Bringing The Story to Life

Posted on by
Reply

Developing a solid foundation is not only important to any building, it’s important to any successful church program. While there are plenty of Zondervan-furnished resources available to any church wanting to do The Story Church Campaign, many churches have found that spending time preparing pastors, leaders, and even church attenders is vital.

The Story Implementation Guide contains a recommended preparation timetable. This timeline is a useful tool and planning outline. It lays out a suggested three-phase approach that can be done as far in advance of the start date as you want.

In addition to the Implementation Guide, many participating churches have done the following:

  • Calendar management. Some churches have chosen a specific date for a specific message then planned the 31 weeks of the campaign in light of that date. For example, it was important for one pastor to coincide Easter with the exact chapters in The Story that covered Jesus’ resurrection. Knowing this, they backdated from Easter to establish their starting date. Another church chose to celebrate Christmas in July so they planned accordingly.
  • Special moments. One church began to include “My Story and The Story” into their worship services. They asked individuals and families to share how their story coincided with The Story. In their words, it was an emotional and special teaching time for the whole church.
  • Congregational involvement. In posts we’ve shared about The Story Quilt as well as other special ways churches are bringing their people together in this church-wide campaign. Take planning time to brainstorm ideas that add “outside-the-normal-box” ideas to The Story Campaign.
  • The kids. Since The Story has resources for all ages, many churches have found that the kid’s program offers a strong alternative to other dated or non-dated curriculum. Be sure to include your kids and youth leaders in the planning sessions.

The Story Campaign opens up many creative ways to teach and focus on God’s Word. It’s essential to plan and bring to the table creative ways to promote, include others and celebrate the exciting and life-changing journey it provides for your church.

What ideas do you have? We’d love to hear them.

New Beginnings

Posted on by
Reply

Excerpted from The Heart of the Story by Randy Frazee

It would be easy to dismiss those who try to set a date for the return of Jesus as crazy extremists, or at least as seriously misguided souls, but for the most part, they have been strikingly ordinary and, above all, sincere. In fact, this desire to know the exact date of Jesus’ return dates back to one of the last meetings Jesus had with his followers.

What is more important to Jesus is the mission he gives his followers, and he knows how difficult it will be for them to carry it out on their own. So he shares the rest of the plan with his disciples. They had gathered in a large room to get away from the crowds, and Jesus tells them about the Holy Spirit: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”2

Jesus said we would be witnesses, not do witnessing. Being a witness is all-encompassing. It’s what we do 24 – 7; it’s who we are. The kind of witness Jesus talks about would come to expression in lives that reflect the values of God’s perfect community — something that may be easy to do on a Sunday morning, but a lot harder to put into action during the week, when the Lower Story realities of life crowd out our Upper Story intentions.

Which is why we need the power that Jesus promised. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is coming down into our Lower Story just as Jesus is returning to his place in his Father’s Upper Story.

Jerusalem was once again packed with people who had come to celebrate the holiday of Pentecost, which occurred fifty days after Passover. The disciples are gathered in a room, and the Holy Spirit comes on them like fire spreading on dry tinder. Immediately they are filled with a newfound courage and boldness to carry out the mission Jesus had given them.

They devoted themselves to belonging, to fellowship. The first church service was experienced over the evening meal of the day — over dinner. It was here that they not only had a great feast but also ate bread and drank from the cup to remember the death of Jesus and all that it had done to change the outcome of their lives.

They were a family. They prayed together and studied the Word of God together. They took care of their neighbors, selling their possessions so they could meet the needs of each other and the people around them. Their offer of care was different. It was unconditional. When they helped someone, they didn’t expect anything in return. God had already given them everything in Jesus Christ. They were merely paying it forward.

These new disciples were the coolest, most compelling people around, full of joy for what Jesus had done for them, and when others saw what was going on, they wanted to be part of it. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of such a family, such a movement of God?

Those of us who have accepted the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ not only have been forgiven but have received the Holy Spirit to empower us to live this new and better life. We have become a part of this new community. Everything these early followers experienced is available to us today. This new beginning that started with a handful of ordinary people continues to this day.

Our mission isn’t to know when Jesus will return. Instead, we are to live as if it will happen tomorrow.

No Better Team Building Task

Posted on by
Reply

From leadership circles to the fields and arenas of athletics we hear a lot about the art of team building. Someone once said, “Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” That’s a concise way to say that building teams not only unifies, but also can bring about extraordinary outcomes.

Isn’t that what many of us want for our churches and congregations? A group of people coming together, united in purpose and achieving extraordinary results?

