A stool is placed next to the lectern and an old-fashioned radio is set on top. A man wearing headphones pretends to turn on the radio and then speaks into a microphone:
“Good morning, everyone, and thank you for tuning in to Trinity broadcasting. You’re listening to ‘Al in the morning,’ and I’m once again asking the question, ‘Where do we see God active in our lives today?’ Sit back and listen as one of our congregation members shares their own ‘True Tale from Trinity.’”
Three years ago the stewardship committee at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Rhinelander, Wis., was looking for a way to help people share their faith during worship without having to feel like they are in the spotlight. Enter “True Tales from Trinity,” a mock radio show that invites members to share personal stories about when they’ve experienced God’s presence in their daily lives.
“It isn’t usually difficult to describe God’s presence in our lives when we’re talking with a friend or two, but standing in front of a congregation can be intimidating,” said Al Hofstetter, a member of the stewardship committee and the “radio” program’s announcer (“Al in the morning”). “Overall, the group wanted to remind people that we’re not Sunday-only people — that God, our faith and our stewardship are always present, always needed.”
The mock-radio program format allows storytellers to be anonymous by using a microphone out of the congregation’s sight or having someone else read their story — something the committee hoped would drive interest in participating.
About a dozen people have volunteered for “True Tales from Trinity” since the program started, and the stories have been varied. One person talked about the congregational support he and his family received when his son joined the armed forces. Another talked about God’s help with her struggle with alcohol. One storyteller shared how her faith and support from the congregation helped when her husband was hospitalized. Another member spoke of God leading him to his vocation as a music teacher, and he even played the clarinet as part of his tale.
The program creates a comfortable environment for the sharing to continue. Hofstetter said conversations about the tale and others’ faith experiences have carried over into the fellowship hour after worship.
Tim Vadis, a pastor of Trinity, said hearing directly from members empowers others to tap into a greater awareness of God’s power in their lives and lets them see that personal experiences are worth sharing with other believers.
“We do not have many opportunities in our worship services for laypeople to speak boldly and passionately and freely about how God makes a difference in their lives, so this program provides us with an avenue to do just that,” Vadis said. “As a pastor, I have a tremendous opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ each week, but the layperson’s witness to the gospel is equally as powerful. I think our congregation has grown in faith by hearing the story of faith through the experienceof fellow Christians.”
