Family Devotions That Impact

A missionary with two home schooled teenagers (12 and 13 years old) approached the leader of an upcoming 5-day workshop and asked whether the whole family could attend. The missionary knew that there would be more than 40 adults attending, but he had no other option for his children's care. He would have to drop out if children could not attend. The workshop leader agreed. This turned out to be an unusual blessing for the entire group. The two students became even better storytellers than most of the adults! 

The missionary father really appreciated the workshop and how it impacted his ministry, but he was even more impressed with how it affected his family and their devotions. He said, "Before this workshop, my wife or I would lead our devotions, but now I can assign a Bible story to one of my kids and they can take us through the story, ask good questions and make the applications."

Hotel Staff Hears the Word of God

Story in the Checkout Lane

One day while checking out at the grocery store, Andrea listened to a the clerk share about her two boys and her financial woes. Andrea, also listening to the leading of the Lord said to the clerk, "That reminds me of a story. But we might get interrupted if other customers line up."

The clerk responded "No problem," turned off the "checkout line open" light and gave Andrea her full attention. Andrea told her the story of Elisha, the Widow who almost lost her sons to creditors and how God provided an overabundance of oil, filling multiple jars (2 Kings 4:1-7). The clerk listened and began wiping away tears as she thanked Andrea saying, "I needed to know that God cares for me."

Since that first short story, we have developed the STS 5-minute conversational model of storytelling for use in the "marketplace of life!"

Learn how to share stories in this conversational way from our Moment for Eternity video training. 

Open Doors at African Prisons

In 2018 our leaders in East Africa started doing STS workshops in a prison. After a number of workshops, they planted six Oral Bible Schools for the inmates inside the prison. Four of the the OBS cohorts graduated before the Covid pandemic, but two were stopped due to lockdowns when the pandemic struck.  
  
By the time the lockdowns were lifted, some of the students who had graduated from the prison's OBS had been transferred to another prison. They contacted our leaders through some friendly prison guards. Since then, we have had 2 STS workshops in that prison. Three Oral Bible Schools were started in the new prison at the end of March 2023. What's more, eleven other prisons have opened their doors for our leaders to conduct STS workshops and plant Oral Bible Schools. 

The transformation among the inmates who have attended the STS workshops and Oral Bible Schools is evident. One inmate, after hearing the story of the leper (Mark 1:40-45), gave his life to Jesus. He testified how he had been running away from God. He said that just as the leper disobeyed the Lord who had healed him, God had blessed him with life, but he had continued to be disobedient. This disobedience is what put him in prison. From that point, his life changed. 

In a nearby country our leaders are just getting started with the prisons there. One leader met with the commissioner general of the prison service. The commission has now opened the doors for our team to begin training chaplains. 

Truly God is at work in the prisons across East Africa! 

Youth Get Fully Engaged

A youth pastor from Michigan called us shortly after a workshop at his church. "I went home from the workshop and that Sunday, I did a story, one I had done in the workshop. We had some new high schoolers come and it was very unusual. Usually when new youth come to church, they do not participate. It takes awhile. But these new ones joined in -- in fact everyone was involved. It was lively!"

"We are doing a youth retreat in a few weeks and I plan to use STS story style of teaching there. This STS is really useful for youth.

"I hope to receive more training in the future so that I can effectively train others."   
  
R. MI, USA

Going Slower Digging Deeper

"I have really enjoyed learning Simply The Story. It has really impacted my life in a huge way.   
  
"Through the stories, God has taught me several important lessons that I know He has been trying to show me for a long time. I discovered these truths by working slowly through the story instead of reading it rapidly like I had done previously. And, since I did this on my own without any outside teaching or assistance, it was such a mental breakthrough for me. I discovered that God really can teach me things through His Word, and I've become re-excited about having devotions.   
  
"I also enjoy STS because it is conducive to all ages. As a teenager, I am sometimes turned off by lectures or seminars. But I have found that STS is a great way to share the gospel through conversational, everyday language that engages everyone.   
  
"I am so glad that God brought STS into my life, and I hope to continue using it with those I meet."  
Workshop attendee, Age 17 GA, USA