Ben is the founder of The Whiteboard Sessions and now STORY Conference.

Read more blogs from Ben at benarment.com and follow on twitter. 

A TRIBE OF STORYTELLERS

Pastors are facing a crisis of identity in the pulpit today. They don't know whether to be scholars, motivational speakers or talk show hosts. They feel pulled between using catchy sermon titles like "Desperate Households" and preaching verse-by-verse through Leviticus - all because their heroes are doing it.

Somehow the message has gotten lost in the method.

It's good to come back to the story we were all meant to tell. Pastors are, after all, a tribe of storytellers. It's the greatest story ever told - a story of rebellion, redemption and restoration. Every epic tale is a reflection of this grand meta-narrative of life. And Hollywood stole it right out from under our noses.

On Wednesday, October 28, hundreds of church leaders are coming to the Paramount Theater in Aurora, Illinois for a first-of-its-kind event called STORY. It's a conference designed for communicators of the Gospel - the greatest story ever told. Speakers include Donald Miller, Ed Young, Dave Gibbons, Nancy Beach, Chris Seay, Stacy Spencer and Mike Foster.

STORY will also feature a follow-up day of workshops on October 29 with some of the leading filmmakers, scholars, designers and thought leaders in ministry. These interactive sessions will address practical needs in ministry and highlight the latest breakthroughs in church communications.

For a limited time, you can enter to win a trip for two to the CS Lewis Foundation’s Seminars-in-Residence at the Kilns – CS Lewis’ home in Oxford, England – in the summer of 2010. Register anytime from now until September 30, 2009 on the STORY website for a chance to win.

For more information and to register for STORY, go to www.StoryChicago.com or e-mail info@StoryChicago.com.