People Who Inspire: Point of Grace

A Circle of Passionate Friends

A few months ago, I was able to connect with the music group Point of Grace for an interview. Being one of the contemporary Christian groups, Point of Grace has influenced the Christian genre for over 20 years with their amazing harmonies and encouraging lyrics. Generation after generation, they have continued to share a love for Christ through their music in hopes of making a difference in the hearts who hear their songs. Even after evolving to a trio, this group has continued to bring new and exciting songs, as well as a book, to their followers. This trio has been on the Grand Ole Opry many times and has even won Dove awards for their great songs, such as “Jesus Will Still Be There,” “Circle of Friends,” and “Keep the Candle Burning.”

I first heard Point of Grace when I started attending a small rural church in Northeastern Oklahoma. A few of the ladies had shared a special one Sunday morning and I will always remember the words resonating the love of Jesus and the amazing hope that He brings. Point of Grace has a way of bringing the right sound and words together to form a song that will encourage and inspire you. It is my pleasure to introduce our readers to the amazing ladies of Point of Grace, Denise, Leigh and Shelley.

CYNDI KAY GREEN: Please introduce yourself to our readers.

DENISE JONES: My name is Denise Jones. I grew up in Norman, OK and married an Oklahoma boy named Stu Jones. We will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary on September 19, 2022. We have lived in Nashville, TN for 29 years where we have raised our two boys, Spence (24) and Price Jones (21). Being raised in a musical family who sang together in church, gave me a passion for singing, especially in a group scenario.

LEIGH CAPPILLINO: Hello, I’m Leigh Cappillino, born in a small town in South Carolina. I grew up in a wonderful Christian home with two older sisters. I’ve been singing since I was 5 years old. Have a BA in religion and a FA degree in Vocal Performance. My dream was to do EXACTLY what I am doing to this day. The journey has been full AND has brought me and my family much JOY and happiness for over 30 years. Each step of the journey has prepared me for the next. I’m still pinching myself.  I’ve been married almost 30 years and have 2 wonderful kids, Darby 19 and Andrew (Andy) 9.

SHELLEY BREEN: Shelley Breen, singer in Point of Grace, wife to David of 25 years, mom to Caroline (freshman in college at Liberty University) and a small King Charles cavalier named Buttons. I enjoy reading, cooking, walking, trying new restaurants and traveling. I reside in Brentwood, TN.

CKG: Please share your testimony.

DJ: I put my faith in Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection at the age of six. Seeing and hearing the story of Jesus since I was a toddler and watching my parents, Grandparents, Uncles and Aunts, and Sunday school teachers live a life of following Jesus made it easy for me to understand that God loved me enough to send his son for my life. I couldn’t be more grateful for the knowledge I was given that early in my life. Looking back at my own personal journey and experiences I have seen his hand guide, direct, comfort, provide in so many ways. Those faith markers of places He has shown up continue to help me know when I face new experiences that He will not leave me. He has heard my prayers and cries. This past year has not been an easy one. My son went through an extremely traumatic event, my husband had to start a new job, Point of Grace had most of our dates canceled due to Covid, and my Mom passed away. God carried me through this using the hands and feet of other believers who sent a note at just the right time, or the kindness of a gift, a phone call or text at the very moment I needed it. He constantly showed me light even in dark times. I know he is real and present in my days.

LC: I was raised in a Christian home and my parents modeled their faith in Christ, beautifully. I was 9 years old when my Sunday School teacher shared the message of salvation with me. I went home that evening, had a frightening dream (in the dream the world was coming to an end, and I wasn’t prepared for heaven) that caused me to wake my Mom in the middle of the night…a moment I won’t ever forget… She explained what I needed to do in order to go to heaven. I prayed that prayer with my Mom, and was baptized a few months later. My re-birth began.

SB: I have known the Lord all of my life, having grown up in a small Lutheran church in Little Rock, AR. My family and I were very involved in our little church. A significant time in my journey with Jesus was in a mom’s Bible study when my daughter was in elementary school. A man by the name of Don Logan, who was a pastor at the time, was leading us through a chronological read of the Bible. He was a brilliant Bible teacher and challenged me to get off of the hamster wheel of life and comparison, and re-prioritize my life. He really helped me change the way I parented and also challenged us to always look at our heart first – for our motivations and where our devotion was.

CKG: Share your experience at the Grand Ole Opry.

DJ: Every single time we get to sing at the Grand Ole Opry feels like its the first. It never gets old. My family grew up listening to Gospel and Country music and I love how the two can work together sometimes. The history of the Opry and all of the music that has crossed that stage is so amazing. It’s one of those things I never even knew to dream for.

LC: Honestly, POG has had the honor of performing at the Grand Ole Opry over 50 times… it never gets old, boring or taken for-granted. Standing on the side of the stage before they call our name to perform, keeps butterflies dancing in the pit of our stomachs. Each opportunity brings about new friendships, and so much joy when we are able to bring others along with us. My favorite is being around such musical excellence. The Opry band kills it EVERY time!!! It has been a dream I never knew to dream… God does that often and is still surprising POG with unexpected privileges like the Opry.

SB: We love singing at the Grand Ole Opry. The vibe backstage there is different than anywhere else in the world. Everyone, whether they are a huge star or just starting out, is always so kind and welcoming. We always try to bring our 110% BEST to the Opry! It’s truly an honor to perform on such a legendary stage.

