Data and arguments aren’t the strategies that do the best job of convincing people to change their lives. What convinces people best is the promise of a better story than the one they’re presently living. That’s why every leader should be—in the words of R. Albert Mohler—a
steward-in-chief of [the organization’s] story. … Leadership comes down to protecting the story, bringing others into the story, and keeping the organization accountable to the story. The leader tells the story over and over again, refining it, updating it, and driving it home. … Any leader seeking to lead in any important endeavor ends up telling a story about where things are and where they need to be.
When trying to help parents to disciple their children, church leaders can easily fall into the trap of relying on arguments from a few biblical texts or on alarming data about retention rates. And yet, until we provide the people with a better story, we’re unlikely to see lasting transformation. This video shows church leaders how to provide parents in their churches with a bigger and better story for their children’s lives.
A Better Story for Our Children’s Lives
For more on the implications of the biblical metanarrative for parenting and church ministry, take a look at my book Family Ministry Field Guide.
Discuss in the Comments:
How have you seen church leaders attempt to cultivate change without providing people with a better story? God created human beings to structure their lives around stories! How can we help people to see and to pursue a better story for their lives?
