In almost every culture in the world, the storyteller has the honoured role of teacher.
This role is rooted in the instinctive understanding that real learning takes place when intellect, emotion and experience are brought into play.
Storytelling has the power to teach us to care deeply and to think clearly.
Hearing a story is regarded as an activity from which the listener can learn something and is in fact, expected to learn something.
Hear – Learn – Tell
It should not be just for entertainment. But rather for teaching the lessons of life, giving wisdom and guidance, even warnings.
Biblical Storytelling can ignite the imagination of children, giving them a taste for where the bible can take them, help them, encourage them, as they dig deeper into the stories for themselves.
The bible is predominantly made up of Stories. There is one for every occasion, emotion and situation in life, if the Teller but looks.
The excitement of storytelling can make reading the bible and learning about God – fun!
As well as instilling in each child a sense of wonder about serving a living, caring God, giving them the desire to experience this mighty God for themselves.
Many teachers have a fear of trying to tell stories, but the secret is not to try to memorise them, but rather to internalised them.
If you memorise a story you will be filled with fear!
If you study the story and understand it, the story then becomes a part of you and the story becomes your own.
You own it and as long as it is tue to the Word, you can tell it out of the fullness of your own heart and the Holy Spirit will quicken it to their hearts.
Stories that are read are full of meaning and life lessons that children can learn for head knowledge.
Stories that are told from the heart with a 75% word accuracy, somehow penetrate your inner being and this is because the Holy Spirit who inspired the word is faithful to it.
When you tell the word you are telling Jesus, for he is the Word, and it the Holy Spirit in you and with you that will bring it to life in the heart and life of the hearer.
The Word which is the truth of God, sharper than any two edged sword goes forth and accomplished the will of God in the lives of the hearers who then go out and become a doer of the word.
Till the next article when I will share more on how to make the story your own. Tell well!
Sanssa's Blog 
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