As the latest addition to the family of Word recording artists, Point Of Grace confounds the norm by being delightfully unaffected by the excitement generated by their self-titled debut album, a highly-accessible pop project featuring the group's sizzling vocal arrangements and airtight sister-like harmonies. Their calm in the midst of the hubbub is no doubt due the fact that though Heather, Shelley, Terry and Denise may be new faces on the national scene, they're known and loved by a loyal contingent of fans that have enjoyed their musical ministry since 1991.

The remarkable story of Point Of Grace begins at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where three church group pals from Norman, Oklahoma, Heather, Terry and Denise, met up with Shelley from Little Rock and started singing around the piano. From the start, none of the girls had any aspirations of getting into the music business. "Three of us were in a vocal group called the 'Ouachitones,'" remembers Denise, "and Shelley sang with us in the music room one night. We found all these harmony parts and then somebody said, 'Hey, we could do this!'"

Word spread fast about the foursome's natural vocal affinity and superlative talent and soon they were performing at churches, camps and retreats, under their original name, Say So. The girls took turns singing lead vocals and divided up the group responsibilities according to natural abilities. By graduation, the four had committed to touring full-time, and 1992 found them at home only three weekends out of the year. With an independent album under their belt (per the request of their fans), the group didn't see a reason to pursue a major recording deal. But thanks to a set of grandparents encouraging and underwriting a trip to Christian Artists Seminar in Estes Park, Colorado, the group wound up winning the Overall Grand Prize Group competition.

Not surprisingly, the group found that there was major record label interest. "We were really excited and surprised! But since we were already so busy touring and doing what we felt God wanted us to do, we were very cautious about making decisions that affected our future," says Shelley. By prayerful decision, the group decided to join the Word family. "We felt that everyone at Word shared our vision, even to the point of song selection. We wanted to make sure we'd record songs that were focused and ministry-oriented," says Denise. "The church has been our backbone, and that's where we want to stay."

At the heart of their ministry is a deep commitment to speaking the truth about family issues, sexual purity and the grace of God. "We have to admit, our backgrounds are pretty unusual," says Denise. "None of our parents are divorced, we all have sisters (not a brother in the bunch!) and we all have remained sexually pure and drug-free." So how can they possible relate to kids who aren't from stable families, who are struggling with temptation and losing the battle? "Though outwardly our lives may look picture perfect, inside we each know that only through God's love and grace are we able to overcome obstacles in our daily walk."

Already a favorite at so many churches in the South and Midwest, Point Of Grace has exploded on the scene with national exposure of their debut release. With songs carefully chosen to convey their shared commitment to living upright lives under God's tender mercies, Point Of Grace is carrying their well-established message to a much larger audience.

The first three songs released from the group's debut Word Records project reached #1 on the radio charts. The group has been chosen to perform as a part of the nationally recognized and highly acclaimed Young Messiah Tour, and will also appear with selected artists for Disney's Night Of Joy concert series.

As a fitting result of the group's first year accomplishments, Point Of Grace was named New Artist Of The Year by the Gospel Music Association during the 1994 Dove Awards in Nashville, Tennessee.