A VOLLEY FROM THE CANON, NUMBER 112:
MAKE YOUR OWN ‘STORY CORPS’
You’re probably familiar with “Story Corps,” an initiative of the Library of Congress, best-known through the broadcasts of National Public Radio. The Library of Congress is recording and preserving the life stories, some episodes, anyway, of ordinary Americans. If you’ve heard the NPR broadcasts, you know that some of the segments are far from ordinary.
People in our congregations have extraordinary tales to tell, too. Some may be things they’ve never shared with anyone at all before, but that they’d like to leave with family members or friends, if they have the chance. So why not create your own parish “Story Corps” service—not necessarily for public consumption, but for private record. This activity can be a particularly effective ministry to persons in a hospice situation, whether in a designated hospice facility or not.
Just get a simple (i. e., easy for YOU to use) tape recorder with a URL port, so that the recording can be downloaded. Ask the person if they would like to be interviewed, and with whom they would like the story shared (that can wait until after they see what comes out, if need be). Have your questions ready (sample ones are on the “Story Corps” website at http://storycorps.org/record-your-story/¬). Turn on the machine, ask a question, and enjoy.
If you like, and the interviewee agrees, you can make a video, and if they consent (a waiver is necessary), you can post it on YouTube. More likely, you’ll be producing a flash drive or CD for family members. Be sure to honor the instructions of the interviewee about sharing.
Through deliberate story-listening, pastors can be attentive to a church member at a very significant time, perform their pastoral ministry, and hear some great stories, all at once.
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