Digital Evangelism Issues

“The soul never thinks without a picture” – Aristotle

In other words, most of us find it very hard to understand abstract truth unless it is presented to us as a picture. In the street, or on our computer desktops, we look for the logo of the product we seek, be it a SubWay sandwich or a computer program, rather than the written equivalent. We can pick out the Acrobat desktop symbol in half a second. To scan a text list for the word takes ten times as long.

This is why visual storytelling is not some minor add-on to occasionally spice up evangelism, but the very foundation of biblical communication. It’s why PowerPoints should include pictures and easy-to-understand digrams. It’s why Christian drama is so effective and biblical. And why blog postings need an accompanying graphic too. Check out the visual information displayed at Information Is Beautiful as an example of making complex information easy to understand.

Of course, a good storyteller or writer paints a picture with words. The secular story-telling movement demonstrates just how valuable story is. I have sat transfixed in a storytelling tent at an outdoor event, listening to traditional stories being retold by storytelling enthusiasts. If you have the opportunity to learn this vital art, it will help you in evangelism and communication. Really, it ought to be on the syllabus of all bible colleges. Not just preaching. Storytelling.
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Telling your story visually with PowerPoint

For help on PowerPoint, look at <Indezine | Presentation Zen | Graphic River | Beyond Bullet Points | PresentationPro

Conferences

Story Chicago is a regular September conference looking at Christian storytelling.

And a welcome return, back after a two year gap, the Internet Ministry Conference in Grand Rapids, October.

More conferences

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