This action research investigates the process and reflections of integrating Storytelling Theatre into the training of volunteer counselors within a rural Taiwanese church. Facing the challenges of limited educational resources and dwindling youth engagement in rural ministries, this study designed an 18-session training curriculum based on dramatic conventions to enhance counselors’ professional and spiritual companionship capacities. Utilizing qualitative methods—including participant observation, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires—the study explores the multi-dimensional transformation of the participants. The research reveals three core findings. First, the non-theatre-background counselors underwent a distinct three-phase psychological transformation, shifting from initial hesitation and performance anxiety to embodied engagement and enhanced self-efficacy, catalyzed by peer support and structured dramatic instructions. Second, the intervention of theater strategies, such as "Conscience Alley" and "Still Image," effectively broke through the conventional, one-way reading model of biblical texts. It enabled counselors to transition from static knowledge absorption to dynamic, multidimensional interpretations, fostering deep personal resonance and spiritual reflection. Third, the educational efficacy of Storytelling Theatre demonstrated high cross-contextual transferability, as participants subsequently applied these techniques to youth Bible studies and elementary classrooms. In conclusion, this study argues that Storytelling Theatre serves as a contextually appropriate, low-cost, and highly engaging educational medium for rural ministries. It provides a sustainable direction for youth companionship and counselor cultivation in resource-limited areas, successfully bridging the gap between ancient narratives and contemporary life transformation.

Authors:
Tseng Hsin Hsuan, National University of Tainan, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
HSIN HSUAN TSENG is a Master's student at NUTN, Taiwan. Research fields focus on drama education and faith cultivation, with a current project on storytelling theatre in rural church ministries.

Additional website of interest
https://www.instagram.com/sandyy_ismeyo

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