Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome to the Arkansas Baptist of Women podcast. On this season we will talk about the beauty of belonging to a gospel centered like minded community that shapes and encourages us to love God and to be present in our calling.
[00:00:12] Speaker B: We are excited to sit down with different women from all stages of life and hear what God is doing in their life in an area of ministry that God has called them to join us as we find encouragement in the work and presence of God as he is reflected through casual conversation around coffee and authenticity.
[00:00:29] Speaker A: All right. Hey, Arkansas Baptist women. It is Morgan Fulcher and your host Hannah Ginnay. And today we get to sit down with our sweet friend, Kristen Kordsmaier.
[00:00:39] Speaker B: We are so excited to have Kristin with us. She is someone that has been one of my best friends for the last seven years. So this is super fun for me that now y'all get to get to know her a little bit. I've gotten to watch her as a roommate and as a friend over the last few years. Just different seasons. Yes, lots of things. But I, I was thinking about it before we started of just the things I just as a friend and as a roommate that our other roommate that lived with us, we would call her the angel one of our house and like she's just like so pure and holy and so I think we are just really excited that y'all get to get to learn from her today too. So first wanna just get to know you. So tell us a little about a little bit about you, where you're from and your heart and passion for just ministry in general or just kind of the season you're in.
[00:01:25] Speaker C: Yeah. So like Morgan said, my name is Kristen. I currently live in Northwest Arkansas. I have been working at Cross Chur for almost five years now. I'm almost to my five year anniversary which isn't a long time in the grand scheme, but it feels like a long time for me. It feels like a milestone and I'm really excited to celebrate that. For a while at Christchurch, I was the college worship director there and I loved it and that was a really beautiful season. But recently I've actually transitioned at work and now I get to have a different opportunity on our team, on our worship staff where I get to have a little bit more of a global impact on our worship team. We are a church that has three different campuses and so now I get to lead worship at all three campuses and some platforms and I get to have discipleship of the women at all three campuses and not just the Fayetteville campus that I work at and so that's been really fun. Little things about me. I have a dog. Her name's Junie. We love Junie. Like Hannah said. Yeah, Junie. She's something. No, I'm just kidding. I love her. Hannah lived with me for a while. I have a roommate now who's also one of my best friends. And every one of the people I've lived with have been best friends of mine. But I love playing pickleball and that's a new thing for me. It's a fun new hobby.
[00:02:38] Speaker B: That is a new hobby.
[00:02:38] Speaker C: Yes.
Love to watch sports, love to sing. So, yeah, obviously that's a big part of my life and what I do on a day to day basis.
[00:02:49] Speaker A: That's awesome. Okay, so obviously we know that you're extremely gifted and we want to hear more about that, but how has God called you and used your giftings in the church to create meaningful spaces for women to worship and to come and to see and feel and experience the presence of Jesus?
[00:03:06] Speaker C: Yeah, well, you know, it's been a journey to get to where I am, but I've always loved worshiping the Lord through song. You know, worshiping God is so much more than just music, and I've always known that. But specifically, music has always ministered to my heart in the way that I connect with the Lord. And so the fact that I get to do that, and the Lord called that out of me at a young age and through people in the church was really special. And now I get to do that and I get to foster environments. That's really important to me. You know, I want to make sure that every time that I am leading, like, kind of like Hannah said, that I'm leading from a place of purity, you know, And I want to make sure that every time I'm leading, I'm leading from a place of overflow. And I think that we all can really tell a difference. When you walk into a room and you see the people on the stage and you can just tell, like, they love Jesus so, so much. And that's who I want to be. And that is always been like the cry of my heart. And I've had a lot of people over the years, even DAV. David McKinney, our worship pastor, who is here with us this week, who has really challenged me in that and led me to that place and to be that kind of a leader. And so that's who I strive to be.
That's who I long to be as a worship leader today.
[00:04:26] Speaker A: That's good.
[00:04:26] Speaker B: That's really cool. Okay, talk to us about your call to ministry and even like your journey in ministry. Cause you haven't been always in a worship type role. You've worked in church plants. You were on a student ministry team for a season. So one kind of a twofold. So first you're called to ministry, but then kind of walk us through those different seasons and what led you to now being in a worship seat?
