Savanna Grube - Interview

In this interview, I had the awesome opportunity to interview Savanna Grube. She's a former Praise Youth intern, a student at Liberty University seeking a degree in Psychology with a minor in Christian Counseling. We talked about her interests in Star Wars, Twilight, and Adventure Time as well as her experiences in Activism, Christianity, and the Working World. She continues to prove that all of my friends are way more interesting than me. Hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

During your time with the Praise Youth internship and other background parts of ministry, is there anything you learned from specifically the behind-the-scenes part of church leadership?

Yeah, wow, that's a good question. I think the main thing I learned is that it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. I think any work environment will have its conflicts and disturbances. I think I learned that it's part work environment and part ministry. I sort of idealized the church as some sort of perfect workplace where there would be none of the problems you hear about in other work environments. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because there will be conflict in any workplace, but I saw how conflict could be handled in a godly way. It was good to have that idealized picture broken down so that I could learn how Christians handle it versus a secular work environment.

There's a lot of interning that people don't see, when you think on your time with the internship, are there any interesting or funny stories from behind-the-scenes that really stand out in your memory?

Working with people like Jimmy Banks and Aaron Long can be very unpredictable. I can think of multiple instances where Jimmy would enter a room with a megaphone and just start screaming. There were plenty of times that Jen yelled at us for being too loud, or someone would come out of their office to tell us to be quiet. It's funny, because a majority of the time, it wasn't even the interns. Most of the time it was Jimmy or Aaron getting us started. Carli and I had a few times where we had to be the adults and bring things back to order. It was fun through and through, that's why I'm having trouble pinpointing just one moment.

What's one thing you think church teams focus on too much and one thing they don't focus on enough?

I feel like, even though relationships are pushed so much, they can kind of fall to the wayside. Sometimes a schedule is prioritized over a relationship. I've served on many teams and there have been a few times where my team leader would only reach out if I hadn't confirmed on Planning Center or if someone had just declined. Instead of genuinely being invested in my life. I get it, everyone has a life. At the same time, I still want there to be a real relationship there. I want to serve if I feel like I am wanted, and I feel like I am making a difference. If I'm only contacted when I haven't accepted on Planning Center or someone drops out, it makes me feel used. I want leaders to go out of their way to reach out to their team for non-serving conversations. I feel like that would be very useful. 

You've rubbed shoulders with a lot of leaders throughout your life, is there a piece of leadership advice that has stuck with you?

I've always heard that you should worship through your circumstances and that your feelings shouldn't dictate your worship. There have been times where I do not feel like leading or even attending church, but I have to remember that, as a Christian, I have made the conscious decision to set my feelings aside. 9/10 times when I put my feelings aside and lead or worship despite my circumstances, it turns into a very spiritual moment that God uses to develop my character and expand my view of him even more.

Have you ever experienced any unexpected difficulties in your small group leading?

Yeah, absolutely. I'm a pretty anxious person at heart, and I'm insecure in some ways. That can make me feel unworthy to lead the small group from time to time. I fear that, because they're teenage girls, they will just be vicious toward me. One very big difficulty I didn't expect to see was the insecurity and apprehension to lead. It's especially hard in the COVID-era of 2020, because myself and Kendall East -my co-leader- have noticed that our girls are so disconnected. As much as we try to reach out, we might get only 1 or 2 responses out of like 30. That lack of response also feeds into my insecurity, because I convince myself that it is my fault. So, my own insecurity was a difficulty that I didn't expect to occur nearly as much as it has. 

I know your experience of San Antonio is somewhat limited, but do you see any cultural difference between the 210 and 409?

Yeah, I lived in San Antonio from the time when I was 8 until I was 17, so almost 10 years. I actually lived in a town called Boerne (pronounced burn-ee) just outside of San Antonio. It's like Sour Lake//Beaumont. San Antonio is very different from Beaumont. Downtown SA is a lot like downtown Houston, it's a little scary, but it's also really cool and there. It's also a bit like Austin because there are a bunch of cool little shops and really artsy places to explore. As much as Beaumont also has little pockets of culture, San Antonio is just so much bigger, so it has a lot more. They also both have different cultural influences. San Antonio is obviously more hispanic in its influences, while I would say that Beaumont is more African-American in its influences. Also, the Mexican food is better in San Antonio. I think back to some of the nachos and tacos I've had there, and nothing in Beaumont could ever compare. I miss the food, for sure.

I know you value aesthetic and color, so I'm curious: is there a color you just hate?

