Tell us a little bit about yourself and what God has called you to do? I am a writer, a speaker, a pastor’s wife, a mom to two little boys, and I have my PhD on the topic of women and calling. I write for all sorts of sites like Propel and She Reads Truth, and my passion is to invite women into the deep end of faith. Also, my first book releases this October! It’s called Free of Me: Why Life is Better When It’s Not about You.

Where do you live and have you lived anywhere else? We live in the Raleigh/Durham area, but I am originally from Charlotte, NC. My husband and I spent 4 years living in the Chicago area—which we loved! —but I’m still thawing out from the cold!

How do you carve out time with God everyday? I have young kids, so “quiet time” isn’t really a thing for me right now! There are a lot of days when I have to get creative. Our YMCA has free childcare, so at least a few times a week, I walk the track while praying and reading the Bible on my phone. You gotta do what you gotta do!

What is your favorite Bible Verse? Gosh, that is a hard question. Scripture is living and active, so different verses speak to me at different times. But one of my favorites has always been Psalm 63:3: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.”

What is your best organizational/planning tip? This isn’t a tip so much as a spiritual practice: honor the Sabbath. Your soul needs rest and margin to flourish. That’s why God commanded it. Sabbath requires planning, but it recalibrates our week around God’s rhythm. It also reminds us who keeps this world spinning—not us!

What is your family’s favorite go-to easy meal? Grilled bone-in chicken thighs, marinated in Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce, with grilled corn on the cob. This is as low maintenance as it gets, and SO delicious!

Tell us your favorite God story (in your own life)? Throughout my life, God has a pattern of plopping me in the right place at the right time, even though it didn’t make sense at first. For example, when I decided to get my masters degree, God led me to a school I had no interest in attending. I only enrolled because He made it clear that was where I was supposed to go, and for years I wasn’t sure why. Eventually, that’s where I met my husband!

Over the years, I have learned to trust God’s work behind the scenes. His leading might not make ANY sense right now, but I know that, one day, it will.

What are your 3 favorite books, other than the Bible of course? The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller, and Exclusion and Embrace by Miroslav Volf.

We are dying to know . . . what were some of your “big dreams” in the past? Which did you pursue and which did you let go of? For most of my adult life I have wanted to be a writer, and I never let go of that dream. What I did let go of was the timing. I had dreams of publishing my first book in my early twenties and being this young, impressive influencer. However, life delayed those plans. Between getting my PhD and starting a family, I didn’t have the margin to write books. I had to put that dream on hold for a time, but I’m so glad I did. God did some important soul work in me during those years. He made me a better writer through it.

 “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” PSALM 63:3

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what God has called you to do? I grew up in a home that was filled with love for Jesus and his church. My dad was a pastor and my mom was the worship leader. And I loved it. From a young age, God was giving me glimpses into the beauty of the body of believers and he planted a seed in my heart of love for His church very early on.

This summer marks 20 years in full-time ministry in the local church. My husband, John, and I have been married for 18 years! We have had the joy of partnering together in ministry for the majority of those years in the area of Worship. I have worked in churches in the mid-west, on the East Coast, and now here in Southern California. I have experienced His church in Africa, Asia, and Europe and continue to be inspired and challenged by the call God has placed on my life—to build his church and to create healthy spaces for technical artists and worship leaders to thrive and reach their full potential as leaders in their church and community.

John and I have two boys, Noah (14) and Hayden (12) and they are connected to our ministry and team in such sweet ways. Church and worship and leadership has been woven into the very fabric of their young lives and we are overjoyed to see their love for Jesus growing daily.

God has generously blessed me beyond measure with His church, my family, our team, and our friends. He has blended those things together throughout my story in life changing ways. So grateful for a front row seat to the beauty of His church for so many years.

Where do you live and have you lived anywhere else? I currently live in Southern California but I grew up in the Mid-west right outside of Kansas City. My parents still live there! I went to college in Illinois and then after getting married, my husband and I lived in New Hampshire for 14 years. I’m so grateful for the places I’ve lived over the years and the countless ways the people and the geography have shaped me.

How do you carve out time with God everyday? This looks different in different seasons. Time with God happens throughout my day. Over a cup of coffee and His Word. On my drive to work or to pick up the boys. Sometimes through music, sometimes through silence. I’m always on the hunt for the perfect devotional or the perfect amount of time with Jesus. I find that I experience my greatest connection with Him when I let His Word take deep root in my heart and I pursue a constant conversation with Him throughout the day.

What is your best organizational/planning tip? Take a day of rest. A Sabbath. A day that you protect to be a little quieter and move a little slower.

What is your family’s favorite go-to easy meal? Tacos. Hands down.

What are your 3 favorite books, other than the Bible of course? A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.

What is your favorite Bible Verse? I think my favorite verse changes to accompany different seasons in my life. Right now I’m really loving Jeremiah 17:7-8. I love the picture painted of a life that is thriving in every season. “But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers—Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 MSG)

We are dying to know . . . with your experience, what makes a great Worship team? Haha! Oh man. That’s a big question. But a good one. It’s one of my favorite things to talk about and I wish I could tell you everything over a slow cup of coffee. In my experience, the best worship teams are made up of people who love Jesus more than they love the microphone, who keep the soil of their hearts soft and their ears tuned to the Holy Spirit, and who carry the call of the gathering of the local church with Holy hands. It requires constant care, commitment to team health, and a culture of love. The highest goal is always love for our team. Love for Jesus and love for others. Love is not our only goal. Excellence and skill and development are pretty important too. But it is definitely the highest goal. We have found that when we keep love as our highest goal, everything else flows from that.

But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers—Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season. JEREMIAH 17:7-8 MSG

You can connect more with Stefanie over on Instagram and Twitter @stefcassetto.