The Ormond Center at Duke Divinity School is hosting The Soul Speaks in Story: Storytelling as Ministry at Union Grove United Methodist Church in Hillsborough, NC. Mark Yaconelli is an author, community activist, and spiritual director with over two decades of work with faith communities. He will help participants explore the power of personal storytelling for healing, spiritual formation, outreach, and social justice.
Using contemplative exercises, narrative practices, theological reflection, and real-world examples, participants will:
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Understand how stories function in our personal and communal lives
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Learn how to create transformative events that deepen relationships within a community of faith
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Explore narrative practices that promote spiritual growth, social awareness, and community action
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Learn how to create a variety of public story-sharing platforms that engender trust and vulnerability
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Discover methods for amplifying the voice of marginalized populations
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Learn how to apply storytelling techniques within worship, staff meetings, church committees, and other informal gatherings
About the Speaker:
Mark Yaconelli is a writer, retreat leader, spiritual director, story catcher, husband, and father. He is the founder and executive director of The Hearth: Real Stories by Regular Folks, a registered non-profit that assists cities and service-based agencies in producing personal storytelling events designed to help communities and individuals deepen relationships and cultivate compassion.
Yaconelli is the author of Between the Listening and Telling: How Stories Can Save Us. He also shares his gifts as a speaker and retreat leader, speaking to a wide variety of audiences across North America and the United Kingdom.