Here's my view, as a lay person and CRC campus chaplain. I wish Calvin Seminary prepared students more in...story-telling. I know, it seems trivial. But the Gospel is a story--Good News--and Jesus was a story-teller. Think of all those parables! I have no doubt that Calvin Seminary students graduate with an accurate understanding of the Gospel, and probably also how it relates to 'all of life.' But can they creatively tell The Story to those they encounter? Can they narrate the Gospel Story in an engaging way for a diverse congregation in a postmodern culture? Can they embody the Story in their communities, and relate it to those currently outside their flocks? Consider making a theatre class at the college manditory, to help our leaders learn skills like improvisation, expressive reading, narration, memorization, and story telling. We can speak all the biblical truths we want, but if we can't creatively relate them to current realities or share them in a way that will engage, we may end up yelling into the wind. Why do we stop sharing stories when we 'grow up'?
Posted in: Leadership in Ministry Course - Your Input Needed
What a great question!
Here's my view, as a lay person and CRC campus chaplain. I wish Calvin Seminary prepared students more in...story-telling. I know, it seems trivial. But the Gospel is a story--Good News--and Jesus was a story-teller. Think of all those parables! I have no doubt that Calvin Seminary students graduate with an accurate understanding of the Gospel, and probably also how it relates to 'all of life.' But can they creatively tell The Story to those they encounter? Can they narrate the Gospel Story in an engaging way for a diverse congregation in a postmodern culture? Can they embody the Story in their communities, and relate it to those currently outside their flocks? Consider making a theatre class at the college manditory, to help our leaders learn skills like improvisation, expressive reading, narration, memorization, and story telling. We can speak all the biblical truths we want, but if we can't creatively relate them to current realities or share them in a way that will engage, we may end up yelling into the wind. Why do we stop sharing stories when we 'grow up'?