Gary Good, a twenty-nine-year attender of Rockland Community church tells us that is exactly what The Story Church campaign did for their church. “The Story gives your church a common project or goal to work toward together.  This gets everyone going in the same direction, learning the same things, talking about the same things and sharing the same things.  There is no better ‘team building’ task than this.”

Bringing people together with one purpose and then watching and trusting God for the results is what excites many churches across the country about The Story. The Story‘s common reading schedule and resources serves to bring people together each week with under a common goal, yet it causes unique experiences and results in each congregation and the lives of the people.

The Story is changing lives and creating stronger, united congregations. For information on how you can experience The Story Church campaign, visit our website.

God Will Come For You

Posted on by
Reply

Excerpted from God’s Story, Your Story by Max Lucado

With hopes of earning extra cash, my dad once took a three-month job assignment in New England. We talked much about my father’s pending return. She circled his arrival date on the calendar and crossed out each day as it passed. She made it clear: Dad’s coming would be a big deal.

The return of Christ will do likewise.

The great Day will be a normal day. People will drink coffee, endure traffic snarls, laugh at jokes, and take note of the weather. Thousands of people will be born; thousands will die.

His shout will get our attention. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV). Before we see angels, hear trumpets, or embrace our grandparents, we will be engulfed by Jesus’ voice. John heard the voice of God and compared it to “the sound of many waters” (Revelation 1:15 NKJV). Perhaps you’ve stood at the base of a cataract so loud and full of fury that you had to shout to be heard. Or maybe you’ve heard the roar of a lion. When the king of beasts opens his mouth, every head in the jungle lifts. The King of kings will prompt the same response: “The Lord will roar from on high” (Jeremiah 25:30).

The Population Reference Bureau estimates that 106 billion people have been born since the dawn of the human race.30 Every single one of them will stand in the great assembly of souls. The earth will give up her dead, and the sky will stage a reunion of spirit and flesh.

Jesus called this “the re-creation of the world” (Matthew 19:28 MSG). God will purge every square inch that sin has contaminated, polluted, degraded, or defiled. But we may not even notice the reconstruction, for an even greater sight will appear before us: “the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30 GWT).

God has often used clouds to indicate his presence. He led the Israelites with a cloudy pillar. He spoke to Moses through the mist on Sinai, and to Jesus through the cloud at the transfiguration. Clouds symbolize his hiddenness, but on the great Day they will declare his visible presence.

This is the direction in which all of history is focused. This is the moment toward which God’s plot is moving. The details, characters, antagonists, heroes, and subplots all arc in this direction. God’s creation will return to its beginning: a one-king kingdom.

Those who accepted him on earth will live with God forever. We shall finally see God face-to-face. “They will see his face” (Revelation 22:4). You will look into the eyes of the One who has always seen; you will behold the mouth that commands history. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4).

Isn’t that what a father does?

There was much I didn’t understand about my father’s time in Maine. The responsibilities of his job, his daily activities, the reason he needed to go. I was too young to comprehend all the details. But I knew this much: he would come home.

By the same token, who can understand what God is doing? These days on earth can seem so difficult: marred by conflict, saddened by separation. What is this world coming to? we wonder. God’s answer: A great Day. He will assume his position “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion . . . not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21 NASB). And he, the Author of it all, will close the book on this life and open the book to the next and begin to read to us from his unending story.

The Story for Children Wins ECPA Christian Book Award

Posted on by
Reply

 Grand Rapids, Mich., May 1, 2012—Zondervan has announced that The Story for Children, a Storybook Bible by Max Lucado, Randy Frazee and Karen Davis Hill has won a Christian Book Awards during a ceremony on Monday, April 30, during ECPA’s annual Executive Leadership Summit near Chicago. The Christian Book Awards have been presented annually since 1978, and honor the highest quality titles in Bibles, Bible Reference, Non-Fiction, Fiction, Children, Inspiration, and New Author.

 The Story for Children, a Storybook Bible by Max Lucado, Randy Frazee and Karen Davis Hill won the Christian Book Award in the Children category. The book, Max Lucado’s first storybook Bible, includes 48 pivotal stories that show how God has a grand and glorious vision, beginning with Creation and ending with the promise of Jesus’ return. Each story is personalized with God’s Message and accompanied by vibrant illustrations from accomplished artist Fausto Bianch. This storybook Bible, designed for children ages 4 and up, is part of the church-wide campaign for The Story, which has sold nearly 1.5 million copies across the product line with over 2,000 churches participating in the campaign.

