March 27, 2000

Storytelling called best way to talk about faith
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___WACO--Stories are treasures for the heart, according to Wayne Shuffield, and that's why Christians ought to reclaim storytelling as a means of evangelism
___"Children and adults alike are fascinated by stories of how their parents or grandparents first met, their first date, first day in school, first car, first train ride, first flight on an airplane," he told a breakout session at the Senior Adult Summit in Waco last week.
___Shuffield, consultant for local church evangelism strategy with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, encouraged the senior adults to reconsider the "importance, implications and impact of communicating personal testimony through storytelling."
___Stories form an important part of sacred history, since stories of creation, families, patriarchs and battles are all told in story form, he said. Prophets proclaimed the truths of God in story form; and Jesus' coming, living, dying, rising and reigning is rooted in story.
___"Telling one's personal story was the primary practice of New Testament Christians for personal evangelism," Shuffield said. "The personal testimony provides a credible and believable account for hearers to consider. Every testimony is unique and interesting and can capture and hold the attention of non-Christians.
___"Your personal testimony establishes empathy and identifies with someone else's life experience. Listeners might deny your story, question it, doubt it, laugh at it, criticize it or ignore it, but they will find your story difficult to refute because it is your story."
___A Christian telling his or her own personal testimony in story form is "the best tool we possess to communicate his story, the good news that salvation is available for all who believe," Shuffield said.
___He offered nine suggestions for using storytelling as a witness:
___ Briefly describe pre-conversion feelings and emotions more than activities.
___ Avoid words and phrases non-Christians don't understand.
___ Use the statement, "I had a life-changing experience," to describe the conversion experience.
___ Create an interest for the listener to want to hear more.
___ Reveal recent events that reflect God's faithfulness to you.
___ Declare your assurance that you will spend eternity in heaven.
___ Use a transition to move the conversation to the gospel.
___ Give a clear presentation of God's plan for salvation with a story from Jesus' life.
___ Give the listener opportunity to respond.

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