93622.4 Lesson 4. Orality Training

Posted byJonathan Kobayashi

I. THE ROLE OF ORALITY IN DISCIPLE-MAKING

  1. What is Orality? Orality refers to reliance on spoken communication. Many cultures around the world prefer oral communication over written forms. In disciple-making, storytelling can be a powerful tool to convey biblical truths.
  2. Jesus’ Example: Jesus used parables—simple stories with profound spiritual meanings. He communicated deep truths in a way that was relatable and understandable (Matthew 13:1-9).

II. STORYTELLING THE BIBLE

  1. Bible Stories are about people. People connect with other people.
  2. Let your characters speak for themselves. An important part of storytelling is making the story personable and relatable.
  3. Audiences bore easily. When telling a story, get your audience engaged.
  4. Stories stir up emotions. People are not inclined to think about things they don’t care about. Stories stir thoughts and emotions that cause people to connect and think.
  5. Stories don’t tell…they show. “Show, don’t tell” is the most fundamental basis of storytelling, and for good reason. Your audience should see a picture, feel the conflict, and become involved with the story. Don’t preach or teach.
  6. Stories have at least one “moment of truth.” The best Bible stories show us something about how we should treat God, ourselves, or others, or how to interact with the world around us.
  7. Stories have a clear meaning. When the final line is spoken, your audience should know exactly why they took this journey with you. In the end, this may be the most important rule of all. If your audience can’t answer the question, “What was the story all about?”

III. STEPS TO STORYTELLING

  1. Learn the Story: Study the story deeply with accuracy in detail. However, it does not need to be memorized word-for-word. The goal is to understand it fully.
    Exercise: Practice learning the story of Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41). Write out the key points and then share it aloud.
  2. Tell the Story: Use gestures, voice modulation, eye contact, and even get audience participation or actors to make it interesting.
    Group Activity: Practice telling the same story to different groups and get feedback.
  3. Ask Questions: Through questions, guide people through a verbal inductive study.
    Do not answer questions too often. The goal is to help them learn and draw conclusions from Scripture and then apply it to their lives.
  1. What did you like about the story? (Thumbs Up- Positive)
  2. What did you dislike about the story? (Thumbs Down- Negative)
  3. Who would you want to be in the story, and why? (Point Inward- Who are you?)
  4. What do you think the story is trying to communicate, and what would you tell others about it? (Point out- Share)
  5. What do you think you can apply to your own life through the story? (Make a pause/ hold gesture- Stop, Pray, Apply)
  6. Go in Depth: “What do you think the disciples felt during the storm?” “How does this story relate to challenges in your life?”

IV. PRACTICAL STORYTELLING EXERCISES

  1. Story Circles: Form a circle and each person tells a different Bible story. Focus on making the characters come alive and the key message clear.
  2. Community Storytelling: Pick a community event or family gathering to share a story. Practice engaging non-believers and watch how storytelling opens doors to conversations.

See Appendix “52 Stories” for Orality storytelling through the bible.