The Plan

Equipping and resourcing for Bible storying is the core of what we provide at First Nations Gospel Storyers.

The Custalows were first equipped in Bible storying 20 years ago. Preaching and teaching and teaching using the stories of the Bible was not new to them, nor is it likely foreign to you either. However, the approach to storytelling they received came from missionary efforts in the last 40 years in particular. These missionary efforts have primarily been among indigenous people groups in other countries around the world, people groups with compelling similarities to the tribal people of North America. Furthermore, such efforts have been used of God to unlock the understanding of the Gospel and its embrace by entire tribal communities at one time in multiple countries. They have been Bible Storyers ever since while simultaneously advocating for its use in Gospel ministry in Native communities.

Two years after the launch of First Nations Gospel Storyers in 2019, God called the Custalows to Oklahoma for Mark to accept the invitation of Glorieta Baptist Church to be their pastor. They previously had a plan to pursue the vision of First Nations Gospel Storyers as itinerant missionaries traveling to Native communities across North America. However, they came to understand and embrace by faith that God was sending them to a Native church in the middle of an urban center to revitalize that church after COVID-19 – utilizing the methods and strategies they were teaching through First Nations Gospel Storyers. In so doing, Glorieta Baptist Church would become a strategic learning center for God to confirm what it will take to reach First Nations people and communities across North America.

Glorieta Baptist Church is located in Oklahoma City, the city with the third largest Native American population in the United States, numbering 38,000. Glorieta is a church with a rich history of fruitful ministry in the city, an influence that has reached across multiple states, and a reputation spoken of broadly among evangelical Native American churches – yet in need of revitalization after the decimation brought by the worldwide pandemic.

Everything taught through the ministries of First Nations Gospel Storyers is being applied, evaluated, and refined in the real-life ministry settings of Glorieta Baptist Church. When combined with our efforts to ensure reproducibility in all that we do, this ensures that what you receive in training and resources from First Nations Gospel Storyers will aid you in taking the next steps in potentially more fruitful ministry outcomes in your First Nations ministry setting.

First Nations Gospel Storyers equipping can be obtained in one of three ways.

First, through attending our signature training event – Story His Story conferences. The inaugural Story His Story Conference was offered in 2024 in Oklahoma City, OK, at Glorieta Baptist Church. Story His Story Conferences feature gifted and experienced Bible storyers who model storying and train attendees in the skills of Biblically sound narrative preaching and teaching for large group and small group application. Check back with us here and/or on our Facebook page for information on the next Story His Story Conference.

Second, we take our training on the road, as our schedule permits, to events that share in the vision and mission of First Nations Gospel Storyers. If you are interested in hosting First Nations Gospel Storyers in your ministry setting for Bible storying equipping, please use our contact form to connect with us and begin a conversation regarding your interest and ministry setting.

Third, we make our training available through live web-based video platforms. We will make these live-streaming events available periodically via our website and social media platforms. We recommend you follow us on our Facebook page to learn about these live-streaming events. However, we are also able to partner with you to offer a private live-streaming event specifically for your group through a web-based video platform. You can request a streaming equipping event for your group through our contact form.

Beyond the equipping in Bible storying, First Nations Gospel Storyers crafts and compiles Bible stories to resource Bible Storyers in their evangelism, discipleship, and missionary efforts.

First Nations Gospel Storyers does not create Bible stories but rather pulls individual stories from the hundreds of stories in the grand story of the Bible. Some Bible stories are contained entirely in one particular Bible passage. Other stories are drawn from multiple chapters or even books of the Bible that are part of a singular story of events. These story threads are pulled together and crafted into one narrative. This is known as a composite story. In either case, we craft and compile stories for easy access and distribution to Bible Storyers when and where they need them for Gospel ministry.