What is a Storyleader, you ask? Well, Storyleading is a role given to one Racer on each team. We are encouragers, editors, and creatives. Our role is to create a storytelling culture on our teams, because we are all storytellers. I am beyond excited to step into this role as a Storyleader because it means I get to push and teach my teammates to be creative and to see storytelling as an act of worship and a way to process through this time abroad.
Emma, what makes you think everyone is a storyteller?
Well, put simply, Jesus is a storyteller, and we are all striving to be more like Jesus. Read almost any chapter of the Gospels and you will find Jesus telling a story or a story being told about what Jesus did. The act of storytelling is actually very spiritual, Revelation 12:11 says that “they triumphed over him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony”. Just testifying about what God is doing is an attack against the enemy. It is spreading His good news and drawing other people into that goodness (Luke 4:43). The Bible makes it very evident that words are important: the world was created with words (Psalm 33:9), Jesus speaks, and people are healed (Mark 5:21-43), and freedom is found in proclaiming what God is doing (Luke 4:18).
Emma, why does this role exist when you say that everyone is a storyteller?
Yes, it is true that everyone is a storyteller, but not everyone feels like they are a storyteller. Here is where we come in. We are here to remind our teams why storytelling is so great. For example, it helps us to remember everything God is doing, it helps us process, it is a witness to people back home, and it is a record of prayer requests and answered prayer. We are here as resources for our teams. This means we get to edit blogs for people, make sure there is WiFi available for posting blogs, pray and brainstorm with people on blog ideas, help keep teammate accountable to their creative goals, and generally encourage a culture of creativity. We are also resources for our ministry hosts and other people in country. We will be the go-tos for fulfilling and/or enabling other people to fulfill creative needs at our host site (promo videos, photography, brochures, etc).
So, is storytelling just writing blogs?
No!! Story comes in more ways than I could even list here, and all forms of story are encouraged on the Race! Whatever you can use to express yourself and share about God is an incredible way to tell stories. Anything from photography, writing, dancing, music, drawing, and everything in between!
Now, let me introduce you to our wonderful, inspirational, exceptional storyleading team in a couple words and a pretty amazing video we made at launch:
A M B E R
eager, clever, and big-hearted
Z A C K
encouraging, joyous, and caring
C R Y S T A L
insightful, perceptive, and supportive
C A R S Y N
bright, funny, and open
grace + peace
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