Ep. 528 Jake Stemo: Living A Bold, All-In Life as a Family and Resurrecting the Meaning of the American Dream

In this heartfelt episode of Fatherhood Field Notes, host Ned Schaut sits down with Jake Stemo, Founder of Presence Worship, to explore what it truly means to embrace fatherhood. From raising four kids—including a 15-year-old entrepreneur launching her own thrift shop—to navigating loss, adoption challenges, and faith-driven parenting, Jake shares how presence, hard work, and an “all in” mindset shape his role as a dad. Together, Ned and Jake tackle cultural expectations and the pressures of the modern American dream, challenging fathers to rediscover what success truly means for their families. They discuss multi-generational living, marriage that requires dying to self, and the beauty of raising resilient kids who say yes to risk and creativity. This episode is about rejecting passivity, leading with integrity, and resurrecting a vision of the American dream that is rooted in faith, family, and legacy.Jake & Micah Stemo are the founders of Presence Worship, a ministry with a vision to equip worship leaders both spiritually and musically for the Kingdom of God. Over the past 10 years, they have equipped and discipled hundreds of worship leaders through Presence Worship’s Residency Program. Their ministry is based in Newton, Kansas, where they host a year-long equipping school that sends singers, musicians, and worship leaders to the nations. Jake regularly leads worship in rural churches as well as on ministry trips around the world. He carries a deep passion for the Presence of God and for raising up a generation of leaders rooted in intimacy with Him. Jake and Micah met at age 16, married at 19, and have now been married for 17 years. Together, they are raising four amazing children while continuing to pursue God’s call to equip and release worship leaders globally.Chapters:00:00:00 - Welcome to Fatherhood Field Notes00:01:23 - Jake's "Dad Moment": Launching his daughter's shop00:03:44 - The story behind their large age gap00:05:55 - Jake's Vocation: Running a worship nonprofit00:08:26 - Fostering his daughter's entrepreneurial dream00:11:35 - Defining the role of a father00:12:48 - When Jake embraced fatherhood00:15:28 - A father's perspective on young marriage00:17:44 - The "adventurously expected" mindset from Romans 8:1500:21:49 - Guiding a daughter's ambitions and dreams00:24:05 - The tension between God's plan and taking action00:29:19 - Navigating conversations about dating and early marriage00:32:04 - Redefining "hard" in marriage as dying to self00:35:37 - Lessons learned from his own father00:39:57 - Rebelling against the "American dream" status quo00:44:02 - Creating a new example for families on mission00:47:08 - Passing down faith through legacy songs00:52:40 - A final blessing for fathers and their unseen sacrificesGuest Link:Jake Stemo LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/jake-stemo-b8944a28Jake Stemo X (Twitter) – x.com/jakestemoNewSpring Church – newspring.org Presence Worship (Jake and wife’s nonprofit equipping young worship leaders) – presenceworship.org Heaven Sent Vintage (Jake’s daughter’s curated thrift shop) – Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavensentvintageks/Links and Resources:Transform Your Body with Ned & RUK Fitness: RUK FitnessThis episode is sponsored by The Adventure of FatherhoodOrder The Adventure of Fatherhood children's book hereCheck out the TEDx----------Want to learn more about The Adventure of Fatherhood?https://www.adventureoffatherhood.com/https://www.rebelandcreate.com/Each week Ned sits down with a dad and asks him to open up his field notes and share with other men who find themselves on the Adventure of Fatherhood. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatherhoodfieldnotesYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FatherhoodfieldnotesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebelandcreate