Storyline For Christian Educators

Storyline is a highly imaginative educational process, based in the narrative tradition, that allows participants to tap into their own experiences as they explore almost any topic. Invented originally in Great Britain, it is used widely in Europe and North America in school settings to tackle many subject areas at every grade level.

In a parish Storyline can be used for:

• Allowing young children to examine Bible stories from the inside out
• Inviting teens to think through the meaning of the Gospel in their world
• Engaging Church Councils to do long range planning "outside the box"
• encouraging adult learners to come to understand historic theology in a fresh way

Those who have used it in the church say that it truly "baptizes the imagination" - once learned, it pushes out the limits of what is possible in Christian formation.

How Does Storyline Work?

People in educational processes are not blank slates. Learners both young and old bring to the learning environment their prior experience. They filter new material through these experiences and construct their own understanding as an expansion of their experience. Storyline uses this understanding to enable students to tap into their own stories and construct new and personalized meaning from the information. Knowledge takes root at a much deeper result as the student is engaged in the process of making personal meaning rather than simply regurgitating facts.

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus ask the disciples: "who do people say that I am?" Such questions result in the offering of facts, which clearly did not impact the lives of those in the possession of the facts. Jesus then asks: "but who do you say that I am?" Now he is asking about their personal experience of Jesus, not just the facts. Peter's response that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God is illustrative of the type of knowledge that comes from God through our own unique experiences. It is the work of the Spirit. The purpose of Storyline in Christian Education settings is to create learning experiences in which the individual's story is expanded to become part of the Great Story of the People of God and in that blended story the person knows that they are in God and God is in them.

Mary Sicilia, the presenter of this workshop, and her Christian Education Team has adapted the Storyline process to create a rich learning environment at Trinity Cathedral in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about how Storyline is used in educational settings we invite you to check the web site: Storyline.org

Storyline For Christian Educators Workshop

In this 2 1/2 day training program designed especially for Christian Educators participants will learn how to use the Storyline process in developing Christian Education programs for all ages. This will program will follow-on from the Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry program.

The Storyline program will be a natural adjunct to those familiar with education programs like "Godly Play" and "Catechesis of the God Shepherd" that are oriented toward experiential learning

Presenter

Mary Sicilia is the Canon Educator at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon. She has used Storyline extensively in developing the Cathedral's Christian formation programs. Rob Voyle who had the pleasure of working with Mary at the Cathedral says of her: " Mary is one of the most gifted and creative educators I have encountered. I love her passion for the Gospel, and her passion for making it come alive in the people she teaches."

Workshop Format

The workshop will be conducted in a retreat setting with:

• Didactic presentations
• Personal practice and experience of Storyline process
• Time for personal reflection and meditation

Costs

$200 Scholarships are Available for non-stipendiary or volunteer Christian Educators. Please see the registration page for additional details.

Typical Workshop Schedule:

The following is a typical workshop schedule. Depending on location, the workshop schedule may vary with respect to starting and finishing times and the exact number of continuing education contact hours. On the training schedule page you can download a flyer for each specific program with its specific dates and continuing education contact hours. When you register for a specific program you will also receive a confirmation email that will have the dates and schedule with starting and finishing times for that program.

This program usually starts after lunch on the third day of the appreciative inquiry training.

Day 3:
1:30-3:00 pm     Session 8
3:30-4:00 pm     Walking Meditation and Reflection
5:00-7:00 pm     Supper
7:00-9:00 pm     Session 9

Day 4:
9:00-12:00        Session 10
12:00-1:30 pm   Lunch
1:30-3:00 pm     Session 11
3:30-4:00 pm     Walking Meditation and Reflection
5:00-7:00 pm     Session 12
    No Evening Session

Day 5:
9:00-12:00        Session 13

Specific times and costs may vary depending on the sponsoring organization.

Please check the schedule and registration page for additional workshop specific information.

Note: The above schedule includes meals for commuters. When residential accommodation is provided, residential participants will also be provided with Breakfast and Supper during the course of the week.

Accommodation

Accommodation is dependent on the training locations and will be specified on the registration forms.
When provided accommodation for participants is generally on a first come first served basis with a commuter rates also being available.
Accommodation prices vary depending on location and are available on the schedule and registration page.

Registration for Workshop

To register for the workshop please go to the training schedule and select register for the Storyline workshop. For additional information about the content please contact Mary Sicilia

We are encouraging people to participate in a grassroots promotion of this program. Please click here to download a Storyline Flyer to distribute to potential attendees.