I like writing. Really, I like words in general. I keep a book of crossword puzzles next to my bed, I start every morning with Wordle, and I’m the Boggle champion in our family. Words are kind of my jam. So when I first stepped into my role on the Communications team here at IBC, one of the things that excited me most was the prospect of writing more. What I didn’t expect was how much joy I’d find in helping others shape and share their own words. But I have, and it’s changed my perspective on our stories—what they mean, why they matter, and how we honor God and each other by telling them.
As Christians, it makes sense that we should be big on stories. Not only is the Bible itself one big story about God, but the Israelites were skilled storytellers. They made it a habit to reflect on and celebrate God’s provision through stories. Like the Israelites, we want storytelling to be a natural rhythm within our church body. God is working all the time, in big and small ways, in the lives of our people. Sharing that work should be both a natural outpouring of and an intentional daily exercise in our faith.
Part of my role this past year has been finding members of our church family who want to share a piece of their story, and then helping them do that through writing. This can, frankly, be a little intimidating. Asking someone to translate something fairly personal to pen and paper, open it up to editing, and then share with a few thousand people is kind of a big ask. And so over the first few months, I fought nerves every time I asked someone to write. And yet, every time, I was blown away by what people shared and how beautifully they shared it.
I’ve been attending IBC for 15 years and I’ve never been more sure that our church body is full of amazing people—people with powerful stories and unique perspectives, people who have struggled, people who have triumphed, and people who love Jesus. I’ve been humbled by each person’s natural ability to share their story, regardless of their experience or comfort level. This makes perfect sense, really. We were all created in the likeness of the ultimate storyteller: the creator and narrator of the greatest story ever written.
A year later, curating and sharing IBC stories has become one of the best parts of my job. I know our church family is richer because of the words we share with each other, and I’m proud to play a small part in that. So if you think you might have a story or perspective that God wants you to share, I’d love to meet you. No one is more equipped to share your unique story than you, and we’d love to hear it.