A Storytelling Workshop for Musicians and Sunday School

A Storytelling Workshop for Musicians and Sunday School Teachers Copyright © 2004 Karen Mc. Intyre, email Kjmcinty@comcast. net. May not be used for profit, republished, or placed on a website. Published by The General Board of Discipleship, http: //www. umcworship. org, telephone 877 -899 -2780, ext 7073.

“All wisdom is plagiarism; only stupidity is original. ” Hugh Kerr Theology Today 45: 1 p. 1

Use stories to teach Scripture Use stories to connect kids & adults with faith journeys. Use stories to prepare people to have a reverent receptivity to learning a piece of music. Use stories to increase attention span and improve behavior. Build a bond with the student.

§ To find your story you must know…the five W’s & an H. § Why this story? § Who is my audience? § How much time do I have?

Where will I find my story? Your public library, church library, bookstore Collections of Folk and Fairy tales Collections from national or local Storytelling Events Other Storytellers, Life, and people

What to listen for in a story Plot is fast-paced, often with repeated motifs… Characterization is clear and flat Conflict develops early Climax occurs late in the story Let’s analyze the story to see if it fits the patterns above…. .

To make it yours, you will have some dues to pay! You will have to LEARN the story!

Read or listen to the story over and over. Outline the main points or sequence of events either on paper or in your head. Make a copy and highlight or mark it for inflections. Tell the story as if it were a memory!

Here’s how a story outline looks Story: Frog and Locust call for rain Time: 7 min. Possible Lessons: When we work together, we accomplish a lot. Audience Reaction: Tell it again!!! 1. Big lake shrinks in draught 2. Frog sings the rain song to ask the rain god for rain. 3. Rain god, who lives high above the mountains, high above the clouds, can’t hear one frog singing. 4. Frog is a bad singer – the noise of his song wakes Locust. 5. Locust realizes frog is right about everything dying without rain, so she sings the rain song – God can’t hear just one locust singing. 6. Frog suggests they sing together. They do, but two is still not loud enough for the rain God to hear. 7. Other frogs and locusts hear and know that they will die too if there is no rain…. they join in; and the rain god hears. 8. He gathers rain clouds – wind blows, leaves rustle, lightning flashes, thunder rolls, and rain falls till lake is refilled. 9. Wherever we work together, much can be accomplished.

After you learn it…. Make your story vivid --use your senses! Use your imagination and interact with the audience when appropriate. Think of Rhythm--repeated phrases. What are the repeated phrases in the Frog story?

Too much noise…. . an audience participation story! In this well known story called “Too Much Noise” you give the audience parts. Divide some into the rooster group, some into the dog group, some into the donkey group. Some must make the rocking chair sounds, some the knitting needles. You can add as many animals as you like to the story. Note the repeated parts that are highlighted in black. This makes learning the story easy, and kids love to make the noise associated with the story! Be sure you have your sign in place for the noise to cease so that you can tell the tale!

§ Practice it in the car, in front of a mirror, video tape or record your story.

Stage Presence! What’s that? Plan what to do with your body. Plan the use of your voice. Learn to breathe like a cat! (from your diaphragm)

Puppets, Props, & Paraphernalia Chalk Talks Cut and Tell Stories Puppets Props Felt Boards, Magnetic Boards Audience participation Using music and creative movement Overheads and Power. Point Favors

Reacting to the story. . . § If possible, have a time after the story for reaction. § Younger children do this through art, cooking, music, movement, or some other creation. § In addition, older children may want to write, discuss, take some concrete action.

The rest of the slides are Music, Scripture, and Story The songs “Salt Shaker Disciple, ” “I Am the Body of Christ, ” and “Here I Am, ” are copyright © David Yantis and are used in this presentation with his kind permission. They may not be duplicated elsewhere without his permission. Full words and music are available. He may be contacted through his website at http: //www. davidyantis. com

This little light of Mine You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand --SHINE! Matt 5: 14 -16 Teach the Scripture. Teach the song and you have done everything required of you! The rest is pure pleasure and joy!!

Salt Shaker Disciple Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be saltseasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Matt: 5: 13 I'm a salt shaker disciple, this I know -- OH YEA And I spread a little bit of my faith that others may grow to see Jesus as I do, won't you be one too? A salt shaker disciple coming through for Jesus. A salt shaker disciple, How about you and you. . . . David Yantis O. P.

I am the body of Christ. You are the body of Christ. Together we are one in the Spirit. For He is in us and we are in Him.

The Potter -- Jeremiah 17: 1 -8 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I shall announce My words to you. Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying. Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does? declares the Lord. Behold like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand. , O Israel. §. § The next slide is a song that goes along with this story.

Take my hand…. . Take my hand, lead me Lord, and I will follow. Where you lead, I'll go willing to change. For you're the potter, I'm the clay. Mold me and make me your way. Work on me Lord. A little each day. » David Yantis OP.

The next set of songs are OLD Find the words and music midis on the site below! http: //my. homewithgod. com/heavenlymidis/kidsongbook. html

Dare to be a Daniel. Deep and Wide. Let the Son Shine In. Give me oil in my lamp. God is so Good. Jesus Wants me for a sunbeam. Jonah and the whale -I wonder how it felt. Noah and the flood - Rise and Shine, Children of the Lord. One Wide River. Silver and Gold have I none. In my life, Lord be Glorified. I've got a river of life flowing out of me. . I've got peace like a river. .

More songs and Scripture Lessons Genesis 17: 5 "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. “ Father Abraham had many sons! Matthew 16: 13 "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? " Everybody ought to know…. . Matthew 6: 33 -34 - Seek ye first the Kingdom of God

Genesis 28: 12 "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. " - Jacob’s Ladder Luke 19: 2 -4 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. – Zacchaeus was a wee little man

Psalm 119: 11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. “(same as verse) Psalm 147: 1 "Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; " Hallelu, Hallelujah! Matthew 4: 19 "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. " Fishers of men Psalm 118: 24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. " This is the day

Psalm 92: 4 "For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: " He has made me glad 1 John 4: 8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. " Praise him Praise Him all ye little children Jeremiah 32: 27 "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? " My God is so Great, so Strong and so Mighty 1 John 3: 23 "And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. “ This is my commandment.

Psalm 24: 1 "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; " This is my Father’s World Psalm 34: 1 "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. " Praise Him John 3: 2 ". . . we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. " It’s a Miracle

Genesis 1: 26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. . . " If I were a butterfly… Matt 7: 24 -27 The wise man built his house…. 1 John 4: 7 -8 Beloved, let us love one another

Use stories of Hymns It is well with my soul. Fanny Crosby is another great story waiting to be told. It sets the tone for your rehearsal as a time of joyful worship preparation…. .

Many children’s books can be used to help children accept or change themselves and their world! Try it, you will love using stories in your choirs and classes!