Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Simmons.
Hi Stephen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in the DFW area, and I’ve loved every part of the journey that has brought me to where I am today.
I grew up in a Christian household and have been in church for as long as I can remember. However, ministry and church leadership were never really part of my plan. Growing up, my world revolved around sports. I played football, baseball, basketball, and ran track throughout elementary school and high school. Athletics were my passion, and for most of my life, my dream was simple: play college football and eventually become a football coach.
But God had different plans.
I attended three different high schools: South Garland, Garland Christian Academy, and Rowlett, all with the goal of creating more opportunities to play college football. During my junior year at Garland Christian Academy, I felt the need to transfer back to a 6A school to gain more exposure from college scouts. So, halfway through my junior year, I transferred to Rowlett High School.
At the time, everything felt like it was falling into place. I felt confident about my decision and excited about what the future could hold.
Around that same time, though, something else was beginning to grow in my life. I had become increasingly involved in my youth group and had started leading worship. To me, it was simply a hobby, something I enjoyed doing. I never imagined it could become my calling.
Then God brought a mentor into my life, Jon Wood.
Jon began asking me questions I had never really considered before. He would ask, “Have you ever thought about becoming a Worship Pastor?”
Honestly, I hadn’t.
A few months later, during the summer before my senior year, I attended youth camp with my church. While I was there, I had a powerful moment with the Lord. I felt Him calling me to pursue full-time ministry and to let go of the dream I had carried for so long of becoming a football coach.
I said yes.
Even after accepting that call, I still planned to finish out my senior year playing football. Football was still a huge part of who I was, and I loved the game deeply.
But once again, God had other plans.
When I returned for summer workouts, my coach called me into his office and gave me news I never expected: because of unexpected transfer eligibility rules, I would not be able to play football during my senior year.
In what should have been one of the most difficult moments of my life, God gave me a peace that I can’t fully explain.
Looking back, I am incredibly thankful for that peace. Without it, I honestly believe I could have been completely crushed. I may have even run from the calling God had placed on my life. Instead, I chose to see that moment differently. I took it as an opportunity to fully surrender my plans and devote my life to what God was calling me to do.
Later that year, I attended a college fair and discovered Nelson University, formerly known as Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU). The moment I stepped onto campus, I knew that was where I was supposed to be. I enrolled to study Church Leadership and began pursuing the calling God had placed on my life.
During that season, God was also writing another important part of my story.
I met the love of my life, Chandler, and from early on, I knew she was someone I could see spending the rest of my life with.
Now, six years later, I can look back and see how faithfully God was working through every unexpected turn.
Today, I have the privilege of serving as the Next Gen Worship Pastor at Northplace Church. I’m married to my incredible wife, Chandler, and together we have two beautiful children, Sutton and Callaway.
I’ve earned my Bachelor’s degree in Church Leadership from Nelson University and my Master’s degree in Ministerial Leadership from Southeastern University.
When I look back on my story, I’m reminded that sometimes the plans we think we’re losing are actually making room for the plans God has been preparing all along.
Football was my dream-but ministry was my calling.
And I’m incredibly grateful that, even when I didn’t understand what God was doing, He was faithfully leading me exactly where I was meant to be.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been everything but smooth.
When I look back at my journey so far, I can honestly say there have been a lot of incredible moments, but there have also been plenty of struggles, questions, disappointments, and seasons where I had no idea what God was doing.
One of the biggest struggles for me has been Identity. For a long time, I found my identity in the way other people viewed me and in what I was accomplishing. I always wanted the next compliment, the next opportunity, or the next position because I thought those things would make me feel successful and fulfilled.
But the truth is, nothing ever lasts for long. You get the compliment, and eventually you want another one. You accomplish something you worked hard for, and after the excitement wears off, you start looking for the next thing.
I learned sooner rather than later that I will never truly find my identity in what I do, what I accomplish, or what other people think about me.
My identity has to come from who God says I am.
I spent a lot of time striving to become the person I thought everyone else wanted me to be, when really, God was calling me to become the person He created me to be. And I’ve learned that I can only become the best version of myself when I am actively pursuing the Lord.
Another huge struggle for me has been finding reassurance in my calling. I have questioned myself more times than I can count. “Am I doing the right thing? Am I in the right place? Did I hear God correctly? Am I actually called to this?”
Those questions can become especially loud when things aren’t going the way you expected them to. There have been seasons where I felt confident and knew exactly what God was doing, and other seasons where I was simply trying to take the next step without being able to see the whole picture.
But God has continued to remind me that my security isn’t found in having every answer, it’s found in trusting Him.
Psalm 118 has been a huge reminder for me in that. The Bible says, “The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.”
