The Backstory S01E02 with Melissa Wiginton from Austin Seminary episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 23, 2026 · 56 MIN

The Backstory S01E02 with Melissa Wiginton from Austin Seminary

from The Backstory Podcast · host Future of Faith

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.

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.

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The Backstory S01E02 with Melissa Wiginton from Austin Seminary

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This episode is 56 minutes long.

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This episode was published on March 23, 2026.

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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....

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