How to Make Your Stories Significant

The Christian life is all about transformation. It’s a beautiful story about how God can take anyone and make them new again. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, the regret or guilt you have from your past that is holding you back, God can make you new again.

New, and different.

Because when God comes into a life, He radically changes it. He doesn’t just get around the edges, he doesn’t clean it up a little. He radically alters everything about the person, because they have a new perspective: a Jesus perspective.

But we don’t share these stories well. We don’t do it often enough. We don’t share it on the socials a lot. We just say “yay God” and let time pass.

We’ve got to make a change, because the two greatest forces on earth are the Bible and the combined story of those who lives have been changed. We can be telling thee stories; we should be telling these stories.

And you know what? The churches that share these stories and share it well, have captured the imaginations and hope of a generation that is teetering on the brink of disbelief. Why? Because they have allowed hope to enter the conversation, that if God can do a work in them, perhaps God can do a work in me.

We all have a story to tell. The church just needs to help us share it. We want to give you (churches) four words of advice on how to tell effective stories inside and out of the church.

1. Give your story-tellers a platform to share their story. Your church is replete with the stories of lives changed by Christ, so share it. Give oxygen to the fire, play videos on social media and on the stage, sit down and talk with those whose lives have been radically changed; do something. The same people that sit in your pews each week are the same people who can help move your church forward. Do something with them, and give their stories room to breathe.
2. Give your story-tellers the tools they need to share their story in the wild. While some have the gift of evangelism, most do not and even more are uncomfortable with their level of ability to share Jesus effectively. As a church, you need to help them share their story better. Walk them through a simple process of how to share their story effectively, and then release them into the wild. All they're looking for is a little bit of training and a whole lot of encouragement. Give them both.
3. Connect your stories to generosity. This is the one piece most churches forget. We can share effective stories in the right contexts, have amazing stories of transformation because these stories were shared, but if we forget to say something to the effect of, "Because you (church) have invested in us, these stories have an opportunity to happen here with us. And when they do, they're not just their story, their our story, and they most definitely are God's stories. Thanks for being a significant part of it." Always make sure to connect stories with generosity where appropriate.
4. Never miss an opportunity to share a story. Everyone has a story to share. They may not think so, but God does, and because God does, so should we. Keep a catalog of your church stories and regularly share them with your congregation. Don't let a single person go unnoticed and a story left untold. You are in control of the ship; steer wisely.

As you implement these four keys, you help value your story-tellers, the work God has done in their lives and in the life of your church, and prompt your audience to think more about their story and how they can share it with the world around them.