That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And He told them many things in parables… Matthew 13:1-3
In countless ways, Jesus was and continues to be our greatest Teacher. His parables encompass all areas of life from daily comings and goings to where we will spend eternity.
Life altering, soul softening, purpose driven wisdom was never bulleted or presented in a clean and crisp PowerPoint presentation but rather through the age old art of gifted storytelling. It is because of this approach, as much now as two-thousand years ago, the Holy Spirit is able to move and speak to each of us in a very real, very personal way leading us all in the way we should go.
I want to encourage you to keep in mind that one of the key roles of leadership is storytelling.
Someone must tell the story of what you are working to see accomplished in the lives of people in a way that can readily be understood and remembered.
I want to challenge and encourage you to adopt one or both of these techniques as a leader and pastor of your team.
Harness Hope
Long before the Gospels were recorded they were shared. Jews and Gentiles alike clung to witness accounts of Jesus’ miracles and the experiences of the Apostles in the Upper Room.
These stories weren’t marketed using the latest social media platforms; Good News spread like a consuming fire because lives were transformed.
Gather stories of lives changed through your organization.
It’s important to go beyond celebrating moments with individuals impacted by your ministry. Track the harvest of how God’s working through your team.
Everyone reading this was likely drawn to their ministries in a far reaching variety of ways. However, whether it be through the nonprofit sector, higher education, missionary work, the local church, or beyond, our purpose boils down to changing lives for the better on this side of eternity.
Sharing these stories of transformation fills the gap between your ask and donors’ give. It’s human nature to want proof. Creating a platform from which you speak to others’ curiosity quenches their thirst to know more and gives God the glory simultaneously.
Ratify Relationships
Find stories of the relationships between your staff and the people you are trying to serve and impact.
To forge bonds that last outside of your organization you must first nurture and develop connections among team members. When meaningful links are solidified among your ranks a network will organically begin to take shape beyond your walls.
It’s at this point, under your example, your staff must dedicate effort and energy to forging bonds with those you seek to serve.
Track and catalog these moments.
Real relationships edify your ministry’s mission. Sharing their development and maturation with others creates a transparency for your organization others will appreciate and respond to.
Regardless of your wording, approach, or delivery – stories have and will always connect us. Just as actions speak louder than words, memoirs have meaning.
Sharing stories of life change and taking relationships deeper with those you serve all starts with that first meeting. If you are having trouble getting that first face to face meeting on your schedule, download our First Meetings tool today!