Story Night: 3 Reasons You Do NOT Want to Come

June 12th, 2017 | John Chandler

Every Summer at Austin Mustard Seed, we gather in groups of all men and all women, for the purpose of telling stories. The goal is that by telling stories, you’ll learn what God is calling you to do, and how you might do that.

We’ve done this now for four summers. It is consistently a sacred space where we encounter God and discover more about our vocation.

But it’s hard—and it’s not for everyone.

Here are three reasons you should NOT come to Story Night this Summer.

You Don’t Like Eating

At Story Nights, we always share a potluck meal. Sometimes we grill mounds of meat and vegetables. Other times we make fancy brunches of sous vide eggs, french toast, and breakfast tacos.

If you hate eating good food, you might not like Story Nights. If you aren’t a fan of relaxed times to build relationships while sitting together and having a tasty beverage, then you should not come.

You Hate Listening

At Story Night, we ask two people to share a story from their lives. Afterward, we try to discern what that person can learn. The way we do that is by asking open-ended, non-directive questions. During this time, no one can share their personal opinion—just listen.

Listening is so hard that most of us never do it. You can get better at listening by coming to Story Night and practicing. If the hard work of learning to listen is too much for you, then you might want to stay home.

You Have All the Tools You Need

One goal of Story Night is to equip us to have important conversations throughout the week at Austin Mustard Seed. You’ll leave with a new skill for helping your friends answer the question “what is God calling me to do?”

Perhaps you don’t want any new tools for helping others. If you are already great at this—don’t waste your time by coming.

If You Have to Come

If you absolutely have to come to Story Night, here’s what you need to know:

The next Men’s Story Night is June 14 6:30pm, at the home of Kevin Baker. You can bring a grillable to share.

The next Women’s Story Night is June 28 6:30pm, at the home of Melissa Summers.

See you throughout the week (if you want…)