Jennifer Knapp could never have predicted what has happened this year. Since her first nationally distributed project, kansas, released on Gotee Records, her story has been unfolding in some amazing ways. "I was really pleased by this project, but I certainly didn't expect it to be received like this", reflects Jennifer. "I'm surprised and extremely grateful."

Here are four of the many reasons for that gratitude:

* 36 weeks on the Sound Scan Top Twenty out of 40 weeks on the CD racks

* Three consecutive #1 songs: 'Romans', 'Undo Me' and 'Whole Again'

* Over 200 public performances in 1998 and an opening slot on the 1999 dc talk tour

* Artist representation by Creative Artists Agency, putting Jennifer in company with Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, jars of clay, Amy Grant and dc talk.

Produced by Audio Adrenaline lead singer Mark Stuart, kansas is an eclectic mix of alternative folk rock. Jennifer's powerful vocals are a perfect match for the crisp, guitar-laden melodies she penned herself.

Jennifer adds, "This music is just a reflection of all the music I've grown up listening to. It's what has really spoken to my heart, musically."

"It's important to me in my ministry to the church to encourage the Body of Christ not to forget our dependence on God. I've seen people around me lose their passion for God, even though they're in church. So that's an important thing for me to communicate, having that honesty with God, because that's what He wants. Becoming vulnerable to the church kind of gives them permission to be vulnerable to each other and to God, and that's what I want to happen."

1999 promises to be another exciting year, with a 60 city dc talk tour in the Spring, festivals in the summer, and the beginning of the long process of writing for a new record. In between writing, and touring, Jennifer is excited about her fourth consecutive year in overseas missions. "The past three years, we've gone to minister in Eastern Europe, and that's been great. It's important to me to remember that my first priority as a Christian is to serve, not to be served. Missions makes that really obvious, because I'm serving next to people who care more about my ability to use a hammer than my ability to use a guitar."

As she continues gaining steam, Jennifer looks forward to the numerous opportunities that lie just around the corner.

"It's great to feel that I've been obedient to God and to still be surprised by all the new ways that he keeps using that obedience."