Art of Christian Storytelling Honor

Missionary & Community Activities

Requirements

  1. Cite the bibliographic source and tell a story for each of the categories below:
    • A Bible story.
    • The history of your Church.
    • A nature story.
    • A story with some moral lesson.
    • A story with the help of visual aids.
    • The story of a missionary in foreign lands.
    • A story with principles of health and temperance.

    Answer: Recommended sources: the Bible (ARA), 'Patriarchs and Prophets' by Ellen White, 'The Bible Story' by A.S. Maxwell (10 volumes, 1953), Foxe's 'Book of Martyrs'. Visuals: flannelgraph, Japanese kamishibai, PowerPoint slides. Daniel 10:12 is a reference for youth.

  2. Tell two of the stories researched in item 1 during the children's worship time at the Church, appropriate for the occasion.

    Answer: SDA children's worship uses the children's Sabbath School Lesson (year A/B/C) and Reuni magazines. The Children's Ministries Department recommends 5-10 minute stories, with active participation. Looking around at different children keeps attention. The repetition of a refrain facilitates memorization.

  3. Using your creativity, create five of your own stories that teach moral practices, love of nature, preservation of the environment, demonstration of faith in God or some subject that is useful in building the character of the Pathfinders. Submit them in writing.

    Answer: Aristotle in 'Poetics' describes the narrative arc. Joseph Campbell ('The Hero's Journey') popularized it. Example: 'Peter and the Turtle' (care for wildlife), 'The Broken Branch' (forgiveness), 'The Last Lamp' (faith in the darkness). Avoid being preachy: 'show, don't tell'.

  4. Using one of those stories you created in the previous item, demonstrate to your leader or counselor how to modify them in the following circumstances:
    • Know how to tell the story in the first and third person singular.
    • Demonstrate your storytelling techniques in a way that makes it interesting for the different age groups:

    Answer: The 1st person creates direct empathy; the 3rd allows an omniscient narrator revealing the thoughts of others. Piaget in 'Stages of Development': 4-6 (pre-operational, concrete), 7-10 (concrete operational), 11+ (formal operational, abstraction). Vygotsky reinforces the zone of proximal development.