October 6: Storytelling with Children

Be an Example of Justice, Week Two

Storytelling with Children

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

Stories from the bible shape us as Christians. It is through story and narrative that the love of God is communicated to us. Instead of telling a bible story to the children, allow them to become a part of the story. Through play, children learn stories using their bodies, their voices, and their minds.

The online free resource CBS for Kids empowers leaders to play with children and their

http://educationalcoloringpages.com/bible.html 

favorite stories of the bible. When watching children take ownership of their bible characters, I become more aware of the kinds of choices and interpretations of scripture that I could not be awake to without this kind of freedom and exploration. It is a powerful exegesis tool. This guide gives step by step instructions for how to lead children in bible discovery. There are 16 ways to tell a story in the downloadable PDF (see below) and there are scriptures to accompany them. There are memorization verses from each story and interactive models. Children are more than observers, they help reveal God’s story to us.

When I was serving abroad as a Global Mission Intern with Global Ministries, I got a chance to accompany a Biblical Storytelling Troupe called CCI in Chiang Mai, Thailand. They told bible stories through Thai folklore called Likay. This troupe told bible stories in public schools around the country (and the world) using a kind of storytelling unique to Northern Thai people. It was intergenerational and a great way to welcome people into the love of God through storytelling. I saw first-hand how the love of God transcended limitations created by language, age, race, doctrine, societal status, economic status, and gender.

Amazing things happen when we tell the gospel story and we use our whole beings to do it!

Prayer: God of play, help us make fearless, bold, dramatic choices to tell your story. Use us to let the gospel loose in the world. Amen.

Hebrews 13:1-2
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

(Read the weekly scripture each day. Find a phrase or word that speaks to you. Share your reflections with others over dinner, social media, and in prayer. Share the scripture with a child you know in the car, through a text, or in a children's Bible.)

Resources and Links
CBS for Kids: Bible Storytelling: 

http://www.cbs4kids.org/downloads/BibleStorytelling4KidsWorkshopJuly2011.pdf
Global Ministries: Youth and Children Curricula

Bible Coloring Pages (Free): http://educationalcoloringpages.com/bible.html 

Rev. Kristin L. Wolf, Senior Pastor of United Trinity Parish, Humeston, IA, Former Global Mission Intern

*The view represented in these devotions come from a variety of diverse perspectives. We do not seek to agree but seek to welcome all to the conversation and the table.