THEME STORIES

Day 1 Jacob Wrestles with God - Genesis 32:22-32
Day 2 Radical Nonviolent Retaliation - Matthew 5:38-48
Day 3 Thomas Invited to Touch the Wounds of Jesus - John 20:24-29

Monday

How to learn and Tell a Biblical Story: Jacob Wrestles at Peniel

Step into the night with Jacob at the river’s edge and discover how story opens Scripture. In this workshop, you’ll explore the exegetical grounding of Genesis 32:22–32, learn to tell the story in your own voice, and practice the M.U.L.L. method for learning biblical narratives. If you’ve ever wrestled with a text—or with God—this session will help you find the blessing in the struggle.

Presenter: Aaron Doll

Ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 2000, Aaron Doll has been shaped by story since attending his first NBSI conference in 2003. He lives in Wilmington, NC, where he and his spouse are launching one child into college and celebrating another’s graduation. Aaron tells Robert Service poems by campfire, hikes, canoes, reads fantasy and sci-fi, and makes pottery and wood turned crafts. He believes that story shifts hearts—and sometimes whole worlds.

Category: Story learning

Telling Messiah Stories in Times Like These

The messiah did not come so that you could go to heaven. In the Gospel of Mark, the messiah met people in the midst of their VERY real world, a world full of hope and trauma. In this workshop, we will explore that ancient world and experiment with ways of telling Mark’s messiah story for true in the midst of our own very real world. We will consider hope, trauma, and turning the world right-side-up.

Presenter: Richard Swanson

Richard is Professor of Religion (Emeritus) at Augustana University. His books all have the phrase “provoking the gospel” in the title. He has written several plays, including Real as Air (the story of his sister’s life with ALS). His most recent project was the creation of a play (with Grace Ahles and Hanna Beshai) titled This Is My Body, a phrase that shows up in sacramental theology and in #MeToo stories.

From Eden to Eternity: Tracing the Grand Narrative of Scripture

Scripture is not a collection of disconnected stories—it is one unified, unfolding narrative of God’s redemptive work. From the garden of Eden to the promise of eternal restoration, the Bible reveals a coherent story that shapes doctrine, identity, and mission.

In this workshop, participants will learn how to recognize and trace the overarching biblical storyline so individual passages are taught, written, and spoken in proper context. Rather than flattening scripture into moral lessons or isolated truths, this session equips students and teachers to locate any text within the larger movement of God’s purposes.

Participants will explore how creation, covenant, kingdom, exile, redemption, and restoration form the backbone of biblical storytelling—and how understanding this narrative arc leads to clearer interpretation, stronger teaching, and more faithful communication of God’s Word.

Presenter: Carol Tetzlaff

Carol is a Bible teacher, award-winning author, and Associate Publisher at Redemption Press, with over 20 years of ministry experience. She equips writers, teachers, and speakers to faithfully communicate scripture by understanding its unified redemptive narrative. Carol specializes in helping others move from biblical text to clear, compelling teaching without losing theological integrity. Her work focuses on strengthening both biblical understanding and communication for those called to share God’s Word.

Stories of Water and Tales of Fire

This is a practical storytelling workshop with Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi exploring the use of the four elements in storytelling. Biblical stories are full of epic images of the four elements. This workshop will explore how to use them in their full potential to create "special effects" and enhance the emotions in the story. The use of the four elements as performing technique is very ancient and was already largely used in ancient Greek theatre, as described by Aristoteles and later by Shakespeare. The work on the four elements is a key technique of the Performing Storytelling method used by Paola and Davide.  

Be ready to engage your body and voice in a fascinating journey of discovery that will take your storytelling impact to the next level! Please bring a story from the Bible you are familiar with where earth, water, air of fire are mentioned.

Presenter: Paola Balbi & Davide Bardi

Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi are both actors and professional performing storytellers, sharing the stage, their artistic vision, and career since 2007. They are co-artistic directors of Raccontamiunastoria Storytelling Company and Raccontamiunastoria International Storytelling Festival in Rome since 2009 as well as of The Storytelling Company in the United Arab Emirates, and are regularly featured at international storytelling festivals and events worldwide, where their unique tandem telling style has become legendary. Their repertoire spans from Greek and Roman mythology to Italian and International folktales and legends and includes a great number of tales from the Middle East, but Bible stories have always been at the core of their performance and passion. Beside their career as performers and Festival organizers Paola and Davide are also experienced workshop leaders and together they have contributed to the training of a whole new generation of performing storytellers in Italy and all over Europe.

Tuesday

Multiple Tellings: Saul Visits the Witch of Endor Again and Again

We at NBSI encourage everyone to learn and tell biblical stories...but that's easier said than done! This class is for the newbies, those who are interested in biblical storytelling but haven't had a chance to do it themselves, or for those who've done it a few times but crave more strategies and/or a chance to tell again. Sound like you?

Presenter: Phil Ruge-Jones

Phil Ruge-Jones has presided over similar sessions for a number of years. He has over 30 years of experience as a biblical storyteller, is an Academy for Biblical Storytelling graduate, and facilitated the NBSI Seminar for over a decade.

Cateogry: Performance

Strangers are Potential Friends

Jesus urged his disciples to live according to these principles; helping those in need, comforting the sick and welcoming the stranger. Did he live by those principles? Jesus fed thousands and healed those who were sick in body, mind, and spirit. Come explore a story that shows Jesus’ interaction with the stranger in his community, an ‘enemy’ no less. Discover how storytelling can help us live according to the kingdom principle of ‘loving our enemy’?

