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Telling Our Stories: 5 Ways to Keep Their Attention
By Tom Ferraioli
"I would love to be on the retreat team," said a teenager at my parish's youth group. "But, I haven't had anything really bad happen in my life to talk about." What she is really saying is: I don't have a great story to tell. Not true.
There is a misconception that a retreat talk must contain a tragic, life altering event that paved the way for God to reveal himself. While there is no denying that hardship and extreme circumstances are compelling fodder for a retreat witness; what is most important is that the speaker connects with the audience on a personal level with a good narrative.
With a little guidance, plenty of soul searching and a lot of prayer, everyone has a compelling tale to tell about their faith journey. What we often think of as ordinary is not. Our experiences are unique. When shared with others, from the heart, we can't help but listen intently.
Here are some tips I share with the young people at my church as they go through the process of writing a talk.
1. Weave the facts of the talk around your story.
When I give a talk, I try to tell one or two stories. Let's say my talk is on prayer. I could say, "When bad things happen it helps to turn to God and ask him for extra strength."
I think it is more interesting to say: "When my grandmother was in the hospital, I prayed for her well being … I didn't want her to die."
A presentation on prayer without a personal example would be boring and dry. But, if I add a story of a time when prayer helped me cope, suddenly the candidates are listening to everything I have to say.
The intensity of the story is not as important as the speaker's willingness to open up to the group. It is the human experience we relate to and connect with.
2. Avoid the word 'you' as much as possible. It makes the talk sound preachy and takes the personal touch away from the witness.
Let's use the prayer example again. Here are two approaches:
A.) Prayer is an important tool for you to communicate with God. When you talk to God, he will listen to you because He loves you. You don't have to wait to go to church to pray. God will listen to you where ever you are.
Or
B. When I was little, I used to think prayer was something I only did at
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