Sunday Night Intrigue
Exciting serialized stories apparently don't have to stay in children's church. David Brown, pastor of Meadows Baptist Church in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, uses them on Sunday night.
"Once a year, I'll tell a continuing story that runs for 12 to 20 weeks," says Brown, who has enjoyed working with kids throughout his ministry. "Each segment takes about 8-10 minutes and ends, of course, with 'And next Sunday night we'll find out whether——gets out alive. …' "
Brown chooses material such as the Tanya and Alexi series by Anita Deyneka (David C. Cook) or historical adventures, but he does not read from the book. "I'd much rather tell it in my own words, so I can move around, dramatize, embellish where I wish, and weave in lessons I want to emphasize."
The story segments, which occur soon after the congregational singing, are of course the high point of the service for kids.
"When they have to be gone the next week, they come up begging to know in advance what's going to happen," says Brown. "Of course, I never tell, and so they scurry around arranging for a friend to be sure and fill them in."
But the adults pay attention, too, and learn a bit of church history along the way. Once when Brown accidentally left his book on the pulpit, it disappeared for a couple of days. The caretaker finally brought it back, grinning. "Well, now I know how the story turns out," he confessed.
Option: A gifted lay person could tell the story as well as the pastor.
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