Dove Award-winning worship leader, songwriter and author Yancy says her 25 years in ministry have come full circle with the release of fan favorite “Super Wonderful (Funky Franklin Remix).”
“Super Wonderful” was written with the inspiration of her then preschool-aged son Sparrow, who loved superheroes and changed costumes multiple times each day.
“I remember back at the time when I was writing for that project, being like, I want to write a song about superheroes and who I believe is the greatest superhero of all time — that would be God. So I wrote this song, “Super Wonderful,” because of Sparrow’s inspiration and love for his superheroes,” Yancy said.
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How a song does upon release isn’t always an indicator of how well-received it will become. This was one of those songs.
It took several years for “Super Wonderful” to catch on, but eventually it became one of Yancy’s most requested songs.
When it came time to do something special to commemorate 25 years of ministry, Yancy decided to bring it back.
“I had the idea to make a remix of ‘Super Wonderful’ and give the song a ‘new outfit,’ so to speak — to make it look and sound a little different and update it,” she said.
With her son as the original inspiration, Yancy wanted to involve the now 12-year-old in the new project. Since Sparrow had discovered a new talent with graffiti-style art, Yancy asked him to create the artwork for the single and the shirt.
A year earlier, Yancy had an “aha!” moment about her son’s impact even at such a young age.
“I realized that at that point in his life, if something were to happen to him and his life were cut short, already because of his life — because of inspiring me to write that song, because of the Word of God that is filled in that song that I’ve been able to put on the lips of kids and students and families as they sing that our God is super big and super strong and He’s super wonderful — his life has already had meaning and purpose,” she said.
Involving young ones
Yancy Ministries’ focus is involving children in worship. In 2021, Yancy’s book, “Sweet Sound: The Power of Discipling Kids in Worship,” was released with a challenge. “Stop just doing songs. Start leading worship!”
Though Yancy was already an advocate for children worshipping and not simply singing cute songs with hand movements (though she said there’s a place for that), reading the translation of Psalm 8:1–2 in The Message Bible fueled this passion.
“God, brilliant Lord, Yours is a household name. Nursing infants gurgle choruses about You; toddlers shout the songs that drown out enemy talk and silence atheist babble,” it says.
When first seeing the verses, Yancy did a double take.
“I need to read that again,” she said. “I think that was for me when a shift happened and an understanding happened to realize how much power there is [when children worship]. It’s not just singing a song. It’s not just filling time. It’s not just doing something cute or creating energy in the room at [Vacation Bible School].
“As a group of kids takes part in giving praise to God, it is something so powerful that it could make the people in my life stop in their tracks and become aware of the greatness of God.”
Taking things seriously
“Super Wonderful” is one of those songs that can bring this power into kids’ worship. It reminds her of the blessing of her son. It also reminds her of something much more important.
It began with leading worship at a kids camp in the summer of 2021, something Yancy does often.
That fall, Yancy was nominated for a Dove Award and in October 2021, she won, fulfilling a dream she’s had since she was a teenager.
The next morning, she got a call from the mother of Jacob, a boy who had attended that camp a few months prior. He and his father had been killed in a car accident, and Jacob’s mom asked Yancy to perform “Super Wonderful” at his funeral.
She had a realization while on that phone call that, “in the scheme of life, everybody’s in a different place.”
While she was experiencing the highest of highs winning her award, this mother was experiencing the lowest of lows.
Insight
She also had an insight.
“As a minister, it can be so easy to just get in the habit of doing what you do and just looking at each date on the calendar as, ‘Yeah, it’s another chance to go out there and sing your songs or lead worship or do the things that you do.’
“But after that phone call and that experience, just realizing three months later, this boy was not here; he was now in heaven…”
This increased her awareness and gratefulness for every opportunity she has to share this message.
“As Christ-followers, as Christian parents and as ministry leaders, we need to take [children’s worship] more seriously and just become more intentional about helping our kids learn the pathway of running to the Father,” she said.
“I’m fully convinced that if we can help them taste and see that He is good, they will hunger and thirst for more of Him. That’s my desire and my passion.”
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