In these exceptionally busy two past weeks for us at story4all, it has been great to receive feedback in audio and written format from all over the world! People finding the site or listening to the podcasts. Thanks to one and all of you who have contacted us from places as far removed as the Philippines, Turkey, Zambia, New Zealand as well as several countries in Europe and America.

Speaking of feedback ... do you know that we love audio comments and any questions, playable comments or stories you have about Bible storying in your home setting or on the other side of the world, and they could be played on our podcast for all to hear! If you want to send us a Skype comment, you can do so via our Skype Name: story4all. If you live in the USA leave your comment by dialing 206-600-4all. In the U.K: 0121 288 3005.

Remember: you could have your comment played to all our listeners! (Want to be famous? Just kidding!)

Also, we are interested and keen to get some chat going in the forum. Are you browsing the site and reading this now? Check out the forum (Click the Forum tab on the left), choose a name for yourself (you can give your real one too!) and post a message or reply to one of the threads going on in there. Do you have stories about storying? Visit that thread and leave a reply. Have a question or want to discuss a new concept or idea? Start a new thread with ease in the forum!

So, come on, jump in!

Brigada Today released an announcement about story4all that I sent them, and that can be seen here (piece # 9).

If you like this ministry and feel like it could be of benefit to you or others, please help us get the word out about it and the podcast. Please also vote for us in Podcast Alley and/or write a review in iTunes (Open iTunes and search for ‘story4all’ in Music Store and then click on story4all to see our podcast summary. There is a link to “Write a review” there). This will help us to be ‘seen’ more, and therefore more people will know we exist.

Part of our target audience is the high school student in their last years at school and wondering what to do with their lives, the seminary or Bible College student praying about future missionary or ministry service and the trainers of missionaries. Also missionaries who might be against a wall on the field and either frustrated or discouraged (or both!) with the way ministry is going for them.

If you know of anyone in the above categories, would you please consider emailing them to let them know about story4all? Send them the web page link and tell them about the podcast.

We would appreciate your helping us in this. Thanks in advance.

In the last entry I used the term “oral preference”. Maybe we should define that too.

From Making Disciples of Oral Learners oral preference is defined as a “preference for receiving and processing information in an oral format rather than print. That person may or may not be a reader”.

In the same way “an oral communicator is someone who prefers to learn or process information by oral rather than written means. (Thus, there are literate people whose preferred communication style is oral rather than literate, even though they can read). Also someone who cannot read or write. Someone whose preferred or most effective communication and learning format, style or method is in accordance with oral formats, as contrasted to literate formats”.

In yesterday’s podcast (now ready for download on our Show Notes page) we talked about Orality (and Literacy). Orality is a word that is certainly not very common in the average person’s vocabulary, and seems to be one that is queried frequently when I discuss or teach on the subject of storying and discipling oral learners. I thought it would be good to write a little definition in here to possibly help in understanding it when we refer to it on the podcasts or use it on this site ...

[This quote is from the book Making Disciples of Oral Learners, which we introduced in last week’s podcast. You can check out the Show Notes page to get your own copy - a great summary resource on the subject of orality]

Orality refers to the almost two-thirds of our world’s population that is non-literate (commonly referred to as 'illiterate'), or has an oral preference (can’t, won’t or don’t read or write). It describes the quality or state of being oral. It is the constellation of characteristics (cognitive, communicational and relational) that are typical of cultures that function orally.

For a list of “109 Characteristics of Oral and Literate Communicators” click here and scroll half way down the page that opens in your browser.

I have been musing over the discussion Yvette and I briefly had on a recent podcast about how stories are unthreatening and get under the defences.

Those of us who are parents know how incredibly argumentative and resistant our children can be when we try to correct their behaviour or habits. When we point out the mistake and try to give them counsel there can be such a tirade of excuses and reasoning produced from incredibly canny little sin-bent minds that we can often find ourselves overwhelmed or exhausted by their outstanding oratorial brilliance. We might even have thoughts about how we seem to be raising budding lawyers!

One thing I have noticed though - every time I do it - is when I slow down, and when I don’t rush in to discipline with anger or emotion, if I take a prayerful quiet moment (which is mostly possible actually!), I can come up with a Bible story or a home made story that can adequately address the situation needing discipline. When I then tell that story the ‘embedded truth’ seems to sneak up on the kids and strike home, and it leaves them (mostly) without excuse and receptive to my correction in quite a refreshingly beautiful way. We know how kids love stories ... And, told without manipulation, they will always love them.

Now I recognise that we do not tell stories every time we discipline, and sometimes the fact that we are made bigger than our kids means we need to block them from certain death and danger (where a story would be plainly inappropriate and foolish!), but, you know, most of the time an inspired story on the fly, or a story shared sometime later, that shows why you acted the way you did with them to correct, discipline or otherwise train them in righteousness, is one amazing way to get through to our budding lawyers who must learn (unlike many of their worldly counterparts) that truth, righteousness, mercy and justice are more important than having the best argument.