First Girls of Grace conference draws 9,000 teenage girls

Carpenter's Home Church in Lakeland, Florida was a buzz this past weekend as 9,000 teenage girls filled the sanctuary for the first ever Girls of Grace conference. The two-day event hosted by Point of Grace is an open forum centered on topics specifically geared for teenage girls. Special guest speakers included Nancy Alcorn of Mercy Ministries of America and Susie Shellenberger of Brio Magazine. Reunion recording artist Joy Williams was the special musical guest. Point of Grace also performed selections from their new praise & worship project Girls of Grace, released on Word Records, and topics were taken from the new Girls of Grace devotional book and journal from Howard Publishing. The event was sponsored by Mary Kay Cosmetics' Velocity make-up line, Ross' Dress For Less national retail chain and the local Arby's and Sonny's BBQ restaurants.

Girls of Grace is a dream come true for Shelley Breen, Terry Jones, Heather Payne, and Denise Jones. After being together for twelve years, eight albums, and countless awards and accolades, the foursome wanted to start a more personal ministry for teen girls. Girls of Grace is a Friday night and all-day Saturday conference hosted by Point of Grace and includes praise & worship music, keynote speakers, teaching sessions, a fashion show, and make-overs, as well as a concert by the Point of Grace ladies and Joy Williams. The topics focused on during the weekend include boys, sex, and dating, family relationships, friendships, and most importantly having a personal relationship with Christ. The goal of each conference is for girls to walk away with a refreshed heart, a renewed self-confidence and a better understanding of their daily walk with Christ. Three other conference dates are set for this fall -- Dallas, Texas (October 25-26), Denver, Colorado (November 8-9), and Grand Rapids, Michigan (November 15-16), with six other dates set for winter/spring 2003.

Materials accompanying to conferences are the Girls of Grace CD (which debuted at #5 at Sound Scan), the Devotional Workbook and Journal which release simultaneously in late August. This praise and worship compilation was recorded with a stellar group of female artists including: Jaci Velasquez, Out of Eden, Joy Williams, Jennifer Deibler of FFH, Christy Nockels of Watermark, Rachael Lampa, and Nichole Nordeman. Produced by Nathan Nockels, the album offers original Point of Grace recordings of both familiar and new worship songs and features a choir made up of teenage girls from The Tennessee Choral Academy and Mercy Ministries of America.

In addition to the Girls of Grace conferences this fall, Point of Grace will also join Michael W. Smith on his Christmas Tour beginning November 29.