Quest Ministries: The Tale of Despereaux

Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Tale of Despereaux

At some point (soon I hope) I want to write a review of The Tale of Despereaux (the book) by Kate DiCamillo. Before I do that I have to get The Tale of Despereaux (the film) out of my system.

I saw the film adaptation before I read the book. That was probably the better order for me because the original is such a delightful experience of Story. I'm tempted to call DiCamillo's work a perfect story since it embodies so many things I look for (long for) in a story. So if I had read the book first, I would have been sorely disappointed by the film.

I really appreciated the review of the film by Jeffrey Overstreet written for ChristianityToday.com. Note that I read the review after seeing the movie. Overstreet's review struck a chord by the time I began reading his second paragraph: "And now The Tale of Despereaux—or something resembling it—is a movie."

As mentioned, I'll write my own review of DiCamillo's story. In the mean time, here's a quick word to those who haven't experienced The Tale of Despereaux. Drop everything and read it. You will be enchanted and enriched by the experience if you read it in a child-like manner.

Oh, you want to know what it's about? Overstreet gives it a good quick summary. "Kate DiCamillo's book The Tale of Despereaux is an enchanting story about a mouse with the heart of a hero. Already considered a classic, this Newberry Award winner is a favorite of families and children's librarians everywhere." My final word is that child-like adults will enjoy it too.

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PROFILE

Contact Information:

Experience:

For over forty years Stan has developed people and organizations through preaching, teaching, organizing, writing, motivating, and listening. He especially enjoys interacting with people in one-to-one and group settings.

Stan has a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell. In 2012, he completed a certificate program in spiritual direction from Selah (http://leadershiptransformations.org/selah.htm).

Stan also loves to help people navigate life’s challenges by discussing popular stories. Fiction written by C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, and a host of others help us understand how God’s Story interacts with our own.

Specialty Skills:

Organizing people, events, and projects

Analyzing challenges, and proposing and implementing solutions

Creative writing

Conversant with computer software and the Internet

Video-conferencing via Skype and other software

Accomplishments:

Stan led an organization that was on the brink of disbanding. Through his leadership it became a more vibrant cohesive group, optimistic about its future. He led its members in group activities. He also worked with its leaders to evaluate and update the organization's purpose, financial health, and organizational structure. As a result, the group became healthier, larger, and more outward focused and welcoming.

He led a group in a ten-week discussion of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The majority of the participants read 100 pages per week to prepare for their sessions. He met with the group for two hours each week to discuss the contents, truths, and applications of this beautiful piece of literature.

For several years Stan led a multi-week training course for an organization. The purpose of the training was to help members understand and communicate the organization's core values with potential members. He recruited people to be part of the training, taught them how to clearly express the principles, and provided the means for them to be in touch with potential members. Leaders emerged from this training program, confident in their ability to communicate.