If the Lord is truly for me, then what do I really have to be afraid of?
I don’t have to fear whether people approve of me. I don’t have to fear whether I have everything figured out. My job is to continue pursuing the Lord, listening to His voice, and faithfully taking the next step He puts in front of me.
Another struggle has simply been being a young leader.
There are a lot of obstacles that come with leading while you’re still growing yourself. You’re trying to lead people while also learning who you are. You’re making decisions while still gaining experience. There have definitely been moments where I felt too young, inexperienced, or unqualified for what was in front of me.
But I’ve learned that being young doesn’t mean you have nothing to offer, it just means you still have a lot to learn.
I’ve had to learn how to receive correction without letting it destroy my confidence. I’ve had to learn that I don’t always have to prove myself in every room. And I’ve had to learn that being a leader doesn’t mean pretending to have everything figured out.
It means being willing to continue growing.
I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned throughout this entire journey is that God is much more interested in who I am becoming than simply what I am accomplishing.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but looking back, I can honestly say the difficult seasons have shaped me just as much as the successful ones.
Every time I questioned who I was, God reminded me whose I was.
Every time I questioned my calling, God reminded me to trust Him.
And every time I felt unqualified, God reminded me that I was never supposed to do this on my own anyway.
I’m still learning. I’m still growing. I still have questions sometimes.
But I know now that I don’t need to have everything figured out.
I just need to keep pursuing the Lord and trust that wherever He leads me next, He’ll give me what I need when I get there.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Like I mentioned earlier, I have the privilege of serving as the Next Gen Worship Pastor at Northplace Church. Basically, what that means is that I oversee the worship experience and the development of volunteers across our Kids, Youth, and Young Adult ministries.
A huge part of what I do is much bigger than just putting together a worship set or getting people on a stage. My heart is to help raise up the next generation of worshipers and leaders. I get the opportunity to invest in young people, develop their gifts, build teams, and create environments where they can encounter God and discover the calling He has placed on their lives.
I absolutely love worship, but one of the things I’m most passionate about is developing people. I want to help people become confident in who God created them to be, not just as singers or musicians, but as leaders and followers of Jesus. There is something really special about seeing someone who starts out nervous, inexperienced, or unsure of themselves grow into a confident worshiper and leader.
Musically, I’m primarily a singer, but I can play a little bit of just about everything. I’ve always loved music, and getting to use that passion to serve the Church is something I’m incredibly grateful for.
I also have the opportunity to be a part of the songwriting for Northplace Worship. You can find our music on streaming platforms, and if you look up Northplace Worship on Instagram, Facebook, Apple Music, Spotify, and other platforms, you might just find me somewhere in there!
What I’m most proud of, though, isn’t necessarily a song we’ve released, a service we’ve created, or even a position that I hold.
I’m most proud of the people.
The moments where someone discovers their gift. The student who gains the confidence to step onto a stage for the first time. The volunteer who realizes they aren’t just filling a spot, but that they are actually making an eternal impact. Those are the moments that mean the most to me.
I think what sets me apart is that I never want ministry to simply be about creating a great experience. I want it to be about creating people.
Yes, I want the worship to be excellent. Yes, I want the music to be great and the experience to be meaningful. But at the end of the day, my biggest goal is to raise up sons and daughters, develop leaders, and help the next generation understand that they have a purpose in the Kingdom of God.
If I can look back years from now and see people I had the opportunity to invest in leading, serving, creating, and making a difference for Jesus, I’ll consider that a success.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
There’s a reason I’ve lived in the DFW area my entire life……..I absolutely love it here.
One of my favorite things about DFW is the diversity. There are so many different people, cultures, and backgrounds represented throughout this area, and I genuinely think that’s a beautiful thing. Especially being involved in ministry, one of my favorite things is seeing people from completely different backgrounds come together with one purpose, to worship Jesus. There’s something really special about that.
DFW also has so much to offer. No matter what you’re into, there always seems to be something to do, somewhere to go, or something new to experience.
And if you know me, you know I’m a huge foodie, so I have to mention the food! I absolutely love the variety of restaurants and places to eat around here. You can pretty much find any type of food you’re craving, and there’s always a new spot opening that I want to try.
As far as what I like least, I would probably have to say the traffic. As much as I love how much DFW has grown, sometimes it feels like everyone else discovered how great it is too! But honestly, even with the traffic and how spread out everything can be, I wouldn’t want to call anywhere else home.
DFW has been the backdrop for my entire life, from growing up here, going to school here, meeting my wife, starting a family, and now raising my kids here. This place will always be special to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.northplacechurch.com/
- Instagram: stephenksimmons
- Facebook: Stephen Kelley Simmons
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocaU551NBlM
