Simply The Story trains believers in the US and internationally through a hands-on workshop experience. The main goal of a Simply The Story workshop is to train people in Inductive Bible Study -- Oral Style. Simply The Story is not just telling a story, but also includes leading an interactive discussion about the Bible story. The leader helps the group to explore the spiritual truths (observations) found in the story. The leader then guides the group to apply these truths in their lives. 

Simply The Story "practitioners" are equipped to lead small and large group discussions as well as to reach out through one-on-one conversational stories. Those trained are also equipped to hand off their storytelling skills in small group settings. 

In the first four hours of the workshop, 

- we discuss the need for oral communication versus literate models
- attendees participate in Bible story discussion to experience the power of an Simply The Story study
- attendees learn how to prepare and present Bible stories 

From this point forward, attendees work in small groups where they prepare multiple Bible stories for presentation. One by one the attendees are given the opportunity to present a story, as they feel ready. After each story is presented, the storyteller is given personalized, one-on-one coaching by their small group leader. It is in the small group work that participants begin to grasp the skills they have been taught: this is where they become storytellers.

We also train our storytellers in using stories in short, conversational encounters with others. This approach to stories is very effective for outreach and encouraging other people. 

All of the above makes up our Practitioner or Foundational Simply The Story Training.  

After learning the Simply The Story method, the next step toward training others with Simply The Story requires learning to lead small groups using Simply The Story methods. Those who learn these techniques are also equipped to assist our instructor team in Simply The Story workshops.

During the Simply The Story Assistant Instructor (AI) training, participants not only learn how to lead small group Simply The Story studies, they also deepen their storytelling skills. This training is essential for anyone who wants to help in an Simply The Story workshop. The AI training also equips the storyteller to use our Ministry that Multiplies (MTM) guide. MTM is an easy to follow curriculum that can be used to train a small group of people to use Simply The Story.

Assistant Instructor trainings are integrated into full Simply The Story workshops and are also offered as stand-alone online trainings periodically throughout the year. The online AI trainings are available for those who would have difficulty traveling to an in-person training.

Much of our training is done in small groups. Each group needs a trained leader. Our one-stop workshops take place in two stages over 5 to 6 days. This allows us to train the greatest number of people.

Stage One (Instructor Track) -- We train a small group of people in the Simply The Story process. We then train this group as Assistant Instructors. We train them how to lead small Simply The Story groups and equip them to help us train others. They become small group Assistant Instructors for Stage Two.

Stage Two (Practitioner/Foundational Track) -- With the help of these new Assistant Instructors, we train a larger group in the Simply The Story process of storytelling and discussion.

Taken together, the Instructor Track and Practitioner/Foundational Track make a Full Simply The Story Workshop.

Those who attend the Practitioner/Foundational Track have everything they need to learn and study stories and lead a group discussion of the story. What these people often lack is the confidence to get out and put in practice what they have learned.

Stage One (Instructor Track) takes 2.5 days (18 hours of instruction).
Stage Two (Practitioner/Foundational Track) takes 2.5 days (19 hours of instruction).

This full 37-hour schedule equips Simply The Story storytellers and gives them the basic skills needed to train others in small groups. By immediately using their new skills to train others, the new storytelling skills are deepened and cemented. The Full Workshop model has also been central to the rapid growth and replication of Simply The Story worldwide.

From a practical standpoint, doing all 37 hours at one time is ideal in new areas where local Simply The Story instructors have not been trained. For these workshops, out-of-area instructors, sometimes even out-of-country instructors, come together to lead the 5-day schedule. This also allows people to travel from longer distances to learn Simply The Story.

Our desire and prayer is to have trained local instructors all over the world so workshops can be offered locally, at a slower and more relaxed pace, spread over days or weeks. Local instructors are free to devise creative schedules to meet the needs of local participants. Trainings spread over several weeks allow participants to make use of what they learn in the time between sessions.

Because everyone lives local to the training location, attendees will not likely need to travel far or stay overnight. This greatly reduces the cost of the workshop. Some cities in the world have already enough qualified Simply The Story instructors available to lead these Local Workshops or to host STS Story Practice gatherings. A few of those cities are listed on the Our Leadership Page.   

Online Simply The Story workshops are a combination of live Zoom sessions and short training videos assigned to be viewed before each session. All the parts of our Foundational Training are included in an online workshop. Zoom allows us to maintain the interactive nature of the training. Breakout rooms are used for small group story preparation and presentation practice. 

Online trainings are spread over 6 days. Each session is 4 hours. Throughout the year we do our best to offer different start times to fit different times zones in the world. 

We also periodically offer Online Assistant Instructor Trainings. These trainings are spread over three 4-hour days. The online schedule allows us to take the AI training at  a slower pace and provide more in-depth training and practice for each new assistant instructor, as compared to the in-person training in a full workshop. 

A Vision Cast is a one- to two-hour session in which participants are introduced to the world of oral learners, the impact this has on gospel outreach and discipleship, and the need for an oral strategy to meet these challenges. Participants experience how Simply The Story seeks to address these realities in a God-honoring biblical manner. A deep discussion of a Bible story is the central part of an Simply The Story Vision Cast. Participants get a taste of how Simply The Story trains people to plumb the depths of God's Word in this oral-based discovery method. Use the Contact Us link to learn more or to schedule an Simply The Story Vision Cast in your area.

Alumni Advanced Workshops are designed for those who have attended either an in-person or online Simply The Story workshop. During the Advanced Workshop we focus on going deep into Bible stories and strengthening the Simply The Story study/preparation and presentation skills of each attendee. We also focus on key leadership skills for leading small groups and developing storytellers.

Each attendee is required to come to the Advanced Workshop with a story prepared to share with the group. After their story presentation the storytellers receives in-depth coaching from a Senior Instructor.

Every Alumni Advanced Workshop is customized to fit the needs and interests of the attendees. These trainings may be set up to be one to five days long and can be run as a stand-alone or alongside a standard One Stop Workshop. Alumni Advanced Workshops are held periodically around the world and twice annually at the international office in Hemet, California.

If you have had workshop training, want to move toward becoming a certified instructor, and are willing to do some preparation ahead of time, this one-day to two-week training is designed for you. This training will increase your skills and deepen your understanding of Simply The Story. It will also gauge your readiness to lead a workshop tribe and do up-front presentations. Our seasoned instructors, who specialize in advanced training, lead these trainings. We reserve the right to determine attendee readiness for this training.

These in-depth trainings cover a wide range of skills and help our leaders to strengthen their Simply The Story skills. These trainings are designed specifically for our leaders to even more thoroughly equip them for ministry with and in churches. Comprehensive Leadership Trainings are 6-week trainings which are sometimes broken into 2 or 3 segments. Simply The Story Comprehensive Leadership Trainings are held at the Simply The Story international office in Hemet, California and in Kenya at the Simply The Story Conference Center. Openings in the comprehensive trainings are limited, and reserved for our Simply The Story leadership team.