Joe Manafo – Storytelling

20 Mar 2010 1 Comment

by Pernellin Spring 2010

Session #2: FORMING
Joe Manafo’s presentation on storytelling

(Posted by Aaron Miller)

Joe’s a guy who planted a church in Sarnia.  It’s a curious thing that several of the folks that I’ve met who are planting interesting and vibrant churches have extensive tattoos.  Just an observation.

As the title of the session suggests, Joe’s talking about the importance of storytelling.  People’s stories matter.

The smell of the unmentionable is the stench of the church.

I can’t believe you would shut down the church for us.  Perceptions changed re: church, Christians.

Saved at 17.  Bible college.  Disillusionment.  Atheists helping with youth ministry.  Life in Christ.

Had to be baptized.  In a ditch.  How do you enact church discipline?  Pull ‘im in even tighter.

Checkered history with God.  18-19.  Dad’s suicide.  Slow journey means change.

Success in the church is collecting stories.  Scripture is the story of people tracking life with God and pointing to life with Jesus.  Jesus mostly told stories.  Scripture is stories.  Today we are hearing, collecting, learning stories.  We are learning to live our lives in the story of Jesus, hand in hand with God.  Bring on the Kingdom.  Real revolution is a new story, that begins in the alternative (not comfortable, familiar) story of the Gospel.  Are we telling stories with God’s fingerprints all over them?

A guy I don’t know just sat beside me.  He’s not sure what this is, or what’s going on, but it’s pretty cool that he’s stopped to hang out with us for a bit.

Stories can be lost.  Tomorrow we might not remember what is told today, but the story of coming together, of being inspired, of hearing others inspire and wonder and tell, will be fresh for a long time.

Buy everything that Robert Capon writes, says Joe.

The gospel is stories, the story of God getting involved in our lives recklessly.

Today we are working at creating space for improv.

Previous Next

One Comment (+add yours?)

  1. Randell Neudorf
    Mar 20, 2010 @ 23:21:34

    Loved hearing Joe’s stories. I really think that most of our worth and success is tied up in story.

Leave a Reply