Telling The Story
Published on Nov 18, 2015
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I was impressed. Here I was, a rookie missionary, talking to one of the men who had come up with the idea of the Peace Corps. This man had worked in the White House. He'd conversed with the President of the United States as informally as we were conversing now on the steps of the Spanish Language Institute in Costa Rica.
I asked the man, "Now that the peace Corps has been in operation all these years, has it fulfilled the expectations you had for the program?"
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"Yes," he replied, "but there has been an added benefit we didn't even foresee." "What's that?" I asked.
"The Peace Corps volunteers returned to the United States transformed," he explained. "They became some of the most dedicated, productive, visionary citizens of our society."
Photo by afagen
"Fascinating," I thought to myself, "Short-term missions works just like the Peace Corps. Short-termers can return with vision and dedication."
One of the greatest benefits of a short-term experience is probably what happens inside short-termers themselves and how they can infect their friends and family with a new commitment to missions. Missions multiplies as short-termers tell their story.
And it's important that they tell it well.
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12 WAYS TO HELP TELL THE STORY
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Throughout your DTS make a point to remember the details of certain episodes. Write down the sights, sounds, smells, and conversations. You'll be surprised how quickly your memory fades. Without a journal or some written record, you might end up boring folks with a soggy travel log.
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2. BE READY
Photo by Alan Cleaver
Don't forget to tell your story in casual conversations. Almost anyone who knows you went somewhere will politely ask, "How was your trip?" Don't give them the limp reply they might expect, "Real great" or "Just super". On the other hand, don't tell them your entire saga. Tell a crisp, one-minute story from your experience.
Photo by Alan Cleaver
3. TAKE INITIATIVE
Arrange for settings where you can share your experience. Meet with your pastor to schedule a brief presentation to the church. Get others to help you organize special gatherings or prayer meetings to focus on the mission situation you've known.
3.
God gave good advice to his prophet Isaiah when he said, "Cry loudly, do not hold back; raise your voice like a trumpet." There's nothing more frustrating than to miss an exciting story simply because the volume was too low. Make sure you project your voice so your audience can hear. Speak as clearly as possible.
The opening sentence ought to have a hook in it with bait that arouses curiosity. Try to create a little anticipation with your opener. Curiosity may kill a cat, but it confirms communications. Never start with an apology or complaint. Don't say, "I'm really sorry I wasn't able to bring my slides, " or "I've been given only five minutes to tell about my short-term experience."
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As you move from the opening statement, weave details into the story so that the listener can visualize the scene (The squeaky chair, the smell of incense, children splashing in a puddle, your own feelings at the time ). Select descriptions of primary importance. Answer the basic questions: who, what, where, when and why.
Photo by Rakesh JV
Don't overdo it though. Dress the story for the occasion. Focus on your experience, not on YWAM. Be especially careful to use expressions and jargon your audience will understand. It's common to pick up terms while on a short-term that are foreign to your listeners.
Photo by Rakesh JV
7. ILLUSTRATE YOUR STORY
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Don't be afraid to dramatize. Act out a conversation. Include facial expressions. If you use slides, be sure to use them to illustrate. Select only top quality pictures and keep them moving fairly quickly and in sequence with the story you want to tell. Don't bore people by merely flashing slides on the screen with a commentary on each picture. It is sometimes appropriate to use an object to illustrate a point.
Photo by ollesvensson
One short-termer punctuated an exciting story of a hunting trip among primitive people by using one of their blow guns to fire a small dart into the church ceiling. "Every time you look up to see that dart, "he concluded, "please remember to pray for the people of Papua New Guinea."
Photo by ollesvensson
Stories that touch the hearts of listeners and move them to a deeper commitment to missions are stories centred on people. Programs, plans, and policies are important, but they only exist to serve people. So, fill your stories and slides with people. Be sure to get "up close" both in stories and slides. Tell all about their thoughts and emotions and, if you take pictures, focus on faces. Everyone likes to see a twinkle or a wrinkle, a tear or a grin, and you can't see those from a distance.
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9. CONVEY IMPORTANT LESSONS
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A good story should have a moral. Well chosen and skilfully told, anecdotes will hold the attention of any audience, but a short-term missionary must do more than entertain. There should be a message. Donald Gray Barmhouse said it well: "Every experience of life can serve to illustrate some biblical principle." Make certain, however, that you don't belabour the point of the lesson. A brief statement will make it clear, such as "You can't out give God." Often a biblical quotation will do: "And the greatest of these is love."
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10. BE POSITIVE
Try to relate everything in a positive way. There have been far too many woeful tales from suffering saints. Missions has become synonymous with misery. Instead of condemning folks for their evil materialism, challenge them to get in on the tremendous opportunities to invest in the Lord's work around the world. Don't complain about the trials - glory in the triumphs. When you relate the darker side of the circumstances, include a little humour. Instead of bemoaning the isolated conditions of the overseas community in which you served, simply state, "The place was not the end of the world, but you could see it from there."
11. ENCOURAGE INTERACTIONS
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If possible, give opportunity for questions. The best communication moves on a two-way street. Listen intently to the questions and do your best to answer as specifically and precisely as possible. You need not feel threatened. You have an answer for every question. One of the answers may be, "I don't know." In the interaction period, be sure to make some supportive comments, such as "That's a good question" or "Did you catch the significance of Fred's comment?"
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In a culture in which time is of supreme significance, missionary speakers need to contextualize. Short-term missionaries are often relegated to short-term reports. Don't fret. Just give a Reader's Digest version of your story. Whatever you do, don't go beyond the time limit..
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As a short-termer about to take off on a life-changing mission, or one who has been out there and come back, don't miss the opportunities to communicate. Who knows? God might use you to ignite the spark within a twenty-first century William Carey, Hudson Taylor, or Cam Townsend. Tell your story.
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