Shannon Savee, Praise Team Leader
Shannon Savee serves as the Praise Team Leader at Faith Rising Community Church. With a heart for worship and a passion for helping others encounter God through music, Shannon leads with authenticity, humility, and a deep commitment to Christ. Her journey has shaped a worship ministry grounded in hope, perseverance, and the life-changing grace of Jesus.
Her Personal Journey and Testimony
I grew up in a Southern Baptist church, where Sundays, many Wednesdays, and youth trips were simply part of life. I learned Scripture, understood the gospel, and I was saved and baptized at 10 years old. I knew what it meant to “do church,” even if my faith still had much growing to do.
As a teenager, I began to struggle deeply with identity and self-worth. At 15, I was in a harmful friend group and felt constant pressure to measure up. In that season, I reached a breaking point and attempted to take my life. By God’s mercy, I survived—and although I didn’t fully understand it then, He was already protecting me and keeping me here for a purpose.
At 16, my family moved across the state for a fresh start. I felt like life was finally turning around. I met the man who is now my husband, and for a while, everything seemed to be going well—friends, school, and activities. I convinced myself I could handle life on my own, without church or God.
By 18, I had my first child and had stepped away from school. I was navigating parenting, legal battles, and the pressure of providing—while still trying to do it all in my own strength. I knew, from what I had learned as a child, that life without God would always fall short. Yet I kept pushing forward, determined to “fix it” myself.
Years later, when I was 29, we received devastating news: my dad had pancreatic cancer. Fear and grief hit me hard, and I knew I couldn’t carry it alone. My family returned to church, and I began singing with the worship team, joining Bible studies, and praying daily for God to heal my dad. He endured months of treatment, and for a time, recovery looked promising. But after a year and a half, his body gave out, and we lost him.
In my grief, I became angry with God and pulled away from the people who loved me. I stopped going to church, shut others out, and went through the motions of each day while feeling numb inside. I didn’t want to keep living like that, but I also didn’t know how to move forward.
After months of feeling stuck, God chased after me through a simple act of kindness—a text message from someone at church: “Just want to see how you’re doing! We miss you.” That message reminded me that I needed my church family, especially in the middle of pain. God used His people to help me come back when I was tempted to disappear.
Today, I have surrendered my life back to Jesus. I still face the ongoing battles, but my faith is stronger than ever—and I have learned to thank God even in hard seasons.
Leading worship now has deeper meaning, because I’m not just singing words; I’m singing what God has carried me through. As Pastor Berry always says, that the worship leader is the lead worshiper helping fellow believers by ushering them into a place of surrender, and transparency with Jesus.
I’m not perfect, but I rely on Him daily. As the saying goes, I’m “just a nobody, trying to tell everybody all about Somebody who saved my soul.”
Psalm 104:33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.