From the beginning, Beacon Church has been all about stories: hearing them, telling them, and exploring how they intersect. Conversation is one of Beacon’s core values, which means we value speaking and listening to people from all sides of any given issue. Whether it’s writing stories or making art with kids in the studio, gathering for a story dinner, exploring in worship how the stories of the bible speak to our lives, chatting in the corner store, grabbing dinner at the Memphis, or sitting out on stoops, stories make up our life together. Often though, the most interesting stories are hard to get to over the noise of everyday small talk. We walk by each other and nod, but don’t quite now how or what to do to know each other beyond that. The city can be a lonely place, and even though we know the neighborhood around us is full of stories, its hard to imagine how to tell ours, let alone get a chance to hear someone else’s.

 

So how do we get there?

 

Well, Beacon would like to invite you to a special event on Saturday April 2nd from 10:00am-2:00pm! R. Eric Thomas, local professional storyteller, Moth host, teacher, and Program Director at the William Way Community Center, (as well as being one of Beacon’s session members), will be facilitating a day of story-sharing for all who are interested.  We’ll explore our stories of faith from all directions and traditions, and learn the tools to listen deeply and tell our own stories well.  You’ll leave knowing a handful of folks a whole lot better, and having a clearer understanding of your own voice, your own story, and the shared strength of your community’s voices. 

 

We hope you’ll join us! Free and open to all, with lunch included, just sign up online or at Beacon. There will be childcare provided for little ones as well as an age-appropriate story-sharing program for children 5 and up.

Interested? Fill out the form on this page to register. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about Eric...

R. Eric Thomas is a playwright and stand-up dramedian. He has been called “one of the most talented storytellers in Philly” by the Philadelphia Weekly. He is the long-running host of “Songbird: The Search for Philly’s Best Singer” and The Moth in Philadelphia. He frequently lectures and leads workshops on intersectional comedy, storytelling and using narrative structure to transform business practices.

Eric has appeared on RISK! and The Soundtrack Series multiple times; he gave a talk at the 2011 TEDxPhilly conference. Since 2014 he has also worked with TED to coach TEDx speakers. Locally, he has led workshops with Arch Street Presbyterian, DreamIt Ventures, First Person Arts and Mighty Writers. His writing has appeared in Fusion, Philadelphia Magazine, Newsworks, ThinkingDance, among others.