Stephanie Owens loves Jesus, and it's seen in her compelling voice, contagious smile, and passionate heart. Her music creatively captures both the raw vulnerability and bold intentionality of her personality and character.
During a several-year stint pursuing country music, Stephanie independently released a five-song EP, and five singles, including her rendition of the classic Christmas song, "Mary, Did You Know?", and four Music Videos. Her music garnered attention from many outlets, including CMT, which featured her music videos and earned her a National Television debut on The Huckabee Show, where she performed and shared about her eating disorder recovery and true identity found in Jesus. Stephanie's rendition of the National Anthem has received widespread acclaim, most notably for her performances live on NBC for a NASCAR race and at NFL, NBA, and NCAA games.
As of 2023, Stephanie began wholeheartedly chasing the new direction the Lord has for her in Christian and Worship music. She is on a mission to write and release songs that embolden others to follow Jesus and live passionately for His glory.
We spoke with Stephanie about why she is pursuing Christian music, her new music, and her start at VeggieTales.
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
My husband and I are based in the Nashville area with our two fur babies (a Goldendoodle and Irish Doodle). I moved here about 11 years ago from my hometown, Lynchburg, VA, after graduating from Liberty University. If I ever get to meet y'all in person, you'll find I have a very high energy/bubbly personality (my husband often tells me I need to calm down), and I'm also a deep thinker and feel things deeply. For fun, I enjoy cooking and baking, working out, and diving into theology. Singing is the specific calling I believe the Lord has placed on my life to share about Him and His love!
You started your music career in Country Music where you actively shared about your faith. What is making you pursue worship music fully now?
When I was in middle school, I remember kids saying they never listened to Christian music just because it was called Christian music. So I felt passionate starting then about reaching people (with that mentality) for Christ. When I was around 12, a friend gave me a Martina McBride CD. I only ever listened to Christian music growing up and Natalie Grant and Nichole Nordeman were my favs. I instantly fell in love with how raw and real Country Music lyrics were about real life.
The more I immersed myself in Country, I was excited that a number of artists had songs that talked about their faith and God ("Jesus, Take the Wheel" was my jam, naturally). So I had a vision, even in middle school, that Country Music could be my avenue to reach people who wouldn't intentionally go looking for Christian music.
Fast forward to moving to Nashville, this was still my musical vision. I felt like I was starting to gain some "steam" as an indie artist, and then COVID happened. COVID was definitely a line-in-the-sand moment for me because there was a lot of silence, and me not running around in my typical "busyness" made space for God to do some heart surgery. The Lord just made it clear to me that, with so much confusion in the world and in our society, along with cultural agendas that seemed to become front and center during COVID, people just really needed to hear about Him. I felt God saying to me that, at the end of the day, people didn't need more catchy or fun songs for pure entertainment (there are plenty of those being released by thousands of artists constantly).
I had been frustrated that my "steam" had come to a halt, but God was saying to me that writing and singing songs about Him will outstand time. It's like He was also telling me, "It's okay if your songs never get 'steam' here on earth because, if you write songs with ultimate meaning that point people to Me, we can sing those in Heaven someday." Of course, every person's calling is different, but I was just convicted that I personally need to be singing directly about the Lord in my music.
You've been able to perform the national anthem at many professional games. Any good stories from being involved in that spotlight?
I love performing the National Anthem! I don't know why I love it so much, but I think it's fun to sing! My husband and I also really enjoy watching sports/games, so that's a bonus when I sing. I don't get starstruck around celebrities, but I DO get starstruck around basketball players (they are really tall!). So singing the anthem at basketball games has been funny sometimes.
My favorite anthem experience was singing it at the Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR. It was definitely surreal–I felt so small standing in that space! It was also pretty nerve-wracking because, shortly before I was supposed to go out to sing, they said, "By the way, we're going to be going live on NBC for your performance." I always get nervous before singing anyway, but that was probably the biggest test on my nerves to date!
Many will love hearing you got your start at VeggieTales. So basically... we all grew up with you!
