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Some Insight into Story Planning

By Shannon Goodwin 

Senior Project Manager, BBS & Associates 

 

 The great Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “He who fails to plan is planning to fail.” 

 Thankfully, we are not talking about the rise and fall of a nation here. 

 But when it comes to the effectiveness of your ministry, a plan just makes good sense! 

 Especially when it comes to storytelling. 

 The “Story Of The One” takes far more work than the “story of assembling the food boxes” or the “story of building the school building” or the “story of getting on six more TV stations to reach a million more people.” That’s the easy part. You can talk all day about what you are doing and hope to accomplish. 

 As we’ve shared before in past blog posts (why a story is so important and how to tell a good story), your “what” and “how” is not nearly as important to the donor as it is to you. You’ve got to have stories of impact! 

 Unfortunately, merely waiting for these stories to just “roll in” won’t work. A ministry must set up systems by which the stories can be cultivated.  

 So now, here is the final piece of the puzzle …  

 The importance of planning ahead to gather the perfect story!  

 How do you go about doing this? And who manages the incoming stories, seeking further details when necessary and keeping track which is used when?  

 Our team of professionals at BBS & Associates has put together an incredible checklist … in fact, two lists, to help you systematically obtain testimonies of impact: 

  • If your organization ministers primarily to the donor personally — a broadcast or teaching ministry, for example. 
  • If your organization ministers primarily to others, outside the donor family — a disaster relief group, a child sponsorship organization, or a Christian school, for example. 

You’ll find these checklists, and more, in our convenient e-book 3 Keys to Powerful Ministry Storytelling, available for download now.  

[Download Your e-Book]

Have additional questions? Feel free to reach out to us. Contact Jared Matthews via jmatthews@servantheart.com or 330-665-5227.