Austin Story Project - Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Welcome to The Austin Story Project!

At the heart of the Christian faith lies the power of story—the sacred act of sharing experiences of God’s work in our lives. These testimonies create deep connections, inviting listeners to encounter God’s freedom and hope through lived experiences. Inspired by this transformative practice, Austin Seminary is building a vibrant network of trained storytellers—congregational leaders, young adults, and independent visionaries. These storytellers will ignite communities by sharing stories that illuminate God’s presence, hosting events, and creating ripples of inspiration that extend far beyond the Seminary. Together, we are cultivating a movement of storytelling that transforms lives and reflects God’s love.

In the Christian testament, story transmits spiritual reality by inviting the listener to participate in “what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life” (1 John 1).

Our Partner

The Hearth, a nonprofit organization founded and directed by Mark Yaconelli, will be the Seminary’s partner. The Hearth has spent over fifteen years developing, practicing, and training community leaders in a variety of tested, transformative, accessible communal storytelling methods. To learn more about The Hearth you can visit their website here.

Our Values

Christian story is transformational: We seek to engage story in ways that draw forth the fruits of the spirit. We will design, facilitate, and measure each of our endeavors according to their potential to transmit Gospel freedom and change. We will keep the following question at the forefront of our work: What stories, storytellers, narrative activities best invite Christian transformation?
Christian story is relational: We will create projects in which we gather diverse audiences, in which the various concerns of the listeners are honored, in which listening is valued as highly telling. In our programming and activities, we will reflect on questions like: How can we create an environment of warmth, connection, and safety where listening and telling are equally valued?
Christian story enchants: We will create the experience of a different world for people, a world enchanted by the Spirit of God in which compassion is the theme, communities are the characters and transformation is the plot. In our work we will ask ourselves: How can we make this event, story, interaction, project more enchanting?

Project Design

Gather Storycatchers: The project begins by gathering a diverse group of storycatchers to help guide the work. Storycatchers are those gifted souls who have a particular ear for, understanding of, and sensitivity to Christian stories that transform.
Form Christian Storytelling Communities: We will identify, recruit, and train 100 leaders from 50 strategic and diverse congregations, 25 independent Christian leaders, and 40 young adults in the art of community storytelling. Each congregation will commit a pastor and a lay leader to participate. They will begin with testimony inside congregational practice and grow story circles with neighbors not in the church through invitation and relationship-building.
Invite Young Adults to Embody the Christian Story through pilgrimages: Using practices of pilgrimage, we will invite 36 young adults from within and outside of the Christian community to walk together the Christian story pattern. Young adults will journey through the plotlines of Jesus’ life in various pilgrimages within the United States and abroad.
Share Beautiful Stories: Through live events, films, audio recordings, and other art installations we want to produce stories that move mind, body, heart, and soul. According to our guiding values, we will work to present stories that appeal to the senses, that delight the ears and imagination. We imagine producing the following:
1. Story Circles for friends, neighbors, and new people: Participants in these in-person story circles will include friends and neighbors who are not part of the church.
2. Public Storytelling Events for communities: Churches formed in communal storytelling methods will produce local public events in which stories are shared based on Christian themes and values.
3. Cinematic Films of Luminous Christians and Communities for the public: We will identify Christians who are living lives of beauty, grace, and love. Inspired by Netflix’s Chef’s Table, we want to produce stories that give an experience of enchantment that can only happen with the multidimensional tools of filmmaking.

The Austin Story Project team

Melissa Wiginton, Project Director

Melissa is the Vice President for Strategic Engagement and Partnerships at Austin Seminary and will serve as Senior Advisor, with responsibility for strategic oversight of the project.

Mark Yaconelli, Executive Director at The Hearth

Mark Yaconelli is a writer, retreat leader, community builder, spiritual director, storycatcher, husband, and father. He is the founder and executive director of The Hearth. Previously, he co-founded and served as program director for the Center for Engaged Compassion where he helped develop a unique set of practices and training programs for assisting individuals, organizations, and communities in cultivating compassion.

Mikala McFerren, Program Coordinator

Mikala provides administrative support and helps coordinate operations and communications for the Austin Story Project ensuring the program's successful execution.

Contact us to ask a question or receive news and updates.

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