At MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christians become more faithful, generous, and effective stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. It’s why we advocate for the transparency, accountability and efficiency of Christian ministries.
Because of that, we cover a lot of stories we’d rather not have to—stories of waste, fraud, and abuse. We do it unapologetically, because aside from exposing evil, we also believe these stories offer lessons for ministries and donors to learn from.
But we also seek to amplify stories of ministries doing excellent work. That’s what this column is for—to spotlight ministries making a difference in their own communities and around the world. We pray it is a blessing to see the many creative ways God’s people are working for His glory and for their neighbors’ good.
With that, here’s this week’s roundup of ministries making a difference:
Photo via Google Photos @LifeWise Academy
LifeWise Academy is expanding into Kentucky schools. LifeWise collaborates with public schools to teach the Bible to students off campus for an hour a week during school hours. The style is similar to VBS or Sunday School. The program is privately funded, parent approved, and completely voluntary. So far, LifeWise says it operates in 35 states and works with 50,000 students weekly. Kentucky is a newer addition—according to Kentucky Today, two Kentucky school districts have an active LifeWise program, two more have approved it, and a number of others are exploring it. Lifewise Academy has 1 Star, an A Transparency Grade and a Donor Confidence Score of 80.
Photo via Facebook @Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Mich., is commemorating its 150th anniversary by celebrating the Psalms. On February 5-6, The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship hosted its 2026 conference “Psalms 150: A Conference Experience,” highlighting the university’s birthday and the number of Psalms in the Bible. The conference facilitated times of prayer and reflection, speakers, creative art, and musical performances, all exploring “how the Biblical psalms can shape us in public worship and in all areas of the Christian life.” Thanks to a grant from the institute, a local Christian school orchestra program will be hosting its own Psalms concert on Feb. 25, 2026.
Video screenshot
In December, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College celebrated the graduation of 404 graduates who earned their undergrad, master’s or doctoral degrees—that’s up from 346 graduates in December 2024, according to Baptist Press. Spurgeon College in Kansas City, Mo., is associated with MBTS and offers a variety of programs in areas like biblical studies, theology, biblical counseling, preaching, and others, with a mission to train men and women to fulfill the Great Commission in both the church and the marketplace.
Photo courtesy of ACU
A record number of students enrolled at Arizona Christian University for the 10th year in a row, with 1,700 students for the 2025-2026 school year. That’s up from about 1,400 the year prior. The Chronicle of Higher Education has recognized ACU as one of the fastest growing colleges in America. The school attributes its success to being an “unapologetically conservative, Christian university.” Arizona Christian University has 4 Stars and a C Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 93.
Access to MinistryWatch content is free. However, we hope you will support our work with your prayers and financial gifts. To make a donation, click here