Video-calling in from his West Sussex studio, a lot of what makes Adam tick becomes immediately apparent; behind him is a minimalistic but well-decorated space, punctuated by pictures of his family, certificates showing his creative skills (he studied graphic design at Central Saint Martins) and his bike hanging on the wall too. This calm-looking space is actually a hive of activity – and the fruit of family teamwork – as the home of Wonderstory, Adam’s brainchild.
Friends and family would describe Adam as creative, spiritually led – and a little bit mad – with a ready sense of humour that can catch people off-guard! The themes which emerge as Adam speaks are hard work, authenticity and a clear vision – whether it’s the studio which he, his wife and his dad converted from a humble garden shed, or the innovative company which it houses.
Family life is important to Adam, and he has two boys with wife Hope – Oakley (three) and Jagger (one) – who love nothing more than a rough and tumble with their dad in the garden. Adam shares that it was wonderful growing up in a Christian family and experiencing a relationship with God early on – “to be able to call Him your friend and talk to Him whenever you need – it’s that level of being able to just trust in something that’s bigger than yourself and in someone even more trustworthy than a family member or a friend – that He’s always there.”
Adam’s childhood faith has developed into something he now clearly owns and has grown during the 24 years he has walked with Jesus.
"We need to make sure the time that we’re spending is on the stuff that we can bring the most to and we’re not just settling in a role or comfortable in a role, but that we’re called to make radical decisions, and take risks, and trust God."
“Everybody has questions and goes through seasons of doubting, but I think what’s so important is to consider those doubts, and Google them, and try and explore them. What you shouldn’t do is say ‘I don’t get it!’ and not talk to anyone about it – try and read about it.” Being proactive by reading the apologetics book The Case for Christ was particularly helpful in strengthening his faith with a historical grounding as a young adult. Taking regular prayer walks and praying in tongues to God have been instrumental in his journey too.
At 18 years old, Adam met an awesome young woman called Hope and promptly invited her to an Alpha course. It was there she ended up giving her life to Christ and the pair started dating. It was a time of growth for both. Adam gives credit to her for how she inspires him with her beautiful faith; he wants to honour her for being an amazing wife and mum, for her support and for being a director at the company as well as her part-time work. “I really am just inspired by how she is… Her faith is a beautiful thing.”
Giving is an important part of Adam’s story, and he has an attitude of gratitude. He’s grateful for the trust his clients give to him and wants to be a blessing to them by giving them his absolute best work – his preference is to work for non-profit clients as much as possible, even though his previous corporate clients were more financially sustainable for him to take on.
On one of his prayer walks, Adam was talking with God and had a sense about the possibility of animating the Bible, and he ended up launching the company, which he now runs full time.
He came up with the name ‘Wonderstory’ because he wanted a new, easy-to-Google word that points both to the wonder of God and the storytelling that is a key part of it.
His logo resembles a burning bush to signify the crazy story of Moses and how the company felt like a calling from God: “We need to make sure the time that we’re spending is on the stuff that we can bring the most to and we’re not just settling in a role or comfortable in a role, but that we’re called to make radical decisions, and take risks, and trust God.”
Adam recently worked on a story about Cain and Abel – exploring why there is evil in the world and ultimately pointing viewers to our steadfast hope in Jesus. Adam is excited to create more faith-based videos and help organisations to communicate what they do.
The Evangelical Alliance itself has recently collaborated with Adam and his gifting, through a Wonderstory animation illustrating how UK evangelicals vote – we are more caring, others-oriented, and politically engaged than perhaps previously thought by media, government and the public. Watch it here: eauk.org/general-election
Wonderstory are offering a free support package for Evangelical Alliance readers. You can claim yours here: wonderstory.net/evangelical-alliance/
