Talking Leadership
A Story from the Heart
Joni and Friends’ Donna Lucas shares insight on the power of storytelling.
Christian Leadership Alliance President and CEO Tami Heim, recently interviewed Donna Lucas, Chief Marketing Officer for Joni and Friends. In this edition of Outcomes, we explore the power of storytelling—and why it matters now more than ever for Christian nonprofits seeking to communicate with clarity, compassion, and conviction.
By Christian Leadership Alliance
Thought Leader
Storytelling That Endures
Why the best ministry stories invite others into the mission.
As The Salvation Army approaches 150 years of ministry in the United States, I have reflected often on what allows certain stories to endure. Some lessons are unique to our organization. Others, I believe, apply to every Christian leader seeking to engage supporters, inspire teams and advance kingdom impact.
By Dr. Dale Bannon
Lead Story
Structuring Successful Storytelling
Applying insights from the SUCCES framework.
There are as many frameworks for storytelling as there are stories to tell. We enjoy sharing “the SUCCES framework” from Chip and Dan Heath (from their phenomenal book Made to Stick, Random House, 2007), but there is not one framework that rules them all. However, a framework of some sort is non-negotiable.
By Brock Anderson and Shelley Komoszewski
Biblically Speaking
Stewards of the Story
Every ministry inherits a story it didn’t start. How we tell it is our stewardship.
Our ministries have stories of calling, sacrifice, failure, provision, and faithfulness. Telling our stories well is more than a communication technique. It’s part of caring for what God has entrusted to us.
By Jason Fox
Feature
Can You Tell Your Ministry’s Story?
What Pray.com is learning about using AI to serve, not replace, the storyteller.
We built a system we call Pray Production Studio, a pipeline that uses AI tools to move a biblical story from written script to finished video far faster than a traditional workflow allows. It handles the labor-intensive middle of production, the part that historically ate the calendar and the budget.
By Max Bard
Feature
Hidden Under a Bowl
Why we know our story matters — and still won't tell it.
The organizations most convinced that storytelling matters are often the very ones least likely to do it. This is not a skills problem. Nobody needs another workshop on the anatomy of a good narrative. Our sector suffers from a knowing-doing gap. Until we name what holds us back, we will keep nodding along at conferences and driving home to say nothing.
By James Misner
Reflections
The Greatest Story
Witnessing the gospel at work through the local church.
If you truly want to understand Compassion, you have to understand the local church. The church is where the gospel is lived, taught, embodied, and extended. It’s where people are known by name, where poverty is confronted with courage, and where transformation unfolds through the saving grace of Christ.
By Tim Glenn
Empowering People
The Human Premium
Why authentic voices still win trust in the age of AI
As AI content multiplies, audiences increasingly reward the opposite of blending in: a real person speaking plainly, with something at stake. A donor, volunteer, reporter or stranger scrolling past a hundred identical posts all respond to a voice that could only belong to one specific person, not a template doing the same work for everyone else.
By Anna Hutsell
Power Source
When Crisis Hits
Your response becomes your story.
What many Christian nonprofits haven't prepared for is what happens when someone else starts telling your story for you. A crisis is, among other things, a challenge to authorship that introduces a competing version of your organization’s story.
By Nathan Burchfiel
Interior Remodel
Your Website Tells Your Story
Don’t make your visitors work to understand it.
Every organization has a story, and your website needs to tell it well. For most donors, a website is the validation visit: the first stop and often the last word before someone decides to give, volunteer, or walk away.
By Mike Lenda
Raising the Bar
Do Donors Know Their Role in Your Story?
It is vital for flourishing in fundraising.
What if your fundraising problem is actually a storytelling problem? Do your donors truly feel connected to the mission? Do they understand how their giving directly impacts hearts, lives, and eternities? Most importantly, do they realize they are a central character in your organization’s impact narrative?
By Justin Eklund
Foundations
The Leadership Story You Should Tell
Sharing how God formed you as a leader
Every leader has a story. Not the polished version we think we should have because we watched other successful leaders. Not the version we post because it sounds impressive or garners favor. The real story—the one that explains why we lead the way we do.
By Tricia Bell
Sources & Resources
Books for Fall 2026
12 Great Reads for Equipping Today’s Christian Nonprofit Teams
Outcomes Magazine recommends these 12 great reads for equipping today's Christian nonprofit teams. Explore insightful new books on storytelling, communications, culture, and Christian leadership development..
By W. Scott Brown
Outcomes Magazine
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