A Year of Stories, Action & Hope
A look at what we’ve been up to at Christians for Social Action
Over the past year, Christians for Social Action has continued to create spaces where Christians can wrestle honestly with complicated issues, learn from one another, and put faith into action. From dialogue and direct-action training to original music, immersive storytelling, practical resources, and conversations with Christian leaders, our work has taken many forms, but all have been rooted in a commitment to justice, reconciliation, and the flourishing of our neighbors.
Here are 10 highlights from the past year.
STORYBOOK ALBUM 1 & 2
1. Stories Became Songs
In partnership with Common Hymnal, CSA turned stories from our Storytellers Collective into original music. The first Storybook featured seven songs inspired by Cohort 1. Now five new songs from Cohort 2 make up Storybook, Vol. 2, releasing October 23 on streaming platforms and October 26 as a complete video collection on YouTube.
GOD'S SECRETS: AN IMMERSIVE ART EXPERIENCE
2. God’s Secrets Went to the National Cathedral — and Is Heading to the Smithsonian
Created by Shabazz Larkin and written and narrated by Dr. Jemar Tisby, the immersive God’s Secrets brought overlooked Black history to Understory at Washington National Cathedral this year. In November, it heads to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, where it was selected for the Next Tech Lab at the 2026 Forward Religions Conference.
ORIENTED TO LOVE
3. Oriented to Love Brought People Together Across Deep Differences
Oriented to Love hosted three in-person dialogues this year (in Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Southern California, including a BIPOC-only gathering) and trained 12 leaders in dialogical practice. OTL also created new resources to bring this work to more people, including its Best Questions resource, interviews with older queer Christians, and a new webinar.
RACIAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE
4. Racial Justice Institute Equipped People for Nonviolent Action
In July, 25 people participated in CSA’s Confronting Injustice Nonviolent Direct Action training in Philadelphia. CSA also supported the Freedom Flotilla’s sendoff from Barcelona to Gaza in April and published Project Confrontation, a practical guide to strategic social change that helps Christians understand how organized, nonviolent movements can confront injustice and create meaningful change.
DEVELOPING LONGER-FORM RESOURCES FOR INDIVIDUALS & GROUPS
5. Six New Guides Put Practical Resources in People’s Hands
CSA created six new downloadable and interactive guides on health care, economic injustice, immigration, peacemaking and the Holy Land, racism, and becoming a safe church. Designed for individuals, churches, classrooms, and small groups, the guides combine Christian reflection with practical tools, questions, and next steps — and are now available as interactive flipbooks.
STORYTELLERS COLLECTIVE
6. Storytellers Collective Cohort 1 Stories Found Their Way Into the World
Our first Storytellers Collective cohort — Chasing Justice, Leadership LINKS, HopeWords, A Rocha USA, and CAAPIC — shared stories through films, podcasts, articles, websites, and more. From CAAPIC’s Advent resource to stories of creation care, incarceration, community, leadership, and vocation, each organization found its own way to share stories of Gospel hope.
"20 MINUTE TAKES" PODCAST
7. “20 Minute Takes” Brought More Voices to the Conversation
“20 Minute Takes” continued to bring thoughtful voices into conversations about faith, justice, and culture. Guests included Sara Améstegui Deik, Erina Kim-Eubanks, Zakiya Jackson, Andre Henry, Sandra Van Opstal, and Scott Bessenecker. This October, Terence Lester launches Season 9 with a conversation about what it means to practice moral courage.
"CREDIBLE WITNESs" LIVE EVENT
8. “Credible Witness” Took the Conversation Beyond the Podcast
Hosted by CSA Executive Director Nikki Toyama-Szeto, “Credible Witness” asks what faithful Christian witness looks like right now. This year that conversation moved into the community with Reclaiming Christian Credibility at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C., where more than 200 people gathered to talk about faith, public witness, and the church’s role in this moment.
STORYTELLERS COLLECTIVE
9. Storytellers Collective Cohort 2 Found New Ways to Tell a Story
Our second Storytellers Collective cohort is stretching what storytelling can look like. Partners are creating tabletop card decks, dinner conversations, music, immersive experiences, films, writing, and more. This fall, those stories are also coming to life through two in-person events, giving communities the chance to experience the stories and one another in entirely new ways.
WE ARE GROWING!
10. More People Are Finding CSA
More people are finding and engaging with CSA’s work. From July through September, 43,000+ people visited our website, compared with 32,000 during the same period last year. Facebook monthly views have grown from roughly 20,000 to more than 70,000, and social media now accounts for nearly one-quarter of traffic to the CSA website.
The Work Continues
These are only some of the moments that shaped our year. Behind each number, resource, gathering, song, training, and story are people asking what it means to follow Jesus faithfully in the world as it actually is.
That’s the work CSA has been doing for more than 50 years: helping Christians engage the places where faith and justice meet with courage, humility, curiosity, and hope. And we’re not finished yet!