In a Muslim village

Megan attended a twelve-hour training session in which she learned to tell a series of Bible stories from Creation through Noah, Abraham, Passover and stories of Jesus.

The stories were designed to give a Bible overview so that people could understand their own spiritual condition and the salvation offered. As she lived in a Muslim context, the stories had included the important circumcision story of Abraham and Isaac and then through to the call from the prophets, “Circumcise your hearts, not just your bodies.” She’d learned how to create suspense by asking, “How can a heart be circumcised?” and to answer that with the Jesus stories.

After the training Megan had arranged to stay in a Muslim village with friends. She didn’t feel her language level was competent but had heard that storying made this less of an obstacle. As three generations of the family gathered for a meal Megan tentatively asked if she could tell a story, one that they might be a little familiar with. She started with Creation. The listeners loved the first story and asked what happened next. Over the weekend Megan told stories up to the Passover, and they didn’t want her to leave. “Come back soon and tell us more stories,” they begged.

Adapted from ‘Telling the Gospel Through Story’