Indian Story Telling

Only a few lights filtered through murky night haze as we descended into Mumbai, India. A great city lay beneath us, certainly not asleep, but wrapped within its own dense cloak. Later, riding to the hotel, rows of dark apartments stared down at us with only an occasional lit window for punctuation. Streetlights, shop lights, and bouncing headlights alike pushed vainly against midnight soup, setting the environmental tone for the entire three-week project. Day or night, India’s smoggy air remained visible yet always obscured the sky.

Ministry Partnerships Train Church Leaders

Mission Aviation Fellowship’s Learning Technologies (MAF-LT) division along with Hemet, California based “The God’s Story Project” (TGSP) partnered with two different Indian national church groups to conduct three sets of workshops in October 2007 in Mumbai and Delhi, India. These “Simply The Story” (STS) workshops trained selected Indian church leaders to present the Gospel using stories.

TGSP Director, Dorothy Miller, TGSP International Director of Technology, Andrea Pebbles and India Field Manager, Rev. Dr. S. M. headed the team. They drew instructors from a pool of previously qualified volunteers in the United States – a retired lady from Northern California, 2 young ladies from Southern California, an emerging leader from a Texas inner city rehab program and experienced China missionaries. Additionally, veteran missionary, Regina Manley, MAFLT Orality Specialist represented MAF in this joint project. I, MAF-LT’s Communications Specialist, chronicled the team’s activities.

Coordinating our work in Mumbai were Pastors Dr. J & E. S. of an active Christian fellowship. Their church of over 5,000 people meets in scores of small groups and house churches scattered throughout the vast slums of northern Mumbai. They own no buildings and manage no large facilities. Instead, they direct the entire ministry from rented rooms at the end of narrow alley along a fetid creek. Despite the setting, they supplied a ready cadre of drivers, organizers and helpers to ensure everything we could possibly need was immediately at hand.

Seven hundred miles northeast, in the national capital of New Delhi, Pastors Dr. J & M. T. provided similar aide. They secured the use of a rare, large church building for the seminar. Indian law allows religious freedom. However, in a society 80% Hindu and 14% Muslim, public displays of Christian proselytizing or worship draw sharp opposition rapidly. So, as in Mumbai, this Delhi church meets in small groups scattered about the greater metropolitan area.

In Mumbai the team offered two sets of three concurrent workshops located in different parts of the city. Each workshop hosted 12-25 students for three days, training them to present stories, ask the right questions and facilitate the resulting discussion. In Delhi we presented an additional three-day course.

STS Unique Story Method

The STS premise mimics Jesus’ original disciple training method. He wrote neither theological treatise nor doctrinal exposition, but taught with stories instead. In fact, cursory examination reveals that seventy five percent of the entire Bible is narrative. Stories, like music, posses the intriguing ability to circumvent the critical, mental gatekeeper and engage hearts directly. Perhaps that’s why the STS method of Gospel presentation, though designed originally for non-literate people, when employed in the field appeals to literate people as well.

Evangelizing with stories is not new to the mission scene. Several ministries have conducted similar training for nearly a decade and report great success. However, TGSP honed a unique five-step process that enables the participants to discover for themselves unusually deep treasures.

1. Presenter Tells The Story

First, the presenter tells a Bible story in her own words rather than reading it aloud or repeating a word-for-word memorization. This imbues the narration with intimate reality. She must relate the entire story accurately, but not embellish it with imagined events nor subtract apparently inconsequential detail. For example, if the Bible verse says, “Martha came to him and asked …” the presenter does not say, “Martha cried out in desperation …” That particular emotion might make sense in the story’s context, but the story does not relate the events in that manner. Additionally, she learns and tells the story from the point of view of a single Bible translation – preferably the one available to the listener. This becomes the listener’s scriptural “standard”, recorded if possible, but the same for, and available to everyone.

2. Volunteer Repeats The Story

Second, the presenter invites a volunteer to retell the story as well as he can from memory. When the volunteer finishes, he is praised for his courage and not criticized for mistakes. The intent is not to promote performance competition. Rather, because the invited speaker is ‘one of their own’, the other listeners will keenly monitor his accuracy and, in the process, completely review the entire story.

3. Step Through The Story

Third, the presenter makes an incomplete statement about the story’s opening event then asks the audience to complete it. Next, she asks a leading question about the story’s second event. When the group agrees that the answer is, in fact, what the story says, she asks a third question and so on. In this manner she steps through the entire story once more to confirm what it actually says without delving into interpretation.

4. Ask Insight Questions

Fourth, the presenter asks questions that allow the participants to discover the story’s treasures for themselves. Rather than settle for generic, surface questions like “What does this story teach us?” or “What do we learn about Jesus in this story?” the presenter challenges listeners to consider motivations, choices available and decision implications. She makes pointed inquiries about smaller story details such as: “When Mary sat a Jesus’ feet, what else could she have done?” or, “When Martha confronted Jesus, what was she really saying?”

The entire group discussion must stay within the boundaries of that particular story. No material, illustrations or references are allowed into the discussion from other sources – biblical, extra biblical, or historical. The only exceptions to that firm rule are facts and insights gained from other Bible stories previously shared by the entire group.

The exciting result is that no one individual remains the expert. All participants – regardless of pervious education - meet on a level field. Presenter and listener alike share an opportunity to hear the Holy Spirit speaking directly to them about the deeper, less obvious truths embedded in the story. With this method, seasoned non-literates attain to spiritual leadership stature previously available only to book-trained literates. The single most common statement heard during this portion of the discussion is subdued, yet amazed, “I never saw that before”.

