Tell a Bookmark Story

Ask the group to consider themselves a Bible study group in a particular church. Then tell one of the bookmark stories for the current year of Bible Quest. The bookmark stories are listed in the Leader’s Guides’ "The Year at a glance." Carefully study the story in the scripture first. Then outline how you want to tell the story. Ahead of time, practice telling the story aloud, possibly in front of a mirror so that you become aware of facial expressions and gestures you want to use. Base thes tory on suggestions given in the curriculum, but do not be limited by those ideas. For additional help, read the article "Telling the Story" in the Leader Kit.

An alternate possibility is to invite a well-known storyteller to tell the story. This person should be prepared to participate fully in the workshop, not just come in, tell the story, and leave. The storyteller may dress in biblical costume as the group pretends to be seated around a campfire or in the home of a first-century Christian to hear a story of the faith. (This is the way we imagine many bible stories were handed down from one generation to the next long before they were written.)

Consider using the peaceable kingdom or one of the other non-narrative stories so that participants can begin to get a feel for the story nature of the entire Bible.

Interpret the Story

Invite the participants to form groups of three or four and to take turn telling what the story means to them. Suggest two or three of the following questions as guidelines for the interpreters: What, if anything, did you hear in the story that you had never noticed before? What does that detail mean to you? Why do you think God acted in this way (or made this promise)? Imagine how people who first heard this story would have reacted. What, if anything in your life (past or present) helps you connect with this story? What do you think this story asks you to do in your own life? What does the story require of the church in today’s world?

Review an understanding of the learners are interpreter

Copies of the article "Every Learner an Interpreter," video, video player, newsprint, markers, cards or papers with text

Allow time for the participants to check out the highlights of the article. Then show the video. Suggest that the participants make notes in the sidebars of the article as they watch the video. After the video, make a list on newsprint of the insights they gained.

Before the session write each of these statements on a separate card or piece of paper. After the video distribute these to the group. Either individually, with a partner, or with a group of three, read the card and give an example that fits the statement.

• Bible stories are interpretations of events and experiences. They reflect the understanding of the biblical story teller of what actually happened, either to the storyteller or more often to someone else who has interpreted that experience to the story writer. Thus, for example, the four gospels tell about the resurrection of Jesus in four different ways because each of the gospel writers was interpreting the story as he understood it at a particular time.

• Every time we tell or hear a story, we reinterpret that story. When we tell a Bible story, we give it a personal slant that reflects our own experience and understanding. Moreover, when we hear a story, we interpret that story in light of how we feel, what our previous experience has been, and what our hopes are for the future.

• The Biblical story is open-ended in terms of both the bible as a whole and of individual stories within the bible. As each teller or hearer of a story processes the story, that teller or hearer adds to the story a personal interpretation, one that may be dismissed quickly, last for a few years, or occasionally, become part of a long-standing view of the meaning of scripture.

• We trust people to interpret the story for themselves. As leaders, we do not attempt to answer all the questions that bible stories raise. Rather, learners are engaged in a quest together to gain new insights from a story. We trust others to interpret the story for themselves because we trust the Holy Spirit to guide persons and group sin the study. It is not necessary to attach a moral lesson to every telling of every Bible story. To the contrary, changes in moral value and behavior grow out of the reinterpretation of scripture as Bible stories are told again and again.

• We share our interpretation with others. Why? First, because God has commanded those who follow Jesus to proclaim the gospel to all the world. The stories we read an hear are not fully our own until we tell them to someone else. In that telling, we interpret the story, both for our own benefit and the enlightenment of the hearers. Second, we share our views with one another because in sharing our various interpretations we gain new wisdom. Our understanding of scripture is always subject to further refinement as we consider the revelation of God to other believers. No one person has a full understanding of God’s Word. We all need to hear the interpretations of others. Even then, our understanding is finite and must continually undergo revision and reinterpretation.

Learn to Ask Questions

Handout, Bible Quest age-level Leader’s Guides, newsprint, markers

Distribute the handout, "On Asking Questions." When we honor the learner as an interpreter, we do not tell the learner what the story means, but we ask questions that help the learner discover meaning in the story. Content questions, those that have right or wrong answers, have their place, but they do not encourage the learner to interpret. Seek to help the learners formulate their own questions as part of their interpretation.

Look through the Bible Quest age-level Leader’s guides and note how questions are posed. Compare those with the questions on the handout.

Ask the group to identify some good interpretative questions. List these on newsprint.

Plan a session

List of Bookmark Stories, Bibles, Bible Quest age-level resources

Ask each participant to choose a bookmark story for the current year and plan h ow to present that story to a particular age group. (List these stories on newsprint for ready reference.) Every participant will need a Bible. Provide the Bible Quest age-level Leader’s Guides also.

After allowing time for individual reflection, have the participants find a partner who is interested in the same story or the same age level. In these teams, they will outline a session, including a variety of activitie incorporating the four-step process: Prepare for the Story, Tell the Story, Connect with the Story, and Celebrate the Story. Note that each step involves the learners as interpreter. What questions will you ask? For guidance, refer to the hand out on asking questions. Thus, the leader of the session will not only interpret the story to learners, but will also enable those learners to interpret the story to others.

Invite one or more teams to present their session plans to the entire group. Other group members become part of the planning process as they share ideas and interpretations that might be helpfull in actually using the story with an age group.

Sing a Song

Hymnbooks

Most hymns and songs of the church re interpretations of scripture. Ask the group to suggest a few songs that are clearly interpretations of biblical texts. Then choose one of the songs to sing together. If no one has suggested, try "I Love to Tell the Story" or "Sing Them Over Again to Me."

Identify Insights

Newsprint, markers

Invite the participants to share insights and questions about the concept of learner as interpreter. List these responses on newsprint for possible follow-up after the workshop.

Close with a prayer thanking God for being present among the group as you recognized the Holy Spirit’s movement in the interpretation process.