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?
John: “Hi. My name is John and I’m from here at this church. They asked me to share about my trip and so, here goes. I’m a little nervous. OK, so as you probably already know, I went on a mission trip to the Philippines and I want to just say thanks for supporting me and for writing letters to me. I had a really, really great time and we did lots of things. It was neat to see the Bible that was translated.”
Mark: “I came across an expression of thanks from Grandma Maria in the Philippines. Grandma Maria is 95-years old. When Bible translators first came to her village, she suspected them of coming to steal her language and sell it. She would have nothing to do with them. Today the New Testament is finished in her language. She is a believer and her copy of the New Testament is nearly worn out.
“She says, ‘I will never stop reading it. It is my best friend.’ If Grandma Maria were here today, she would be the first to thank each of you who supported and prayed for the work of Bible translation.
“Each and every one of you should know that you had a part in God’s plan to impact peoples’ lives in the Philippines. Thank you.”
You would probably listen to both John and Mark because you are polite. But you would most likely prefer to listen to Mark because he seems prepared and he is sharing about how people were impacted. Now start to think about your presentation. Wouldn’t you rather sound like Mark? It will take preparation, but you can be an effective presenter!
For further information about how to share your story effectively, click on the articles below:
- Speaking for Maximum Results by Joe Parker, Independent Consultant
- How to Tell Your Story by Felicity Burrow, IMB
Part 2: Sharing Your Story
Reader Comments (2)
my wife, Linda and I just returned from an XMA trip to Pane, Honduras. Our contact with XMA was Jamie Coker. The experience was life changing as was our trip there last year with Jamie. I continue to pray and support the XMA missions. Thank God there are still people in this world who are willing to step out of the boat. I think The Next Mile E-Zine is great. It is hard to come back after experiencing God firsthand and trying to explain to people who have no experience of ever being on a mission trip.
Great article! Another fun way to share a short-term mission trip experience with supporters and others is via an online journal. A resource for creating a free online journal is available at www.MyMissionTrip.com .