Storytelling for Social Change

Rev. Dr. Aaron Stauffer, PhD., Associate Presbyter for Congregational Vitality, Heartland Presbytery

Humans are built for stories and storytelling because stories are all about connection. Churches are also deeply shaped by stories: what stories do others tell about us, and how can we best tell the narratives about who we are in public? Over 4 sessions, this class will explore the deep relationship between narrative identity and how congregations can enact and live into their best stories. This work begins by listening and the testimony of our own stories, grounding our mission and vision for the church in our deepest held values. Next, we consider the practice of telling stories across and engaging differences in a productive fashion so as to build bridges of empathy. We will then explore how churches can best tell their story in a society that readily associates religion and church with negative and harmful stories. The stories we tell matter, and telling our stories effectively helps us become better advocates and agents of the mission and vision of the church.