“The Story for Children is a core title in The Story church campaign and we are thrilled it has won this important award,” noted Annette Bourland Senior Vice President and Publisher, Trade and Kidz at Zondervan. “The success of this storybook Bible and The Story as a whole is something we are very proud of.”

Contact: Vicky Lynch
Vicky@cgrantandcompany.com
(630) 362-8829

About Zondervan

Zondervan, a HarperCollins company, is a world leader in Christian communications and a leading Christian publishing brand. For more than 75 years, Zondervan has delivered transformational Christian experiences through general and academic resources by influential leaders and emerging voices, and been honored with more Christian Book Awards than any other publisher. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with additional offices in Miami, Zondervan publishes its bestselling Bibles, books, audio, video, curriculum, software, and digital products through its Zondervan, Zonderkidz and Editorial Vida brands. Zondervan resources are sold worldwide through retail stores, online, and by Zondervan ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries. Visit Zondervan on the Internet at www.zondervan.com.

# # #

Understanding the Sum of All the Pieces

Posted on by
Reply

People often study the Bible in chunks or pieces. They read the creation story, or they read about Old Testament heroes like Joseph and Joshua. Then, they skip to the New Testament and read about the early church or Paul, or Jesus in the Gospels. They may study a topic or event. However they do it, they see pieces and chunks in characters or stories, but they don’t see the whole of the Bible’s story.

Max Lucado, in his book, God’s Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours, reminds us that John 3:16 ['For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."] is the headline of the story, but God wants us to know full story and how we fit into it. He wants us to enjoy the whole fruit, not simply a few pieces.

Several churches have found that The Story Church Campaign helps people see the sum of all pieces in the Bible. Roz Fitzgerald from Hiland Presbyterian says, “It’s [The Story] much easier to embrace and understand because it’s written in a linear style. The Story brings out relationships and character development and we see the whole story and the people a lot better. The Story is a great way to see the whole plan unfolding which you don’t see in segments. It develops a true love story.”

The Story and it’s 31-chapters help people fully understand God’s full story. Written from a chronological perspective it captures real people, real events and God’s Word in the best-selling New International Version.

If you would like to help your church members better see the sum of all the pieces that are in the Bible, visit our website and learn about the The Story Church Campaign. As it has done for many other churches, The Story will change the lives of your congregation and unite your church from children to adults in one story.

The Story Quilt

Posted on by
Reply

Roz Fitzgerald, and Elder and active member of the Christian Education Committee at Hiland Presbyterian in Pittsburgh, PA shared a unique way they are literally weaving The Story into their church life.

“We are building a 6 by 6 quilt. Designated members are designing quilt squares (patches) to illustrate on one The Story’s thirty-one chapters. Each week the designated member family carries the patch to the front of the sanctuary. It’s a “work in process” wall hanging that the kids can touch and we all can look upon frequently.  We schedule a special chat with the kids and our Children’s Ministry usually pins up the patch.”

Like Joshua and the people of Israel (Joshua 4), Hiland Presbyterian’s Story quilt is building a memorial stone. They are marking the time when they all went through the Bible together as Joshua marked the time the people crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. “Every week our pastor teaches on one chapter, and somebody makes and brings forward that week’s patch. Our people are really enjoying it.”

Visit our website to find out how you can weave The Story into your church and your people.

 

 

An Unlikely Deliverer

Posted on by
Reply

Excerpted from The Heart of The Story by Randy Frazee

God wants Moses to return to the city and stand in front of the mighty pharaoh and give a speech that essentially commands Pharaoh to let the Hebrew people go.

Moses, feeling overwhelmed and unqualified, musters up the courage to respectfully decline: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue . . . Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

You may recall that Moses had a rather unusual cross-cultural childhood. As a baby, he was spared Pharaoh’s death edict on all the firstborn males, thanks to the wise stealth and crafty ingenuity of his mom. Rather than watch him be killed, she places little Moses in a papyrus basket and launches him into the shallow part of the Nile where Pharaoh’s daughter often bathed. Sure enough, the Egyptian princess discovers the tiny boy, and her maternal instinct kicks in.

She adopts him and raises him as her own, a royal prince in her mighty father’s palace. Not a bad series of “lucky breaks,” wouldn’t you say?

However, as Moses reaches adulthood, his privileged treatment ends. One day he sees an Egyptian soldier abusing a Hebrew slave. Fueled by his outrage, Moses kills the Egyptian and then flees to the countryside for his life. He knows that if he steps foot back in the royal city limits, he will be arrested and killed before the first word of the Lord comes out of his mouth.

