Choosing Change
The title cut of Point of Grace's new album is all about making the right choices. Recently, the group has chosen some changes—in their personnel and their sound.
by Maryann B. Hunsberger | posted 10/18/2004
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When you've sold nearly five million records, won 8 Dove Awards, appeared on several television shows and graced the pages of many magazines, what's next? For Point of Grace, the next step has always been consistently sharing the gospel while being open to change. And changes aplenty have sprouted in the lives of POG members over the years as they've married and had children, juggling raising families with ministering in music. The latest transitions are both personal and professional. Heather Payne gave birth to Nathaniel in September and remains a part of POG, while longtime member Terry Jones left the quartet earlier this year to spend more time with her husband and three children. Payne, Shelley Breen and Denise Jones welcomed former Truth vocalist and Women of Faith worship leader, Leigh Cappillino, to their group. We spoke with Breen about I Choose You, POG's first full studio project in three years and their tenth overall.
Tell me about the song "I Choose You" and using that as the album title.
Shelley Breen We were in the process of looking for songs, but nothing had blown us away. We wanted an anchor song, which is one of the songs on an album that you hang your hat on, that beyond a shadow of a doubt, people will like and connect with its universal appeal. We heard "I Choose You" and knew it was the song. It was unanimous-we all loved it. It became the standard by which we judged all other songs. The title was born out of choosing which song stood above the others.
Seeing how many directions teen girls-and all of us-are pulled in, we need a reminder that we are wired to worship something-our spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend, money, the church or whatever. We wanted to make a commitment statement, saying that we choose the Lord. That means a lot of things have to change. It's being black-and-white in your statement of faith, not gray.
Why is it important that you stress the message of making right choices to your listeners, especially teen girls?
Breen There are so many negative influences on girls. God has given us a platform to speak to his girls. It's hard to be a teen when all the magazines, movies and everything says you must look this way, dress this way, act this way, talk this way to be loved and accepted. We try to say that is not true. Through a relationship with Jesus, we become truly loved and accepted into the only family that matters. Our beauty comes from the inside. It's hard to not fall into that trap to strive to weigh no more than 105 pounds. These things don't make them happy.
We try to help girls make the right choices with our music and at Girls of Grace conventions. There, girls find people who are trying to live the same kind of life they are trying to live. For us to reiterate what parents are trying to teach their children about quiet time, friends, modesty and dating is very powerful. Teens might not hear from their parents what they would hear from another person, so we reinforce what their parents teach about making the right choices.
As someone in music ministry, do you still need to remind yourself to make conscious choices for God everyday or does it come naturally?
Breen It doesn't come more naturally at all. We have to watch ourselves even harder than others do. Things that might move a typical person might not move us, because it is easier to become jaded to the gospel message if you don't make a conscious effort to stay in the Bible and make your prayer life a priority. It's easy to say your devotion time was the interview you did today with Christian Music Today.
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