Take  few minutes right now and pretend you are at the front of a room looking out at all the people who are a regular part of your congregation or belong to your organization.  As you slowly scan the the people in front of you, pausing your eyes on each person, are you able to confidently state all the challenges they are dealing with in their life?  Are you certain you know how they are handing each one, and how it’s affecting their life as a whole, including their relationship with Jesus?

The answer to both questions is “No” because pastors and Christian leaders have no way of “mind-reading” their people to know for sure what’s actually happening behind closed doors and in the inner sanctum of their heart.

Let’s continue this imagination exercise….As you look again at the people in front of you, remove the walls of your building so you can see out further into your entire community.  Now remove all the walls of those homes and buildings.  As you scan each person in your community, are you aware of what’s going on in their lives and whether they even believe in a Savior who can help them as they journey through their challenges?   The answer, of course, is “No.”

So then how can a church or christian organization effectively give EVERYONE around them hope and encouragement during painful experiences, and point them to Jesus as the One who is more than capable of redeeming their pain and providing the peace they need to overcome any situation?

The answer is so simple, and is found in the approach Jesus used while He was on earth.  It’s the same style the Disciples. Paul, and other church leaders used to grow the community of Believers exponentially in a short period of time….STORIES!

All they did was share what their life was like before Jesus, explain the journey of how their life changed after meeting Jesus, and describe the amazing difference that knowing and trusting Jesus has made in their life now.

Their stories had a profound impact on their communities, and over time thousands of people accepted Jesus into their lives causing thousands of others to be positively affected — growing the community of Believers at a rapid rate from that point forward.

2019 is no different than back then.  We all walk in different circles every day casually asking those around us, “How are you?”  The most common answer is “I’m fine.”   And yet, despite that answer, we often find out later that those very same people have been experiencing life altering challenges; keeping everything quiet because they are barely holding it together and afraid of what will happen if they let someone into their extremely difficult situation.

What those people need are assurances that they are not alone, and that the God of the Impossible has the power to step in and bring beauty out of their ashes.

I know….because the Lord sent me on a “Crazy” 12K+ mile Adventure across the U.S.  to share my story in order to bring hope and provide encouragement to hundreds of people currently walking out a variety of incredibly difficult situations in their own lives.

As I traveled from state to state, I recognized the Lord had not coordinated that “Crazy” Adventure just for my spiritual growth, but rather as an incredible testimony of HIS faithfulness and desire to take care of all His kids because of how much He loves us.

Stories are a powerful evangelism tool and tend to change hearts more quickly than a theological sermon ever will!

SO WHY AREN’T ALL CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS COLLECTING & PUBLICLY SHARING THE STORIES OF THE JESUS FOLLOWERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES?

That answer is not so simple!

Authentically sharing messy stories of poor choices, pain and brokenness is not easy — especially for church and community leaders.  Who really wants anyone to know the ugly truth their journey which only Jesus was capable of transforming into the life they have now?

And yet, if they had never allowed Jesus to step in, they would not have the life they have now!

That story of transformation is EXACTLY what someone else needs to hear to crack open a seed of hope within their painful circumstance, pointing them in the direction of Lord Jesus who gives us everything we need to overcome any situation.

MY APPEAL TO CHRISTIAN LEADERS ACROSS THE WORLD: 
Will you prayerfully consider developing a “story-sharing” culture within your churches and organizations?

Most people in a community may never walk into a religious institution of any sort, but they will probably listen to a story if someone delivers it authentically without judgement or condemnation towards the person hearing it.

I feel so strongly about the power of our God stories that I am now aligning with Todd Miechiels, the Founder of StoryDrive, a ministry helping people share their God stories of courage and hope  which is having incredible Kingdom impact across the globe!

Please take a few minutes right now to learn more by clicking on the short video links below, and consider filling out our Pilot Program application to join other churches and organizations who have bravely stepped up to share Jesus through the power of their personal stories:

•   StoryDrive/3:15 Project Overview:   (3 min)
•   Travis Dommert’s story:   (5:53 min)
•   Paula Kast’s story:   (6:13 min)

You can also take a 2-minute survey to decide if you want to share your story (click on picture).

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you want more information about this incredible ministry (404-551-3601 or at Kris @ StoryDrive.com).  Blessings to you!!  ~ Kris Castro