Storytelling is a means of sharing what God is doing through the lives fellow Christ-followers in your community and around the world. Knowing how to write or tell a compelling story is a fantastically useful skill for ministry. The great thing about a true story is that it relates an experience. Unlike doctrine or beliefs, experience cannot be argued against or debated. It is history. It happened. There's no denying it--and that makes for a powerful testimony.

A well crafted story usually follows some general principles...

Three acts. A common and effective way to organize a story is in three "acts," or sections. The most obvious example of this structure is movies, which are usually done in three acts. Act 1 is devoted to "setting up" the situation or conflict. Act 2 is devoted to developing the characters. Act 3 resolves the situation. Sometimes in movies, acts 1 and 2 are reversed, with character development occurring first. I've also heard storytelling described as "movements," like in a symphony. Though stories can be further subdivided into sections, a three-part design is a great place to start.

A good story has a beginning, middle and an end. In a ministry story, this three-act structure can often be obtained by using the story to answer three questions: (1) What were the circumstances before God intervened? (2) What did God do? (3) What were the results? These three questions can form the basis of many testimonies.

Keep it simple. When writing, avoid unnecessary words and sentences. When speaking, avoid unnecessary tangents or exposition. Ask yourself, "Is this sentence or paragraph moving the story along? Is it important?" Avoid extraneous detail. Write like you would talk if telling the story aloud--people are usually more efficient with their words in speaking than in writing.

Add detail to action and emotion. Some writers spend pages describing places and people--the physical features. That's fine in a novel where the reader will spend a great deal of time there. In a short testimony or story, the point is to get to the point. Concentrate instead on feeling, emotion and action. What happened? How did that make you feel or react? How would other people react in the same situation, and was your reaction different? Why? When you tell your story, emphasize the emotions you felt at various points along the way. People readily identify with love, hate, anger, jealousy, envy, joy, humor--anything they are capable of feeling.

Conflict or tension can make stories more interesting. In ministry, the tendency is to always put a positive spin on things. Life isn't always a bed of roses, and what makes the stories of life interesting are the situations or conflicts we find ourselves in. If you've been through a tough time, it's easy to say, "I trusted God" after the fact. But if you had doubts during the ordeal, expressing them now is important. It's relevant because others have doubts. The people who hear your story are asking themselves, "What would I have done?" Don't be afraid to express conflict or tension when telling the story.

Simple storytelling techniques you can use. There are three easy ways to enhance any story. The first is "back story," which is telling the background elements--what led up to the situation? What about their past made those involved act as they did? Back story develops the characters more fully, allowing the listener or reader to learn what they are all about. Make sure your back story information is relevant to your story's point. Let the back story indicate where you came from, so you can better explain where you've gone to.

A second element used by storytellers is "foreshadowing," or hinting at things to come. "When this happened, little did I know it would be important later on," is an example of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is a great device for piquing the interest of the reader or listener. Their curiosity is heightened as they try to determine in their mind what might happen next.

Finally, use the element of "surprise." Did your story take an unexpected turn, or have a twist that nobody saw coming? "When all of a sudden..." or "I had no idea..." are great devices in storytelling. Life is full of the unexpected, and surprise has a way of engaging and delighting a listener or reader.

A story must have a purpose. Every story had a purpose. Let your story's point be one that is well-made. What can be gained from the experience? What did you win or lose? What did you learn? How was your life affected? How can this experience be applied to others? A story without a purpose is just entertainment. You can use divices to make a store more engaging, but you must begin with a purpose so that the story itself has merit, beyond the dramatic conventions.

Who gets the credit? Finally, a story of God's invervention or activity in someone's life must give credit to Whom credit is due. The point of a Christian testimony is not for people to know more about the storyteller. It's for people to know more about God. Is your story about being forgiven, or about God's forgiveness? Is it about your surrender to Christ, or about His sacrifice and Lordship? Let your story focus on what God did and Who God is versus details about yourself.

A group of facts or a paragraph of opinion is seldom as compelling and captivating as a well-crafted story--one that involves the reader or listener emotionally. Storytelling is and art, but it does not have to be complicated. Any good story is simply a thoughtful and planned presentation, a deliberate act of adding flair and drama, using age-old devices to enhance the moment.

About the Author. Eugene L. Mason has more than two decades of experience in ministry communications and technologies. More...