Meeting Jairus

A few years ago, Dr. Dick Stenbakken, retired Chaplain Colonel, was a speaker at an event Shawn and I were hosting. I knew a little about Dick and his ministry, and when he asked if our oldest daughter could participate in his presenation, I was happy to ask her. Natalie was delighted to be Jairus' daughter, and Dick brought her a costume and helped her choose a song to sing at the close of his message.

The afternoon of the presentation, Dick stood before the congregation transformed. He was dressed in a period costume—one I learned he'd sewn himself—and he did more than tell Jairus' story. It was almost as if Jairus himself walked right out of the pages of the Bible. It was a moving experience to hear the story from Jairus' perspective and to feel as if we each were right there with the man as his little daughter was made well again. I was moved to tears as I experienced the story of Jairus as I never had before. 

This was my first experience with what is Dr. Stenbakken's specialty—first-person narrative preaching. He has portrayed more than 70 Bible characters, but he sort of stumbled into this form of preaching by accident!

Recently, I invited Dick to our Loveland studios to talk about his ministry. Our interview is below, and I invite you to join us for a few minutes to hear more about this unique form of preaching and how it not only has transformed the hearers, but the preacher as well!