[00:04:48] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. Well, it was quite the journey. I was telling you guys a little earlier offline that I did not want to be in ministry growing up. I wanted to be a sports journalist. I wanted to work for espn. That was the dream. That was the goal. But the Lord obviously had quite different plans for my life. And when he got ahold of my heart really in college was the moment that I surrendered to a call of ministry. I just realized that I wanted to build the church. And the Lord really placed a burden on my heart for the local church. And that was really the moment that I decided to just give him everything and say, okay, Lord, my hands are open. Do what you want to do in me and through me with my life. And so I just didn't really know where to start. And I talked to a lot of leaders at our church at the time when I was in college. And they gave me such great and rich wisdom at the time and helped me kind of figure out what next steps looked like. So after college, I went through what Cross Church had at the time called the School of Ministry, which was a residency program, a one year program. And I started really in student ministry and in college ministry that year I didn't do worship, although I got to lead worship on Sundays and on Wednesdays here and there. My primary role was discipleship within those ministries and really just all hands on deck, doing whatever it took to make those ministries run throughout the week. And I'm so, so grateful.
The seat that I had at those tables because I learned so much about all of the different ministries that I now get to serve in a different way. And because I got to be at the table in a student team meeting and got to hear about the games and all of the different things and the burdens that are on their hearts, it helped me to be a worship leader that carried out the vision of the student pastor better. And because I got to sit at the college team meetings, I got to understand the team better in their heart and the things that drive them. And it got to help me serve them better later on. And so that's kind of where I started. And after my School of Ministry year, I had the incredible opportunity to move to New York City for a little while and serve with some church plants up there. And I will tell you, that was one of my favorite years. It was a really, really hard year. It was not glamorous by any.
[00:07:07] Speaker A: Was it one year?
[00:07:08] Speaker C: Was it one year? Yeah, it was about a year off and on. Yeah, the whole, there was one period of time where I was there like eight or nine months, but I've worked a couple of summers there too, leading up to it. So all in all, when you add it all up, it's. It was roughly a year or so, but it was not glamorous for any stretch of the imagination. But I learned so much and I'm really grateful even just for the grace of the church planters that they showed me and the kindness they showed me as a young 20 something, just trying to learn about ministry in an urban context that I didn't know. But it was really beautiful. And I love specifically New York City and getting to minister there because it is such a diverse city. And I remember so vivid going to a church service on a Sunday. And I think the pastor told us that 13 different countries were represented in that church service. And that blew my mind because as we were singing songs to Jesus, I just looked around the room and I thought, this is what heaven will look like someday. Every tribe and tongue and nation lifting high the name of Jesus and what a gift it is that I got to see that on earth too, you know. So New York City was an incredible journey and I got to serve in different capacities there too. I did kids ministry, I got to, to sing and lead worship. We did, you know, a lot of labor, you know, physical labor, really anything and everything because it's church planting. And for all of you people out there who know what church planting is like, we need to pray for those people more because they are really laboring so hard. But New York City was awesome. And really after New York, I served for a very short amount of time at a church in Georgia in a student ministry role as well, again before Christchurch called me back to do full time worship. So I really have been on quite the journey to get to where I am today. But you know, every single role that I've been in, in every seat, the Lord has prepared me for the next one. And I can say that so confidently.
[00:09:01] Speaker B: That's really cool. Tell us about some mentors who have had a profound impact on you over the last, I mean, your whole life or even the last few seasons or.
[00:09:09] Speaker C: Yeah, I would say, honestly, the beginning of it all for me was a woman named Carmen Bradford in Shreveport, Louisiana. I went to a private Christian school growing up, and she is the first one who ever taught me how to play guit. She's the first one who taught me how to sing and how to play the piano. But way more than all of that, I like to joke about how my lessons really became just like worship sessions, because every time I came, we just met with Jesus. And she really showed me what it meant to be a woman that walks with Jesus and how that is what impacts the way you worship more than anything else. So she was really huge for me. And I would say David McKinney, too, my current boss and our lead worship pastor at Cross Church. He has had a massive impact on my life in the way he humbly leads our team, in the way he seeks God. It's so evident that he walks so closely with Jesus.
And those are just two people. I think that their walks with Jesus and the way they have led me has really challenged and shaped the way I lead others as well.
[00:10:12] Speaker A: That's good. Okay. So for the listeners, I think oftentimes in ministry as a woman, we can feel unseen or just. We have these gifts, but we don't know how to steward them. We don't know where God really is calling us to use them. And your journey has looked obviously very different, a lot of different contexts. But you can just hear through just the way that you share your story, that God has used your giftings, but also he's purified your heart to meet the need of whatever capacity that he's calling you into, which is such a beautiful thing. So what would you say to the girl, to the woman that feels unseen or maybe just her gifting, she doesn't know where to place it or where God's leading or calling her to use a certain gift or for the woman, that kind of feels like I'm not sure of my gifting, you know?
