Have you ever started to read a newsletter and found yourself slogging your way through a list of facts and figures? Have you ever written about an event in the following manner?
Last month I traveled 176 miles to Tagobo. I taught a 3-day workshop. There were over 67 pastors and church leaders in attendance. The seminar focused on Romans. The attendees had never been exposed to verse-by-verse teaching of the Bible. The leaders asked me to teach again. I will return to teach 50 of those present next month.
It is not difficult to write an account such as the one above. It is clear, accurate, and brimming with details. But it is little more than a list. It is likely to bore and eventually put your readers to sleep. It may clearly show what you have done, but what did the Lord do in your life or in the lives of others on a more personal level?
Consider the following account of the same event, written as a story highlighting how God worked in two hearts.
Last month I traveled to Tagobo to teach a 3-day workshop. As I was traveling, I prayed that the Lord would use this seminar to bring a genuine change in the hearts of the pastors and church leaders who would attend. When I arrived, I found over 67 pastors and church leaders in attendance. There was a lot of expectation in the hall. The lectures followed a rigorous schedule each day. On the last day, after the final lecture, a pastor committed all that we had done to the Lord in prayer. As I lifted my head, a young church leader, Eli, leaned forward and said, “I walked 30 miles to be here, doubting all the way; but I would walk 300 to be here next month! I want to preach God’s Word like you!”
How does the story differ from the list?
The main difference is that the story answers the question, “What did God accomplish in Tagobo?”
It begins with a missionary praying. It ends with the answer to his prayer. The detailed information in the account does not read like a list. The information is serving as stepping stones leading from the prayer to its answer at the culmination of the story.
In this article I will show you step-by-step how to write a story that will encourage your readers’ hearts instead of a list of details that will drive them away.
(For the purpose of illustration, I wrote the above account and will refer to it again below. The information is completely fictitious. I don’t know of any town named Tagobo. I have never taught a 3-day seminar on the book of Romans. I don’t know Eli, either.)
Note major events, thoughts, and quotable comments.
As you prepare to write the story, make a list of the details of the event. Take special note of your thoughts and concerns.
Write down anything you remember praying about. You might find that you can focus on an answered prayer.
Did you have fearful moments or periods of joy and unexpected blessing?
Did you or anyone else say something memorable? Quotations can be very powerful.
Note these various things down. You are gathering the building blocks of your story.
If you are planning to engage in some ministry activity and expect to write about it, you are in the best position. Start now making notes. You might even plan to interview some key individuals afterwards.
Determine what the Lord accomplished.
As you prayerfully reflect on what happened, ask for insight into what the Lord did in your heart. The most encouraging account will be a testimonial about how God changed you. But it might be that you saw the Lord work powerfully in someone else’s life. Or could it be that you and others were all changed?
If you are having difficulty seeing your heart through all the details and activities, ask a friend or spouse to listen to you share about the event. Then ask them to help you pinpoint what the Lord did in your heart.
If you are having difficulty seeing your heart through all the details and activities, ask a friend or spouse to listen to you share about the event. Then ask them to help you pinpoint what the Lord did in your heart.
Were you encouraged? Did you learn to be more forgiving? Did you learn to be more patient? Did you learn to trust our Lord more for your daily needs or protection on the road?
In the example above, I wrote as though I needed some encouragement. It is implied that the pastors and church leaders also needed to learn to preach more effectively.
At the climax of the account, Eli’s comment demonstrates that God answered my prayer by using my training to impact a person. It is understood that my prayer is answered and that I am encouraged. Eli’s quote also shows that he benefited from the training and desires more equipping in the Word.
Present a problem and the resolution.
Consider the example above. I begin with an introductory sentence that sets the backdrop for the story of an answered prayer. One or two sentences should be sufficient for introducing the reader to your story and your need, problem, or whatever issue is in focus. You should give just enough details to help the story make sense.
Then you should write the last sentence or two, giving the resolution of the need or problem. In my example, the last sentence reveals that my prayer was answered. Eli leaned forward and shared about the impact of the conference on him.
Note that I don’t say that my prayer was answered. It is illustrated by the events, but not explicitly stated. It is better to say less at the climax than to say too much.
Write concisely.
Now that you know where you are starting and where you are ending, you should add just enough details to help your reader along.
You will have to leave out lots of interesting information. Looking at the example above, I could have written a sentence or two about the food, the sleeping arrangements, the storm that almost tore the top off the church, and more. But these scenic detours steal the punch from the climax of the story.
You have to be careful not to swamp your reader with details and prevent him from following the progression of the story.
You have to be careful not to swamp your reader with details and prevent him from following the progression of the story.
Revise your story.
Once you have a complete draft of the narrative, you need to revise and polish it. Get some distance from what you have written. Set it aside. Write another part of your newsletter or take care of other things.
If you have others who help you with your newsletter, it might be a good time to give them a first draft. You could ask your spouse or teenager to read it. You could ask a teammate or colleague to look at it.
After a few hours or even a day have elapsed, read the story anew. Read it to yourself out loud. Ask yourself if it reads smoothly. See if you can shorten or focus the story.
A Final Encouragement
When you write your next newsletter, I hope you will avoid a detailed report. Look at your heart and ask the Lord for guidance. What was the most significant impact of your last seminar, sermon series, publication, vaccination campaign, etc.?
Whether you are involved in one or twenty ministry activities, a detailed report of all you did is not what your readers need. If you focus on one significant moment, such as Eli’s appreciation for three days of teaching, your readers will supply the rest.
They won’t ask themselves what happened at the other events and conferences. Instead, they will praise God for what He has done and trust the Lord to do the same or more wherever you serve.
I hope this article will encourage you to write a story that grips and excites your readers with what God is doing in your ministry!
What to do now
- Do you tend to write lists of details instead of stories of God’s grace?
- Can you think of a recent answered prayer that you might share in your newsletter as a story?
- If you would like some advice about something you are writing, tell me about it. Let’s try to craft a testimony that clearly gives glory to our Heavenly Father.
