WAV 21 Postmodern

Reaching Postmoderns With the Stories of God

Our Purpose

We seek to communicate the gospel effectively to the ever-present, fast-moving postmodern world. We believe that reaching them through methods that are non-literate, non-defensive, and challenging to their spiritual life are the best ways to communicate the gospel to this specific group of people. One method that we have found effective is Bible Storying.

Our Challenge

There are times when society changes in significant ways. Having the foresight to see the coming wave allows people and organizations to ride the wave rather than be crushed by it.

A wave of change is already happening in our western culture, giving us an exciting opportunity to ride it. This wave began with the expansion of the visual media – cable news networks, MTV, video tape, and CD's. The Internet has accelerated this change. Cell phones, instant messaging and web blogs continue to increase the momentum.

What's happening is this: Most of today's younger generation, and even many of the baby boomers, prefer to learn through spoken and visual means rather than the written word.

Studies have shown this trend. A 2004 study reported that “literary reading in America is not only declining rapidly among all groups, but the rate of decline has accelerated, especially among the young.” This reflects a “massive shift toward electronic media for entertainment and information.”

But this wave is much deeper than a learning style preference-- more than just preferring to watch TV and listen to music. There is also a strong move towards relational, non-linear learning.

The problem is that most of our preaching, Bible studies, evangelism and discipleship are reader-oriented and linear-sequential in thought. Also, the postmodern's learning style involves a more “scientific” language than a poetic language.

Our Solution

We must present God's truth to postmoderns in a way that they will understand and embrace. Because the Bible is not a textbook, but God's disclosure to man about Himself and His relationship to mankind, Chronological Bible Storying is an extremely effective method.

Michael Frost, in his article Preaching in a Post-Literate Age, writes,

It is important to remember some basic assumptions about the emerging postmodern paradigm: There is a preference for learning by discussion and guided experience; There is a desire for decisions to be made through group consensus rather than being based on instruction manuals and policy guides; There is a rejection of simple, universal solutions; There is a distrust for hierarchy, authority and dogma; There is an interest in accumulating experiences rather than formal knowledge; There is a new openness to non-scientific ways of knowing truth; There is a new tolerance of different points of view – except those held dogmatically.

Strategy

Most of StoryRunners' early efforts with postmoderns have been directed toward partnering with university ministries in the United States, Mexico and Western Europe. The plan has encompassed partnerships to develop creative storying forms that attempt to link Bible stories to today's “modern parables.”

We use a similar discovery path to allow postmoderns to experience God's Word speaking to them right where they live today because God's timeless stories speak to all generations.

Invest in this project by giving online or by mail to:

StoryRunners
100 Lake Hart Drive #1100
Orlando, FL 32832

Learn More About Orality and Post-Literate Culture (PowerPoint)

Learn about the StoryRunners European Quest Project

Please pray...

I Corinthians 9:22b-23 “I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t want to just talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!”

Ask that each person’s unique learning need will be met so they can receive the message of God’s Kingdom that will transform their life.
Ask for good discussions for each story that will lead to clear biblical understanding.
Ask that once they have received Christ, they will be faithful to share what they have learned with others.

Serve

Check out the links below to see ways you can serve with StoryRunners.

   A few Days or Weeks
   A Few Months
   Volunteer