Strengthening Faith Through Storytelling
Gospel storytelling in action: free film libraries, oral Bible recordings, inmate testimony videos, and new documentary resources for young adults.
At MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christians become more faithful, generous, and effective stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. That’s why we advocate for transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Christian ministries.
Because of that, we cover stories we’d rather not have to. We do it unapologetically, because these stories expose evil and offer lessons for ministries and donors alike. But we also celebrate that God is at work through His people, and this column highlights that faithfulness. We pray this roundup encourages you to keep going—a reminder that stewardship is often simple and steady, and that for every story of poor stewardship, many others are prayerfully laboring to steward well.
As National Storytelling Day approaches (March 20), we’re spotlighting ministries using storytelling to proclaim Christ and build up the Church:
Screenshot – movingworks.org
Last week at the Christian Worldview Film Festival (CWVFF), Moving Works founders Peter Craig and Matt Cotov told attendees they’re driven by a sobering reality: many people not only do not know Christ—they also do not know the Christ they are rejecting. That conviction drives their mission to make Jesus known by capturing real-life stories that reveal God’s presence and power at work and giving them away through a free library of short, story-driven videos. Moving Works focuses especially on places where Christianity is small and local testimonies are harder to find and makes its films available to anyone to watch, share, and redistribute. For churches and small groups, the ministry also created Projections—25 film-based studies that pair global testimonies with Scripture reflection.
YWAM leader Jefferson Brunetti, Photo via Davar Audio Bibles)
Hearing the Bible in her own language changed one woman’s heart in the Balanta tribe in Guinea-Bissau, according to Youth with a Mission (YWAM) leader Jefferson Brunetti. “She didn’t want to do anything with Jesus. Her daughter was a believer, but she wasn’t,” he said in a video update. But as she listened to an audio Bible in her Balanta-Kentohe dialect on a micro SD card, she said she could finally understand the message clearly. The woman became so drawn to Scripture that she asked her daughter to teach her how to pray so she could accept Jesus, Brunetti said. The audio Bible came through an outreach partnership between YWAM and Davar Audio Bibles, which records Scripture for “oral learners” and makes those recordings freely available. Davar Audio Bibles has 4 Stars for financial efficiency and an A Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 100.
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Photo via Mission Network News
A growing number of U.S. inmates are now hearing the gospel through secure prison tablets—and one ministry is turning those screens into a storytelling platform. Bryan and Bonnie Foxley, volunteers with Prisoners for Christ, record “Redemption Stories,” hour-long videos featuring music and interviews with incarcerated men and women whose lives Jesus has transformed. Prisoners for Christ distributes these testimonies through special digital platforms that inmates can access and also shares them on YouTube. According to Mission Network News, one inmate, Aaron, described a dramatic turnaround from years of trouble to a new life marked by joy and hunger for Scripture.
Photo via Facebook @Scripture Union Ireland
NUA Films (a Scripture Union Ireland resource) offers a curated library of short video series that use documentary-style storytelling to help young people and groups explore Jesus, the Bible, and Christian faith. It includes resources like One Big Story, a 10-episode journey through Scripture as one connected narrative pointing to Jesus, with downloadable guides for group discussion. Launching today (March 17), the ministry (partnering with the Jesus Film Project) releases The Way of St. Patrick, a three-part documentary series that blends cinematic storytelling, animation, and on-location drama to explore the real Patrick, and the faith and hardship that shaped his legacy. Scripture Union USA has 3 Stars for financial efficiency and an A Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 100.
Screenshot – beaconlighthope.com
Do you have a story to tell? Beacon of Light & Hope is a developing ministry devoted to sharing the gospel and encouraging believers through videos showing true stories of salvation and answered prayers. Beacon of Light & Hope is inviting people to submit testimonies to develop into short documentary-style films highlighting God’s miraculous works. The site features a growing lineup of short documentaries (some produced in partnership with other media ministries) and additional faith-based videos meant to inspire reflection, endurance, and trust in God.
