Hi folks – It’s been a while! This note is to send out greetings and let you know that I have survived the winter. We couldn’t use our driveway for weeks on account of the ice. It reminded me of when I was a kid and strapped on my skates to dipsy doodled around the yard. There weren’t any rinks around in my neck of the woods so we made the best of it. I can truly say we’ve all made the best of it this winter as well.

The band and I had a wonderful fall of concerts and fundraisers around the province. We appreciate so much the good things that people are doing for their communities, country and world. It was a blessing to be a part of people loving others. Kenn and I even had a couple of Alpacas in Peru named after us. Yep, can you picture that? We actually have a picture of them. Let’s see if Kenn will post it or not!

The recording of the next CD, still unnamed, in Toronto this January was a wonderful adventure as well. I experienced the joys of making a new album with my long time friend Kevin Fox, my new friends Sam at Canterbury studios and Kevin, Mark and Drew, gifted musicians and lovely guys to boot, from Toronto. The project is in progress and it is not unlike the process of making and birthing a baby. I’ll leave it there!

It was a joy to have my husband Kenn with me as well for the first week. I would not have wanted to be there without him and we both recognized what a privilege it indeed was.

There is so much more to chat about; the many friends that I visited and stayed with (hi Alex!). Look for some photos soon and more frequent updates from moi, now that my children are spending more time in school than at home.

God’s love and peace,

Stephanie

Thanks for those who keep coming back to the website to read news and rarely finding it! I had a fantastic summer which included playing at Hillside Baptist in Moncton (thanks Holly and Jocelyn).

Canada Day at Meenan’s Cove:

…Black’s Harbour, the ever so enjoyable Murray Reunion, Sydney Cape Breton,

Smythe Street Cathedralin Fredericton… and even a trip down the Saint John on board the MV Voyageur II riverboat.

The band continues to be a great source of musical talent and friendship and we have all been discovering “Oh the Places You’ll Go…” are beautiful especially here in the East Coast. We are becoming family more and more as we experience the blessing of both giving and receiving.

I want to express my thanks to every church that has hosted us and welcomed us into your community. Thank you for those who stay back to chat and express their appreciation. I am meeting relatives, family friends from way back and new acquaintances.

Most recently we had a wonderful kitchen party bash at Joan and Bob’s. I knew we were in good hands when we walked into their kitchen and there was a comfy couch. It was wonderful meeting the friends in their community. As one gentleman declared after our first set of tunes, who normally is at their house to play Auction 45s, “There will be no cards tonight!” Amen.

Middle Sackville Baptist Church was also a significant time of worship and ministry the next morning. They have an incredible heritage as a church and the life, vision and vitality we witnessed continues to have an impact on their beautiful place in this world. A special shout out to Jane and her Dairy King!

September also brought the appreciation banquet for Dr. Harry Gardner. It was an honour and privilege to bring music to an evening that celebrated his role in the Atlantic Baptist Convention. I was humbled to be asked and it afforded my the opportunity to express my gratitude to Harry for his friendship and heart for all denominations within this region.

It seems as though the fall is the season of the fundraiser. We had a hopping night at Lancaster Baptist on the west side of Saint John on September 30th helping to raise funds for renovations to their sanctuary. Geoff and Holly were extraordinary hosts and the folks that came were very enthusiastic and generous. Our band was expanded once again with Richard Mullin playing drum kit. He has been a grand addition to our sound and merry band. Tim and John have perma grins whenever he is with us. Nice to see the boys happy!

Thanks so very much, everyone for your continued interest and support in the music and ministry. It is a special blessing to see people returning who have heard us before. Keep inviting friends and family to come with you. Our passion is for our families and communities to be impacted by the undeniable love of our Father God.

Bless you all,

Stephanie

Hello family, friends and visitors to the site!

Thank you to everyone who continues to follow the goings on of my musical journey throughout this past year. It has been extremely fruitful and eventful. Just take a peek at my calendar! For every date there have been wonderful people we have met, friends made, music played and sincere gratitude for the warmest of welcomes.

Thank you to those who have come to listen for the first time and are enthusiastically keeping in touch through photos, stories and CD orders.

I will be posting some new pictures of our adventures soon so keep coming back for a peek.

Bye for now.

Stephanie

Hello everyone!

Thanks for visiting the site and taking an interest in what I’m up to. I have a lot to report on yet will do it simply. We had a grand time!

From The Cry on Parliament Hill

To the Atlantic Baptist Convention in Wolfville. . .

