Rondoni threads the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John into one complete story, converting them into dramatized audio recordings, weaving the Bible’s Gospels into a single, unique history of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, from birth to crucifixion to resurrection.

What makes Rondoni's efforts at retelling the Gospel story unique is that he weaves the significant events from the four Gospels into a single, chronological overview of the life of Jesus Christ that is easy to understand.

According to a media release obtained by ANS, The Story of the Messiah is told by an old man named Maxus to his eleven- year-old friend, Andrew. Their dialogue, complemented by helpful historical information, brings to life the characters and events of the Holy Bible.

The Story of the Messiah is available in audio format with a companion book and study guide. The audio version is designed for broadcast, educational and personal use and is currently being translated for distribution worldwide.

Rondoni's purpose in producing The Story of the Messiah is to help the listener or reader better understand and appreciate the life of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter wrote, "As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life." (2 Peter 1.3 NLT) and with this project, Rondoni uses a simple and engaging format making it accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds, whether they seek historical information about the time of Jesus Christ or inspiration from the acts of Jesus’ life.

In the audio version of The Story of the Messiah, the dialogue between Maxus and Andrew is further dramatized by 27 other voices and an original music score. The audio version consists of 28 episodes, each 15 minutes long, recorded on six CDs. The individual episodes or the entire story can also be downloaded from a website at www.messiahstory.org in MP3 format.

In addition, the Passion of Jesus Christ (episodes 24 – 28) is available as a single CD that includes the arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In The Story of the Messiah companion book, adapted from the audio script, readers are presented with the same engaging dialogue between the old man Maxus and the young boy Andrew. Each chapter is richly illustrated with a unique collection of artwork by renowned master painters as well as modern artists. Helpful maps are provided so the reader can understand the setting for the stories.

Every event clearly identifies the reference where the story can be found in the Gospels. There is also a complete index of events along with a study guide in the appendices of the book. A study guide is available to help listeners and readers understand and remember the story and the significant incidents that form the foundation of the Christian faith. This guide is intended for use by small groups and classes for all ages as they study The Story of the Messiah.

Rondoni runs Sine Ministries, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to provide resources such as The Story of the Messiah to individuals and organizations that proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rondoni who is the project director, author and editor of The Story of the Messiah, has assigned the copyright for the work to Sine Ministries.

Rondoni told ASSIST News: "The Story of the Messiah was designed to help people of all ages and backgrounds better understand and appreciate the life of Jesus Christ. Through donations and grants, Sine Ministries funds the translation, production and distribution of the audio version of The Story of the Messiah free of charge via international Christian broadcasting networks and radio stations. In addition, sales of The Story of the Messiah English language CD and book will be used to further expand Sine Ministries’ international translation and distribution goals."

He explained: "The Story of the Messiah was developed to help people better understand and appreciate the life of Jesus Christ, regardless of their gender, age, nationality, education or religious affiliation. The Story of the Messiah is a resource that can be used in many ways and by many organizations to promote the Gospel worldwide."

A story that appeals to people of all ages, The Story of the Messiah was crafted to be educational and entertaining for men and women, boys and girls, of all ages, he said.

Rondoni continued: "The Story of the Messiah has already been translated into Mandarin and Russian, and efforts are underway to translate the story into Spanish and Romanian. Ultimately, Sine Ministries hopes to translate The Story of the Messiah into as many of the world’s major languages as possible.

"The audio version of The Story of the Messiah makes the Gospel accessible to the world’s primary oral learners (those who are illiterate or semiliterate) and enables broad distribution via international Christian radio networks. At the same time, the audio version has wide appeal for church, bible study, mission or personal use by people of all educational backgrounds."

He said the project is a story that informs and inspires, regardless of the audience’s religious affiliation.

"For non-Christian audiences and those unfamiliar with the Bible, The Story of the Messiah provides a simple, concise and chronological introduction to the life of Jesus Christ as an important historical figure. For Christian audiences, The Story of the Messiah provides a unique and inspiring retelling of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection as outlined in the four Gospels, and also provides an ideal medium to share the Gospel with family and friends.

