Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. Matthew 13:34

Know Your Audience—Who will I be telling to in this moment? What makes this group unique? How do they hear story? Find out as much as you can about your audience. They will cease to be strangers as you enter into that moment of storytelling.

Prepare and Pray—The best storyteller is the one that has prepared. Rehearse with your whole body before a mirror. Believing the story versus knowing a story translates to an audience in any culture. When I believe the story with my whole heart, not just my head, I communicate it differently.  You’ve prepared… now pray and release this story to The Great Storyteller!

Show and Tell—Hearing a story dramatically told is amazing!  So what else can we offer our audience that will allow them to see, taste, hear, smell and feel? Sensory memory is powerful and Jesus used it as a storyteller. Try a bag of seeds for The Parable of the Sower, red grapes to eat for The Tenants and the Vineyard, an invitation for each person for The Great Banquet. You think of one!

Let them talk and you listen—A storyteller learns a great deal when she/he allows their audience to reflect on the story just told to them.  Directed-reflection respects the listener and echoes back to them the story shared. We can pick up cultural nuances and vital information as we listen to our audience reflect back to us what they heard in the story we told.

Bless and Review—As you close a time of story, thank your listeners for their attentiveness and sharing. Afterwards, review your storytelling moment with a trusted listener. Is there something you would modify or change in the next telling? You’ll grow as a storyteller as you allow His shaping of your skills.