Yes. I've never really liked brown. There's no depth. I say that, but I wear brown a lot. I feel like it's not a good standalone. So, I try to pair it with more poppy colors. It's very difficult to make brown pop on it's own. 

Speaking of color, do you have any idea what hair color you're gonna go for next?

Yeah, my hair is very dark, almost black, right now. I am trying to get back to silver. It's going to take a LOOONG time. Eventually I'll get there, but it's gonna be slow. I feel like I peaked at silver hair, so I want to return to that. 

On September 23, 2018, you tweeted, "Whatever, I'm excited for my redhead phase, leave me alone", so my question is, when did you decide to become a traitor to redheads?

Ok, listen. I really enjoyed having red hair, I did. However, my natural hair is blonde, so when the roots grew back in it looked very not good. I'm the kind of person that, even though I do my hair in a bunch of crazy colors, I prefer low to no maintenance. I really don't like going back to the salon every few months. As much as I did like my red hair, I couldn't commit to the upkeep. I'm also a very spontaneous and indecisive person, so I might say I'm super satisfied with something but in the back of my mind I'll be thinking about something else. 

So, you moved from San Antonio to Beaumont when you were about 17, which would have been about 4-5 years ago, so I want to ask: If you're 17-year old self could see you today, would you today be what they expected?

Wow, well, I can quickly say no solely based on the fact that I was not a Christian. I was agnostic. I kind of believed in a higher power, but I didn't really care. If my 17-year old self could see me being a Christian, they would be floored. Because, I used to make fun of Christians and people who went to church. I wasn't a bully, but I definitely looked down on them and made fun of them behind their backs. I was a big partier, and I would take my fun too far. Polar opposites, to be sure. 

You've worked a lot with Praise Youth, and so have I, so I wanted to ask you, is there a Winter Retreat/Summer Camp story that stands out in your memory?

Yes! There's a really sweet moment from Summer Camp that impacted me a lot as a small group leader. Right before camp I was not in a very good place. I rode up with Kendall and JR and I had a breakdown on the way. I told them I didn't want to go. Because I was the drama team leader, so that meant I had to be onstage and people were going to watch me. I was afraid that my feelings would interfere with my ability to act. Also, like I said earlier, I was feeling very insecure leading the girls while I was in a very upset emotional state. One night, I remember, we were in the room below the cafeteria. It was me, Kendall, Eliza, and Mary all co-leading. There was just something different about that small group meeting. Normally, it feels like there is some sort of block between us and the girls, maybe due to age or whatever. That night, there were no walls. We started sharing stuff from our lives, and I shared what I was going through with these 15-year olds. I was crying, they were crying, it was great. I was so in-tune with my leadership and those girls, so much more than I had been in a while. I remember we went over the time limit into the free time, and another leader was texting me asking if we were coming to free time, but we decided to just keep talking. For hours. It is my favorite small group moment I can think of. No question about it. 

Speaking retrospect, 2018 is when you were baptized, if I remember correctly, when you look at the time between then and now, do you see any palpable shift or was it more of a long overdue declaration?

I think it was definitely a pivotal moment for me. At that time, though, I was still not all-in for Christ. There were still a few things I was dealing with. I think as soon as I started becoming an intern and walking with Christ was the shift. I can see how I've matured. I had this disillusionment about christianity thinking that baptism would cause all of my problems to go away. Now, I know that I will have to face challenges. Now I am prepared. 

We live in a time where masculinity and femininity are more hotly debated than ever before, so that leads me to ask, how has your experience as a Christian woman been affected by the current culture?

Whoa, ok, cool. I've definitely felt the pressure to be someone I'm not. I've heard the bible verses that command wives to submit to their husbands, and I'm aware of the expectation for a woman to take the role of this nurturer. I'm a very independent woman, that's just how I was raised and how I've had to grow up in my life. I've felt the pressure to submit when I don't want to in certain ways. I think it should be a matter of wanting to submit rather than being forced to, and there are times I've felt forced. I've also felt like I can't do certain things because I'm a woman in the church. For instance, I feel like I can't voice my opinion about some things because I won't be as heard or as heeded as a man might be. I've felt that some people use the Bible as a crutch, and they twist it to support their misogyny. In reality, I think Jesus stood with women, and supported them. I think a lot of men, and even some women have used the Bible to push this false narrative that men are somehow more significant than women. I think that's completely false, we're all made in the image of God. I would say that, maybe he wasn't the first, but I would say Jesus was a feminist. He wanted to see women be brought to equal standing with men. Think Woman at the Well, the Samaritan Woman, Mary Magdelene, etc. Approaching women and giving them the opportunity to speak was completely unheard of in his culture. He helped the Woman at the Well the same way he helped the Blind Man. He showed them the better life they could have following him. 