"(It is also) a story that can be used in many ways by many organizations: The Story of the Messiah audio version was designed for broadcast use by international Christian radio networks. Both the audio and text can also be used by Christian schools and home schools, churches and church organizations, bible study classes, international mission organizations and individuals who wish to better understand the life of Jesus Christ. The companion Study Guide is intended for use by small groups and classes for all ages," Rondoni said.

Sine Ministries is partnering with international broadcasters to translate and distribute The Story of the Messiah worldwide. Audio versions are already available in English, Mandarin and Russian, and efforts are currently underway to produce Romanian and Spanish versions. In addition, Sine Ministries is partnering with HCJB Global and Voice of the Gospel to begin production of the audio program in Cantonese, Bahasa and Nepali. Future production languages include Arabic, Hindi and Portuguese. Ultimately, Sine Ministries hopes to translate The Story of the Messiah into as many of the world’s major languages as possible.

ANS wondered why was it necessary to rewrite the story of Jesus’ life?

"The Gospels can be complicated and difficult to understand without the assistance of other information, both historical and cultural. Different authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote each of the four Gospels, and each Gospel is directed to a different audience," says Rondoni.

"The Gospels do not provide biographies about people, nor were attempts made to record all of the events following a specific timetable. The Story of the Messiah combines the events of the Gospels with helpful historical and cultural background information, all arranged chronologically," Rondoni said.

He explained that The Story of the Messiah was also the result of a desire to create a true, integrated story of the life of Jesus Christ.

"A story is defined as a connected narration of past events or an account of some incident. In the modern sense, a story has some basic elements: it has a beginning, a middle and an end; a plot; a central character; a goal or objective; some opposition or an adversary; a crisis; and finally a resolution. Although there are all the elements of a great story within the Gospels, the Gospels do not constitute a story in and of themselves. The Story of the Messiah incorporates events from all four Gospels into a single story of the life of Jesus Christ that is easy to understand," he said.

How was The Story of the Messiah developed?

The media release states: "The basic source for The Story of the Messiah was the Gospel itself. The author, Max Rondoni, first analyzed the Gospels and selected the 220 events that comprise the story. Max then categorized each event by its source – whether it was located in just one Gospel or in several – and organized them chronologically on a color-coded timetable. Finally, these events were used to form a storyboard, complete with transitions and narration."

In endorsing the project, Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message, said: "Storytelling from Moses to the Gospel Evangelists, has always been God's method of choice to get his message into our imaginations and lives. Children and the elderly - and every one in between - loves a story. And why? Because story involves us ... invites us in as participants - nobody is left out."

He added: "The Story of the Messiah is a remarkable re-storying of Jesus, setting us all down - children and adults ... literate and illiterate - in the company of a master storyteller."

"Every generation needs fresh new ways of telling the old, old story of Jesus," said Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, about the project. "The Story of the Messiah is a wonderful example of how this ancient, beautiful story can be winsomely, accurately, and beautifully packaged for our modern generation.

"This story is grounded in history and firmly rooted in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and should give new appeal to the story of our Messiah for young and old alike. I am very pleased to recommend The Story of the Messiah to listeners and readers of all ages."

Pastor John Ortberg of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, commenting on the project, said: "The greatest story ever written merits every re-telling. This one has a freshness and creativity and simplicity that has the power to touch hearts the world over. It will bring joy to the listener, and joy to the One at the center of the story."

Grant Lovejoy, International Director of Oral Strategies for the International Missions Board agreed.

He said: "This is a useful resource that provides an exciting opportunity for people to grasp the events of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. It is engaging, entertaining in the very best sense of the word, and instructive."

In another week or two, Rondoni will be launching the project's new 'dot.com' site to compliment the current ministry 'dot.org' site. The decision was made to separate Rondoni's distribution efforts from ministry related activities.

At this writing, the web pages are still being 'fine tuned', but will soon be complete, he said.

Rondoni concluded: "Concurrent with the 'com' site launch will be the launching of a number of sites related to Internet broadcasting. There are completed versions in English, Mandarin and Russian. There are also samples of the Spanish version that is being developed by HCJB Global in their Quito, Ecuador studios. In the near future, Romanian will also be available. Preproduction work has started on the Nepalese and Bahassa versions."

The two websites for the The Story of the Messiah are:

For more information, contact:
Frances Freyberg
Phone: +1(650)273-3505
E-mail: frances_freyberg@yahoo.com  

** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Lake Forest, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.