Meet Trailblazer Cassy Smith

Cassy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a 3rd generation preacher’s kid. I used to tease about not wanting to go into the “family business”, but at 18 my heart broke for the students in our church who didn’t have anything geared towards their age and what they were experiencing day to day. My brother, Mike Smith, and I began taking them to lunch after Sunday service, then we started hosting stuff at our house. Soon we had a mid-week service for youth. By then, I was in the official “youth pastor” role, although I didn’t let anyone call me that. This year is the 20th anniversary since then. I have teamed up with multiple churches in those 20 years, assisting with leadership development and leading worship teams. I like to run alongside the younger and the seasoned generations simultaneously because I believe family is intergenerational when it is at its best. My heart’s desire is to equip those around me with the tools needed to become secure in their walk with Jesus. We do not have to have a classroom/church setting to teach that. My favorite thing is just having a meal or coffee, pouring my heart out and listening back to those I am with.

In 2017, my brother and I again began to see a need for community…within the musicians, production, artistic/creative groups in the church. We saw a lot of friends in job roles as contract or staff at local churches, but few having pastoral accountability. So we launched The Greater Houston Worship Community. To-date there are close to 200 friends in the network who continue to build friendship, accountability and share resources across our region, building stronger churches as we grow! Also in 2017, the day before Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, I had just landed back in Houston after serving two weeks for Somebody Cares Baltimore. I joined up with the Somebody Cares hub in Houston to asses the damages and coordinate volunteer teams. I have continued the last two and a half years in this position, meeting homeowners and assisting in any way possible, to get the word out about the need many still have for restoring what was lost in the flooding.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have definitely had struggles along the way! Disappointment is maybe the biggest struggle. When things didn’t turn out as planned, whether in personal or professional life, I found myself shattered and unmotivated because I had allowed disappointment to defeat me. I have learned in this season to embrace disappointment as a sign that it is not time yet.  Dis means “not”…appointment means “a set or appointed time”.  I believe the Bible and it says in Psalm 37:23 (NKJV), “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in their way.”

Another struggle has been in how I am viewed as an unmarried woman. It has not always been easy to fit into the culture of church leadership today. I may not have children of my own, but I have spent the better part of the decade co-parenting my niece and nephew. It seems marriage and parenting mean maturity in some circles. Being raised in the church culture as I was, I find that I too have that same misconception which leads me to sometimes interact with a defensive heart assuming others are looking down on me for not “settling down”. I am reminded to lean not to my understanding, but trust God! He is the one who called me to live this life. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Let’s sidebar a second…I did not choose to be unmarried and know God has a plan for this part of my life! 🙂 But I am confident that this is a great time to devote to God, my family, friends and the community!

My advice is to not delay or quit in the midst of disappointment. Choose to trust God! And secondly, do not allow perspectives or prejudices–maybe even your own–to hinder you from being who God calls you to be. Again, choose to trust God. This journey includes pain. Pain produces strength. I recently wrote a song called Gold, the bridge of that song says, “Through the pain, You are producing strength. From frustration, You create pearls. In the fire, You are refining gold in me.”

Tell us what you do through Somebody Care America and The Greater Houston Worship Community.
I feel like I specialize in connecting people. It may be worship community-related or Somebody Cares America/International, I have helped people make the connections. Connecting the need to the resources…or vice versa. People have called with donations and I was able to connect them with people in need for that specific item or amount. I call “connecting people” being a good friend. It is about remembering the little things and being a good listener. You can find out more about Somebody Cares at SomebodyCares.org.

So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
Absolutely! Our Somebody Cares Houston office has more women volunteering or on staff than men, not on purpose but that is how it has turned out. I find, as I have come alongside non-profit organizations, a lot of their leadership or volunteers at grassroots levels are women! These friends of mine are ladies who see details, care about the individual more than the big picture projects, usually handle the budgets in their homes and are good at multi-tasking. They consistently do the work day in and day out. They run the race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) even if they are battle-scarred and worn out. I think of the role of a mother…when mom is sick, she still is serving the household, taking care of everyone whether or not she feels like it. Seldom appreciated verbally, but that is not why she does it. The women in my life do not compete…and I am beyond grateful for that! I call them my “Girls Who Storm Castles”. And with that I will also add in, I have been blessed by strong, kind, male leadership. My own father, who was pastoring a church called The Baytown Church in 2003, recognized my ability to organize and lead, encouraged me to get my ordination through FGFCM and gave me the opportunity to serve alongside him as his Associate Pastor for 13 years. Now, I find that same grace and encouragement in my boss at Somebody Cares America/International, Dr. Doug Stringer. He consistently asks and listens to advice from his “Mighty Women”. There is a story in the Bible of a man named David having “Mighty Men” in 2 Samuel 23. However, at our conference table is mostly women. We are given the encouragement to lead and have a voice in the same capacity as the men. As I said previously, when the community and church operate like a family we are at our best! Family is a reflection of genders and generations, different gifts and talents brought together to serve a common purpose!