... and why you should too!
I'm a student. I'll always remain a student. I'm fascinated to learn the motives and movements behind every person's passion. I learn more from the 'why' than the 'how' in most conversations. Before we started Captivate Church I went around to some of the most respected leaders I knew (and many I didn't know at that point) and asked them questions of 'why', not 'how'.
I've found that artists are especially insightful when it comes to discussing the 'why' behind their work. Tremendous thought and insight is found when you can hear an artist describe what moved them to act. Tremendous insight is found when an artist describes the birthing process of a work of art. Whether it be a song, a book, a painting or a play it doesn't matter... the medium simply receives the motive.
I'm going to Story to explore the 'why'. Why is it vital that we consider the weight of our words? Why is it vital that we see Jesus' parables as inspiration and not merely a transfer of information?
Ultimately, why is it important that we become better communicators of the Gospel story? Because our entire calling hinges on our effectiveness in this arena. At the end of the day, our culture is shifting and stories now carry 10 times the weight of outlines. Spreadsheets are worthless without the story.
Let me point you to a verse that has become my central focus over the last year.
And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. -2 Corinthians 5:19(b)-21
As a man or woman of God who is called to the ministry of reconciliation I submit to you that your chief end is to become the greatest storyteller who's ever lived because you are telling the greatest story ever told. It is as though God is making His appeal through you! No matter your vocation I want to urge you not to take a vacation from becoming great at sharing God's redemptive mission in an effective and compelling way.
I'll be at Story because I want to learn from those who tell stories best. You should do the same.
Check out details of the conference below and go get yourself a ticket because seating is exclusive.
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Sept 23-24
Chicago, IL
STORY is a conference for the creative class in ministry on September 23-24, 2010 at Park Community Church in downtown Chicago. The purpose is to fuel the church's artists, writers and producers in communicating the greatest story ever told. You’ll hear from some of the best creative practitioners in both ministry and the marketplace, from filmmakers and authors to actors and musicians. Presenters include:
# Dan Allender - best-selling author, professor at Mars Hill Graduate School
# Charlie Todd - creator of Improv Everywhere in New York City
# Princess Zulu - AIDS victim from infancy, advocate for the oppressed
# Jason Fried - founder of 37Signals, creator of Basecamp, author of Rework
# John Sowers - president of Donald Miller's The Mentoring Project
# Shauna Niequist - former creative director at Mars Hill, author of Bittersweet
# David Hodges - formerly of the band Evanescence, award-winning songwriter
# Leonard Sweet - futurist, author of 40 books, professor at Drew University
# David McFadzean - creator of Home Improvement, producer of Roseanne
# Richard Walter - accomplished screenwriter and professor of film at UCLA
# Sean Gladding - member of Communality, a new monastic community
# Andrew Klavan - author of True Crime (Clint Eastwood) and numerous novels
# Gary Dorsey - founder of Pixel Peach Studio in Austin, TX
# Music by Vicky Beeching, Kari Jobe and Carlos Whittaker
Seating is limited to just 500 attendees, and the event is scheduled on a Thursday and Friday so you can enjoy the weekend in the city. Following its inaugural event in 2009, STORY is now a two-day, main-stage event with no breakouts or workshops; just an intimate audience with the top creative minds. You’ll be able to ask questions during the event and continue the conversation after it's over.
1 comment:
I completely agree.
Being an effective storyteller is a important constituent of sharing the Gospel. A professor that I know relayed to me the power of story. The ability to tell a story well enables the listener to see himself in the story. This is crucial when relaying the Gospel because the person must realize that Christ died for the actual them and not some fictional them.
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