Storying Scripture Resources

Websites and Apps

Is Orality Really Effective in Sharing the Gospel? – by Jerry Wiles, Christianity Today
This article overviews the orality movement around the world. The article states that the movement is possibly one of the most significant breakthroughs that has taken place in the church/mission world over the last 500 years. Others have said that it’s changing the face of missions around the world.

3 Reasons Bible Storying is Essential for Making Disciples Globally – by Steve Evans
This article provides a concise, practical explanation of why storying Scripture is such an important and effective tool. He provides statistics and personal experiences that display the power of this practice well.

International Orality Network
The International Orality Network website focuses on spreading the need for storying Scripture throughout the world as well as equipping people to story. It is highly focused on world missions but has information that can be applied to a small group setting. Its resource page is also expansive and allows you to focus on whatever aspect of storying you want to study.

The Network of Biblical Storytellers International
The Network of Biblical Storytellers International is a network of professional, scholarly Bible storytellers with a mission to equip the church to be able to story the Scriptures with effective evangelistic efforts. Their website provides a thorough overview of storying along with helpful resources for beginners.

Making Disciples of Oral Learners – by the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization
This online PDF booklet primarily focuses on the value of storying the Word on the mission field, but it also has helpful material for working in a small group setting. Its most valuable asset is its list of resources at the end, which is very expansive.

StoryRunners – by Cru
Cru has a special storying ministry, and this website will introduce you to how Cru does it, as well as providing helpful storying resources.

Orality Resources Page – by e3partners
This PDF document is a list of websites and books on orality resources.

Telling the Greatest Story: A Crash Course in Bible Storying – by Marie McDonald
This short article is a way to quickly understand storying. Helpful is the differentiation between broad and narrow storytelling, and which one is best in specific contexts.

Bible Storying in a Post-Christian Generation – by Kendal Conner
This article describes how storying Scripture can be a useful tool to teach younger generations in the Western world who are becoming more prone to not hearing and learning the gospel message. Conner also explains how storying Scripture can be used as a strong discipleship tool.

SIL International
SIL International has a very helpful website devoted to developing peoples’ storytelling skills with a missional intent in mind. They offer invaluable resources that include lexicography, linguistics, orthography, etc. A great tool for holistic development of one’s storytelling capabilities.

Storying the Gospel – by Maria Fontaine
Fontaine provides numerous examples of how storying Scripture has impacted lives and gives helpful resources for diving deeper into storying.

Learning to Soar Videos – by Avery T. Willis, Jr.
These videos provide practical tips from a very experienced storyteller. Some of them explain the process of storying—how to prepare, how to tell the story, and then how to lead the discussion. Others are actual videos of storying in progress. These videos are invaluable in helping to get a handle on what storying actually looks like.

The Story of Hope Condensed App
The Story of Hope Condensed is an app created by Good Soil Evangelism and Discipleship. The app provides 20 (10 Old Testament and 10 New Testament) visualized biblical stories that work together to tell the large biblical narrative of redemption and reconciliation.

Books

Truth that Sticks: How to Communicate Velcro Truth in a Teflon World by Avery T. Willis Jr. and Mark Snowden
How does one make disciples of oral learners? This book suggests that Bible storying is the answer. It gives reasons for why to do it and why it works, then moves on to how to do it, specifically in a small group setting. This book is a fantastic resource for storying in general and storying in small groups specifically.

Basic Bible Storying: Preparing and Presenting Bible Stories for Evangelism, Discipleship, Training, and Ministry by J. O. Terry
A book written to train people in the art of Bible storying, this is an excellent resource for specific how-to’s. It begins by explaining why storying is needed and then switches to details of the process. The author is very practiced and has many good insights to share.

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© Phil Collins, Ph.D., 2014. This material was created in partnership with the Taylor University Center for Scripture Engagement.