Our Stories Storytelling Initiative
Telling the next generation what God has done—through the stories He has written in us.
The Our Stories Storytelling Initiative is a denomination-wide effort of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church to collect, preserve, and share the stories that have shaped our faith, our congregations, and our communities. It invites every church and every individual—writers and non-writers alike—to take part in a simple, urgent work: remember, record, and pass on what must not be lost.
For 2026, Our Stories has been adopted as the theme of the General Assembly, grounded in Psalm 78:4:
“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.”
Our Stories first appeared as a feature series in the October 2018 issue of the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine. What began as a straightforward effort to tell well-researched, readable stories from our shared life quickly became one of the magazine’s most popular features. Readers clipped and shared the articles, contacted the magazine with suggestions, and asked—again and again—how they could help tell more.
As the series grew, a question surfaced repeatedly: “Why are the subjects so often dead?”
It was a fair question—and an important one. Historical stories are often easiest to tell once a life is complete, when archives and records can be interpreted with clarity and distance. But the question pointed to a deeper truth: we should not wait until stories can no longer be told firsthand. The best time to preserve a story is while the teller is still with us.
That question helped transform Our Stories from a magazine feature into a larger calling: a culture of storytelling across the church.
What It Has Become
Over time, the initiative expanded beyond the magazine page into practical tools that make storytelling easier, more shareable, and more enduring.
Our Stories now includes:
Our Stories Feature Articles in the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine (the heart of the initiative)
The Our Stories Hardcover Book, collecting selected stories from the magazine into a permanent volume
The 2026 Program Planning Calendar, built from the stories to encourage planning rooted in memory and mission
Our Stories Trading Cards, introducing key people, churches, and moments in a format meant to be shared and discussed
A Small Group / Sunday School Lesson Book, designed to help churches use the stories and cards for discipleship and intergenerational conversation
The Style Guide for Religious Publications, a companion resource that supports clear, faithful, accurate writing
This Storytelling Handbook, a practical guide to help individuals and congregations write and tell their own stories—biographical, faith-based, genealogical, local-historical, and even creative
Together these pieces form a growing library of memory and witness—built from the same conviction: our stories are gifts to the future.
Stories are more than nostalgia. They are how faith is handed down.
When we tell stories:
we honor lives of everyday faithfulness
we strengthen belonging and identity across generations
we preserve local history before it disappears
we teach discipleship through real lives, not abstractions
we build an archive that future Cumberland Presbyterians can trust
And we take seriously the responsibility to tell the truth with care—grounded in memory, supported by primary sources, and guided by Christian charity.
What It Has Become
Over time, the initiative expanded beyond the magazine page into practical tools that make storytelling easier, more shareable, and more enduring.
Our Stories now includes:
Our Stories Feature Articles in the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine (the heart of the initiative)
The Our Stories Hardcover Book, collecting selected stories from the magazine into a permanent volume
The 2026 Program Planning Calendar, built from the stories to encourage planning rooted in memory and mission
Our Stories Trading Cards, introducing key people, churches, and moments in a format meant to be shared and discussed
A Small Group / Sunday School Lesson Book, designed to help churches use the stories and cards for discipleship and intergenerational conversation
The Style Guide for Religious Publications, a companion resource that supports clear, faithful, accurate writing
This Storytelling Handbook, a practical guide to help individuals and congregations write and tell their own stories—biographical, faith-based, genealogical, local-historical, and even creative
Together these pieces form a growing library of memory and witness—built from the same conviction: our stories are gifts to the future.
Like many initiatives rooted in creativity and preservation, Our Stories has grown through faith, persistence, and partnership. A grant request to the Lilly Endowment did not result in funding, but the work continued. We are grateful for encouragement and practical support, including help provided by an anonymous donor who believes deeply in this mission.
How You Can Participate
You do not need to be a professional writer or historian to take part. You only need to begin.
Here are a few ways to join the initiative:
Read and share the Our Stories features
Nominate someone whose story should be told
Interview an elder in your congregation or family
Write your own story—a testimony, biography, family history, or local history sketch
Use the trading cards and lessons in Sunday school or small groups
Help preserve records: label photos, save documents, care for church minutes, and share materials with appropriate archives
If you have ever said, “Someone should write that down,” this initiative is your invitation.
We will not hide these stories from our descendants.
We will tell the next generation.
Welcome to Our Stories.
Ready to begin? Explore the resources below, or submit a story idea today.