Get ready to dive into the greatest story ever told

Packed in the pages of the Bible are stories—hundreds of them—written about people who teach us lessons and help us discover the mysteries of our loving and powerful God. It’s an amazing book that God carefully prepared just for us. And for the next 31 weeks, we are going to turn the Bible inside out as we read his story in a unique way.

“The Story” is an exciting church-wide experience based on a book that uses the NIV edition of the Bible, presenting the scriptures in compelling narratives. The book reads like a novel and pulls the reader into a chronological progression of the colorful and assorted biblical characters and events.

As we step through the chapters together, we’ll take time in weekend worship, small group studies, children and youth education times and other opportunities to unpack each week’s biblical teachings. We’ll increase our biblical literacy as we discover together how our individual stories, and the stories recorded for us in Scripture, are part of God’s greater plan for salvation. Through our reading, we’ll also uncover what it means to be a disciple of Christ and how we can engage in sharing his story with others.

“The Story” kicks off on the weekend of September 8 and 9 and runs through the end of April. Books will be available to pick up at church Sept. 8 and 9 with a suggested donation of $6 to cover the cost. Curriculum will be written for every age to dive deeper, thus the most experienced and least experienced Bible reader will have the opportunity to see God’s story in a whole new way.

When does it start?
“The Story” promos on September 8 and 9 and runs for 31 weeks.

How do I get involved?
There are many ways to get involved in “The Story.” Books will be available for each person in our church starting September 8 and 9 for a suggested donation of $6. Through reading a chapter a week (approximately 12 pages per week), we’ll uncover God’s amazing redemption story, as well as how our stories fit into his story.

Should I invite people to these messages?
Certainly! Each week’s message will highlight important life lessons. So, even if they join us in the middle of the series, no problem. Each week will be a stand alone but tied to the overall story.

What happens if I miss a week?
No worries. Although we would love for you to attend each week, we realize other important obligations also occur. So, we encourage you to keep up with the reading and listen or watch the message online.

Are children and youth going to be involved in this study?
Yes! The children and youth will learn about each week’s message topic during their educational times. Since the Bible is rich with vivid characters, and compelling events, we believe it will generate lots of great family discussions. And to help jump start those conversations, we will provide weekly discussion guides in the Weekly Word.

Will there be ways for adults to dig deeper into the weekly messages?
Yes! Small groups, and Bible studies will be available that will supplement the richness of each topic. We also encourage you to go online to look at all the other resources that will enrich and add insight to your journey through “The Story.

Yes, I want to be involved in "The Story."

Start with week one for all of the resources. They are as follows:

Personal reading
Mounds of books are available in the Narthex and Family Life Center starting Sept. 8 and 9. Pick one up and read one chapter prior to each week’s message. If applicable, pick one up for each family member. Suggested donation for each book is $6.00.If you would prefer to pay online, click here.

Consistently attend worship services
Commit yourself to attend each worship service now through April. Weekly messages will closely align with each chapter of the book, helping you see God’s Story and how we fit into it. And if you miss one worship service, no problem? We will have each message posted online. Click here.

Family discussions
Reflect on each chapter by intentionally setting aside time to discuss the message as well as the Biblical characters and events with your family. Discussion starters will be available at each worship service starting Sept. 15-16.

Weekly e-mail inspiration
Click here to sign up to receive a weekly e-mail that will contain scripture, a devotion and a reminder of each week’s reading assignment

Small group studies
Go a bit deeper by enjoying a small group study. These studies are conducive to foster relationships, discuss each week’s message and to discover relevant ways to apply these truths in everyday life. 

Groups will meet at church on Wednesday evenings from 6-7 starting Sept. 12 ; and Sunday mornings from 9:15-10  and 10:45-11:30 starting Sept. 16. If interested, e-mail Pastor Robarge today.

Online book study
Take time to dive into this study that occurs 24/7 online. So, whether you are in your office attire or in your pajamas, you can access the online study that will incorporate questions, discussion posts and other written, video and audio resources.To help you stay current, you will receive an e-mail of the most recent post. Sign up today.

Tell others about God's Story
Since Jesus commands us to show others about the amazing story of his redemption, let’s be intentional about starting conversations with our friends, our family and those that we meet. To begin the dialogue, we are hosting a Story Telling Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 29 from 8:30-noon.

Sharing Jesus can be awkward and weird in most social contexts, especially when we feel pressured to remember complex evangelistic methods. So, most of us shy away from it. However, Jesus himself shared the Good News of the kingdom of God by sharing simple stories with people. He didn’t insist that people completely understand the stories nor did he even explain the stories. He simply told stories and waited on the Holy Spirit to enlighten and empower those stories. 

In this workshop, we will learn to tell Jesus stories naturally, and with enthusiasm and love. We will first learn why storytelling is transforming the world and then we will work on becoming good story tellers. This will be a highly interactive time with lots of practicing.

About the speaker: Dr. Pam Arlund, is the Director of  Training for All Nations Family, Inc. in Kansas City, Mo. Her doctorate in linguistics and love for Christ have fueled a passion to help others share the Gospel through the natural and powerful tradition of storytelling.

The cost for this workshop is $10 and includes a continental breakfast. Childcare is provided at no cost by request (contact Karen Kennedy). 

Registration and payment    If you have any questions, please contact Karen Kennedy.

Social Media Avenues

Four Perspectives During the week, we will follow four different individuals as they write about their responses from the weekly readings. Our prayer is that their insights will encourage us to realize how uniquely God has made each of us.


Online Bible Study
Take time to dive into this study that occurs 24/7 online. 


"The Story" blog
Each week we will have a guest blogger write about his or her reflections on the readings. Here is an example of this week's blog written by Laura Rath:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

This is one of my favorite verses in Scripture, but sometimes I want to ask, "God, my life doesn't seem to be going all that well right now. Is this what you have planned for me? Everyday life often doesn't make sense. I don't understand why things happen, why people act the way they do, or why something doesn't work out when I did my very best. I don't know why some days are so difficult. read more

"Preview of message
Each week a short video about the upcoming message from one of our pastors will aired on YouTube. They are short, fun and at times, there are even prizes involved. So stay tuned...

Facebook
We will have lots of posts from our members as well as comments from our staff as we navigate through "The Story." So, like us today!

Twitter
Follow us today on Twitter to get the up-date tweets about "The Story" as well as other important news items.

Resources

Scripture References:
Here is a Scripture reference guide which will parallel to your Bible. Scripture reference.