GOSHEN, Ind. (WOWO) — Goshen College has received a $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to launch More Than Just Stories, a new media hub designed to elevate storytelling about Christian faith, courage and community. The grant comes through the Endowment’s National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life 2025.
“This grant represents a powerful affirmation of who we are as an Anabaptist-Mennonite faith-based college: an academic community where faculty and students collaborate to speak about faith and life with courage, creativity and compassion,” said Goshen College President Dr. Rebecca Stoltzfus. “I am excited because we will be able to create stories for young people, about young people and by young people that show courage, faith and love in action.”
The college was selected through a highly competitive national process. Since 2024, only 60 organizations across the United States have been awarded grants through the initiative, chosen from a pool of more than 1,100 applicants. Recipients include media organizations, denominational networks, publishers, educational institutions and other nonprofit groups.
The More Than Just Stories hub will support five major storytelling projects that blend student involvement, faculty leadership and cross-disciplinary collaboration:
Just Stories — a podcast sharing faith-centered stories from the criminal justice system
The Gratitude Letters — a podcast encouraging reflections and messages of thanks
Peace Talks — a regional and national speech competition focused on peacebuilding and courageous communication
Beyond Sunday Service — a documentary series following four young people living out their faith in everyday life
Risk, Resilience and Love in a Time of Climate Change — a national storytelling conference exploring faithful living amid ecological uncertainty
The five-year initiative will begin in January. Faculty from the Communication Department and the Religion, Justice and Society Department will provide leadership and expertise throughout the project.
Duane Stoltzfus, who authored the grant application, will transition from his role as chair of the Communication Department to serve as project director.
Production will be anchored in the college’s Center for Communication Studies, a 3,700-square-foot facility housing the award-winning Globe Radio (91.1 FM), a TV studio, podcasting space and a multimedia newsroom. FiveCore Media, the college’s video production company, will also contribute.
Over the past decade, Goshen College’s co-curricular communication programs have earned repeated honors at the state and national level, including “Radio Station of the Year,” “Video School of the Year” a “Newspaper of the Year.”
Lilly Endowment’s National Initiative on Christian Faith and Life aims to help organizations nationwide share stories that highlight the vitality of Christian faith in their communities.
