The Backstory Podcast

In this episode of The Backstory, hosts Elizabeth, Josh, and Shannon speak with Laura Everett of the Massachusetts Council of Churches about their storytelling initiative, Revelations. The conversation pulls back the curtain on project planning, ethics, and the practical steps they are taking to support storytellers. Topics include research into safety and psychographic audience insights, cohort-based storytelling tied to film screenings, a national resource center for wholeness and security, and partnerships that protect vulnerable narrators while cultivating prophetic imagination and community. https://www.masscouncilofchurches.org/

Welcome to The Backstory episode featuring Metropolitan AME Church’s storytelling project. The team describes their “Come to the Table” approach built around three tables—Welcome (hospitality and church in the wild), Imagination (artists and creative expression), and Creation (climate justice). They emphasize research-driven, ethical, non-extractive storytelling aimed at engaging Black Gen Z “dones” through listening, focus groups, and collaborative production. The conversation covers early planning, challenges with distribution and impact measurement, questions of compensation and ownership, and the hope that these experiments—supported by a grant—will amplify marginalized voices, strengthen community ties, and model new ways for faith communities to welcome and connect.

In this episode of The Backstory, Elizabeth interviews Melissa Wigginton from Austin Presbyterian Seminary about the Austin Story Project: a grant-funded effort training story guides to lead small, embodied "story circles" centered on Jesus moments. They discuss project design, early wins (training 50 guides), challenges with participation, distribution plans, and built-in evaluation with EffectX.Guests also explore practical lessons about hiring for storytelling versus communications roles, the power of simple questions to draw out meaningful stories, and how local, community-based experiences can contribute to a wider shift in narratives about Christian faith and life.

Welcome to The Backstory, a candid look at the roots, soil, and saplings of narrative change. Hosted by Josh Packard (Future of Faith), Shannon Hopkins (Rooted Good), and Elizabeth Coffee (Lake Institute), this podcast is a dedicated companion for the Lilly Endowment Storytelling cohort. While most people only see the "canopy"—the polished, final stories we share with the world—we’re interested in what happens underneath. In this series, we pull back the curtain on the creative process to explore how faithful narratives are actually built. We dig into the "backstory" of our work: the ethical dilemmas, the technical challenges, the unexpected wins, and the messy reality of trying to shift culture through story. Join us each month for: - Behind-the-scenes breakdowns of our own active projects.- Peer-to-peer interviews with fellow grantees from the field.- Honest conversations about what it takes to tell stories that shape the future of faith. Whether you are in the thick of a grant project or just passionate about the intersection of faith and storytelling, come listen, learn, and grow with us in The Backstory.