Sara Groves

“Creativity begets creativity, compassion begets compassion. We are all called to be people of justice and mercy. It’s my job to write songs for the journey.”

Prologue:

Today Sara Groves is considered one of the most renowned songwriters in Christian music. She’s released nine albums, been nominated for three Dove awards, and her latest album Fireflies and Songs was named Album of the Year by Christianity Today. Yet despite all of her success Sara is one of the most humble artists in the industry writing lyrics honest, vulnerable, and intimate that few can match. Her passion for social justice is also another reason why she is so widely admired among her peers in the Christian music industry. Sara shows us what compassion, honesty, integrity, and complete surrender to Christ really look like.

Her Story:

Sara Lee Colbaugh was born on September 10, 1972 in Vineland, New Jersey and grew up in Springfield, Missouri. Sara grew up in a Christian home as her Dad was a pastor and she had a strong relationship with her parents. She came to accept the Lord at the very young age of 4 and started playing music when she was 5 years old on a piano. Every opportunity to serve the Lord she did growing up and she was very dedicated to her faith in Christ.

Sara went to Evangel University in Springfield, a private Christian University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in History and English in 1994. She spent her first four years out of college teaching at a high school in Rosemount, Minnesota. In that time period she would meet and later marry, Troy Groves who inspired her to begin to share her music to the public. Her first performance was for a fundraiser for Fellowship of Christian Athletes group. She played five songs with a band and at the end of the night a girl came up to her. She knew that this girl was involved in witchcraft and she asked for a CD to take home for her mom. It was then that Sara felt compelled to do something with her music. The following Sunday she did a CD release night for a drug rehabilitation program and she got a letter from the girl involved in Wicca and she told her that because of Sara’s music that she came to know Christ. This is one of the major reasons why Sara decided to make her first album.

Sara’s first album, Past the Wishing, was recorded in 1998. It was an independent album and was followed by Conversations in 1999 which was originally independent and later picked up by INOTOF Records. It was her third album, All Right Here, that really jump started her career in Christian Music. She was nominated for “New Artist of the Year” in 2002 and “Special Event Album of the Year” in 2003 by the Gospel Music Association.

Turning Point:

It was shortly after the birth of her first son, Kirby, in 2001, in her late twenties that Sara went through a faith crisis. She began to feel ill-equipped to introduce Kirby to the world and what it means to be a city of a hill. She realized that she was not believing God; she actions were right but her heart wasn’t. The fruit of the Spirit wasn’t being produced in her life. She took a year off from being on tour and rediscovered her faith. She began to see what God really intended for her life and the church. She’s is what she found through her studies:

“The pilot light was lit. I started thinking, “I don’t want my kids to watch me be afraid. I want them to watch me be passionate and dangerous about the gospel of Jesus Christ the way that Paul was, the way different people – these great leaders – were. I want them to watch me believe. I want them to see me take God at His Word. I want my children to watch me find that grace in my own life, and not always see that striving.”

Her Story Part 2:

 Shortly after she would have another son, Toby born in 2003. In 2004 she began to write on her personal experiences from the past few years. Her fourth album and fifth albums, The Other Side of Something, and Add to the Beauty, reflected her feelings of struggling with her faith and the resolution of displaying her faith in her life. Add to the Beauty, was named “Album of the Year,” by CCM Magazine.

In September 2005, Sara and her husband, Troy, along with a few others delivered a tour bus and trailer load of baby supplies to victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2006, Sara was chosen to be a subject of a film titled: Sara Groves-Just Showed Up For My Own Life produced by Fearless Films, Inc. In the film, was video of Sara’s relief efforts of Katrina and a trip to Rwanda, Africa with Pastor Rick Warren.

In 2007, Sara released her seventh album, Tell Me What You Know, which landed as the #2 iTunes album in Christian Music for the year. During this time, Sara gave birth to her third child, Ruby Cate. She also helped produce her father, Dwight Calbaugh’s first album Beautiful Story in 2007. In 2008, she released her first Christmas album, O Holy Night, which contains both Christmas standards and newly written material. Recently on November 17, 2009 Groves released her ninth album, Fireflies and Songs, which was the “runaway” #1 choice of Album of the Year by Christianity Today.

Her Impact:

Sara is more than just a music artist; she’s also a social activist who has an incredible heart for people in need. As stated above, she and her husband helped in the relief efforts for the Hurricane Katrina victims. In 2005, she, Rick Warren, and members from Saddleback Church visited Rwanda. It was through her time in Rwanda that she say her need to change her attitude from charity to justice. She then connected with Food for the Hungry and during the 2008 Art*Music*Justice concert tour she recruited about 700 people to sponsor children in Gisanga through working with Intentional Justice Mission. Also in 2008, Sara provided a free concert at the United States Medical Center For Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. Finally, she made an awareness of the AIDS issue in Africa and sponsored children through World Vision. Here is her take on what is going on today with the Church:

“The second reformation will be about deeds. The Church has amputated its legs and its arms. We’ve become a mouth. That’s all we’ve got. It’s time that we reattach the hands and the feet. I think we are going to witness amazing things.”

Lessons From Her Legacy:

Sara’s life is an example of someone is has used everything she’s been given for the glory of God. So the first thing we can take away from her legacy is to use our gifts, talents, and time for God and to further His kingdom. Also don’t hide who you are from other people, be transparent and let the world know to who you belong to. Another important lesson to be taken from her is to have a heart of justice, not just charity. Get involved and be a part of people’s lives in need. Whatever cause God has put on your heart to be active in, join it! Finally, be completely honest to God with your emotions, feelings letting Him change you for His purposes and molding you to the person He wants you to become. Sara continues to inspire with her honest, soothing, raw, and pure lyrics and will sure to be a fixture in Christian music for many years to come.

Sources:

Christianity Today November 2009 Pages 34-35, Less Charity, More Justice

http://www.saragroves.com/bio/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Groves

http://music.thoughtquotient.com/sara_groves/sara_groves.htm

http://www.faithtalks.com/saragroves.htm