Do Inquiring Minds REALLY Want to Know?

Have you ever had so many stories and adventures to tell you were just bursting to tell someone – anyone? I sure have. After traveling in amazing cultures, trying wild and crazy foods, and riding with some downright scary taxi drivers, I can tell stories of plane-rides, animals, police, remote villages, bugs and more.

But no one else was there... at least not the people I spend time with here at home. So, yes, I believe that inquiring minds DO want to know, but I’ve learned they only want glimpses, images, or impact, and they likely won’t relate too much of what I share. As a result, I’ve come up with four ideas that reach four different kinds of audiences. And, because we are all accustomed to how television organizes information, these typical “TV experiences” will provide the perfect grid.

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How to Share Your Story

If you’re like most people, public speaking ranks at the top of your “least-favorite-things-to-do” list. There are two excellent tools that will make it possible for you to share information that will be meaningful and memorable.

For the moment though, don’t think about your report. Don’t be nervous or preoccupied by the fear of speaking. Rather, imagine you’re sitting in church and about to hear from two short-termers giving a report on their mission. If given the choice, which of the following would you prefer to hear?

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Following Up with Supporters, Family and Friends

People typically are good at starting things, but not very good at finishing them. The act of reporting home is an area where simply returning to your normal life, sometimes referred to as the “default mode” of STM, rears its ugly head.  I’ve heard all kinds of reports from STMers, both young and old.  While some reports are thoughtful and compelling, most range anywhere from unprepared all the way to irreverent.

The Default Mode: Before the team departs, they want everyone to know they’re going and they want people to support the team. Therefore, there is an effort for public communication about the mission. But after returning, people are anxious to return to normal routines, and while they love telling stories about their trip, they either a) don’t even think about reporting effectively back to the senders or b) they do think about it, but don’t want to do it.

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Sharing in a Church Service

Your short-term mission has been a shared journey. While you and the team may have experienced the long miles, sleepless nights and strange foods, there were others who made ministry possible. There were folks who prayed and gave financially. And there were others who provided childcare or filled in at work.

The Reporting Home Service is a great way to involve the whole church and encourage everyone who sacrificed and shared in sending the team.

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Modules for Memorable Talks

This approach to speaking will allow you, with minimal training and practice, to give a talk that is memorable, awakens mission vision in the church, and doesn’t bore anyone. It is a system of developing brief stories (modules) and organizing them into a talk. We define a module as "a brief story with visual and emotional impact that stands alone and illustrates a single point."

Most of the parables Jesus told can be read in less than a minute. Still, they have made the most revolutionary thoughts of God understandable to the most common of people in hundreds of languages and cultures.

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