Clean Water for All God’s Children
General Instructions for Bible Storyteller
Sample backdrops – if you decide to use backdrops, they may look something like these:
Rev. 1/06
All of the parts of this curriculum revolve around the daily Bible story; each one relates a way in
which our extraordinary God has used ordinary water to create, to save, to cleanse, to bless, and to
sustain the people. These stories are the core of this Bible School.
As the storyteller, then, your task is pivotal! If the children understand the story, they will be able to
sense the many ways in which water affects our lives. Please note that we use the word ‘story
teller
’,
implying that these stories are not to be read but
told!
Stories are always much more effective when
told rather than read. So, you should practice telling each of these stories until you can do it with ease,
with conviction, and with enthusiasm! The more dramatic, the better!
Stories are also more effective if the listeners are given a visual picture. To help with that, this
curriculum includes patterns for colorful backdrops (black and white drawings which can be made into
transparencies on a copy machine, then, using a transparency projector, can be projected onto a white
king-sized sheet; the scene can then be drawn, then painted to make it as colorful as you wish. (This is
a good activity to involve other members of your congregation – your artists and/or your youth may
enjoy this type of project.) It is suggested that you paint the entire sheet with a flat white latex paint
before you begin –
be sure to place a sheet of plastic beneath the sheet before painting, as paint tends
to bleed through!)
; this makes the colored paint go on more smoothly, and prevents ‘running’. These
backdrops will greatly enhance your stories, give you a context for your dramatic actions, and make
the story much more real to the children. And you may discover that you’ll have many other uses for
them in your Christian formation programs!
Props are helpful in storytelling, also. Use your imagination here, as well.
Because of the rotation schedule, one or two of the groups may have heard the story in another activity
area. Remember that repetition is a powerful teaching tool! And you will be telling the story in a
more dramatic way than they may have heard it in another section.
Above all, know your story! This material will give you a bit of context and some ideas for
interaction, but the effectiveness depends upon your own conviction. Pray for the Spirit to speak
through you, and you will be amazed at the results!