While we're talking about critiques of the modern church, do you think there's a genre of music that Contemporary Worship Music could take some notes from?

Yeah, definitely. In terms of youth, a lot of bass and synth sort of dubstep-like sounds are what resonate with youth. I think Hillsong Young & Free can do that well. I love to feel music, and I think worship openers could benefit from a dubstep influence. They are starting to do that, and that makes me happy. 

In the same vane of music, I know you love music, as you just said, so I want to hit you with some bands and you'll need to choose which one you prefer, does that sound good?

Let's do it.

Elevation//Hillsong

I think Elevation. There are just more songs that I connect to that I can think of right now. 

Hillsong Young & Free//Highlands Worship

Young & Free for sure. The only song I can really remember from Highlands worship is "Name of Jesus" cuz we play it at Praise. Maybe I should listen to them more... anyway Young & Free still, hahaha. 

Sleeping With Sirens//All Time Low

No... (visibly struggling) (for like 10 seconds) (face buried in hands) making me connect to my emo side. I'm gonna have to say Sleeping With Sirens because their album "With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear", the one that has "If I'm James Dean, You're Aubrey Hepburn" I still listen to ALL the time. I love it, I love it so much. 

Post Malone//Childish Gambino

Hmm, Childish Gambino. As much as I love how Post Malone can bend the genre, I really appreciate Gambino's lyricism. Every time I listen to one of Childish Gambino's songs. it feels like a stage production. Each song has so much personality, and that adds to the entertainment factor in a big way. "3005" is such an animated song.

All Sons & Daughters//Mosaic MSC

I really love Mariah McManus' voice, like a lot. So I have to go with Mosaic MSC. She's so good. 

Taylor Swift//Harry Stytles

Whoa!! Whoa now, they dated, you can't pit me against them. It sucks because I know the words to every single Taylor Swift song. I used to be a closeted Swiftie, like I would hate on her in public then go home and listen to her music and literally yell the lyrics. On the other hand I LOVE Harry Styles. He's just an angel, but Taylor has such as way with words. UGHH, why are you doing this to me?! I think there are more Taylor Swift songs that I can relate to, because she's brought me through some stuff. So I'll pick Taylor, but I love Harry too. 

Sleeping At Last//Penny & Sparrow

Sleeping At Last, no question. Their cover of "Already Gone" is so amazing. And their album "Atlas: Space", the one that has "Saturn" on it is so amazing. Saturn is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. 

To test your memory to see if you remember either of these bands from way back when I recommended them to you, Feign//Black Tongue

Hmm, I'm trying to remember which songs I liked from each of those. I'm not good with names of bands that I don't listen to religiously, but something in my soul is telling me Feign. 

The band CAMINO//Paramore

This is just cruel. Honestly, I've only somewhat recently started listening to The band CAMINO. Paramore on the other hand; 1) they have ties to Twilight and that's where my true loyalties lie. 2) Hayley Williams is like everything I could ever aspire to be. They're a timeless band. They never miss. So, I have to say Paramore. 

So, you mentioned your loyalties lying with Twilight, so I'm gonna give you three names, you must choose one of them. Timothee Chalamet, Robert Pattinson, Adam Driver

(without even blinking) Robert Pattinson. He really is the most chaotic person I have ever heard of. I adore him. I really hope this new Batman movie goes well. 

So, as someone who has lived all over Texas, or at least in two hotspots near San Antonio and Houston, the age-old culinary question rears its head once again: Whataburger vs In-N-Out.

I have to say Whataburger. I love In-N-Out, but in San Antonio it was so far from where I lived. San Antonio is so big, it would be like a 40-minute drive for me. I'm still gonna say Whataburger. To me, it has such a distinctive taste and also their stuff is way bigger. 

So, your leadership experience spans a lot of different demographics. You've been a small group leader, an intern, an onstage Host, etc. So, I wanted to ask you: How has your experience as a LEADER helped you become a better FOLLOWER of Christ?

Oh, in so many ways. It's taught me to properly deal with conflict. It's taught me how to work with people I do not want to work with and lead people I do not want to lead. Especially when I led the drama team for Summer Camp 2019. I essentially did what Maddy Beard did the previous year. I wrote the scripts, acted in a few of them, and then I was also a supervisor for the dance team. There were a few people that were challenging to lead. I'm the type of person that if I am challenged, my gut reaction is to pop off and be more aggressive, and I'll want to clap back. There were a few times during Summer Camp that I would think, "Wow, this person is being really combative with me and I would really love to be combative in return, but that's not what I'm called to do." Maybe they were angry at me or someone else, and that was contributing to their behavior, but I still had to give them grace. I think I'm still trying to learn that even today. Because, there are times now that I want to be argumentative and fight for what I believe, but I'm also called to give grace to people who are on the opposite side of whatever conflict we're in. 