So our guy Moses stammers and can’t talk well. Has no leadership experience or communication skills. And he is wanted for murder charges in the very place he’ll have to go deliver God’s message! I don’t know about you, but these seem like three pretty good reasons Moses is not a good candidate to be the new secretary of state for the nation of Israel. It’s something like the United States president choosing a migrant worker who picks berries in California to lead a special delegation charged with securing a peaceful release for millions of Americans enslaved by a foreign dictator. Not something we’re likely to see, right?

God sees it differently.

In Lower Story logic, Moses isn’t qualified for such an important task. But in Upper Story understanding, God sees Moses’ weaknesses as providing the best conduit for God’s strength. There is no way for Moses to take any of the credit or for those around him to think his dynamic personality and speaking skills could get the job done. No, the only possible way is through God’s divine power and miraculous provision.

As with our lives, the best thing we can do, even when we don’t feel equipped or adequate, is to say yes to God. So despite his own objections, “Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt.” Back to the land where he had a bounty on his head. Back to the land where his people toiled as slaves for Pharaoh. Not on a chariot accompanied by an army, but on a donkey.

Not as a celebrated ruler who had fought and won battles, not as a skilled orator and experienced teacher, but as a humble husband and father, as a lowly shepherd.

From our Lower Story perspective, it makes absolutely no sense to choose someone like Moses and entrust him with such an important mission. But our perspective is limited. We seldom see things the way God sees them:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways . . .

As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Moses was one of the unlikeliest people God could ever choose, but as we will see, he is by no means the last. Our job qualifications are a little different from God’s. While we may focus on externals — education, work experience, wealth, and charm — God looks on the inside. The only qualification he looks for in order to accomplish great things through his people is a willing and obedient heart. No matter how many or what kind of obstacles loom in your way, if your heart is humble, open, and willing, God promises you exactly what he promised Moses: “I will be with you.” A powerful promise, especially when you are facing the showdown of a lifetime.

Maximum Flexibility

Posted on by
Reply

No, this is not an exercise or Pilates post. It does have something to do with “body movement” but in this context it’s the corporate church body, not the one that needs to lose a few pounds or gain some muscle.

The post is talking about the church and how a campaign, like The Story Church Campaign can cause the congregation (the church body) to grow and develop not simply because of the program, but because the program’s flexibility allows pastors, teachers and church leaders to do what works best for their individual congregations and personal style.

Chrisof Weber, Senior Pastor at Rockland Community Church believes this to be true. When asked why he’d encourage a church to do The Story Church Campaign, Pastor Weber said, “It allows flexibility. It’s a relatively easy to use program, that’s not really a program.”

A program that’s not a program. That’s flexibility. That’s one reason why so many churches are successfully using The Story to grow (in size and spiritually) their congregations.

As Pastor Weber points out, “Yes, all the resources a church needs are provided. There’s wonderful resources for kids up to adults. But, a church can feel free to do their own things within the larger campaign. For example, I didn’t use the sermon outlines. I needed to preach my own messages.”

Rockland Community church used the videos for teens before Pastor Weber’s message. “They added a special element that people looked forward to sharing and seeing.”

A program that’s not a program is an interesting way to characterize The Story. To find out more details on how you can bring this flexible and life-changing campaign to your church, please visit our website.

 

The Story and Your Story

Posted on by
Reply

People sometimes aren’t aware, or they are so busy they forget, that they are a part of a larger story—God’s story. Their heads are into the daily details that always seem to keep cropping up, and often, they don’t look up and realize the bigger story that’s happening all around them and, many times, through them.

The experience of The Story Church Campaign can help people see God’s bigger story and their part in it.  Haven Parrott, Minister of Spiritual Formation, from First Baptist Church in Kanapolis, NC relates, “A fairly significant number [of people in my congregation] commented that they never saw how it [the Bible and God's story] all fit together.”

To help the congregation realize how it all “fit together,” Haven’s team put together a special segment for each Sunday. “We incorporated it into our worship experience,” she told us, “Every service had a segment called ‘Your Story’. We either dramatized something from The Story, or a person came up front and told their story and how their story related to God’s story. It added a very personal element every week.”

In his book, God’s Story, Your Story, Pastor Max Lucado wrote, “We need to know where we came from. Knowing connects us, links us, bonds us to something greater than we are. Knowing reminds us that we aren’t floating on isolated ponds but on a grand river. That’s why God wants you to know His story.”

The Story—God’s story—and your story. They intertwine and bring you to a place of connection and help you see the bigger vision and purpose that’s ahead.

Visit our website for details on how you can, like First Baptist and other churches, bring The Story to your congregation.