ABHMS invites storytellers to take the stage at Space for Grace & Spiritual Caregivers Conference 2026
VALLEY FORGE, PA (10/31/2025)—The Storyteller Recruitment Committee of American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) is calling storytellers of faith and imagination to submit requests to share their stories at Innovators Hall, a central feature of the upcoming Space for Grace & Spiritual Caregivers Conference, which will take place April 21–23, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Innovators Hall offers an evening of connection, inspiration, challenge, and deep joy through stories that reveal how God’s grace is active in the world today. Scheduled for Wednesday night, April 22, the event will feature short, true stories told live on stage in front of conference attendees and a wider livestream audience.
“We believe storytelling is both an ancient art and a sacred act,” said Marie Onwubuariri, a member of the Space for Grace Storyteller Recruitment Committee. “When people share their real stories of faith and struggle, laughter and loss, they remind us, as the Apostle Paul wrote, that God’s Spirit is still writing letters of grace on human hearts.”
Storytellers are encouraged to draw from a broad spectrum of creative expressions. While the committee expects traditional spoken- and sung-word storytelling, applications are also welcome from artists working in other formats, such as video, movement, or photo-based narrative, so long as the story can be experienced meaningfully in a live setting. All stories should be true, personal, and delivered within five minutes.
Guided by the 2026 conference theme, “Storytelling: Discovering Its Power for Faith Leaders Today,” Innovators Hall highlights the special power of stories and the act of sharing them to inspire, connect, and transform. Attendees and listeners will discover how everyday believers’ stories can reveal truth, bridge divides, and foster renewed courage for ministry in a divided world.
A highlight of past Space for Grace gatherings, Innovators Hall is known for its open, communal atmosphere, similar to a sacred story slam where hospitality and joy come before competition, according to Onwubuariri. “This is not about performers competing with one another,” she explained. “It’s about giving voice to the experiences that make us more human, more faithful, and more whole.”
Applications to share a story are open now through Monday, December 8, 2025. Twelve storytellers will be chosen to appear at Innovators Hall. They will be notified on or about January 30, 2026. Applicants must be registered for the conference and available for the live event on April 22.
To learn more or apply, access the Innovators Hall storyteller submission form.
For conference details and to register, visit the 2026 Space for Grace & Spiritual Caregivers Conference registration site.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
Judson Press, a publishing ministry of American Baptist Home Mission Societies founded in 1824, produces Christ-centered spiritual and leadership resources for the transformation of individuals, congregations, and communities.
