Convocation Stories Part 3: Confessions from the Mud: Eco-Anxiety and the Power of Surprise

A special bonus episode mini-series from Climate Changed

In the third of four installments of our special bonus mini-series, Climate Changed returns to the 2025 BTS Center Convocation. Over the last few weeks, we have heard from participants who “flipped the script”—stepping away from data and policy to share personal, lived experiences of the climate crisis. Peterson and Ben also break down the specific storytelling techniques—The Confession and The Twist—that make these narratives so effective, while storytelling coach Cheryl Hamilton and previous guest Tyler Mark Nelson return to discuss how one person’s story can “unlock” the stories of others. Links to Listen Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcasts Full show notes and all episodes: ClimateChangedPodcast.org Transcript

Links to Listen

• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
• Full show notes and all episodes: ClimateChangedPodcast.org
• Transcript

About This Mini-Series: Convocation Stories

At the 2025 BTS Center Convocation, participants were invited to share climate-centered stories grounded in their own lives. Working with coaches from Stellar Story Company, these storytellers moved beyond the "doom and gloom" binary to find humor, resilience, and spiritual insight in the face of a changing world.

Meet the Storytellers

Kate André serves as Pastor of the Mennonite Congregation of Boston and is the Mennonite/Anabaptist Chaplain at Harvard University. In her story, Kate uses the power of "confession" to admit that, despite her work in creation care, she wasn't always a nature lover. She takes us on a journey from the comfort of dark movie theaters to the muddy reality of planting hope, showing us that we don't have to be perfect environmentalists to do good work.

Blair A. R. Nelsen is the Executive Director of Waterspirit and represents the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace at the United Nations. Bringing a global perspective from her time living in Venezuela and Brazil, Blair shares a story about seeking help for eco-anxiety. Expecting to find a room full of despairing peers, she instead encounters a "twist" that reveals the deep, intergenerational resilience found in community.

Cheryl Hamilton is the Founder and Executive Director of Stellar Story Company. An award-winning communications expert, Cheryl has coached over 1,500 people from 80 countries. In this episode, she shares insights on how stories can lead to unexpected connections and richer conversations.

Next Steps

• Share this episode with a friend or your faith community. As Cheryl and Tyler remind us, "Stories unlock stories."
• Tell your own story. You don't need a stage. Share a reflection on social media or record a voice memo for a friend.
• Contact us. Share your reflections by email at [e-mail] or leave a voicemail at 207-200-6986.
• Learn more about The BTS Center and upcoming programs at TheBTSCenter.org.
• Explore storytelling coaching at StellarStory.com.

Announcing Season Four of Climate Changed!

Season Four is coming soon! We are thrilled to welcome incoming co-hosts Nicole Diroff and Autumn Brown, who will explore what it means to live, love, and lead with faith and imagination in a climate-changed world.

Season Four Guests include:

• Francis Weller: Author of The Wild Edge of Sorrow.
• Norma Wong: Zen Master and leader at the Institute of Zen Studies.
• Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner: Climate Change Chaplain.
• Tory Stevens: Climate Narrative Project.
• Katie Mears: Episcopal Relief & Development.

Make sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss the Season Four premiere!