Those are some of the highlights from the summer. Then in September came the Canadian Country Music Association showcases, weddings, anniversaries and birthdays, it has been a wonderful summer and fall. My grandparents celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on the Thanksgiving weekend. It was a beautiful time of honouring them and celebrating their lives and family. Their daughter Jill surprised them by getting married the night before so the partying started early. It was special to be able to play Ern’s Waltz for everyone who attended and especially the guests of honour.

Hello to the folks in Louisbourg; I enjoyed our evening together at The Playhouse. We had lovely folk, tea and oatcakes… what could be better?! I can’t wait to see Sue, Donald, Cathie and Jesse again. I sure hope Cathie’s Mom is listening to her Stephanie Mainville CD.

I must say a huge thank you to family and friends who have loved on me over these past months. We had many an opportunity to visit, connect, have fun and check in on one another. None of the doing means more to me than being with you all. God continues to show me how precious this love is and how much bigger it intends to grow in my heart. I know that it’s spilling out on many dear people I am encountering along the way.

Until the next time,

sm

Hi folks,

This is a special greeting to everyone who came out to the benefit concert for the Loaves and Fishes Food Bank in Sydney. Thank you to Susan Clark-Tizzard, Nigel and Carter.

Membertou Trade & Convention Centre

We had a lovely night and it was a pleasure joining with you to raise some funds for this important ministry. Thank you to everyone who expressed their appreciation for what we shared musically. It was a joy for me to join with my dear friend Suzanne and my new friend Donald. Along with my Mom, Yves, and Moe they were brilliant. Moe and Yves deserve special recognition for driving to and from PEI within 24 hours. I’m feeling the love boys.

Sunday morning was especially lovely being welcomed at Cape Breton Christian Fellowship Church. Thank you for your hospitality and joining with me to see the sound of the fiddle released in celebration and worship. You really got it! I do hope to come back sometime soon.

This was the first time I’ve shared music from Family in Cape Breton and it felt amazing. I felt very blessed and honoured to express my heart and thank God for the people of this beautiful island. You are precious and I will hold you in my thoughts and prayers in the days to come.

I’m off to Parliament Hill for The Cry 2 in a week or so. I am one of the worship leaders and was asked to bring the heart of Atlantic Canada with me. My heart is full.

Take care,

sm

Greetings everyone!

This is my post ECMA update after a grand week in PEI. There is so much I could write about this adventure which had its discoveries, challenges and victories. However, what truly stands out to me the most is the deep love, kindness and support I received from family and friends while there. I could not have persevered through the challenges alone and ultimately we all lived something of tremendous blessing together.

Thank you to both the Charlottetown and Summerside Community Churches for being fantastic hosts for the kitchen parties prior to the ECMA showcase. We had a wonderful time together and your enthusiasm was encouraging to the whole band. Thanks to everyone at First Baptist and Faith Bible as well. The love for your family, communities and province is beautiful. The Becks were fantastic billets for Kevin, Kenn and I as well. Thanks for making us feel so welcome and cared for.

The time spent together with all of my old friends, new friends and family was the highlight for me. Getting sick was a huge challenge and everyone around me gave of themselves, prayed and helped carry me through the showcase on Friday night – Girls’ Night Out.

It’s very difficult to put into words the power and impact of the love that you expressed. I will never forget what we experienced as a band and what we gained by persevering and stepping onto that stage together. It could not have happened without the support of everyone who cared. I love you all so very much.

I’m off to Halifax on April 1st for JunoFest. I’m thankful for the invitation to join other artists for a great evening of Gospel music. I trust I will be healthy and well!

Thanks for dropping by the site and please feel free to leave a note saying you were here. Happy March Break to friends in Nova Scotia and other parts of the country. My kids are back to school tomorrow. They are less than thrilled.

Ciao,

sm

Festive greetings of the New Year! I truly believe this Christmas was one of the most meaningful ever. It was special for all the best of reasons; having opportunity to both give and receive. It was clearer still for me that I am surrounded by an amazing community of family and friends that are kindhearted, compassionate and are tons of fun to be with. The trip to Tracadie was especially lovely and was a treat to go as a family. All of the kids participated in the ‘spectacle’ in some way or another and the result was new relationships and a whole lot of joy being expressed and felt.

Thank you to those sending notes of cheering on and congratulations after the ECMA announced that Family is nominated for Gospel Recording of the Year. I am also delighted to have an opportunity to share my heart and music at the Girls’ Night Out showcase. Yee haw! That will be fun. I’m somewhat concerned about my time slot though. It is well past my bedtime. Someone reading this will pray about that I’m sure. 

