WHO WE ARE + WHAT WE DO

Story & Soul is a 501(c)(3) para-church women’s ministry that exists to offer women meaningful content and experiences based on Scripture, Stillness, and Sisterhood. We primarily serve women and churches in the Memphis, Tennessee area. We are not affiliated with any specific local church, but we love to come alongside local churches, and over the years, many local churches have included our events on their women’s ministry calendar rather than create an event from scratch. Our events are open to any women or groups who would like to attend! To read more about our vision, click the icons below.

OUR CORE VALUES

Scripture

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.” Psalm 66:16

All content and events we create are designed to point women to scripture and stir their souls to pursue deeper understanding of God’s Story.

  • Our theology event, &KNOW, is designed to fill women’s minds with the good news of God’s character and ways based on how he reveals himself through the Bible. We craft the event so that theology (knowledge of God) leads to doxology (worship of God), and we pray that women come away delighting in God and in his Word.

  • Our primary offering, Story & Soul Weekend, is designed to be a scripture-rich experience that exalts God's word above any gimmick, above any theme, fully acknowledging that His story is what makes all other stories worth telling. During the first night of the retreat, we share a creative retelling of the big story of the Bible through a unique theme (see here for past stories!), and in our Saturday sessions, our speaker “zooms in” on the theme by teaching on specific passages. Every year, our participants tells us that this approach to scripture is deeply meaningful and memorable.

Stillness

"But I have calmed and quieted my soul." Psalm 131:2

Often we cannot connect with God or with each other because we can't turn off our treadmill way of life. Often we cannot hear God, who loves to speak in the whisper, because we’ve allowed our lives to become so noisy. We love to create content and events that invite women to slow down, to “be still and know” that God is God, to meditate on his character, and to experience the gift of being a beloved daughter to a loving and sovereign Parent.

  • Our theology event, &KNOW, is designed to give women equipping for the stillness. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” This verse reminds us that In the stillness, we need to feast on who God is. (Theology!) We love filling women’s minds with the good news of God’s character and ways, and we craft the event so that theology (knowledge of God) leads to doxology (worship of God).

  • Our retreat, Story & Soul Weekend, is designed to be a screeching halt, an opportunity to hit the breaks. While other retreats tend to schedule every minute, we intentionally leave space. With a carefully-planned itinerary that includes extended morning coffee talks, slow meals, personal devotional time, creative outlets, and even  a nap and stretching class, it is our prayer that participants would leave refreshed, with a stilled and filled soul.

Sisterhood

"They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." Acts 2:46

When we create events and content, we prayerfully consider how to inspire sisterhood rather than simply pew-sharing. Sisterhood is an essential aspect of Story & Soul’s vision for ministry because God dearly loves the church, because togetherness is at the core of the gospel, and because our entire ministry was an outpouring of sisterhood shared by three dear friends. (Want to know more about our story? Read it here!)

  • We like to call our theology event, &KNOW, a girls’ day with a purpose. We encourage women to attend with friends, family members, small groups, etc. and use the drive time, break time, and lunch time to have fun and enjoy rich conversations inspired by all they learned at the event. This event is an incredible backdrop for Christ-centered relationships to deepen!

  • At our weekend retreat, Story & Soul Weekend, women have space and opportunity to deeply connect with other women. One particular aspect of the weekend is especially meaningful: our Saturday evening dinner. Women join together for this beautiful meal immediately following our final worship session, sharing laughter, trading stories, and enjoying leisurely, in-depth conversations. We’ve seen this table be the setting for discipleship relationships to be forged, for damaged relationships to be repaired, and budding friendships to being to flourish. To hear more about the togetherness that women find at Story & Soul Weekend, click here.

OUR TEAM

Christin Poley, Discipleship Director

Christin ensures that the Story & Soul vision is effectively supported by and executed through logistics, materials, and a discipleship focus.

Caroline Saunders, Content Director

Caroline provides and communicates the vision of Story & Soul and manages original content for the organization. Each year, she shares the meta-narrative of Scripture during one of our sessions.

Megan Morris, Creative Director

Megan ensures that the vision of Story & Soul is visually communicated through materials, atmosphere, branding, and social media interactions.

Our Volunteer Team

These women from local churches all over the Mid-South offer their gifts, time, and energy to help us pull off these events. We could not do it without them! Interested in joining our volunteer team? Email us at hello@storyandsoulweekend.com.