I officially caught the professional performing bug in the studio when I was 7 years old. My mom is a classically trained organist, so when I was 5 years old, she said it was time for me to start taking piano lessons. My piano teacher at the time knew some of the people at Big Idea Productions, which was based in the Chicago area. My piano teacher had heard me sing here and there at my lessons, so she encouraged my parents to let me audition for a special VBS CD that VeggieTales was going to be doing. auditioned and was selected to sing along with several other kids. I can still remember the room we sang in. We have a picture of me standing in there with my headphones in front of the microphone. We also got to tour Big Idea Productions right while they were working on the Esther movie, so that was amazing to see behind the scenes! After the recording, they gave me a $40 check. Getting paid to sing at 7 years old...I thought I had made it big!
Tell us about your new single, "Faithful Father."
"Faithful Father" was born during that period when God was working on my heart during COVID. I had no intention of writing a worship song to release at the time, but I felt like it was something I was supposed to do. I came up with some melody and instrumental ideas sitting at my keyboard in the COVID boredom, and then it just started to take shape from there! The lyrics started as a personal anthem and prayer to the Lord, and then it began to take shape as a worship song. I tried to craft the lyrics to be very God-centric as opposed to me-centric because of what the Lord was doing in my heart at the time. He was teaching me that it's all about Him, not my experience of Him, not His gifts, etc, and that our proper response is always thankfulness because He has been and always will be Faithful. I also really believe "Faithful Father" could be powerful in corporate worship settings too and am praying for the Lord to use it that way as well!
Many want to believe in the faithfulness of Christ but struggle to see it in their own lives. What would you say to them?
Before I say the "what," I have to say the "why" about how I answer this.
When I was a very young girl, I dealt with some pretty serious emotional and physical struggles related to body image (a bad eating disorder and anxiety). I've been open about my past so I won't go into too much detail here, but going through those things made me reach the end of myself. I had to truly surrender control over everything about my life to Jesus before I started to get better (surrendering control is always still a struggle for me).
On the other side of that battle, I truly learned to embrace my story and identity and be thankful for what I had gone through. It made me learn lessons I couldn't have learned any other way. God met me in the trenches and taught me about His faithfulness and, most importantly, I got to really KNOW Him.
James 1:2-4 are my life verses. Struggles produce perseverance so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
So, that is why I would say this to anyone who is struggling to see Christ's faithfulness in your life: You have to cling to God's promises in His Word and preach it to yourself even when things don't make sense.
Romans 8:28 promises that, if you love God and are His child, He works all things for your ultimate good and His glory. You may not see it on this side of eternity, but everything will be clear someday because suffering for a believer is not in vain (James 1:2-4). Jesus Himself endured suffering, and the Bible says that in this world we will also have trouble (John 16:33). I always find comfort in knowing that we are told we will endure trouble, so trials shouldn't come as a surprise because this world is not our home. I also find comfort in knowing that Satan has to ask God's permission to touch us (like in the book of Job).
I'd also encourage you to focus on how His grace abounds every day in the little things, even when you can't see it in the big things–in each breath you take, in the sun that shines for your enjoyment, in your pet snuggling against you, in that awesome dinner you ate, etc.–everything is a gift from God and a reflection of His faithful care. I know trials and struggles can be immensely painful and hard, and I never want to trivialize anything anyone is going through. But God's Word STANDS, and He never forsakes His children. You can take that to the bank and cash it! The devil is a liar. Don't let Him steal your joy or distract you from the amazing things that the Lord wants to do in and through your life! Jesus is Faithful!
What's next for you musically?
I'm really excited for what's ahead! I'm currently in the studio working with Barry Weeks on a set of new songs that we co-wrote with some other amazing writers! The songs tend to have a country vibe sonically and have Christian lyrics. I have honestly never felt more in my element than right now because these songs finally feel like "me" as an artist. "Faithful Father" feels like me too, but something about these new songs just clicks in a whole new way. I can't wait for what the Lord has in store!
How can we be praying for you?
Transparently, I'd love for prayers for the Lord to continue to work out anything in my life that isn't in line with His ideal for me–in my attitudes, thoughts, and actions. I am very stubborn, and it seems like He always has to knock me around a good bit before I pay attention. So prayers for that would be amazing! And then I'd of course love prayers for the Lord to continue to open doors for me to sing and perform. I truly believe He put me on this earth to use my singing voice to bring people to Him, and I really want to step into all I know He created me to be in Christ Jesus and to inspire others to do the same in their lives!
Kevin McNeese started NRT in 2002 and has worked in the industry since 1999 in one form or another. He has been a fan of Christian music since 1991.
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