Faith Story Guardrails

First-person stories are a bridge that can span two opposing sides, especially if you are intentional about what to include and what to leave unsaid. That’s why these guardrails are so helpful. By checking your story against them, you can structure it to be received by any audience, regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey.

• I feel peace about how my story has unfolded so far. I can share my story with composure and compassion.

• I am willing to share my story with courage and vulnerability. I am an imperfect person in a relationship with imperfect people. I have a perfect God.

• I can share my story in a “PG” or “PG-13” way. It may include the darkness, but it doesn’t dwell on it. Instead, it focuses on how God worked in the situation or the light he brought. 

• My story is safe for me and the people in my story. It does not allege wrongdoing by another or criticize or condemn others. It aligns with my church values and beliefs.

• If needed, I am comfortable using a metaphor instead of dwelling on the dark details or how I was wronged. Instead, I may focus on how I felt and name the emotions I was experiencing at the time.  

• I am the keeper of my story. Because of this, my story is in the first person throughout. It uses “me,” “my,” “mine,” and “I.”

• My story avoids teaching or telling others what to do or what to believe (“you” or “your”). I’ve framed these, instead, as my approach to living or my personal belief or conviction. 

• My story avoids preaching, which explains common beliefs or spiritual truths that universally apply (“our” or “we”). I’ve framed these, instead, as my personal belief about how God works in the world. 

• My story focuses on my relationship with God, not other people. My Story Anchor, or main point, is grounded in my relationship with God and how he revealed himself to me. 

• I have only one main point in my story, which is in my resolution. I acknowledge that I have many stories to share, but I am focusing on only one. 

• My story brings resolution to the beginning. My story’s ending may be the opposite of my story’s beginning. It concludes in the first person and answers the question: What do I know to be true about God that I didn’t before?

• I have agency over how long or short it is. I have decided to share a short story that is 700 to 1,200 words when written or 6 to 8 minutes when spoken.  

• I am ready to give my story away as a gift. My story’s value is not based on the number of people who read or hear it, nor is its value based on how people react after I share it. God already values my story.

Want an example?
Read a few faith stories. 

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