Reconnecting God's Story to Ministry: Cross-cultural Storytelling at Home and Abroad - Paperback

by Tom A. Steffen (Author)

We often think stories are for children. But using the Bible as evidence, we see that God communicated His truth to men and women of all cultures, time, and places by way of many small stories forming one large story. While possessing a rich heritage of storytelling, too many evangelicals have forfeited this vital skill. Tom Steffen's aim is to help readers recapture the most natural, universal, and effective means of evangelism-discipleship that exists--storytelling.This book is not just theory--it provides practical help by identifying the roles and tasks that are necessary to become an effective storyteller in another culture. Steffen offers creative tools and introduces practical ways to increase many of the storytelling skills for evangelism-discipleship. He moves us beyond linear gospel outlines, Western logic and organization, and individual responses to traditional evangelism rituals, to a mode of communication that respects the audience, making it easy for them to grasp whatthey have heard and to pass it on to others with minimal loss of content. By reconnecting storytelling to ministry, readers will be more comfortable in sharing the gospel, both at home and abroad.

Author Biography

Tom Steffen is professor of intercultural studies at Biola University in La Mirada, California, where he directs the Doctor of Missiology program. He was a missionary to the Philippines for fifteen years, and he is the author of a number of bookson missions and crosscultural ministry.