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KNOW the Story BE the Story TELL the Story ...of Christ's Love in the World! |
What's Your Story?
All of us are living a story. Together we are living in the middle of God's story - for us, and for our neighbor.
This year the NE MN Synod Discipleship Challenge will live out our faith practices through the sharing of stories. Stories challenge and inspire us on our faith journey to live out the faith practices of give, invite, serve, study, worship, pray and encourage…and many more. As we share our stories of life and faith, we come to KNOW God’s Story for our lives and the world…to BE God’s Story of love and reconciliation in the world…and to TELL God’s Story so the world can know all are included in God’s Story!
This year, let’s take time to share our stories, to hear the stories of others – to live out our faith practices as we grow in God’s story for all of us!
This year the NE MN Synod Discipleship Challenge will live out our faith practices through the sharing of stories. Stories challenge and inspire us on our faith journey to live out the faith practices of give, invite, serve, study, worship, pray and encourage…and many more. As we share our stories of life and faith, we come to KNOW God’s Story for our lives and the world…to BE God’s Story of love and reconciliation in the world…and to TELL God’s Story so the world can know all are included in God’s Story!
This year, let’s take time to share our stories, to hear the stories of others – to live out our faith practices as we grow in God’s story for all of us!
How the 2015-2016 Discipleship Challenge works:
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- Teach the STORY acronym tool.
- Intentionally incorporate opportunities to share stories of life and faith into what you are already doing.
Use the suggested Story Starters or your own questions. - Optional: Go deeper with the "Story" Study Guides.
Yup. That's it.
We get to know each other through stories, and the deeper we know each other, the better we can accompany each other on our faith journeys and in our ministries. God is at work in and through all our stories!
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STORY Acronym Tool
Use the acronym STORY as a tool to help you think of questions to learn the stories of others: Download a STORY Acronym Tool Handout STORY Bookmark S = Status Update Just like Facebook prompts members to share what’s on their mind, ask questions relating to what is happening in someone’s life.
T = Traditions and Rituals Get to know someone’s history, what is important to them, what they like to do.
O = Optimism Despite what the news might show us on a daily basis, there is hope in this world because of our faith in Jesus. And God has given us gifts to share for the good of others. Ask questions that get at stories of calling, purpose and hope!
R = Relationships Ask questions to learn about the people who have shaped our life stories.
Y = Yada Yada Yada While this phrase has a cultural definition of someone going on and on about the obvious things people should know, the Hebrew definition is “to know” and translates into several deeper meanings of knowing. So often we think we know each other (yada, yada, yada) – but do we really, deeply know the people we encounter each week in church, in our communities, in our lives? Ask playful, random, obscure, trivial, deep, silly, wondering questions to get to know someone.
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STORY STARTERS
Below are Story Starters you might use each month. They are grouped by topics, and the questions grow a bit deeper each month. Use one question a week, or all questions in one sitting. Adapt questions to suit your group, or use as is! One question a week will be posted on our synod Facebook Group – share your stories, and get to know others in your synod! (Note: You are welcome to use the Story Starters at any time, not just the month suggested below!) Ideas for how to use Story Starters Additional question ideas For General Use Use during council meetings, youth group, coffee hour, at the beginning of Bible studies, before choir practice, at the close of worship before heading to coffee hour, at meals...anywhere people gather and can share stories! September: Stories of New School/Program Year October: Stories of Family November: Stories of Thanksgiving December: Stories of Christmas January: Stories of Our Congregation February: Stories of Our Community March: Stories of Our Synod/ELCA/Larger Church April: Stories of Jesus Full List of General Use Story Starter questions in a Word doc so you can edit Table Tents (Fold in thirds to display on tables)
For Ministry Leaders Get to know your colleagues! The Story Starters below have been adapted for use at network meetings, staff meetings, text studies, Conference Meetings – any time you are gathered with colleagues in ministry. September: Stories of New Ministry Program Year October: Stories of Family November: Stories of Thanksgiving December: Stories of Christmas January: Stories of Our Congregation February: Stories of Our Community March: Stories of Our Synod/ELCA/Larger Church April: Stories of Jesus Full List of Ministry Leader Story Starter questions in a Word doc so you can edit |
Story Study Guides
Want to dig deeper into stories? The 2015 Practice Discipleship curriculum, “Story”, has been adapted around the KNOW – BE – TELL framework of the Discipleship Challenge. Each session can be done as a Bible study in one sitting, or done section by section over the course of several weeks. Living in Stories Story of Scripture Story of Place and Displacement Story of Adolescence Faith Formation Interview Handout Story of Self and Others Engaged Listening Handout Story of Service Service Learning Planning Guide Handout Story of Faith Community These were adapted from the 2015 Practice Discipleship Curriculum. Download the full curriculum here. If you would like a member of the NE MN Synod Practice Discipleship team to come to your congregation to lead a session, please contact Catherine Anderson at 218/724.4424. Archived Resources Discussion Guides and Videos from previous years are on the "Faith Practice Videos and Discussion Guides" page. |