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.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what God has called you to do? I’m a true Southern California girl born and raised in South Orange County. I love to surf, snowboard and am an active member of the CrossFit nation. God has called me to train and equip church leaders to excel in connecting with people in the digital space. I’m passionate about the local church and would love to see it thrive in all spaces.

Where do you live and have you lived anywhere else? Currently, I reside in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA and have lived in San Diego.

How do you carve out time with God everyday? Ideally, my time spent with God is every morning but sometimes life gets in the way of that. I carry a Bible with me in my car, I have one at work and one at home. It’s almost like I keep a snack with me in all places so that if I miss a “spiritual meal,” I have a snack to hold me over. When I’m not in the Word consuming my daily bread, I become a “hangry” Christian and nobody wants that.

What is your best organizational/planning tip? I used to be the classic double-booker until I learned to fool-proof my calendaring. I’ve learned that a dual-strategy approach keeps me safe: Write it down and to put it in the phone. I keep my phone calendar for pop-up event reminders and I keep my Anchored Press Planner so that I can visually layout my schedule and see where I can squeeze things in or take things out.

What is your favorite go-to easy meal? Sweet potatoes, ground turkey and broccoli. I think this comes from so many years of doing Paleo challenges!

What are your 3 favorite books, other than the Bible of course? Uninvited by Lysa Terkeurst — this is a must-read! Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek and The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron .

What is your favorite Bible Verse? I’ve had a lot of different favorite bible verses but right now in this season, it’s Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.”

We are dying to know . . . what you love most and least about social media? I love that social media is a way for people to connect, inspire each other creatively, discover new things and experience the world in a whole new way. Some of my best friends live across the ocean and I’m able to stay connected with them — I’m so grateful! However, we forget that social media is about connecting with people. It’s about speaking AND listening. Which leads me to what I like least… I don’t like how everyone is trying to “BE” something or someone. We’re producing these ideal stories of what we’d love our lives to look like and the image we’d like to portray and all the while the story is without flaw, full transparency and beauty in the hard parts of life. What would social media look like if we stopped trying to impress each other and started impacting each other’s lives with Jesus and eternity in-mind?

“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.” PROVERBS 3:5-6