“Best of” Stories
My parents 40th anniversary was yesterday and my favorite part of the day was watching them page through a wonderfully created storybook of their 40 years of marriage. Everyone at the party marveled and never-seen-before pictures and familiar favorites all brought together in one book, filled with testimonies of life impact from the people my parents have faithfully blessed. It was hard keep the tears back the entire time.
Every organization has the opportunity share a similar experience, although few rarely do. At Auxano we discover it through a group exercise we call the “Best Of” stories, where we make individual work groups compete at finding and retelling the stories of deepest meaning and notable impact. This experience never ceases to be incredibly inspiring! As the stories are gathered and retold, we encourage leaders to recreate a “hall of fame” walk-thru for others. Why shouldn’t leaders be in tune to the church culture at this level? Is not the local church a collection of people, called out by God, with a specific story that transcends individual programs and single generations?
Thanks for the comment Will. I am really enjoying the book. It has helped me put a lot of things together so they make sense and all work in harmony for our student ministry. I’ve had many of the pieces of the vision frame for a number of years just not pieced togther to create a real and compelling vision. One more chapter to go. Thanks for your work. I hope many will read and do the hard work of discovering the vision God has drawn them into at the churches they serve.