• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Building Faith

Building Faith

A Ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary

  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • Who We Are
    • Our Writers
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
  • ARTICLES
    • ARTICLES BY TOPIC
    • MOST RECENT ARTICLES
  • EN ESPAÑOL
  • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • Episcopal Teacher
    • Choosing Curriculum
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Signs of Life
    • Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John
    • 5 Marks of Love
    • Growing a Rule of Life
    • It’s Time To…
    • #AdventWord
  • SUPPORT US
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/Worship & Liturgy/Biblical Storytelling

Biblical Storytelling

 

What is Biblical Storytelling?

Everyone loves a good story. And when it’s told by someone who loves, feels, and embodies the story, you become part of the story.  The Bible gives storytellers (and educators) many opportunities to share God’s Story. Bible stories have rich characters, emotions, and actions to bring to life.

Biblical storytelling is more than just “telling the story.” It is a discipline in which the storyteller takes a passage from the Bible, studies and reflects on that passage, and then tells it in a way so that the hearers may best connect with the story as well.

Everyone Can Be a Storyteller

Tracy Radosevic, Biblical storyteller extraordinaire, says, “Everyone is a storyteller . . . we just fall at different places on the storytelling spectrum.” This ranges from those who tell stories professionally on stage, to those who tell stories in the classroom or pulpit, to those who tell tales around the kitchen table.

This fall at a conference where she was keynoting, Tracy shared her “Storytelling Rules of Thumb”:

  • Stay true to your personality when you’re telling stories
  • Don’t make the audience work any harder than they have to
  • Identify what about the story most resonates with you
  • Less is More (a.k.a. KISS: Keep It Simple Silly!)
  • Get your audience involved – even if they are all adults!

Tracy recently spoke with Faith & Leadership (Duke Divinity School) about what it means to be a biblical storyteller and why leaders should help others tell their own stories. Watch the video clip of her telling the story of Bartimaeus as well as read an edited transcript of the interview here.

Learn more at the Network of Biblical Storytellers International

 

 

Print PDF

January 30, 2011 By BuildFaith Editors

Filed Under: Worship & Liturgy Tagged With: adults, Bible, children's ministry, Christian formation, storytelling, worship, youth ministry

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Subscribe to Building Faith

You’ll get new articles, plus free weekly updates in your inbox.

We respect your privacy. View our privacy policy here.

Search Our Site

Search by Topic

New Articles

New and Recent Lent Resources for 2023

If you’re busy organizing children’s, youth, adult, or parish-wide programs for Lent and Holy Week, …

Continue Reading about New and Recent Lent Resources for 2023

Black History Month Resources for 2023

February is Black History Month in the U.S., and the theme for 2023 is “Black Resistance.” According …

Continue Reading about Black History Month Resources for 2023

Resources to Learn, Pray, and Act This Martin Luther King Day

Every third Monday in January, around his birthday (January 15), we commemorate the life and work of …

Continue Reading about Resources to Learn, Pray, and Act This Martin Luther King Day

Footer

Keep In touch

  • Email
  • Facebook

Upcoming Webinars

Eventbrite Registration

Building Faith

Lifelong Learning, Virginia Theological Seminary
3737 Seminary Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22304

Copyright © 2023 · Building Faith · A Ministry of Virginia Theological Seminary

Design by Blue+Pine Creative, Inc.

Subscribe to Building Faith

Get Articles and Resources by Email

Privacy Policy