Thanks for dropping by the website. Drop me a note to say you were here.

sm

Hi folks,

I hope to communicate more than once a year, so this is the place we can all stay in touch. Thank you to those who have written to me over the last few months. I appreciate you taking the time to respond to what you’ve heard on the CD and what you’ve experienced as I’ve traveled, sharing my heart and music. I have met some lovely people this past year and I have been sincerely blessed with some very meaningful interactions with many of you. I have been feeling the love!

One of the highlights as of late was traveling to the Covenant Awards in Toronto. It was terrific to be there with my Mom, Kenn, and my dear friend Jocelyn. We stayed with my aunt and uncle in Hamilton and they were amazing hosts as usual. Greetings to all the folks at West Brampton Alliance Church. You gave us a hearty welcome. What a wonderful time we had worshiping together. Thanks to Sheryl and Bob for hosting my first ever House Concert. We had a great night of music, stories and treats. My good friend Kevin Fox joined me once again for this evening. He’s definitely a part of the family now.

We had a terrific night at the launch of Family and Sheila’s book “Hear Heaven”. I was deeply encouraged to see many people that mean so much to me there. Special thanks to the band and dancers, my Mom included, grandmother who made cookies, and Moe, Andrew and their girls who came from PEI. You guys are the best! Many people helped to make that a tremendous night.

Just got home tonight from my Mom’s CD launch. She has released music that expresses her love for the Kingston Peninsula. You can check out what she has been up to at www.carolynmurraymusic.com. She had a great night and I especially enjoyed the duets she sang with Father Clark MacAulay. It was a precious time.

Before I sign off (it’s past my bed time), I want to thank everyone for their prayers for me and my family. I’m grateful to you all. I have been strengthened by your encouragement and changed by the love you have shown.

Take care,

Stephanie

Hmmm… I think the last time I wrote there was a big storm, wasn’t there? Well, we always get a dilly in March so I’m finding myself home with all the kids again today. I appreciate these days when you can rest and not feel you have to go anywhere. Provides me with an opportunity to fill you in on the last month.

I want to thank all of you who have sent me mail and words of encouragement via the web site. I love to hear your stories and how the music is being used to impact you. A special thank you to the radio stations in the Atlantic region that are starting to play some of the music. I appreciate their support in seeing this music released into the airwaves. Had a great opportunity to discuss the project on CBC a few weeks ago as well as being interviewed by the Telegraph Journal in Saint John.

I had a super trip to Sydney for the East Coast Music Awards. I want to thank my friend Kevin for being a wonderful host and introducing me to many of his peers and friends. We had a blast reconnecting and getting caught up on the last twenty years. He played a stunning set at the New Artists’ Showcase. It was a privilege for me to join him on keyboard.

Knowing me, I figured I would have an “amateur” moment at some point during my time at the ECMA. I prayed to God He wouldn’t choose to humble me during the actual showcase so the sound check was my moment. We were finishing up the last song and I could smell something funny. Looking behind me I saw this trickle of smoke seeping out of some of the gear. I did this HUGE double take and then realized it was a dry ice machine. Yep, the little country girl hits the big-time. I think Kenn was the only one who saw me. Maybe??? Oh my.

Thank you Suzanne my dear friend for hosting Kenn and me. Many thanks to Wes, Rachel and Thomas for making us feel welcome.

Helped lead worship at the Watchmen for the Nations Rassemblement Acadien last week. What a privilege to join hearts and voices with others in our region and to witness the beginnings of a beautiful relationship with the Acadians in the east coast and beyond. Our worship team was made up of the young and older, Acadian, Quebecois, French and English. From the sounds of the strings to the accordion and saxophone, percussion and voice we experienced a precious time of healing and celebration.

Until next time…

sm

Hi folks!

Greetings from chilly New Brunswick. We are getting our share of clippers, blizzards, and wind chill warnings this month. It’s funny to watch my kids anticipate a “storm day” like I used to when I was their age. So far the wearing of the pyjamas backwards and inside out as well as sleeping on the couch has really worked for them??? Can’t recall all of that ritual. Usually involved a “Please, God!” for me.

I want to thank all of those who have not only purchased CDs so far but express my appreciation to the many of you that have written and encouraged me regarding what you are hearing, feeling, and sensing about this project. Thank you also to those who have passed on the word and are directing people to the web site. Last week a friend of mine from orchestra days ordered one from Australia. Thanks Patty!

Lead worship this weekend at a Living Waters conference at our church. Thank you Toni, Mark and Kirsten for coming from BC and Alberta to share with us. I was deeply encouraged and am grateful to the Fergusons for their heart for the east coast. Thank you for the opportunity.

Thanks to you all,

sm

Upcoming dates:

ECMA East Coast Music Awards February 18-21 Sydney, NS
Acadian Gathering/Rassemblement Acadien February 24-26 Moncton, NB