Resources for book clubs or small groups
A reporter’s notebook is full of tidbits that never make it to print, which is why I curated some of my favorite resources, research, and references to accompany this book.
“Faith Storytellers: Unleash the Power of Your Story” is everything I know about the art and craft of faith storytelling. But as I researched, tested, and wrote this book, I discovered far more than I could ever include within these pages.
That’s why I’m opening my proverbial “reporter’s notebook” to you below. You can also check out my events page to see if there’s a speaking event or writer’s workshop I’m leading in your area.
Have questions? Reach to me at mackenzie@faithstorytellers.com.
— Mackenzie
P.S. Stay in touch! Sign up for our newsletter.
Resources for book clubs, small groups, or church classes
Not sure where to start? Download our small group discussion guide and this Bible verse list. You can also explore more information about three stories shared in the book:
Pat’s story: Watch her son’s “last wishes” video.
Abbie’s story: Learn more by reading the Des Moines Register article, watching videos where Abbie meets the state trooper and discusses her story. You can also listen to a podcast interview she did in 2017.
Ring story: Listen to a church leader explain the story of rings sticking to walls. Discussion of this story starts at 28:20.
Resources for crafting your faith story
Looking for a place to start? Review our collection of Christian writing prompts and consider joining our newsletter, as we include new writing prompts each month.
For large groups or one-day classes, when asking for individuals to share a story, we recommend focusing the storyteller’s direction and setting a time limit of 2-3 minutes if sharing with others or the large group.
Ask them to reflect and share a story about a moment they realized or expressed their thankfulness. Please use our gratitude story worksheet.
When asking someone to prepare a story that allows time for review and revision, individuals may want to share a more challenging story.
Because church events, conferences, or publications allow for practice and revision, we recommend using the Faith Storytellers Framework to revise the story as discussed in the book.
To start, use the story structure cheat sheet.
Does sharing involve public speaking? Here are our top 7 public speaking tips for sharing your testimony.
Recommended movies, videos, and films
Our ultimate guide: 37 Christian movies based on true stories
Watch a miracle: A regains the use of his voice during a live recording. It starts at 9:30.
Watch Deidox Films: They have a collection of short video documentaries (5 minutes) about Christians living out their faith.
Watch Faith & Co: They have a collection of short documentary films (10-15 minutes) on business leaders living out their Christian faith at work and as the head of their companies.
Recommended faith story podcasts
Listen to the Compelled podcast, which produces longer stories (1 hour or more) about an individual’s lifelong journey to faith.
Listen to the Wow God Stories podcast, which produces mid-length stories (15-30 minutes) about a specific way God works in an individual’s life.
Recommended spiritual growth books
Read the “Case for Christ” book by Lee Strobel. This book was an important part of Mackenzie’s faith story as she wrestled with “why” questions after a car crash in her late 20s that left her with herniated and bulging discs in her neck and back.