So, we made mention of Adam Driver earlier, and I know you're somewhat of a Star Wars fan. Which is the best movie and why is it "Empire Strikes Back"?

Haha, how did you know I was gonna say that? It's true though. That movie just hits different. Every time I rewatch the series I'm so excited to get to Empire. As good as the New Trilogy is, it just pales in comparison. Also, Han shot first. My favorite thing is whenever Harrison Ford is asked about that, he's like, "I don't care." He's been asked that thousands of times, and he's just done. 

Speaking of entertainment, I'm gonna list 3 early 2000s cartoons that I know are very close to your heart, but you need to pick just one. Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Teen Titans, Adventure Time

AAH! WHY?! Those are like my main top three! Don't do this to me, Ethan! That's very upsetting. Man, Adventure Time really moved me as a show and continues to do so. It moves me in a way that no other show has. I grew up watching that as a child then finished it as an adult. I also grew up with Teen Titans, and the character development in that show is so amazing. Grim Adventures is also great. The world building in that show is actually insane. For a kids' show it's actually really immersive and wide. Darn, I can't choose. I think I have to go with Adventure Time because of how moving it was to me. I'm upset because I feel like I'm betraying an old friend. 

Earlier you said you loved to feel music, so in a sort of empathic way, I want to just give you a base emotion and you give me a song that epitomizes that emotion for you.

Happy

There's a song that's been stuck in my mind called "Deleter" by Grouplove. It's in a playlist of mine called "dancing by myself". Honestly Grouplove's whole discography. They just have great feel-good songs. 

Sad

"Liability" by Lorde. No explanation. The entire "melodrama" album, actually. I'm not a massive lyrics person, but those lyrics never fail to make me cry. She's talking about being too much for someone and feeling like she's the only person she has. When I'm in a mood and I need to cry, I will kick on that song. 

Angry

Hmm, I wanna say "Territorial Pissings" by Nirvana. Even if the lyrics might not be inherently angry, the guitar and drums have this aggression to them that resonates with an angry feel. I used to have that song in a Kylo Ren playlist and he's just an angry man. 

Content

"Way it Goes" by Hippo Campus. They do such cool things with their music. 

Thoughtful/Introspective

I'm thinking, hmm. "Possibility" by Lykke Li. That song is from the New Moon soundtrack. That's from the scene where Bella is sitting in a chair in almost a coma, or like catatonic. Life just passes by super fast as the camera slowly pans around her. 

Somber

"26" by Paramore. It's kind of sad in a way, but it seems hopeful to me. It seems like she's speaking to her future self. 

Excited/Pumped Up

"Don't Start Now" by Dua Lipa, that song makes me feel so upbeat.

I watched a Hot Ones interview with Tyra Banks where she was talking about teaching a marketing class and having the students identify their personal brand; with that in mind, what do you think the "Savanna Grube" brand is?

Oh gosh. I feel like it's very much anything impulsive. Like, you wanna dye your hair, do it. No thought process needed. Reckless abandon. Not in a super harmful way. It's kinda cute in a way. Chaotic, that's what I am. 

Having participated in church leadership as a woman, I think you are uniquely qualified to answer this question: The American Church has made great strides for women since the time of the 1800s, do you think there's another important stride the American Church needs to make, or at least make more of?

Yeah, I definitely do. Without question. I think we need to see the church side with people of color. I think, for so long, people of color have felt alienated by the church. That's weird because Jesus was a person of color. Obviously theres black churches and white churches, but I would like to see that divide come together in a few more ways than it has. Of course, it will never be perfect, but that's no excuse to not try. Right now as the heat of racial injustice is being more clearly seen than ever before, and I believe were in the midst of another civil rights movement, I think the church has a unique opportunity to help people. To advocate for movements like believing that black lives matter. That doesn't suddenly mean that all lives don't matter, because Jesus taught us that everyone is loved. I definitely would love to see the church stand with people of color and do their absolute best to get rid of racism within the church. It's there, no matter how much we don't want to see it. 

-END-

Thanks so much for reading this interview, I hope you enjoyed it. 

If you did, please consider checking out one of my other interviews. 

I sincerely hope you have a wonderful remainder of your day.