How To: Share The Stories Of Your Congregation

What if you could show people the life behind the numbers? What if, instead of just stating that “85 people attended the Easter sunrise service,” you also shared the story of one woman who found deep comfort in that gathering after a hard season of grief? Now that’s a testimony. That’s a window into the Spirit at work.

That’s why we want to encourage (and resource) you to share the stories behind your church’s ministry. Whether you use a video interview, a print out, a live testimony or a slide show, storytelling brings your ministry to life in a way data can’t.

What Makes a Good Church Story?

If you're wondering where to begin, here’s what makes a story really resonate—especially in a church context.

1. It’s specific and personal
   Saying, “People were moved by the Good Friday service” is fine. But hearing someone say, “I hadn’t set foot in church in months, and I cried through the whole service” hits differently. It sticks with people. It builds connection. Specific stories help others see how God is at work in their lives too.

2. It’s tied to God’s bigger story
   Whether you’re sharing a volunteer’s experience at a community dinner or a new member’s reason for joining, the most powerful stories reflect something deeper - hope, healing, grace, surprise, purpose. They connect the ordinary to the sacred.

3. It’s told in someone’s own voice
   When possible, let people tell their story in their own words, whether spoken or written. If you're summarizing or writing it for them, preserve their tone and heart. It doesn’t need to be polished to be powerful.

4. It includes the messy bits
   Don’t be afraid of the stories that involve pain, doubt, or struggle. In fact, these are often the ones that resonate most. People don’t need perfect stories, they just need honest ones.

5. It invites others in
   A good story sparks curiosity. It makes people want to ask more questions, share something of their own, or reflect on where they’ve seen God lately. That’s when storytelling becomes community-building.

So How Do You Start Sharing Stories?

Some simple ways to start making storytelling part of your church life:

• Interview someone after a key event or milestone
  Ask, “What was meaningful about that experience?” or “How did you see God at work?” Record the answers on your phone or write them down and share them in your newsletter or Sunday slides.

• Pair a story with a photo
  A smiling face at a community clean-up or a candlelit worship moment becomes so much more powerful with just a sentence or two about what happened and why it mattered.

• Host a story circle
  Gather a few folks and invite them to share moments when they felt God’s presence at church. You’ll be surprised how quickly themes emerge, and how often these become stories others need to hear.

• Include a testimony in your annual report or at the beginning of a committee meeting
  Let the numbers speak with a story beside them. For example, next to a line about “Youth Retreat – 12 participants,” add a quote from a teen about how it helped them reconnect with their faith.

• Tell a story during worship
  Set aside 2–3 minutes for someone to share (live or via video) how they’ve experienced God’s presence in the community. Not every week, but enough to make story-sharing a visible and celebrated practice (the more often you do it the more stories you’ll begin to hear and the easier it will become).

Tools to Help You Along the Way

Even if your goal isn’t fundraising, there’s a lot the nonprofit world can teach us about gathering and sharing meaningful stories. These resources can help you get started:

• The Storytelling Nonprofit – A practical guide to capturing and sharing stories with purpose.

• Nonprofit Ready – Offers free courses and templates, including how to structure a good story.

• Nonprofit Marketing Nerd – Focused on accessible, low-budget storytelling ideas for small teams.

• StoryBrand – A great read for church staff or elders who want to clarify your church’s “voice” and communicate with purpose. Consider reading it as a team.

And if you’re looking to change how you talk about your budget altogether, check out our previous post on narrative budgets. It offers a creative way to show the story behind each ministry line item.

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Dig deeper into this concept of good storytelling in the church with these articles that helped us put together this post:

The Power of Storytelling in Ministry
Interview with Jee Hae Song | Lewis Center for Church Leadership
Read the article 

Bearing Testimony: Ministry in the 21st Century
Interview with Katherine Willis Pershey | The Christian Century
Read the article 

God’s Story, Our Story: Telling, Re-telling, Re-storying
Thesis by Kara Carter | Wilfrid Laurier University
Read the thesis 

The Power of Story in Congregational Life
By Larry Golemon | Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE)
Read the article