This straightforward, four-session course is designed to bring the teaching of Jesus to a broad range of people, including those who normally have difficulty accessing the Christian message.
Use the Tales of the Unexpected DVD and booklet to unpack some truly unexpected words of Jesus, and introduce ordinary people to this most amazing man. Presented by Pete Woodcock and Lizzy Smallwood, two experienced Christian communicators.
The starter pack contains three study guides and one DVD.
Everyone likes a good story, especially when there’s a surprise at the end.
Jesus is famous for the stories he told. And many people still read and listen to his words today. Why? — because Jesus’ words seem to understand us and explain us. And they open up the way for us to know God.
In Tales of the Unexpected you’ll find four simple but startling stories that Jesus told. You’ll find some surprising things about yourself, about God and about life.
Using a modern, easy-to-understand translation of the Bible, and the accompanying DVD, this straightforward guide will help you understand who Jesus is, why he came, and the difference he can make for people today.
3 x study guides
1 x DVD
We're happy to be able to provide two free resources to help you in running and using Tales of the Unexpected - see the links on the left-hand side.
BRAND NEW! To help with promoting your course, we now have posters and invitations available for you to download. See the 'Extras' section on the top left-hand side of the page.
This course has been very helpful in an evangelistic toddlers group for parents as an alternative to other longer courses. All of our unchurched mums have really enjoyed 'Tales of the Unexpected'. It's very accessible for non-Christians and I thoroughly recommend it.
(Review written for 'Tales of the Unexpected Handbook')
A very down to earth exposition of four parables from Luke's Gospel. Relaxed telling but hard hitting just as it just have been when our Lord originally told them. Two 'tellers' for different audiences. Personal testimonies from individuals whose lives had been arrested by Jesus. Work booklets very helpful but sometimes became a little lost as to which page was next to be explored. Highly recommend for simply telling it sit is according to the Word of Life.
This short course is awesome. Unmerited grace and forgiveness seem to be the major stumbling blocks to people really getting to grips with the heart of the gospel. 'Tales of the Unexpected' presents these so clearly though, and the testimonies at the end of each session helpfully drive home what the personal implications of the gospel are. The questions in each session also really help any participant examine their own standing with God.
I've only run the course in a 1-1 setting, but it works well with both the complete newcomer to the Christian faith or the person who has been sitting in the pew for years. My suggestion is to only use the booklets for the leader preparation and then write down your own questions - this will keep it more relational and make it feel less like a 'course'. But you need to follow the logic / structure of each session, otherwise the videos won't work - and they are the highlight.
Highly, highly recommended.