Presenter: Jim & Janet Stahl

Jim and Janet have recently completed the Master level course with the Academy for Biblical Storytelling. They have worked with Wycliffe Bible Translators US for more than 30 years, mainly in Vanuatu, South Pacific. For the past 20 years, they have designed and implemented a Biblical storytelling training program for minority language communities that do not have a Bible translation. Their current projects are with church partners in Tanzania and Vanuatu.

Living Inside the Story: Narrative Theology and Faithful Application

God chose story as a primary means of revelation—not only to inform the mind, but to shape belief, identity, and obedience. This workshop explores how narrative theology forms the foundation for faithful biblical teaching while addressing one of the greatest tensions in communication: helping people enter the story without making scripture about themselves.

Participants will examine how biblical narratives reveal God’s character, purposes, and redemptive plan, and how those truths rightly shape application. Rather than imposing personal meaning on the text, this session teaches how scripture transforms the reader by first centering on God’s work and then inviting a response rooted in truth.

This workshop is especially valuable for teachers, writers, and speakers who want to deepen their theological understanding, avoid misapplication, and help listeners encounter scripture as living truth.

Presenter: Carol Tetzlaff

Carol is a Bible teacher, award-winning author, and Associate Publisher at Redemption Press, with over 20 years of ministry experience. She equips writers, teachers, and speakers to faithfully communicate scripture by understanding its unified redemptive narrative. Carol specializes in helping others move from biblical text to clear, compelling teaching without losing theological integrity. Her work focuses on strengthening both biblical understanding and communication for those called to share God’s Word.

Pilgrims of Stories: from Rome to Jerusalem and Back (in times of trouble)

This workshop explores storytelling as a tool of interfaith and intercultural understanding between Christians and Muslims. Paola and Davide will share their personal experience of creating intercultural and interfaith performances about Biblical characters sharing the stage with Muslim storytellers - often blending the Bible and the Quran versions-  as well as their journey as storyteller pilgrims in the Holy Land in times of conflict. The session will include video contributions and pictures as well as a time for Q&A and discussion.

Presenter: Paola Balbi & Davide Bardi

Paola and Davide have worked extensively in the Middle East since 2017 and shared stories, work, friendship and life experiences with Muslim professional storytellers ever since. They strongly believe that the road towards peace and cultural understanding is paved by stories.

Wednesday

The Power of the Moment in Story: A Story Learning Workshop for John 20:24-29

Can you connect with the story of Thomas? Dive into this story learning workshop for beginners, anyone looking for a refresher, and anyone curious to explore the powerful, pivotal moment Thomas encounters the resurrected Lord and BELIEVES! We will use the proven methods of NBSI to give you a solid start on learning and telling this powerful story –- somebody needs to hear it!

Presenter: Ruth Frazier

Ruthdiscovered NBSI in 2001 pursuing ways to capture the attention of a large prison cell block on Sunday mornings. She ‘found her tribe’ at the 2001 Festival Gathering! She retired from 48 years in healthcare and enjoys life in the small town of Oxford, MS, home of the University of Mississippi. She teaches adult Sunday School, mentors in the local jail ministry and coaches high school students in public speaking.

Category: Story Learning

Mary Magdalene: At the Heart of Wounded Wholeness

We will immerse ourselves in John 20:1-18 and in a non-canonical story from the Gospel of Mary, exploring what we know and what we think we know about Mary Magdalene. This workshop experience will be participative and will attempt to weave the meditative and mystical with the academic and factual. Expect to be surprised, provoked and moved.

Presenters:‍ ‍By Heart

By Heart is comprised of Mary-beth Howard and Shelley Gnade.  They have been telling stories together since 1994. Tandem telling (the telling of stories in two voices) is their trademark, along with a certain warm and quirky humor. By Heart uses stories from their own as well as other cultures and interfaith traditions as a means of illustrating our common bond. Movement, singing and other means of creative expression are integrated as a part of the telling. Both have been active with the Network of Biblical Storytellers, International for more than 30 years, attending the annual Festival Gathering (now Annual Conference), leading workshops, serving on the Board in various capacities, and serving as Featured Tellers.

Mary-beth Howard was raised in New York City and has a B.A. from The Colorado College and an Ed.M. from Boston University.  She is retired, having taught language arts for over 30 years, the majority of that time spent at The Tatnall School.

Shelley Gnade, originally from Salisbury, MD, has a B.A. from Drew University and an M.B.A. from the University of Delaware. She currently serves as Treasurer on the NBSI Board. Both live in Wilmington, Delaware and are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

“Ad Catacumbas: The Praetorian of Christ”

“Ad Catacumbas: The Praetorian of Christ” is a powerful storytelling performance about the life and legend of Saint Sebastian, set in the shadows of imperial Rome. Through unforgettable characters and rich historical detail, master storytellers Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi will bring this gripping tale of faith and courage to life.

Presenter: Paola Balbi & Davide Bardi

Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi are both actors and professional performing storytellers, sharing the stage, their artistic vision, and career since 2007. They are co-artistic directors of Raccontamiunastoria Storytelling Company and Raccontamiunastoria International Storytelling Festival in Rome since 2009 as well as of The Storytelling Company in the United Arab Emirates, and are regularly featured at international storytelling festivals and events worldwide, where their unique tandem telling style has become legendary. Their repertoire spans from Greek and Roman mythology to Italian and International folktales and legends and includes a great number of tales from the Middle East, but Bible stories have always been at the core of their performance and passion. Beside their career as performers and Festival organizers Paola and Davide are also experienced workshop leaders and together they have contributed to the training of a whole new generation of performing storytellers in Italy and all over Europe.

Category: Performance