Hear the story from our founder, Rev. Dr. Thomas Boomershine. Learn More about Tom.
We are an ecumenical, inclusive, openly welcoming community of pastors, educators, storytellers, and laity who have experienced the transformational power of embodying, and then performing, stories from the Bible. Grounded in an approach that encourages biblical scholarship, debate, and discovery, we aim to maintain the integrity of the original texts while welcoming multiple expressions and interpretations. As such, our storytellers have dedicated themselves to revitalizing the proclamation of scripture for worship, conferences, retreats, festivals, and other formational programs.
Our roots are grounded in a tradition of biblical scholarship, most recently the academic discipline called biblical performance criticism (not criticism of someone’s performance but a methodology of analyzing, understanding, and interpreting the texts through critical thinking that recognizes the vast majority of these stories was originally embodied and then performed in community).
We encourage sticking close to the “script” and internalizing those words, and all that they represent, into our entire being—mind, body, heart, spirit, and soul—exploring connections between these ancient stories and our own contemporary lives.
We do not seek to determine or manipulate how God should or will move an individual through scripture experienced this way, nor in how the embodiment of these stories will ultimately look and sound.
As such, NBSI celebrates a diversity of expression: dramatic to subtle; single performer to a troupe of tellers; low-key to high-tech; use of music, props, or a lone chair … all encapsulate the multifaceted and life-giving dimensions inherent to our biblical stories of faith.
Simone Rollings, President
Cliff Barbarick, Vice President
Dina Ferguson, Treasurer
Debbie Weir, Secretary
Ken Quiring
Carole Danby
Michele Walton
Rachel Doll
If you would like to contact the Board of Directors, please fill out the form below or send a letter to 1100 W. 42nd St., Suite 160 Indianapolis, IN, 46208 USA.