Helping Your Church Cultivate a Culture of Story

This blog is part of a 3-part series on how churches can nurture a child’s faith through storybooks
and is written by Melissa Deelstra, a friend of the Center for Faith and Children and
a children’s ministry leader in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Melissa is passionate about
children’s spiritual formation and recently helped launch The Lighthouse Library,
an ecumenical lending library designed to help families and churches read for faith formation.
The library was supported in part by donations made to the Presbyterian Church in Canada.  

In the first two posts of this series (post 1, post 2), we explored why stories matter for children’s faith and how reading together can nurture their imagination and understanding of God. We saw how repeated stories, small daily practices, and conversations around books quietly shape a child’s heart.

But faith formation doesn’t happen in isolation. While parents and caregivers play a vital role, churches have the opportunity to support families and create a culture where stories of faith are shared across generations.

Stories don’t only stay with children—they stay with the church. When churches intentionally create spaces for storytelling, provide access to good books, and equip families to read together, they help children enter the grand narrative of Scripture with confidence and curiosity.

Start With Access: Lending Libraries

One practical way churches can support families is by providing access to faith-based books. Many parents want to read with their children but don’t know where to start—or can’t purchase every book themselves.

That’s why we created The Lighthouse Library, an ecumenical lending library in Prince Edward Island filled with storybook Bibles, novels, and resources for children and families. Thanks to a Creative Ministry with Children and Youth Grant from the Presbyterian Church in Canada, we’re now able to share these resources with families, churches, and ministry leaders across the province.

The library is designed to make it easy for children to encounter stories of God’s love repeatedly and in a variety of formats. Families can borrow books for home, small groups can use them in Sunday school, and volunteers can integrate them into outreach programs.

Providing access like this removes barriers and makes it more likely that children will encounter stories that shape their imagination and faith.

Equip Parents and Caregivers

Churches can do more than lend books—they can help parents and caregivers use them well. This doesn’t require long workshops or formal lessons. Simple steps make a big difference:

• Share recommended reading lists for different ages.
• Offer short storytelling sessions or read-aloud events at the church.
• Encourage families to practice OWL—Observe, Wait, Listen—when reading with children.

Even a five-minute conversation after a story can help children process what they’ve read and connect it to their own lives. These small practices, repeated over time, help children see that God is present in their everyday experiences.

Make Storytelling Part of Church Life

Beyond lending books and equipping families, churches can embed storytelling in worship and programs.

• Include story-based elements in Sunday school and family worship.
• Invite older children and teens to read or retell Bible stories to younger children.
• Feature books during special events, such as Advent or Lent, to connect Scripture with stories children can explore at home.

When storytelling is a visible part of church life, children see that stories of faith are not just personal—they belong to the whole community.

Why It Matters

Stories are not just entertainment. They are tools for imagination, memory, and formation.

Repeatedly hearing a story like Psalm 23—whether in a book, audiobook, or retelling—helps a child remember that God is present, even in “dark, scary, lonely places.” When churches support families with resources, guidance, and opportunities for storytelling, they help plant seeds of faith that will last a lifetime.

As ministry leaders, volunteers, and caregivers, we have the privilege of creating a culture of story—one where children grow up recognizing God’s love through repeated words, familiar pictures, and shared experiences.

Because when stories of faith live in the heart, they stay with children—and they stay with the church.