Feral Creativity, Faith, and Black Coffee: a Conversation with Caffeinated Church’s Newest Team Member, Stephanie Whitehouse

Stephanie Whitehouse is joining the Caffeinated Church team as Communications Coordinator, helping us coordinate conference, membership, and workshop recruitment—and generally making sure the good stuff we’re building actually reaches the people who need it.

She brings deep Episcopal roots and serious digital storytelling chops and we’re excited to have her in our corner of the coffee shop.

Let’s get to know Stephanie.

☕Tell us a little about your connection to the church.

I’m a cradle Episcopalian, so the church has been a steady presence in my life for as long as I can remember — not just as a place of worship, but as a space for belonging, questioning, and becoming. Some of my earliest experiences of community, leadership, and service were formed in the church, and that foundation has continued to shape how I move through the world.

Over time, my connection to the church has deepened and shifted through lived experience: serving in leadership roles, on comms teams, and even working with youth (I just stepped down from a Youth Director position at Trinity United Methodist in Denver), and participating in faith-based service and community engagement. I’ve been especially drawn to expressions of church that are human centered: curious, relational, and rooted in justice & equity — spaces where people are invited to show up as their whole selves and where faith is something we practice together, not just this lofty fluffy idea we talk about.

At this point in my life, the church feels less like an institution I belong to, and more like a community I’m actively helping to build. I’m motivated by storytelling, connection, and creating welcoming pathways for all people to engage — especially those who may feel unsure, harmed by the church, burnt out, or just a little curious at the edges. For me, faith is alive when it’s shared, honest, and woven into everyday life, and, especially based off my experience in finding a spiritual home at St. Peter & St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Denver, CO….that’s the kind of church I feel called to support and serve.

☕How did you find your way into communications and digital storytelling?

I’m a product of Microsoft Paint and Windows Media Player! Ever since I was small I loved creating things on paper and on the computer. Once I realized you could pursue design for communication and storytelling as a real adult job in undergrad (I went to the School of Media Arts & Design at James Madison University), there was no turning back. Turning complex ideas, thoughts, and feeling into design & various forms of art is something that has and will be always with me, and I love to do this work for folks who want to bring something to life. A metaphor I like to use for myself is that I’m an “untangler of Christmas lights” - folks bring me a bright, colorful idea, and I help them untangle, brainstorm, execute, and ultimately help them put it out in the world. Whether that’s logo design, brand design, web/print design, or short form content, that’s what lights me up.

☕What drew you to Caffeinated Church?

I attended my first Caffeinated Church conference in September of 2024 with my (now regular) parish, St. Peter & St. Mary’s in Denver, CO. As someone who has always found themselves in rather small-to-medium, scrappy parishes where everyone wears multiple different hats, a comms conference sharing the knowledge that is often trapped in ONE staff member’s brain was a draw for me, and getting to be around a very ecumenical audience was a treat, too.

☕What’s something you want the Caffeinated Church community to know about you?

That I absolutely love arts and crafts. Or anything artistic, really. I believe we are all created Divine and born creative, and that it just shows up in really fascinating, different ways with everyone. I use a “feral creativity” ethos in my work, which means to me not judging ideas before they’re fully formed, trusting creative nudges, making it exist before making it better, and freeing oneself from the expectation of others.

☕Finally, and essentially: What’s your morning drink of choice?

Ideally, black coffee. I’m a huge fan of the sugary, lighter fluffier drinks too, but when I drink black coffee, it’s grounding for me (pardon the pun); my Nana used to drink her coffee black… and so when I drink it black, it’s an homage to her AND a jumpstart to my day. Upon drinking my morning cup, I descend into a very “okay, it’s Business Time™” mode, and I’m able to be up and about and take care of my many responsibilities for the day.

Stephanie is joining the Caffeinated Church team as Communications Coordinator, and you’ll see her showing up across the spaces where clarity, consistency, and connection matter most. Send her a note of welcome at Stephanie@CaffeinatedChurch.org.