Complexities of life point quartet to grace_32105

Posted: 3/18/05

Complexities of life point quartet to grace

By Leann Callaway

Special to the Baptist Standard

A lot has changed for Point of Grace since four young women started singing together 14 years ago at an Arkansas Baptist university.

Heather Payne, Denise Jones, Shelley Breen and Terry Jones formed the quartet while they were attending Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark. They postponed entering a full-time Christian music ministry until all four members of the group graduated.

“We used to be this novelty Christian group of girls,” Payne said. “Now, we're grown women, and this is our ministry and career. We've always felt like our ministry is to the local church. There are still so many people out there hurting in the church. I think a lot of the time, those in the church are the forgotten people. That's why a main part of our ministry is to encourage the church.”

With more than 5 million albums sold, 24 consecutive No. 1 singles, two Grammy nominations and multiple Dove Awards, Point of Grace is one of the most high-profiled Christian music groups in the country.

The group has received national media exposure from Ladies' Home Journal, The View, Entertainment Tonight, Time magazine, CBS This Morning, ABC World News Tonight, Access Hollywood and many other media outlets.

At the beginning of their music ministry, the group found one of the greatest challenges was deciding on a name for themselves. They found it when John Mays, an executive with Word Records, came across a passage in a C.S. Lewis book that said, “As Christians, we live every day in our lives at the point of God's grace.”

“When he read that, he jotted it down, and he already had a list of about 100 suggestions for names,” Payne recalled. “Point of Grace was the only name that the four of us agreed on.”

As they seek to balance ministry and motherhood, the group finds their name even more fitting. Last spring, Terry Jones left the group to spend more time with her husband and three children. The newest member of Point of Grace is Leigh Cappillino, a former member of the group Truth and worship leader for Women of Faith conferences.

“We know we're at the point of God's grace all the time, but the older we get, the more appropriate this name is, being wives and moms,” said Payne, who has two children. “We truly understand that our next breath is a gift from God, and just the fact that we can get through the day and balance our responsibilities as a mom, wife and daughter of the King and at the same time balance our ministry and career. I think we understand a bit more today than we ever have.”

Currently, Point of Grace is launching a 30-city tour across the United States through April. The headline tour supports their newest release, I Choose You. They will perform at Mayborn Convention Center in Temple April 14, Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall April 15 and First Baptist Church of Humble April 17.

“Even when we're touring this spring, it's not your typical tour,” Payne said. “The longest we're gone from home is 10 days on this tour. Probably we'll be gone an average of eight days out of the month. Now that we're moms, we try to isolate the times that we're out. We try to get a grip on it, so it doesn't get out of hand. I have no idea how many concerts we do each year, but we're trying to do less and less, so we can spend more time with our families. I've come to realize that no matter what ministry you're in, you have to put it in perspective and realize the ministry doesn't come first. In order for our ministry to even function, our houses, lives and priorities have to be in order.”

Point of Grace is ever-mindful of their position as role models to young women around the world. They established the Girls of Grace conferences, which draw thousands each year and continue to grow.

“So many moms come up to us and say: 'Thank you so much for your ministry and music. It's something that my daughter and I can share. My daughter really listens to what you have to say,'” she said.

Girls of Grace is a two-day conference specifically designed for 7th- through 12th-grade girls. The conference includes praise and worship music, keynote speakers, teaching sessions with the members of Point of Grace, fashion and makeup sessions and a concert with Point of Grace and special guests.

During the teaching sessions, Point of Grace talks to teenage girls about how to have discernment in dating situations, family relationships, friendships, self-esteem and a personal relationship with God.

The fashion show instructs girls on how to dress in the latest styles while maintaining modesty, and Point of Grace also leads a panel discussion about how to dress while keeping godly principles in mind.

“We relate to them on their level about what the Lord has taught us in our lives,” Payne said. “It's gotten us out of our comfort zone and has been a great ministry for us. We have a real passion for this. There are so many girls out there who really desire to be godly girls. The core verse that we use for the conference is 1 Timothy 4:12, which states, 'Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.' We are really trying to show these girls that they can be an example and they are called to live their lives in the image of Christ.”

Before each concert, the group has a prayer and devotional time.

“We want to keep our perspective straight and make sure that we realize that we're just a vessel and the applause is to be directed towards Christ,” Payne said. “This is Christian entertainment, but it is also a ministry. We've decided to try to share the gospel when we perform. We know that most of our audience is made up of Christians, but it's never going to hurt. You can never share the gospel too many times. We try to minister through what God's doing in our lives.

“I still am blown away when someone comes up to me after a concert or in random places like the grocery store and says, 'You have no idea how your music has ministered to me in a situation.'”