[00:11:01] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I would say I've been there. I have been that woman. And so I understand. And I want you to know that you're not alone. I think when we have moments like that, when we feel unseen and we have these longings in our heart that we don't really know what to do with them. The enemy likes to isolate us and make us feel like we're the only person that feels that way. But that's not true. And so be encouraged that you're not the only one that feels that.
But I would also say the Bible is so clear that each of us has something to offer to build the church, right? Like, when the Holy Spirit indwells us at the moment of salvation, we are given a spiritual gift immediately. And so you have something to give and be encouraged to know that, like, you have a part to play in the body of Christ. And if you have no idea where to start in trying to figure that out, talk to the ministers of your church, Talk to the pastors at your church. Talk to the women in your church. Like, we want to do this together. You know, when girls come to me and they're like, krista and I, I have this desire, I have this burden, but I don't really know where to start. I'm like, okay, well, let's figure it out together. I think that's something that we miss a lot, is we think that we can't go to someone for help, and we can't ask each other to do this with one another. But that's what we're supposed to do as the church. And so I would say reach out to somebody and reach out to the people in your church, and let's figure out together what your spiritual gifts are. What role can you play best in your church?
[00:12:22] Speaker A: Oh, that's good. That's good. Okay, so this next question, you may have to think about it for a minute, but you said that we're celebrating five years at Cross Church on staff there, which is truly a milestone.
I think just had been in church work that it's almost like you've gone around the world a little bit with the church. Feels like it is seeing the church kind of grow, change, adapt, move into a new season. And so are there any projects that you're working on or maybe new ministry avenues that you guys are in the middle of creating within Cross Church in your context?
[00:13:00] Speaker C: Yeah, a little bit. You know, some of them I might keep under wraps a little. But I will say one thing that I'm really excited about is that we as a staff are taking some intentional time this year to work on our songwriting. We have a couple of songs out already that the Lord has placed on our hearts and we were able to release over the last several years. And I think it's an area that really is like a pool that we have. Just we need to jump in like it's there, and we've been ready for it for a long time. But our leaders have done a good job this year specifically of carving out time for us to get to do that, because I think there are a lot of untapped songs in our worship staff. And I really believe that they are songs that are going to build up the church in this next season of life for us. And so that's something I'm personally really excited about. I've always loved to songwrite. Hannah knows that all, too.
She hears me make up songs all the time, or she used to, at least.
[00:13:53] Speaker B: Our rooms were, like, right next door to each other. So I'd hear her guitar just, like, strumming in the middle of the night. I'm like, oh, she's still awake.
[00:13:59] Speaker C: Yep. Still going at it. Still going at it. So I love it. I love to do that. And, you know, the Bible is so clear in Psalm 96, sing a new song to the Lord. And so I'm really excited to get to work on that. But outside of worship, I also really have a heart for mission. I love to go on mission trips domestic and foreign and abroad. And so I have gotten to go to Nicaragua both of the last two years. I get to go again this year here in a few months. And I'm really just personally looking forward to that. To see my brothers and sisters there and to get to do ministry with the college students there. That always really fills my cup. And so I'm super excited to get to go and do that.
[00:14:41] Speaker A: Oh, that's cool. That's good.
[00:14:43] Speaker B: What is something that God has recently laid on your heart and is teaching you that you think might encourage, like, some other women that are listening right now?
[00:14:51] Speaker C: Yeah. You know, in a moment of vulnerability and transparency. This last year was just hard for me. It was hard. It was really just tough in a lot of different ways that I won't get into, but in the kindness and the grace of the Lord. In the last several months, I've just had a little bit of a breakthrough through a lot of different. For a lot of different reasons. But one of the things that the Lord taught me and has called me to over and over and over again is just to make sure that I'm taking my daily bread. And what that means is that I don't need to worry about what tomorrow holds yet. I don't need to worry about what next week holds or two years from now. I don't need to allow those things to burden me and weigh me down right now. I need today. What the Lord has given me for today. And even I don't need to try to accomplish more than what today needs to be accomplished. That I have always struggled with is just, I want to do too much. You know, I have Too much that I'm trying to do and too much on my plate. And I don't know that the Lord ever intended for us to do some of the things that we do, to be honest. And I've been learning that through a lot of people recently. And so that's something that every day, if I start to feel overwhelmed about something, I say, hey, Kristen, daily bread. Remember to take your daily bread. Not more, not less. You know, when the Israelites were in the wilderness, the Lord provided them manna only for that one day. He would not allow them to take manna for the next day. It was going to spoil each and every day. Except for leading up to the Sabbath, he provided for them to also have on the Sabbath. And I think there's wisdom in that for us today, too. Right? We don't need to try to get more than what the Lord has for us today. We just need the manna for today, our daily bread. And that has really just encouraged me and challenged me so much in this season.
