Our guest this week on the Everyday Faith podcast is Tricia Baumhardt, a wife, mother of two, and the lead singer of the highly successful Christian music band, Superchick. From finding Jesus, to traveling on the road, to becoming a wife and mother, Tricia shares her vulnerable stories on how to trust God in life’s transitions and how to share your faith even when it feels hard.

Meeting the God of Revelation 3:20

As a young girl, Tricia was raised in a tiny town in Indiana, out in the country with lots of space to roam. Some of her earliest memories were being with her parents at church and attending a Christian school. Though her parents weren’t raised Christian, her mom and dad received Jesus into their hearts right before Tricia was born.

When Tricia was five, she went to a special church event in a building without air conditioning. In response to the heat, church members handed out hand fans that had a famous picture of Jesus knocking on a door. While using the fan to cool off, Tricia asked her mom, “What does this picture mean?” Her mom explained the picture and told Tricia that Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts, and in response, we get to choose Jesus and ask him to come into our heart. In a very childlike way, Tricia responded by saying, “I don't want to leave Jesus out in the cold.” Shortly after, Tricia’s mom led her to the pastor, where she said the prayer of salvation and got baptized that day.

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." - Revelation 3:20

Are you ready to welcome Jesus into your heart? Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Learn more about how to receive Jesus as Lord: This is For You!

A Musical Gift Takes Flight: Starting Superchick

Throughout her life, Tricia was always drawn to music and her family has a heritage of musicians on both sides. From fiddle players to banjo players to singers and piano players, music was everywhere growing up. Over time, Tricia and her family got really involved at church, and their worship pastor fostered her gift of singing. People would often tell her that she was “Such a little girl with such a big voice.”

Right out of high school, Tricia and her sister went to a concert and they met the opening group for a major Christian music band. In this chance meeting, one of the band members said to Tricia and her sister, “We want to start up a chick band. Do you know any girls who want to be in a band?”

Tricia was stunned and excited by the question. Though her heart was driven towards full missions, she prayed about the invitation to start this band. After six months at YWAM, Tricia went up to Chicago to listen to the demos for the band Superchick. Within six months, Tricia and her sister signed with the record label and began making music for God.

Superchick spent 15 years living on the road. Though life on tour wasn’t easy, God protected Tricia and her team. God opened doors, closed doors, and his provision was clear to see. As Superchick was coming to a close, Tricia found love and married her husband, Nick.

Starting a Family & Finding Community

Shortly after Superchick stopped touring, Nick and Tricia had their first child, Ava, in 2012. Within the first couple of years of having Ava, Tricia started seeing delays in her speech and behavior. After various doctors visits, it was confirmed that Ava had autism. During this time, Tricia and Nick discovered the importance of community while taking care of their daughter who was non verbal until the age of three.

No one is meant to go through life alone. You were meant to have a Christian community to walk with you through every season of life. Learn more about the importance of community in our blog: 5 Bible Verses About Community

During Tricia’s journey of becoming a mom, someone in her community invited her to Gladiator Mamas, a group where moms of children with special needs could connect. It was the first time that Tricia was able to be vulnerable with other moms about her experience. Because of how she was welcomed and cared for, Tricia is now full of zeal to have eyes for the new person at church. She is incredible at fostering community with others, inviting them to lunch after service, or making sure to get coffee on the calendar.

No matter what you’re walking through, God is faithful to provide community to journey with you along the way. Everyone goes through seasons of life that are difficult, but God is faithful to be with us and help us through times of pain. Tricia encourages anyone walking through a tough season to remember that you’re allowed to have hard days. A simple prayer to pray as you’re walking through transition is to ask God to show you his mercies:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22-23

Learn more about how to lean on God through the power of prayer in our blog: 8 Ways to Pray Throughout the Day

Sharing Your Faith Even When You’re Walking Through Change

During our interview with Tricia, she shared about how God has been with her in change and unforeseen circumstances. She remembers the words of her father from when she was growing up to anchor her in the morning. Before going to school each day, her father used to hug her and say, “Try to change at least one person's life today.”