This technique requires an exceptional attitude on the presenter’s part. She must see herself as a learner, just like her listeners, and expect to be surprised by what she learns from them. Interestingly, well trained teachers and preachers face the most difficulty employing this tool. They’ve worked hard to reach the expert role and their ministry experience accustoms them to filling it. Non-literates, however, learn the stories more easily and capture the spiritual insights more quickly. Their lifetime mastery of oral communications gives them a clear edge with this technique.

5. Ask Application Questions

Fifth, the presenter asks all the participants to consider how the treasures they just discovered might apply to events, situations and attitudes in their own lives. She then asks for volunteers to share how the insights touch them. The ensuing talk frequently opens forgotten pain or encourages further “ah-ha!” moments. In either case, the participants enjoy genuine contact with the Holy Spirit.

Presenting God’s plan through stories does not replace inspired preaching or sound instruction. They each retain an essential place in Word ministry. Instead, sharing the Good News via stories becomes an additional tool in the minister’s box, useful for reaching the literate, essential for touching the non-literate and heart engaging for both.

Results

Now, in February 2008, the unedited reports below (except name removal for security) demonstrate the effectiveness of sharing the Good News with the STS method. MAF and TGSP continue their partnership exploring how to share this ancient, remarkable tool with the church through the application of appropriate technology.

1. One of our leaders Sister “CT”, was ministering in one House Church for past 4 years, a family of 8 people. The lady of the house and her married daughter would attend the House Church meetings every week along with others from the neighborhood. But her son-in-law “A” would never attend nor had anything to do with Jesus, on the contrary would drink and trouble the family all along these 4 years.

After STS training Sister “CT,” told the story of the Richman and Lazarus and by God’s providence the drunken son-in-law happened to be around in the house and heard the story as if God the Holy Spirit kept him there immobilized. At the end of the story telling he enquired about the reality of Heaven and Hell and got convicted with fear and trembling. Now is part of the House Church going on in their home and also attends the Sunday service and has given up drinks.

2. Our leader brother “RM,” has been conducting a house church and a Gujrathi boy from a Hindu family heard the story of “Martha and Mary” the STS way. He went home and told his unbelieving Hindu father the story. Now his father along with 10 members of their family is now regular members of that House Church and also attending Sunday Service locally.

3. “HS” is one of our leaders coming from a staunch Hindu family. His own parents, uncles and aunts about 35 people from one big family had given their lives to Jesus and were part of some church 12 years ago. All 35 people back-slid and went back to Hinduism due to pressure from their own community. Our leader “HS” after STS training told the story of Martha and Mary to his uncle N. who was the controlling figure for the whole clan. When he heard about Jesus telling Martha that Mary has chosen the right thing, he got convicted. He was one of the 35 of the family who followed Jesus 12 years back and back-slid on his insistence due to social pressure. Now he has come back to Jesus, attends Sunday meetings regularly along with many of those who went back. We are sure that all 35 and even many more will join them soon. All glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus, STS is doing wonders for us.

4. Two of our pastors went to a remote district in Maharashtra and trained about 200 local leaders through STS, the impact was very good. 70% of the 200 leaders are illiterate tribal people and many among them are women. We will hear great stories from them very soon. The STS method has given them a very vital tool in their hands.

5. Sister “LP” from our leadership team in V., Mumbai—was ministering to one family for more than a year. The man of the house was involved in “Lottery” business. In spite of telling him to change his profession he would not listen. After STS our sister “LP” shared in the House Church the story of Matthew the Tax collector and how he gave up everything and just followed Jesus straight from the desk of the tax collection. During STS as the story was shared the person literally heard Jesus calling out to him as Matthew was called, he has now given up his business of “Lottery” and Lord honored him by giving him a good business in catering line.

6. Sister “LP” from our leadership team in V., Mumbai—One of the sisters from the church brought one lady for the House Church meeting. This Hindu lady had a big gland in her ear, it was infected and fluid was oozing out with unbearable pain. She is married for 6 years and has no children. This lady with gland in her one ear was reluctant to come for the House Church meeting. The doctor’s dispensary was near the house where the House Church was being conducted. Since the doctor had not yet arrived this lady agreed to wait in this house where the House Church was being conducted till he would come.

Meanwhile during the House Church service our leader shared the story of the woman who was bent over for 18 years and how Jesus healed her of her deformed back. At the end of the meeting when the lady with a big gland in one of her ear wanted to get prayed over, she started looking for the ear with pain and could not trace because the big gland had just vanished after she heard the story of Jesus healing the woman with a hunch back. That was a very notable miracle and her ear pain had completely gone, no more fluid was oozing out, and she had absolutely no pain. This built her faith and asked for prayer for her barrenness of 6 years, now she is pregnant and her husband a Hindu Cobbler by profession is also attending the church. STS way of ministering is truly great.

7. “SD,” one of our leaders, was ministering to a Hindu family for more than a year in where only the mother and the daughter would attend. Father was a drunkard and was in heavy debts and villagers would insult him for all that. After STS on the “Prodigal Son” the father gave up drinking completely. Now regularly attends the church, we are sure that the Lord will help him to come out of his debts soon.

8. “SP,” our leader shared the story of Jacob and how the Lord made him Israel through STS way. There was a Hindu man who was just 2 months old in the Lord, he would still cheat people and do so many wrong things, but this story from the life of Jacob and his subsequent change touched him so much that he gave up all his bad habits and attitude. Now he is bringing rest of his family of 5 to the church as well as he has brought one more family to the Lord.

9. Sister “NN,” one of our leaders ministering in one House Church, young daughter of the house would not attend as well as, not study well. During the teachings through STS our leader asked this young girl to repeat the story of Richman and Lazarus, she felt so important that some one gave her an opportunity to share t he story, she is a totally changed person now.