Kristin Maier, author of A Good Telling: Bringing Worship to Life with Story (Skinner House Books, 2013) shares the first in a series of tips for good storytelling. Purchase A Good Telling at the UUA Bookstore.

Good stories are central to good worship. As a Time for All Ages, as part of a sermon, or as part of a multigenerational service, stories engage our hearts and minds and help us grow.

Stories from Other Unitarian Universalist (UU) Sources

Storytelling in Worship

✳ Pssst! Have you visited our Storytelling page? It's filled with tips, how-to's, and lots of resources!

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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7

  • Characters: Narrator, Very Important Person, Enemies (including Leader of the Enemies), Spider, and at least four Cave Rocks. Materials needed: Grey, silver, or white yarn Narrator: I’d like to share a story with you today – a story about a simple little spider who did an amazing thing. You’ll...
    Time for All Ages | By Diana Davies | March 28, 2017 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Acceptance, Animals, Caring, Earth, Inclusion, Interdependence, International, Kindness, Nature, Salvation, Secular, Self-Respect
  • [We suggest that the Worship Leader act out the relevant parts of this message: e.g clutch a bag tightly; let the contents spill; hold it like a "club" for bopping congregants over the head.] Babies don’t believe anything. Babies aren’t born Buddhists or Baptists or believers of any sort. But...
    Time for All Ages | By Gary Kowalski | September 8, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Acceptance, Belief, Credo, Faith, Freedom, Identity, Integrity, Living Our Faith, Reason, Unitarian Universalism
  • While created as a Time for All Ages, the footnotes in this resource contain suggestions for expanding this moment into an entire Children's Chapel. Please note: This Time for All Ages involves teaching the traditional Arabic greeting "as-salaamu ‘alaikum." Out of respect for that culture, and...
    Time for All Ages | By Maryah Converse | March 12, 2016 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Acceptance, Caring, Hospitality, Inclusion, Islam, Multiculturalism
  • One day a merchant was traveling on a road when he was attacked by bandits. The bandits were so cruel that they beat the merchant, stole everything he had, and left him for dead lying on the side of the road. The merchant was so badly hurt he couldn’t move or speak at all, and he could barely see...
    Story | By Christopher Buice | April 14, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Activism, Caring, Christianity, Compassion, Love
  • For nearly thirty years, Forrest Church served as the spiritual leader of the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in New York City. During his ministry, the church became both a haven for spiritual seekers and a beacon of social outreach to the community. He helped to found a shelter for...
    Activity | By Peter Friedrichs | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Fear, Purpose, Unitarian Universalism, Vision, Wisdom
  • Once upon a time there was a girl named Wendy. She loved grass. What can I say? She loved grass—she loved the feel of it between her toes; she loved the smell of it when it was freshly mown; she loved its bright green color. Wendy loved grass more than just about anything. One day her family...
    Story | By Erik Walker Wikstrom | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Acceptance, Respect, Revelation, Unitarian Universalism
  • What can we say about Rudolph? He was excluded by other reindeer. They did not let him play with them. We may feel confident that they made fun of him and his red nose. It is possible that they hurt poor Rudolph. He was on the outside. The other reindeer had a special relationship with Santa Claus.
    Story | By Edward Harris | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWeb
    Tagged as: Acceptance, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Diversity