[00:16:39] Speaker A: Oh, that's good. Okay, we're going to wrap up because we want to know how we can pray for you. But. But we've just loved getting to know you. I know Hannah already knows you, and she kind of set all of this up, which we're so grateful for. I'm so grateful for. But I want to know, like, what books you're reading.
[00:16:56] Speaker C: Yeah, well, right now I've actually been kind of listening to books.
[00:17:00] Speaker A: Yeah. Good.
[00:17:01] Speaker B: That's new for you.
[00:17:02] Speaker C: Yes, I know. I know it is new. I want to make sure that I don't get the names of this wrong, but the first one is I Bet yout Think this Book is about yout by Chad Veach.
[00:17:13] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:17:14] Speaker C: And he is a pastor at Zoe Chur in. I almost said New York City. It's not New York City. It's LA in Los Angeles. And he. It's awesome. It's about pride and humility. It's about pride and humility. So, like, I bet you think this song is about you. That old song. And then the second one that I've been listening to is A Fine sight to See. I told you about this, Hannah, and that is by Sophie Hudson.
[00:17:38] Speaker A: Someone just recently gave me this book. No, they recently gave me this book. Okay.
[00:17:42] Speaker C: It is so good. It's been so encouraging and so challenging. And I love listening to it because Sophie reads it and she's from Alabama and her accent is awesome. That's so fun. And she's just funny like she is. I've laughed out Loud, like, literally, audibly laughed whenever I listened to it. But it's about women in leadership. And as a woman, like, you have leadership potential. No matter what season of life you're in, no matter what role you're in, if you're a layperson at a church, if you're a minister at a church or anything in between, you have a role to play. You have a part to play. Kind of like we talked about a little bit earlier. And so that's been a really, really fun and challenging read or listen.
[00:18:24] Speaker A: I guess as I was listening to your story and you just share, it was like, where is she learning all this from? It's so good. God's teaching you so much. You can just know you're in a season of just growing and just learning a lot. Okay, well, how can we pray for you in this new season? This season? What is it?
[00:18:44] Speaker C: Yeah, you know, I would say I have stepped into a new role at the church, and we are gonna be songwriting and doing some other fun adventures here soon. And so I'm just praying that God would give fresh wind and fresh energy, fresh ideas to me and to our team and to our church. You know, we're praying through and walking through a series about personal revival right now, and I just want to keep stepping into that right of newness, of whatever the Lord would have for us in this new year. And so I would love and welcome any prayers for that.
[00:19:15] Speaker A: Is it called the unexplainable?
[00:19:17] Speaker C: The unexplainable, yes. Unexplainable life? Yes.
[00:19:20] Speaker A: Okay. And so that is just for your church. And really, it's built around just personal revival in the individual's life. Awesome.
[00:19:28] Speaker C: It's been really great.
[00:19:30] Speaker A: Well, let me pray for you, Kristen. God, we just come before you, and we are just so grateful that we get to sit around and that we get to hear just your daughter's heart. Just the way that you have called her into ministry, that you've given her just such an incredible calling of leading others in worship. But not just that. It extends so much far beyond that as discipleship and just a heart to go on mission, to be a part of your work just here and all over the world. God, we're so grateful for that. God, we pray for this new season, just as she said, just a fresh wind for her and her team as they move into a season of songwriting. God, that these songs would be just from you. God, that you would give them just wisdom, revelation as they start to write and pen these songs. God, that you like. She said that you would put a new song on their heart. God align their team to the mission and the calling that you have for them. God we pray for their church and just as they're seeking personal revival, God, we pray that all over the state of Arkansas in the lives of women but also in the lives of our brothers too. God, there would be just revival, just this outpouring that we receive from you. God we do truly believe that this is a revival generation and so God we want to see that come. God and we just pray that your spirit be poured out. God we thank you for just Kristen and just her willingness to step in and to share her life with us. God we pray that there are so many women that are encouraged that can take that next step of what is it that God's calling them into and God that you would give them courage to do that. We love you. We praise you in Jesus name. Amen.
