“One of the most powerful things a person can say is, ‘Let me tell you what God has done in my life.’ Not because every story is dramatic. Not because every story is finished. But because testimony creates connection.
When people share honestly about grief, healing, doubt, forgiveness, addiction, loneliness, wonder, or joy…something sacred happens. Walls come down. Shame loses power. Hope becomes imaginable.
So many people today feel unseen. They carry hidden pain. Hidden questions. Hidden longing.
And often what opens the door to faith is not argument, but authenticity. Someone saying:
‘I was lost, too.’
‘I struggled, too.’
‘I wondered, too.’‘
‘And somehow, Christ met me there.’”
The above is an excerpt from a new short video course to support you and your worshipping community to grow in faith. Cedar at Forward Movement is excited to introduce “Sharing our Stories” to help you to understand, develop, and pray with your own story of faith in conversation with stories from the Bible, the saints, and other Christians. The course’s three ten-minute videos will also be available as video podcasts and printed transcripts, all FREE at cedar.forwardmovement.org starting August 4.
Designed for adult formation sessions or leadership retreats, the videos may be watched in person or online in a group with guided conversation, or at home and then discussed later in small group settings. This course is ideal for one 90-minute session or three separate shorter sessions.
The course features: the Rev. Robert Hendrickson, the Rev. Andrew Stravitz, and Kristin Tovar who teach practices of story sharing that will help you further engage the story of God in your life. Exploring a theology of friendship with Christ through modern and ancient stories, you and your group (formation group, Vestry or church committee, small group, etc.) will be guided through a meaningful and engaging practice designed to help you and your church share your story and to grow in love of God and neighbor.
If you haven’t already, subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to receive the links to the course in all of its formats. If you would like to sign up for the beta testing group that will provide feedback on this course and its impacts, please email tdevine@forwardmovement.org.
Later, we look forward to sharing bonus episodes further detailing Kristin and Andrew’s stories and highlighting local Episcopalians based in the Diocese of Arizona whose lives have been transformed in Christ.
-Taylor Devine, Church Relations Coordinator for Discipleship Initiatives
[Photo by RenewalWorks Director Loren Dixon. Nova Scotia, Canada.]