Oikos Ministries » Storytelling

Ink on Paper

Rob — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:23:58 +0000

I had an interesting discussion with my youngest son the other day. He had just finished a two day workshop with Sigmund Brower. He was so eager to share about his experience he was almost falling off the other chair in our home office.

After telling me a whole lot about his class he decided it was time to share his question. He asked “When you see a drawing of a box on a piece of paper what do you see?” I started to picture a colourful box filled with an assortment of ideas and concepts. I could picture the possibilities that the box represented. So, I proudly shared my insights with my son. He looked at me with a little bit of a glint in his eyes. “No” he said “it is just ink on paper”.

This took me by surprise until I thought more about it. Often we put things down on a page that represent a whole lot of stuff but it is only ink on paper. Whether it is in a magazine, a book, a newspaper or to take the analogy a little further pixels on a computer screen. That is until we bring our own life experiences and imagination to the things we see and hear.

When you see a drawing of a box on a piece of paper what do you see?

Rob Ross is a coordinator for Oikos Ministries (a network of organic churches). He is a disciple of Jesus (Making Disciples) who lives in Calgary, AB with his family. Connect with Rob on Facebook or Twitter.

Sowers Storying Circles

avodah — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:29:58 +0000

Our group is the seed to a developing Network of Christian Storytellers. Our passion is to help each other become effective storytellers in order to share that joy with others. We believe that a well-developed and presented story can cut across cultural, social, ethnic, religious and generational barriers. If a story is told well it holds people’s attention and will reach people who know little of Christian teaching. Join us if your are interested in being a part of this adventure.

Sowers Storytellers Network Group on Facebook

Forgetting to use God’s gift

Rob — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:44:11 +0000

This post introduces an article on using parables and other tools to speak to people in their own language. Using contemporary culture infused with eternal truth could be a good starting point for any evangelistic message. The link to this article will open in the Internet Evangelism Day website. However, it is worth going the distance.

Evangelism using popular culture as starting point

Suppose God sent you a letter. And in it, He offered you a gift – a simple evangelistic approach similar to the parables that Jesus used. Something that would engage with people’s interests, and employ a common language and experience. Would you want to use it?

Sowers Circles

Rob — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:26:13 +0000

Our network of storytellers is a way we can disciple and equip children and adults through a more interactive medium. Stories are part of our everyday life. We have a choice to learn to tell a good story or choose to tell a story that makes others yawn. It is interesting to note that in North America storytelling was becoming a lost art. However, in the last few years it has experienced a revival in both christian and non-christian contexts.

Simple/House church life is an ideal context in which to promote storytelling. It is a form that was used by Jesus to teach others. It is very interactive and promotes participation. It allows others to experience teaching/truth in a way that they can easily share with others.

As we work towards developing this network of storytellers we would appreciate your prayers. Pray that God would allow us to be involved with Him in the art of storytelling. Pray that God would open doors and allow us to share His truth with those who would otherwise never have opportunity to hear. That God would allow us to share with individuals who may not have had anyone share the gospel in a way they can understand.

Additional updates, resources and opportunities will be posted as they become available.