Host a faith storytelling workshop

Empowering churches, universities, and communities through Christian storytelling. Host a faith storytelling workshop with Mackenzie Ryan Walters, an author and national award-winning journalist.

Bring the power of faith storytelling to your community

Mackenzie Ryan Walters is a national award-winning journalist and author.

At Faith Storytellers, we believe that stories have the power to inspire, connect, and transform lives by sharing stories about our relationship with God. Our Faith Storytelling Workshops, led by a seasoned storytelling expert, are designed to equip churches, universities, and organizations with the tools to share meaningful stories that deepen faith and foster community.

Whether you're a pastor, educator, or ministry leader, our workshops offer practical, faith-centered techniques to help your group craft and share stories that resonate with audiences and reflect the love and truth of Christ.

Why host a faith storytelling workshop?

Hosting a workshop is the perfect way to bring together your community and engage in a storytelling initiative that will connect your community, deepen the faith of participants, and produce stories focused on a storyteller’s personal experience with God.

Our book can be used as guidance to host a faith storytelling workshop at your church, college, university, or organization.

If you’re curious about hosting a faith storytelling workshop and want to learn more about the nuances of faith storytelling, the “Faith Storytellers” book is the perfect place to start.

By teaching the Faith Storytellers Framework, author and journalist Mackenzie Ryan Walters demystifies the process of storytelling. No previous writing, storytelling, or speaking experience is needed — it’s truly an event for all backgrounds!

  • Engage your community: Learn how to use storytelling to connect with congregations, students, or members of the public in a memorable and impactful way. In our experience, family and friends will come to a faith storytelling event to hear a loved one share their story, even if they are reluctant to attend church.

  • Deepen faith: Discover how to weave Christian values and biblical truths into compelling, first-person narratives. A faith story is not teaching or preaching, nor is it a sales pitch or therapy (although there can be cathartic benefits). Mackenzie teaches participants to pray through their story and ask God where he was and how he loved the storyteller.

  • Develop skills: Gain practical skills in storytelling, public speaking, and creative expression from an expert in the storytelling field. Mackenzie’s won a national journalism award and co-founded the Des Moines Storytellers Project, a live storytelling event series hosted by the Des Moines Register that drew more than 1,000 people at a time.

  • Customized experience: Each workshop is tailored to your group's needs, whether you're a church, university, or faith-based organization. You can use Mackenzie’s curriculum or customize the workshop to fit the unique needs of your community, mission, and vision for your storytelling workshop.

What to expect from our storytelling workshops

Our faith storytelling workshops are interactive, engaging, and rooted in Christian faith. Led by a storytelling expert with years of experience in ministry and narrative arts, the sessions include:

  • Hands-on exercises to craft personal faith stories.

  • Guidance on incorporating faith principles and sharing difficult or challenging stories in a PG-13 way.

  • Techniques for effective live storytelling delivery, whether in sermons, classes, or community events. Public speaking is the No. 1 fear of many people, and our faith storytelling workshops are designed so anyone can get on stage and tell a short, first-person story of faith.

  • Opportunities for participants to share and receive constructive feedback.

  • Focus on listening and the power of receiving a story when you share your own. Critically, our workshops help participants understand and practice the art of really hearing someone’s story.

Workshops can be hosted in-person or virtually and are available in various formats, including:

  • One hour workshop.

  • Half-day workshop

  • Full-day workshop

  • Live storytelling event: Online 6 week class that culminates in a live storytelling event.

  • Story collection book: If desired, Mackenzie and her team can also edit and publish a collection of your community’s stories created during the workshop as a book that can be shared with family, friends, and community.

Who should host a Christian storytelling workshop?

Our workshops are perfect for:

  • Churches: Equip your congregation to share testimonies and sermons with confidence and clarity.

  • Colleges and universities: Inspire students and faculty to explore faith through creative storytelling.

  • Faith-based organizations: Train your team to communicate your mission with authenticity and impact.

No prior storytelling experience is required—just a desire to grow in faith and connection!

Ready to host a workshop?

Partner with FaithStoryteller.org to bring a transformative storytelling experience to your community. Contact us today to discuss your vision, customize your workshop, and schedule a session that meets your needs.

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