First Year of Stories: 52-Week Plan

One story a week, 90 minutes per session: eight sets of six stories plus four flex weeks. Every story ends with the same ten questions. Tool stories come from the Gindikaayu Netti Zúme; more story sets are on the Mbooloom nettali xët.

Weeks 1–6: Miracles

1. Water into wine (John 2:1-11)
2. Jesus calms the storm (Mark 4:35-41)
3. Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33)
4. Feeding the 5,000 (John 6:1-15)
5. The huge catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11)
6. Lazarus raised (John 11:1-43). Close with: “Are you ready to follow Jesus?”

Weeks 7–12: Tools 1, Prepare for the prayer walk

1. B.L.E.S.S. prayer: the paralyzed man (Mark 2:1-12), with Luke 10:5
2. Your story: the man set free (Mark 5:1-20)
3. God’s story: the Emmaus road (Luke 24:13-32)
4. S.O.A.P.S.: the Bereans (Acts 17:10-12)
5. Prayer cycle: Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-41), with the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4)
6. Prayer walk: Jericho (Joshua 6:1-16)

Weeks 13–18: Healings

1. The leper (Matthew 8:1-4)
2. The centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13)
3. Naaman healed (2 Kings 5)
4. Jairus’ daughter and the bleeding woman (Luke 8:40-56)
5. Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)
6. The man born blind (John 9). Close with: “Are you ready to follow Jesus?”

Weeks 19–24: Tools 2, Go

1. Person of peace: Lydia (Acts 16:11-15), with Luke 10:5-9 and the Samaritan woman (John 4:4-42)
2. Bind Satan: Jesus and the strong man (Matthew 12:22-29), with Luke 10:17-20
3. Repeat the process with the person of peace: Cornelius (Acts 10)
4. Lead a 3/3rds group and take turns facilitating: the first church (Acts 2:42-47)
5. Model, assist, watch, leave: sending the Twelve (Mark 6:7-13, 30)
6. Coach from a distance: “Let us return and see” (Acts 15:36)

Weeks 25–30: Life of Christ, Follow Me

1. The first disciples (John 1:35-51)
2. Matthew’s call (Matthew 9:9-13)
3. Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)
4. The rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22)
5. Mary at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:38-42)
6. Peter restored (John 21:15-19). Close with: “Are you ready to follow Jesus?”

Weeks 31–36: Parables of the Kingdom

1. The sower (Mark 4:3-20)
2. The growing seed (Mark 4:26-29)
3. Hidden treasure and the pearl (Matthew 13:44-46)
4. The lost sheep and lost coin (Luke 15:1-10)
5. The prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32)
6. The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

Weeks 37–42: Cross and Resurrection

1. The Last Supper (Luke 22:14-20)
2. Gethsemane and the arrest (Mark 14:32-52)
3. The trial of Jesus (Mark 14:53-72; John 18:28-19:16)
4. The crucifixion (Luke 23:26-49)
5. The empty tomb (Luke 24:1-12)
6. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). Close with: “Are you ready to follow Jesus?”

Weeks 43–48: Becoming a Church

1. What did the first church do? (Acts 2:42-47). Use 3/3rds and list everything they did.
2. Will we commit as a group to function as a church? (Acts 2:42-47 again, with a decision)
3. The church multiplies: the scattered ones (Acts 11:19-21)
4. Antioch sends out workers (Acts 13:1-3 and 14:26-28)
5. For each family in the group: will we start one new church this year? Find a person of peace, invite their circle to a house group, teach 3/3rds, take turns facilitating, then step back and coach from a distance (2 Timothy 2:2).
6. Commissioning and prayer for the new churches

Weeks 49–52: Flex

Review a favorite set, celebrate what happened, and use these weeks for holidays and for launching the new group. After the first year, use the story collections on this site for more sets.

Questions at the bottom of every story

Xoolaat ginnaaw

1. How did you do with what you said you would obey last time?
2. Who did you share the story with, and what happened?
3. What are you thankful for, and what do you need prayer for?

Xoolal kaw

4. Read the passage aloud, then have someone retell it in their own words.
5. What did you like about this story?
6. What was hard to understand?
7. What does this story teach us about God, and about people?

Xool kanam

8. If this is true, what will I do this week? (specific, with a date)
9. Who will I share this story with?
10. Who will I practice this with before we meet again?

On tool-set weeks, add after question 7: “Let’s practice it now. Turn to a partner and try the tool.” On miracle and healing weeks, add: “What did this show about who Jesus is?” and “Who do you know who needs this kind of hope?”

The 90-minute session

• 0–15 minutes: Look back (questions 1–3)
• 15–50 minutes: Look up (read, retell, questions 5–7)
• 50–75 minutes: Practice the tool, or talk about who needs this hope
• 75–90 minutes: Look forward (questions 8–10)