Storying with Church of the Resurrection

by Michael Novelli   |  December 16 2008    11:03 AM

This weekend, I had a great time meeting with the junior high group from Church of the Resurrection in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Bret Crull and a great team of volunteers lead this group.

Their church is Anglican, and I though they did a wonderful job of incorporating some of their distinctives into this junior high learning session. As the students and leaders entered the room, they were given a small wooden cross necklace to wear during the duration of the class. This is to signify our time together as being set apart. A small altar was set-up with a special chair for the storyteller, plus some colorful rugs added around the room to provide some esthetic vibe to the space. (see image) I really appreciated the thought and creativity put into this, especially since these items had to be set-up and torn down right away (they meet in a public high school).

Our review time was guided by hand-made collages created for each of the stories they’d covered thus far. The students loved this! Before the storytelling began, a candle was lit and placed in the center of the room and we were led in a breathing prayer to help us slow down and focus. Brett did a great job telling the story of the Judges. Then Christie, a volunteer, led us in a review exercise called Pows and Wows. This was a great activity, and led very well. In fact, I liked it so much I’ve put it on my Ideas list!

Following the review, I guided the students through a dialogue time. I had to make some quick adjustments, as I was amazed at the amount of detail these students remembered. It almost seemed like they did not miss a detail in the story. One of the guys even mentioned the Judge whose name sounds like Oatmeal! (Othniel)! So I skipped a lot of the “remembering” questions I was going to ask, and went right to wondering and observing questions. They responded well. It is a very thoughtful group of students who seem to want to learn. As with most all junior high groups, they girls were way more engaged and insightful than the boys in the discussion.

This storying experience encouraged me to incorporate more time to “create” for the students during review and retelling. It also challenged me to not skim over the review times, and allow more time for my groups to see the connecting threads in the stories.

Needless to say I was inspired by Brett and the youth leaders from Church of the Rez. After the class I had lunch with them – some yummy bean soup and grilled cheese Brett’s wife made! We had a great conversation about the nuances of storying, and how it needs to be adjusted and tinkered with to reach junior highers who are just emerging into abstract thought. Their passion for the story, and initiative to try new ideas is contagious! Thanks Brett!