When We Were on Fire

When We Were on Fire

Addie Zierman grew up “on fire” for God in the ‘90s, in the era of WWJD bracelets, Acquire the Fire youth conferences, and “I Kissed Dating Goodbye,” embracing the us-versus-them evangelical Christian faith she’d inherited … until the fire went out. This full-cast, four-part audio drama podcast was created by Lizzie Goldsmith, and is based on the 2013 book “When We Were on Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangled Love, and Starting Over” by Addie Zierman. It’s a funny, heartbreaking, deeply personal, and ultimately hopeful story about faith, doubt, and first love, though it does include themes of religious trauma, emotional abuse, and depression.

Episodes

September 2, 2025 47 secs

Growing up in the evangelical Christian subculture of the 1990s, Addie Zierman was “on fire” for God and passionate about reaching the world for Jesus. That is, until her fire burned out, and everything she thought she knew got turned upside down.

Coming September 24, this full-cast, four-part audio drama is based on the book “When We Were on Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangled Love, and Starting ...

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Addie Zierman was the 1990s evangelical poster child, who, in high school, once stood at the flagpole at See You at the Pole all alone in the pouring rain, and, another time, anointed a school cafeteria table with oil, all the while dreaming of doing big things for the Lord. But that all changed when her fire for God burned out, and the things that had once sustained her now left her feeling disconnected and alone. Can her faith su...

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September 24, 2025 23 mins

Addie Zierman grew up “on fire” for God in the ‘90s, in the era of WWJD bracelets, Acquire the Fire youth conferences, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and the early days of the See You at the Pole movement. Addie embraces this us-versus-them evangelical Christian faith she’s inherited, not realizing that this obsession has a dark side.

This full-cast audio drama is based on the book When We Were on Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangl...

Mark as Played

How did When We Were on Fire become an audio drama, and what was it really like for Addie Zierman to have her story adapted? Audio drama creator Lizzie Goldsmith is joined by Addie and voice actor Aria Sivick (who voices Addie in the production) to talk about what this project means to them and how it all started. They also talk about toxic relationships, religious trauma, the legacy of the book, and other themes and key moments fr...

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October 8, 2025 21 mins

Being “on fire for God” all the time is starting to take its toll on Addie Zierman as she starts college in Minnesota, meets a boy named Andrew, and heads overseas for a year that will change her life.

This full-cast audio drama is based on the book When We Were on Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangled Love, and Starting Over by Addie Zierman. Created by Lizzie Goldsmith, it is being released ...

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For audio drama creator Lizzie Goldsmith, her faith deconstruction experience started on the floor of a church in England during her Youth with a Mission trip. For When We Were on Fire author Addie Zierman, it came from a deep feeling of never belonging. Lizzie and Addie are joined by voice actor Aria Sivick to talk about community, their fraught relationships with church, and the riskiest creative choice Lizzie made in episode two...

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October 22, 2025 27 mins

Addie Zierman is depressed, angry at the Church People, and feeling lost in her life, her faith, and her marriage. What will it take for her to find her way back? Is going back even possible?

This full-cast audio drama is based on the book When We Were on Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangled Love, and Starting Over by Addie Zierman. Created by Lizzie Goldsmith, it is being released in collaboration with Addie.

This movie from...

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It took an incredible amount of vulnerability for Addie Zierman to write about her hardest year — and to revisit it now. Addie is joined by Lizzie Goldsmith and voice actor Aria Sivick to talk about how she got to that place … and how she made it through. Plus, the role of swearing in this story, being a pick-me girl, and what it’s like portraying someone who’s in a dark place.

Come to the Listening Party at Stella’s Coffee Haus in...

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November 5, 2025 19 mins

On the other side of her darkest year, Addie Zierman faces the demons from her past and decides what to hold on to and what to let go of as she moves into a new stage of her life.

This full-cast audio drama is based on the book When We Were on Fire: A Memoir of Consuming Faith, Tangled Love, and Starting Over by Addie Zierman. Created by Lizzie Goldsmith, it is being released in collaboration with Addie.

Cast (in order of appearanc...

Mark as Played

Author Addie Zierman talks about her complicated relationship with Christianity now and why she stepped back from writing publicly for several years. Audio drama creator Lizzie Goldsmith and voiceover artist Aria Sivick join her to reminisce about one of the most memorable scenes from episode 4, and our favorite memories from the audio drama Listening Party in 2019. Join us for one more trip down memory lane as we talk about the pa...

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