Storying the Bible in North America
Chronological Bible Storying is changing Christian communication and training dramatically.
Church planters that learn how to address oral learning preferences will ride what has been
called by some “the next wave of missions advance.”
Mike Mohler, pastor of Trinity Point, a new church plant in an affluent part of Easley, SC,
turned to Bible storying for their family small groups. They grew from one small adult Bible
study to nine small groups with 90 participating that met in homes in a span of six months.
Cathy Palmer found that her work among refugees in Clarkston, Ga., was accelerated when
she gathered women to sew quilts and casually introduced them to one Bible story at a
time.
A Nehemiah Church planter in Louisville, Ky., found Bible Storying extremely effective in
evangelizing and then discipling several Muslim-background and Catholic Iraqis.
It can be said that about half of North America’s peoples prefer an “oral” approach to
communicating and learning. The U.S. Department of Education now divides literacy into
four groupings: below basic, basic, intermediate, and proficient. This replaces the past
designations of illiterate, functionally illiterate, etc. Canada uses a four-level scale, not using
titles at all.
A 2003 literacy assessment survey of 18,500 people in the U.S. and 23,000 people in Canada
revealed that one in seven adults were Below Basic readers (U.S.) and one in five fell in the
Level 1 category (Canada) for handling basic prose in English, like in the Bible. This means
some—but not all—could sign their name or find dosage levels on a medicine bottle. Right
at half (50%) of all U.S. adults and a little less than half (48%) in Canada fell into the Below
Basic and Basic reading categories (level 1 and 2 of 4 in Canada). Only one in three of those
earning college degrees were rated as “proficient readers.”
Making Disciples of All Peoples or Just the Elite Literates?
As church planters who are comfortable reading and operating in literate networks, we
must give thought to those we hope to make disciples (Mt. 28:18-20). If Christians are
serious about actually communicating with the lost and discipling spiritually-reproducing
believers, then issues of “orality” will rise in importance. Literate approaches will certainly
have their place, but will intentionally need to diminish in our planning priorities as fewer
and fewer Bible readers attain acceptable text-handling proficiency. The good news is that
the Bible is 75% continuous prose. The bad news is that we so often focus on only the 25%
of the highest forms of literature and we deliver it in an analytical style common to
proficient readers, but not the other vast majority of the people we encounter both outside
and inside our own church walls.
Church planting efforts can be minimized or caused to struggle if attention is not given to
methods that convey biblical content in the most effective manner possible. For instance,
the beloved “three points and a poem” and textual exposition have their place, but inhibit a
believer’s efforts to pass along what they’ve heard. Rapid-fire exegetical sword drills from
the pulpit become cul-de-sacs in the mind just when preachers want their church members
to become the gospel-telling superhighway.
Church planters that use audio recordings are not automatically off the hook just because
they don’t use print in their outreach and discipleship plans. Recording things that started
off in print is not enough. An audio recording of something that was written for literates is
heard differently from an audio recording developed for an oral learner. Church planters in
tune with issues in orality are beginning to distinguish between “oral” and “audio.”
Oral approaches are geared toward those who can’t, won’t, or don’t read. We can
understand and even test for the “can’t” category. However, it is an amazing thing to
discover those who “won’t” or “don’t” read walking the hallowed halls of our seminaries,
universities, and church buildings. Others read vigorously at work, but in their spare time
seldom continue reading. A distinction for this group, titled Secondary Orality, is being
made between those that can read, but stop reading unless they are required to do so.
Why Storying is Working
People who do not read regularly, have a tenth grade education or less, have been taught
by rote memorization, are overwhelmed with too much reading, or only read on the job are
attracted to Bible Storying. There are significant advantages for most church planters:
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Memorization of Scripture.
Retention with the ability to understand meaning at a deeper level.
Reproducibility as the narrative is passed along with relative ease.
Stories do a great job of addressing bridges and barriers in a people group’s worldview. A
bridge is anything that may provide a positive connection while a barrier inhibits someone
from embracing the truths of the Bible.
Instead of a non-linear frog-hop through Scripture, it is possible for those who fall into even
the most basic literacy categories to serve as evangelists, teachers, pastors, and godly
believers who start new churches. Yes, even those who fall into the Below Basic or Level 1
category can – and do – have a place in church planting using storying methods.
Learning how to tell Bible stories with accuracy is not enough. Oral learners must be led to
harvest the Bible truth from the storying presentations. This usually comes through dialog
rather than preaching. Applications to real life are drawn from participants in the storying
session who are alert and engaging God’s Word. And they do it from within their own
unique context.
Often church planters express concern about a “disconnect” between what they preach and
their church members’ lifestyles. Bible Storying is based on Bible principles that address
theology, and practical, real-life issues, many of which are barriers to faith and righteous
living. Storying can also reinforce positive bridges to the gospel’s acceptance and
application. Dialogue, discussion, repetition, and even drama or singing the stories aid in
retention and re-telling. Bible Storying is an effective tool for church planters in gospel
sowing, making disciples, and equipping leaders.
Where to Start for Further Study
For further information on Chronological Bible Storying and how it can be used in church
planting, please contact or check out the following websites:
Workshops, training, and consultation – Mark Snowden, msnowden@hotmail.com and
online at www.truthsticks.org or Facebook at TruthSticks
Donny Coulter, Canadian Baptists’ First Nations advocate – dcoulter@cnbc.org
Bible Storying newsletter – Free from J.O. Terry – biblestorying@sbcglobal.net
Masters of Arts in Intercultural Studies, SEBTS – http://college.sebts.edu
Four-day CBS course and semester-long course, SWBTS – www.swbts.edu/catalog
International Orality Network -- www.internationaloralitynetwork.org
Written by Mark Snowden. This was written when Mark was a member of the Church
Planting staff at NAMB. Contact Mark at msnowden@hotmail.com.