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Shelley Breen, Terry Jones, Heather Payne and Denise Jones were barely out of college when they began their journey as Point Of Grace. A decade later, they have one Platinum and five Gold albums to their credit. They also have 24 consecutive No. 1 singles (including "Keep the Candle Burning," "Circle of Friends" and "Steady On"), 14 Dove Awards (with four nominations for 2002) and two Grammy nods. They've made appearances on "The View," "Entertainment Tonight," "Live! With Regis & Kathie Lee," VH-1 and CNN and they've graced the pages of Time magazine, the New York Times, Ladies Home Journal and dozens of Christian publications.

By anyone's standards, that's a lifetime worth of achievements. So you may be surprised to hear that Point Of Grace is just getting started.

For the group's eighth album, the girls are once again blazing new trails. Girls Of Grace is more than just a stellar collection of worship songs from Point Of Grace and a host of other popular female Christian artists. It's a conference, a devotional book, a journal and, most importantly, a movement that Point Of Grace hopes will become a life-changing event for teenage girls.

While the idea couldn't be more timely, it's a dream the group has shared since their earliest days harmonizing together. As they toured the country sharing their inspirational tunes, young girls increasingly began to look to the foursome for direction, advice, and assistance in dealing with life's more difficult issues. Always eager to help, Point Of Grace made a point to take time with these girls after each show, to answer letters they received, and to refer those who needed additional help to agencies like Nashville-based Mercy Ministries of America which deals with serious issues like teen pregnancy, abuse and eating disorders.

"We get hundreds and hundreds of letters a year from girls wanting our opinions about things," Terry confirms. "They come to our concerts and want to talk to us afterward about issues they're facing and we began to feel a need to help on a larger scale."

"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith and your purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

It was out of that desire to make an even bigger difference that the Girls Of Grace conferences were born. A two-day event hosted by Point Of Grace and scheduled to take place in Dallas, Denver, Grand Rapids and Lakeland in 2002, they will feature guest speakers like Mercy Ministries of America Founder and President Nancy Alcorn and Brio magazine editor Susie Shellenberger. There will also be more personal sessions led by Terry, Denise, Heather and Shelley on topics ranging from family relationships and sex & dating to having a personal relationship with God and friendship & self-image. Then there's the fashion make-over, demonstrating to the teenage attendees how they can follow trends while staying on a budget and maintaining their modesty. And of course there will be music. In addition to a mini-concert by Point Of Grace, Joy Williams will be a featured guest artist and there will be a time of worship as well, centering around the songs found on the Girls Of Grace CD.

Set to release August 20, just weeks before the inaugural Girls Of Grace event, the new disc blends familiar worship choruses like "You Are My All in All" and "Trust in the Lord" with songs written especially for the Girls Of Grace events. In addition to Point Of Grace's signature harmonies, listeners will find appearances by Nichole Nordeman, Rachael Lampa, Out of Eden, Jaci Velasquez, Joy Williams, Watermark's Christy Nockels, FFH's Jennifer Deibler and Jill Phillips, all under Nathan Nockels' deft production.

"We felt it would be great to show the girls that they're loved and supported not only by us, but by other female Christian artists that care about teenage girls," Terry explains of their numerous guest stars. "And every single girl on this record has such a heart for what we're doing," she adds.

The disc's real stars are the teenage girls who participated from the Tennessee Choral Academy. These girls can be heard throughout the project, along with a group of girls from Mercy Ministries of America of America. And, it's their work that Terry says is her favorite part of the new project.

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live…then they can train the younger women…"-Titus 2:3-4

After 10 years of dreaming, some may ask what made the timing suddenly right for Girls Of Grace? It's a question Point Of Grace members find easy to answer.

"Right now we're young enough that they're still listening to us and we're old enough that their parents respect us and trust us with their children," Terry says.

"In the teen years they're looking for something to pattern their lives after," Heather adds, "and so many girls are turning to the wrong things. So we began seeing that we can have an impact on young girls' lives."

And now with all four members of the group married and parents or parents-to-be (Shelley, Heather and Terry are all expecting new additions before the conferences begin), Point Of Grace finds themselves with even more of a passion for and obligation to young people.

Just because they're no longer single or teenagers themselves, though, doesn't mean Point Of Grace is worried about connecting with their audience.

"Young girls know so much more today than I knew when I was that age," Heather admits. "But God hasn't changed and the way we should pattern our lives after Him hasn't changed. Those principles are still there."

And their message of encouragement is one that translates across all generational lines.

"Girls need to be encouraged that they're on the right track or shown here's the track to get on," Terry says. "It's a different way than the world is showing them. They don't have to dress immodestly to be trendy and they don't have to compromise their commitment to God to be with a boy. They just need to be encouraged that there are a bunch of other girls out there who are living pure lives.

"It's really hard to see that in high schools where you may be one of two Christians, or at least one of two that are really taking a stand," she continues. "We just want to get a bunch of girls together and encourage them to live pure, Godly lives."