Even when you’re walking through change, sharing your faith is a great way to bless others and stop isolation. Here are some tips from Tricia on how to grow in sharing your faith, despite the change that comes with life:

1. Always be kind and invitational: As a young girl, Tricia remembers that her mother was always so kind to people whenever they were out in public. Whether it was a waiter, the cashier, or the bagger at the grocery store, her mom would always go out of her way to connect with people and ask them their story. In the Bible, we see that Jesus, too, was led by compassion:

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. -Matthew 14:14

"Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way- Matthew 15:32

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd - Matthew 9:36

2. Have eyes for the person in front of you: “This isn’t just a transaction, this is a person I’m talking to.” How many times have we left the grocery store or the coffee shop without talking to the person in front of us? We live in a fast-paced culture that puts ‘me’ at the center of everything. Having eyes for the person in front of you, even when you’re walking through change or sorrow, is a great way to share your faith with others.

3. Ask the person how they really are: Sometimes when we ask “How are you?” we have an automated, knee-jerk response of, “Good!” Next time you ask someone, “How are you?” and their face doesn’t seem to match their answer, ask, “But how are you,really?” Tricia has seen incredible fruit by asking deeper questions and staying present in conversation.

4. Let friendship be the foundation for sharing your faith: You can also show the love of God to your barista, your grocery store staff, your mechanic, and your waiter by being a friend to them. Buy them a good Christian book, get their number, and invite them over for dinner, or, even invite them to church. By showing those around you the love of God in a tangible way, your friendship will be a bridge to share your faith.

Sharing Your Faith When You’re Walking through Trauma

In 2020, Tricia received a cancer diagnosis and went through multiple surgeries to beat it. Tricia was battling with worry, trying not to live in fear, and trying to stay calm given that she lost her mom to cancer. When it was time to get groceries, Tricia would stop, pray in her car, and ask the Lord to free her from fear. She’d ask God to give her the strength to smile at people like she normally would.

One story of sharing her faith despite trauma was while she was in a store, walking past a man in a motorized cart with an oxygen tank. She smiled and asked him, “How are you?” From that simple question, the two started talking. Tricia learned that Eddie was a Christian, had served in the military, and that he had just lost a brother to cancer. Even though she was processing grief about her cancer diagnosis, she met a man going through a similar type of grief. Over time, Eddie, his wife, and Tricia grabbed coffee. Unfortunately, a year later, he passed away due to COPD and cancer, but Tricia remembers him fondly, knowing that it was God who had them meet in the store to encourage one another and build up their faith.

No matter what you’re walking through, you always have a couple of minutes to spare. Choosing to see the person in front of you and sharing part of your story or offering to pray for them can change the course of someone's life.

Learn more about the power of sharing your story in our blog: 3 Reasons Why Sharing Your Faith Story Matters

Conclusion

As we finished our interview with Tricia, she shared words of advice for our readers. Here are some of our favorite pieces of wisdom from Tricia:

1. Remember, one word can change a person's day: One kind word has the power to shift things in a positive direction. Our words carry life or death (Proverbs 18:21), and it’s so easy to just be kind and love someone.

2. Pray this simple prayer, “God, help me look up.”: Asking God to help you look up is a game changer because it's so easy for us to look down. When we look to God, we receive his help.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. - Psalm 121:1-2

3. Offer to serve your neighbors: If you’re in a season where you have more time, find out how you can serve your neighbors. Can you mow someone's lawn? If it’s winter and it’s snowing, wipe snow off their car out of kindness. If you’re good at baking or cooking, serve your neighbors by bringing them a meal or a dozen cookies. Jesus even said in the Bible:

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:35

No matter if you’ve just moved, are about to move, are walking through trials, or are on the mountain top: now is the time to love your neighbor and welcome those around you into community! We can’t wait to hear about all that God does through you as you start with belief, embrace your mission, commit to obedience, and pursue community.