By Mike Ferguson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Jeff Barker, a professor of theatre and speech at Northwestern College in Orange City and the author of the book “The Storytelling Church: Adventures in Reclaiming the Role of Story in Worship,” will offer a workshop just before the 157th stated Presbytery meeting on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Westminster Church in Cedar Rapids will host the meeting. Barker’s workshop, on presenting scripture within worship, will be held from 8:45 a.m. through 9:30 a.m.

In addition to his workshop, Barker will offer the message of the day during worship at the Presbytery meeting. After lunch, non-commissioned worship leaders, lay leaders and youth can attend his hands-on session from 1 p.m. through 2:30 p.m. for practical experience and direction.

According to Barker, there are three challenges the church faces during worship: effectively telling God’s story revealed in the Bible; reclaiming the story of Christianity today, manifest through God’s work in our lives and communities; and giving a story structure to individual worship services.

“In worship, we mostly just read Scripture,” he said. But worship should also include the stories of congregants. “How can we know about each other – grieve together and rejoice together – if we don’t know each other’s stories?”

He described his book as a collection of what he has experienced, learned and witnessed as he’s studied and promoted the worship potential of storytelling.

His book is available at www.amazon.com or through the publisher’s website, www.parsonsporchbooks.com.