Rob Wegner and I have been doing ministry together for more than 12 years now--so I loved sitting at his feet again today to hear him talk about the Power of Story.

• We are bombarded by over 800 media messages every day. How do we cut through the noise?
• The stakes are so high. Peoples lives are at stake. People are at the end of their rope. How do we cooperate with God in our communication to reach people?
• Linear thoughts stopped decades ago. People now learn and think in a matrix of styles.
• The power of story means shifting from a linear presentation to an engaging conversation.
• When it comes to conversation, we don't talk in outline form. We talk in blocks of thoughts.
• Instead of going from point to point, what if our services were a series of movements.
• VIDEO EXAMPLE: Mark Beeson telling a story about grandma's house.
• Engaging conversations happen when three stories intersect: My story, Their Story, God's Story. The more these stories intersect and overlap--the more powerful the impact.
• When you are telling your story, use vulnerability and humor.
• VIDEO EXAMPLE: Mark Beeson telling about the pain of his 10th Anniversary. This type of vulnerability will tear down people's defenses and help them get it.
• Jesus always tied his teaching into his focused audience. To fisherman he used fishing analogies. To farmers he used agricultural analogies. He had a way of connecting to the people He was addressing.
• Let people tell their stories.
• DRAMA EXAMPLE: Four real people on stools telling their real stories...interspersed with each other. Powerful.
• When people walk into your church, one of their first questions is: "Is there anybody here like me?"
• Instead of saying, "What do I want to say about the Scripture" we should begin to say, "What does the Scripture want to say to me?"
• We should be comfortable in beginning the conversation. We don't need to end the conversation. We can leave it open-ended. Great teaching leads to great questions.

Rob ended with an example of an autistic boy who becomes the hero of the basketball team. See it here. It's all about God's grace.