in about 2000, i found a strange little stack of black and white cardstock photos in ireland, designed to be used for conversation and sharing. they were out of print, but had been published by a mainstream publisher. i loved them, but saw how they could be amazing when connected with spiritual reflection and meditation (and a new set of photos, as the ones i found were dated and odd on many ways).

so i set out to create a resource that hit lots of resistances along the road to development. it was fairly outside the every day scope of production people at a publishing company to think of creating a box with a small leaders guide and a stack of photos. but we got passed that, and Every Picture Tells a Story released in 2002 (11 years ago!). thanks to the good friends and brilliant minds who created the YS “Core” or “NRS” or “One Day” (as it was variously called), Every Picture Tells a Story got demonstrated multiple times over the years to thousands of youth workers; and as a result, it sold really well, and was used by tons of people.

the response, frankly, blew me away. really, i stopped counting how many youth workers have told me that EPTAS is their all-time favorite youth ministry resource. i stopped counting how many have told me they have used it over and over and over again. and i love hearing stories about how it’s truly not just a youth ministry resource, but can be used with just about any age.

the product went out of print quite a few years ago when the publisher just couldn’t justify the printing costs anymore. and, with the rights reverted to me, i started selling a scanned copy of the leader’s guide along with digital version of the photos (thought there’s a copy of the original on sale at amazon for $700!). but i’ve been thinking for some time that it needed a facelift. adam (the other half of The Youth Cartel) strongly agreed. but it wasn’t until i worked with a dozen photographers to pull together the hundreds of black and white photos in The Way bible that i saw a feasible way of revising Every Picture Tells a Story.

all that to say: i’m completely stoked to release, today, the revised 2013 edition of Every Picture Tells a Story. the leader’s guide is mostly the same, though i re-edited it and updated a few things (and adam created an all-new beautiful layout for it!); but the photos are all new. and they’re awesome.

here’s the product description, in case you’re wondering what the heck i’m talking about:

Using the powerful force of 48 black-and-white photographs to open doorways into students’ souls.

A complete revision (with all new photos) of the groundbreaking and popular 2002 resource, Every Picture Tells a Story draws on the undeniable evocative force of black-and-white photography to elicit reactions and reflections at deep levels in the observers. Using the 18 activities described in the leader’s guide included, groups will:

• Choose photos that are reflections of their walks with God
• Pray and journal about their thoughts, dreams, hopes, and experiences
• Share with each other in a wide variety of “state of the soul” exercises
• Use photos as springboards to describe their families, their friendships, and their inner lives.

Ideally designed for small group use, Every Picture Tells a Story can easily be used by individuals as well as groups of 100 or more. Tested with students internationally, this resource opens new doorways into the souls and hearts of students.

Features include:

• Will bring about reaction and reflection
• Easy to use–no prep necessary
• Can be used over and over again and still remain fresh
• Can be used in a wide variety of settings–small groups, large groups, leadership teams, missions trips, retreats, even with adults
• The 48 photos can by printed multiple times, or used on screens.

it’s an all-digital product now, in case that’s not clear. print the photos (over and over again, if you want), or use them on screens.

we’re offering a special deal on this for the first couple weeks only (i think this is only through may): if you get it now (click here), we’ll include the original set of 48 photos also.

anyhow: i’m looking forward to hearing more stories of how this funky little resource opened up insight into the hearts and souls of teenagers, how teenagers sensed that god was speaking to them, and how youth workers had some of their best spiritual discussions ever.