gods Word does the instructing. The Bible is primarily a narrative approach of Gods working throughout history, and God dealing with mankind. It is His story, and we simply want to tell His story, allowing His Spirit to work through His Word in the lives of others. We dont want to add to that Word, because the Word becomes internalised to an oral communicator. And so we want to base it entirely on His Word, the Bible. The third principle is that storying is chronological, its sequential. This is the way the oral mind works. They look at the story and the linkage of stories to tell the greater story. That way they remember the story and they internalise the story. They are unable to get the picture and the principles out of the story without being chronological, without being sequential. Many times the stories become mixed up in the minds of an oral learner or an oral communicator, and they are unable to really put things in the perspective that they need to understand Gods Word. The fourth principle is basically a principle for evangelism. And since storying is systemic, it touches not just evangelism, but discipleship, leader training, church planting. But storying looks backwards and never forwards in the evangelism track. In other uses of storying, what we say is that you can use whatever is in the Bible, the oral Bible, that the people have. In evangelism they dont have a Bible. Youre giving them that oral Bible, and you never anticipate in jumping forward in that Bible, but you can always look back, pulling stories from what they have in their minds, in their hearts. So, in the evangelism track, or when youre evangelising, dont go forward; but in discipling, in training, use whatevers in the Bible that they have in their hearts and their minds.

The fth principle of storying is that the stories are based on universal Bible truths, truths that are to be communicated for understanding what salvation is, what Gods plan for man is, what Gods plan is for discipleship and Christian character development. So those stories are chosen to convey those Bible truths that are to be communicated. Youll hear more about that later in this series on the use of identifying biblical truths. The sixth principle -- stories are chosen based upon world view. Stories are chosen based on barriers and bridges found in a peoples world view. Its based upon who they are within their cultural context and how Gods Word touches them where they are within their cultural context. The seventh principle is that storying is structured to give an oral Bible to the people and to develop within them the competency to share that oral Bible. The only Bible an oral person will ever have, if they are not literate, is the Bible they have in their hearts and the ones they carry in their minds. Theyll never have a book to refer to, theyll never have a book to look up references, theyll only be able to pull from whats within them. And thats one reason why we like to, or we must base storying entirely upon the Bible. Because what we say to them becomes their Bible. It is their oral Bible. It is Gods Word for them, to them, and in them. The eighth principle, (and this specically applies in using storying in evangelisation, but it also crosses over into other uses of storying, such as discipleship and leader training) is that storying is a win-win approach. When we tell stories, I am not confronting a person, and their world view, and their culture, and their beliefs, but Gods Word is confronting a person in his world view, his lifestyle, his beliefs. So its a win-win approach because Im simply telling a story, and a person would have no reason to be against me if Gods Word makes them feel uncomfortable. So I win, they win. When it comes to the crucixion, when it comes to the resurrection, we take that opportunity to have them consider what are the implications of Gods Word as it is storied to them in a chronological, historical perspective for full understanding of what salvation is, and we approach them at that point for a decision. So it is a win-win situation. In considering storying as a win-win approach, and in considering the chronological sequential aspect of storying, we dont push for a decision prior to the crucixion and the resurrection. We want Gods Word to work in a persons life in the revelation of God, in the story of God, in the moving of God as He did in the Bible. So we dont ask for an early decision. But at the same time, when people do come to us and say they want to make some sort of decision for God, theyre ready, we dont say, No, were not going to let you do that. We pull them aside and individually deal with them in that decision process, telling them the rest of the story, then asking them not to spoil it for the other people, to let Gods Word work in their lives as He in His Spirit will. And nally the ninth principle in storying is that it is a narrative approach with no exposition. This is for primary oral learners. An oral learner cannot learn the way we want to teach. They learn through stories, and so storying sticks with a story and the discussion of that story for God to work in their lives.

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Note: Article written by Steve Evans, IMB