LogoChristian Story Lab
Enter The Lab
Oliver Buchannon
Payton Minzenmayer

I'm Payton Minzenmayer. As a pastor and bestselling author, I’m passionate about helping Christians tell their stories with excellence. I created Christian Story Lab to share practical tips and insights on turning Christian ideas into compelling narratives. Whether it’s for sermons, TV series, or novels, I believe the world deserves the best version of Jesus' story. I live in Vero Beach, Florida, with my wife and two boys, where I write early in the morning and spend the rest of the day chasing after life's simple joys.

Would you rather eat chocolate chip cookie dough or COLD COD?

Feb 6, 2026

•

5 min read

Would you rather eat chocolate chip cookie dough or COLD COD?

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Could a simple sentence structure really improve memory?

Jan 30, 2026

•

5 min read

Could a simple sentence structure really improve memory?

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Pizza Hut hijacked football's most repeated word...

Jan 26, 2026

•

3 min read

Pizza Hut hijacked football's most repeated word...

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Two letters drive more sales than any others in the alphabet...

Jan 22, 2026

•

4 min read

Two letters drive more sales than any others in the alphabet...

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
The most underrated marketing move that nobody talks about...

Jan 17, 2026

•

4 min read

The most underrated marketing move that nobody talks about...

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
4.5 billion reasons email isn't dead

Dec 27, 2025

•

8 min read

4.5 billion reasons email isn't dead

Social media is a landlord's game. You're renting followers you don't own.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
How to Solve Your Toughest Problems by Doing Nothing

Dec 20, 2025

•

9 min read

How to Solve Your Toughest Problems by Doing Nothing

Why your brain solves problems better when you’re not trying. And how you can use it.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
5 Pinterest Trends That Will Change How You Tell Stories in 2026

Dec 13, 2025

•

9 min read

5 Pinterest Trends That Will Change How You Tell Stories in 2026

The 5 trends from Pinterest Predicts 2026 and exactly how Christian creators can use them to reach people.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
3 proven ways to fix sucky marketing

Nov 13, 2025

•

3 min read

3 proven ways to fix sucky marketing

Open your website right now. Read your homepage headline out loud.Does it sound like everyone else? Rewrite it as the opposite.Is it all digital? Add one physical touchpoint this month.Does it talk about you? Flip it to talk about them.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
How to Reverse Engineer One Creator's Content System This Week

Nov 8, 2025

•

3 min read

How to Reverse Engineer One Creator's Content System This Week

I’m going to show you exactly how to pick one creator, map their content system, and adapt it to your voice and mission.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Writing well and avoiding fuzz is hard work.

Oct 18, 2025

•

3 min read

Writing well and avoiding fuzz is hard work.

The classic advice to un clutter your writing

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Why some brands make it and yours likely wont.

Oct 7, 2025

•

3 min read

Why some brands make it and yours likely wont.

How to deal with those little ladders in your head

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Your failure as a writer is like spoiled milk in the fridge.

Sep 27, 2025

•

3 min read

Your failure as a writer is like spoiled milk in the fridge.

The longer it sits, the worse it gets.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Budweiser. Jaguar. Cracker Barrel. What they forgot.

Sep 18, 2025

•

3 min read

Budweiser. Jaguar. Cracker Barrel. What they forgot.

If you want to grow, cut something first.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Why stories taste better baked with 4 and 20 blackbirds

Sep 8, 2025

•

3 min read

Why stories taste better baked with 4 and 20 blackbirds

PLUS: the kooky things I found on the internet this week.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
The best way to move a person (it's not what you think).

Sep 3, 2025

•

3 min read

The best way to move a person (it's not what you think).

The simple words said often move people the deepest.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
How to instantly make your writing less boring

Aug 22, 2025

•

3 min read

How to instantly make your writing less boring

5 quick proofs that unserious writing wins.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Tolkien vs. Disney: Who Got It Right?

Aug 14, 2025

•

3 min read

Tolkien vs. Disney: Who Got It Right?

Disney reminds you to delight. Tolkien reminds you to bleed.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
What 5 insane ads taught me about great marketing

Aug 10, 2025

•

3 min read

What 5 insane ads taught me about great marketing

This one has moldy burgers in it 🍔

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Different > Better Principle (be an alien)

Aug 5, 2025

•

8 min read

Different > Better Principle (be an alien)

PLUS 5 templates you can steal to apply this principle today

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
These writing tweaks 10x response rates

Aug 2, 2025

•

3 min read

These writing tweaks 10x response rates

PLUS the best things I found on the internet this week

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
How a road‐trip vlog raised +$11M and what creators can learn from it

Jul 27, 2025

•

9 min read

How a road‐trip vlog raised +$11M and what creators can learn from it

AND why the mechanics of this series can matter to faith-driven creators.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
How a road‐trip vlog raised +$11M and what creators can learn from it

Jul 25, 2025

•

3 min read

How a road‐trip vlog raised +$11M and what creators can learn from it

AND why the mechanics of this series can matter to faith-driven creators.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
The ONLY 5 lines you need to tell any story

Jul 15, 2025

•

7 min read

The ONLY 5 lines you need to tell any story

400M subscribers won't save a bad product. But this will.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
The ONLY 5 lines you need to tell any story

Jul 15, 2025

•

3 min read

The ONLY 5 lines you need to tell any story

400M subscribers won't save a bad product. But this will.

Payton Minzenmayer
Payton Minzenmayer
Load more
Christian Story Lab

Christian Story Lab

A creative lab for Christians who refuse to play it safe. Experiments, spotlights, and proof that Christians can be the most dangerously creative people in any room.

envelope-simple

Home

© 2026 Christian Story Lab.
Report abusePrivacy policyTerms of use
beehiivPowered by beehiiv