Samples Resource Library
Preparation
Preparation for The Story involves planning, prayer and vision casting. The planning phase starts approximately 10 weeks before your start date, and includes a process of preparation for your ministry leaders and your congregation.
Start Here: Implementation Guide
To prepare for The Story, your best starting place is the Implementation Guide where you'll find a three-stage plan for preparing your leaders, a six-step (8-week) plan for preparing your church, and guidelines for implementing the campaign in single ministries and for different lengths of time. Learn how The Story was originally developed, and about the Upper Story/Lower Story as well.
Implementation Guide - SAMPLE
Planning Articles and Tools
These tools will help you structure the campaign in order to keep people engaged and accommodate your church schedule.
How Mini-Series Keep People Engaged for 31 Weeks
Coaching videos from Pastor Kevin Harney
Pastor Kevin Harney, who authored the Participant's Guide for The Story adult curriculum, shares his experience and leadership ideas for helping your church get the most out of The Story.
The Story for Every Age Level
How doing The Story on every level of church life has impacted the Shoreline Church congregation. Includes the testimony of a mother and son who are reading together through The Story.
The Story: Growing in Faith
How The Story helps both new believers and long-time Christians grow in faith. Includes the testimony of Sherry Harney who has her masters in theology, sharing her personal experience of reading The Story.
The Story as a Series of Mini-Series
How Pastor Harney broke The Story into six mini-series. His preaching schedule and sermon graphics are included in the "12 Months of Preaching Schedules" spreadsheet on the Weekend Services page.
The Story Promotes Numerical Growth
How Shoreline Church has seen numerical growth as a result of The Story. Harney explains the unexpected 20% growth in attendance that has resulted from doing The Story.
Preaching The Story: Visually Representing the Upper Story, Lower Story, My Story
Pastor Harney explains how he uses simple staging to visually and powerfully portray the three parts of The Story sermons.
Shoreline Community Church Embraces The Story
Shoreline's three years using The Story. Pastor Harney explains how he discovered and introduced The Story to his church leaders first, then his congregation, and how it will continue to play a part in their discipleship plan.
Spiritual Growth Through The Story
Not surprisingly, the Shoreline Church congregation is experiencing spiritual growth, which is a direct result of people actually reading their Bibles, some for the first time.
The Story: Small Groups
How Shoreline trained and recruited small groups hosts for The Story. The key was to establish 'hosts,' not 'leaders,' and encourage the hosts to closely follow the curriculum.