CinDay Guild--Sept 07

We had a good turn out for our September meeting. We covered:

Hoosier Storytelling Festival: The Book of Esther. We finalized our plans for getting to and doing this telling. Details have already been sent to those tellers who are involved; if you didn't get that note and need it, let me know and I'll resend it. (REMINDER: if you're telling Esther, send me your edited text as soon as possible, so I can sent out the complete edited version. Also, Jan Loomis is not available for this trip; let me know if you want to claim her piece (chapter 5).)

2008 Story Program. We've definitely picked "Stories of Peace and Reconciliation" as our 2008 theme. GDCC, which wants us to do their National Day of Prayer (May 1, 2008) will accept this topic. What we want to do is develop a collection of stories around this theme, and the framework to tie it together. Then we'll publicize the program and get it scheduled in as many place as we can in 2008. We brainstormed story ideas; I've included the list at the end of this note.

We talked about other possible bookings:

Presbyterian Church of Hamilton (Janet contacted them after our meeting, and this is a No Go; their contact to us was premature)
Dec 2 evening, Women's Christmas Program, Bridgeway Community Church, Fisher Indiana - sent them some info on storytelling and the kinds/costs of programs we could do; waiting for response
May 1, 2008 GDCC National Day of Prayer - we'll do our 2008 theme program. Crestview Presbyterian Church - may be interested in a Storytelling Workshop and help to start an in-church storytelling group; date, duration and content are still unknown.

We also picked Tom's brain about setting up and running a workshop. Here's a summary of that discussion:

If it's to be a one day workshop, it should be a minimum of 2 hours; better still is 4 hours (2 in am; 2 in pm) Even better is 2 hours a week for 4 weeks
Should include: an introduction to storytelling, review of the basic process of learning a story (learn, connect, tell); memorization tips (to help overcome fears of memorizing); use of interiorization; structures of human memory; learning and telling a specific story
Pricing a workshop: depends on the length, format and experience/reputation of the leader Tom recommends pricing high (people don't value what they can get for free/cheap) then helping the booking party find ways to meet the cost - open the workshop to other organizations & churches; spreading the cost over more participants or pooling funds from several areas of a church budget (i.e., worship, Christian ed, evangelism, etc.)

Discussion on Workshops led to a discussion about recognizing and not underrating our own individual credentials: number years telling, types of experience (solo/ensemble, specialty audience [children, teens, worship]), membership in a Guild &/or the Network.

Promoting ourselves: using our website to list/promote specific programs done by specific tellers; having individual business cards that identify you as a Biblical Storyteller; having generic Guild business cards or brochures. (We'll look into doing some of these things.)

Brainstorming Stories for Peace and Reconciliation

Bible stories:

Jacob & Esau - stealing the birth right
Jacob & Esau - reconciliation
Peter & Cornelius
Naaman & Elisha
Jesus & Peter (John 21)
Elijah and the widow of Zarephath
Jesus & the Syrophoenican woman
Good Samaritan
Wise woman of Tekoa
Jesus & Barabbas (Crucifixion story - choosing peace or war)
David & Abigail
David & Jonathan
David & Saul in the cave Peter & John Mark (sent away, then reconciled)