The first apostles relied on different spiritual content than we practice.

They were laser focused on the life and stories of Jesus. If we the church are to regain the power of the gospel and the ability to garner the attention of a secular world, we would be wise to recapture the focus of the 468 Jesus Stories.

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We need a serious review of the church’s spiritual content.

In years of ministry, author Verlon Fosner has discovered a surprising truth: the power of the stories of Jesus to capture the imagination of secular people.

Agnostic and atheistic people sit back to the usual Bible teaching, but they love talking about the life of Christ.

Tell them a story, and they lean forward.

The church? Meh.

Jesus? Let’s talk.

As pastors and leaders in Christian faith, we have been taught to form our sermons and teachings based on modern principles of interpretation using such big words and concepts as hermeneutics, exegesis, contextualization, and etymology, all built on a foundation of systematic theology.

While these are helpful, what do we remember? And what do secular people like?

Something much simpler: the stories of Jesus.

The first followers were consumed with the words and minutiae of what happened when Jesus walked the earth. It flowed into their conversations, preaching, evangelism, and discipleship. Jesus knew this would happen, too. When he told a story, even the sinners listened. That’s why he told his first disciples to prioritize his words and stories. They are the only spiritual materials on this earth stalwart enough to withstand the storm.

If we the church are to regain the power of the gospel and the ability to garner the attention of a secular world, we would be wise to recapture the focus of the 468 Jesus Stories.

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Verlon Fosner

Dr. Verlon Fosner leads an innovative congregation in Seattle Washington since 1999. In the last decade the congregation transitioned from a traditional proclamation church into a multi-site Dinner Church called Community Dinners (www.CommunityDinners.com). In this decade when more US churches are declining than thriving, Verlon sensed that a different way of doing church was needed for their 100-year old Seattle congregation. After a long season of trial and error (and mostly error), their hearts became stirred by the manner of church that was practiced during the Apostolic Era.

In 2008, they opened up their first Dinner Church in a sore neighborhood some blocks south of their church campus, and immediately the room began to fill up with more never-been-churched people than they had seen in years. Soon they were opening up one after another throughout Seattle neighborhoods on different nights of the week, and the results were the same as the first one. They now pour into numerous neighborhoods throughout their city each week with a simple idea – that Jesus still wants to have dinner with sinners and wants his church to set the table.

It soon became obvious that they were not the only ones who needed a new way of doing church. So in 2014, so they founded coaching network centered on Jesus’ dinner table theology (www.DinnerChurch.Com). Presently, Verlon offers more than half of his time to help leaders throughout the country look at their cities and neighborhoods with new eyes.

In 2016, Verlon joined the Fresh Expression US leadership team and began offering sequential day-conferences (Encounters, Pre-Launches, and Post-Launches), and started hosting ‘Immersions’ and ‘Multipliers Immersions’ in Seattle and at their home, which enables several leaders at a time to observe Dinner Churches in action commingled with training conversations over a three-day period.

In 2019 Verlon founded the Dinner Church School of Leadership in Seattle which offers online Graduate-Level education for those pursuing a deep understanding of the Table Theology and Ecclesiology.

Verlon holds a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, and has written several books: Dinner Church, Dinner Church Handbook, Welcome to Dinner, Church (which has a nine-week companion video series to be used as a discussion guide), Trowel & Sword (which reveals prayer-practices needed for the frontlines of evangelism), and Story Priority (which refocuses leaders on the power of the 468 Jesus Stories) . All of these resources are to help leaders and congregations learn how to work with Jesus at one of His dinner tables.

Verlon has been married to Melodee for 45 years, and together they have three adult children, nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and a multitude of grand-dogs.

When we lead with the Jesus Stories, our teaching is both deeply rooted in tradition and highly relevant to contemporary life, making Jesus accessible, relatable, and transformative.

Relatability

The stories of Jesus often involve human experiences and emotions that people can relate to, such as compassion, forgiveness, suffering, and joy.

Narrative Power

People remember and engage with stories better than abstract concepts or lists of rules. The narrative form makes the teachings more memorable and impactful.

Concrete Examples

Jesus’ actions and parables provide concrete examples of how to live according to Christian values, making abstract moral principles tangible and easier to understand.

Role Model

Jesus serves as a role model for Christians, embodying the virtues and behaviors that we as his followers are encouraged to emulate.

Shared Narratives

Stories of Jesus create a common narrative that unites Christians across different cultures and denominations, fostering a sense of community and shared identity.

Community Building

These stories provide a rich basis for teaching, discussion, and communal reflection within Christian communities.

There’s a better approach to teaching Christian faith: the original Jesus stories.

Let’s recover the Jesus stories, and by doing so bring him to life in the hearts and minds of the communities in which we live and serve.