From September 20-22, I traveled to Denton, North Carolina to teach and present at the Worship Arts Retreat for the Southern Territory of the Salvation Army. The Southern Territory is quite expansive, and there were leaders from Texas to Florida and everywhere in between! My job for the weekend was to present to the whole group about the benefits of using drama and storytelling in worship as well as to train a smaller group of leaders during four breakout sessions, equipping them with tools and activities that they could take back to their local churches. In addition to my sessions about drama and storytelling, participants could also learn about Visual Art (stained glass mosaic), Contemporary Music, Dance, Media and Audio.

My drama students learning about tableaux

I had a wonderful group of students who dove right into each activity. (There is nothing more satisfying than teaching a group of people who are really hungry to learn!) Furthermore, throughout the weekend, many people told me that my presentation to the general session had given them a lot of ideas and that they were eager to begin using storytelling in their home churches. Yay!

I love being an ambassador for the art of storytelling, an art form which I’m quick to remind people that Jesus himself employed! I could go on and on about the ways that storytelling has changed my life, but instead I’ll just say how blessed I feel when I’m able to ignite the spark of storytelling in others and to know that this ancient art form is going to be carried on and used in profound ways. A good story is meant to travel, and if we’re lucky, it may even come back to us someday!

Telling the Parable of the Sower with audience participation

A stained glass mosaic made by one of the Visual Arts students