I love a good story, don’t you? I think storytelling is so important in children’s ministry. I’m not just talking about Bible Stories although they should be a big part of what we do. Our personal stories help capture the heart of kids. I’m not an expert on storytelling but I am an expert on my story. You don’t have to have some professional level skill in storytelling in order to share it with kids. You are already a expert on what God has done for you.
When picking and sharing a story to tell think about these things.
Emotion – What did you feel, convey that, feel it all again as you tell the story. This will spill into your audience. Make them feel what you felt. Cry, laugh, get angry, embarrass yourself all over again.
Conflict – What went wrong, what happened that you didn’t expect? Life is a fight, bring the kids along and make them feel the conflict. Conflict will make us uneasy but it engages us at the same time.
Resolution– How did God bring the victory? What part did you play? Did someone else play a major part?
Payoff– What should the kids walk away with in this story? Does the story distract from or build upon the big idea for the day?