CKG: What has been the most rewarding experience of Point of Grace?

DJ: When I think of what it’s been like to be in Point of Grace I just have such an attitude of thankfulness. What a joy it is to travel and sing with some of my very best friends. We have experienced the highs and lows of life together. Especially living in Nashville where there is so much talent, I am humbled to think that God has allowed me to be a part of this. When someone shares a story of a time one of our songs helped them through a vulnerable time in their life, I have no other option but to give praise to God for his goodness. I still sometimes just have to shake my head in unbelief that He lets me do something that I love as a career. It had been a dream of mine since I saw Sandi Patty in concert for the first time when I was in middle school, but I didn’t know that he would actually let me do it.

SB: There have been so many rewarding experiences that it’s hard to narrow down to one. I really loved singing at the Presidential Prayer Breakfast back in 2015 I believe it was. It was very moving to sing about God in the presence of some of the most powerful leaders in the world. The king of Jordan, then Senator Obama and President Bush were all in attendance, and there was some really moving prayer for our country on that day in that room.

CKG: Point of Grace had already been on the music scene for a few years. What was it like to join a group that has such a wonderful ministry for women and girls?

LC: I knew when I joined the group over 18 years ago, I was joining a musical unit of Integrity.  Prior to me joining POG, Shelley and Denise had been friends for a long time. We did things together with our families, so that element of friendship was already intact. My biggest hurdle or challenge was to enhance what was already established. In addition, pursuing the purpose God has on my life, alongside POG. I’ve loved being a part of the POG family and wouldn’t trade these “sister’s” for anything.

CKG: What inspired the Girls of Grace Conference?

DJ: Girls of Grace was born out of all of the young ladies that would come to our shows or in the “Old days” write us snail mail with all types of questions about Life, love, and other mysteries (to quote an old song of ours) We felt called to use our platform to be able to address some of these topics and bring some wonderful friends of ours to come beside us to speak into their lives. We were all blessed to have Moms, grandmothers, and other Godly women to teach us, but there are a lot of girls who don’t. Also, we wanted to come along beside the Moms who are teaching their daughters these truths to help be another voice.

CKG: How can we, as Christian women, influence our children while we raise them in a society that believes “do what makes you happy”?

LC: I don’t have the million dollar answer to that question. I’m still in the process of learning myself.  For me, a good start is reminding them how unique and wonderfully designed they are… nurture the things they excel in and drive home the importance AND demonstrate a heart of compassion and kindness. It’s hard to be self-centered when we are thinking of others with empathy.

CKG: In today’s society, our girls face challenges that previous generations have not had to deal with. What are the biggest ones that influence them the most?

SB: I believe social media is a huge influence on the girls in our society today. I honestly can’t find much good about it. It definitely distracts them from almost everything else, often for hours at a time. It feeds the comparison beast and the narcissism that hides in all of us. I am glad I didn’t grow up with it and I think 100 years from now Christian moms all over are going to say “What were those moms THINKING when they let their kids have this??” We don’t understand the full range of damage yet unfortunately. We are the first generation navigating our way through.

CKG: Tell us about the new Point of Grace book, “How You Live.”

LC: The new HYL book was so much fun to do. The idea was birthed from our desire to “pass down” to our kids the TRUTH. A personal relationship with Jesus will change “How You Live”. No one can dispute our personal testimonies… The 3 of us hit the BIG 50 at the SAME time…and we didn’t want to record a new album but maybe it was time to write down the story of God’s faithfulness in our lives over these 25/30 years. We each have 13 essays, each topic was thought out and then chosen based on which member had a deep passion or personal experience. Some essays were more challenging than others of course, but nonetheless, each one, intentional. Our final thought in doing this particular book was to offer a place others could write down their own stories of God’s faithfulness or experiences… to pass it down to the next generation. We had no idea what would come from it’s pages but we are so overwhelmed with the excitement from those that appreciate our vulnerability and experience.

CKG: Give us a bit of info about the new album. Which part was your favorite part?

SB: We just released digitally for the very first time our Christmas album “Sing Noel”. My favorite part of this was creating a video to our new single “Gloria”. We filmed it in a beautiful historic church in downtown Nashville and it was just really neat to meet the people that attend the church; especially the Pastor, and an older woman named Rosemary who was just so cool!

CKG: Do you have a favorite Point of Grace song?

LC: “Blue Skies” is my favorite POG song.

CKG: What is the most entertaining moment in the recording studio?

LC: The listening to the song/songs after they have been mastered, is always the highlight of the recording process for me. The way it begins, oftentimes, is very different from its original idea or form. The thrill of the final product is exciting!

CKG: Tell our readers about the new Point of Grace Christmas single “Gloria”.

DJ: We loved being able to record the song “Gloria”. It was written by some dear friends of ours, Jeff and Gayla Borders. They wrote several of our biggest known songs such as “Keep the Candle Burning,” “Not that far from Bethlehem,” “One King,” So when we were looking for a new Christmas song to record, we called to see if they had written anything lately. Gayla mentioned that they actually had just written a song with their college age children for a Christmas service that they were leading at their church. When we heard it, we just knew there was something special about the words and the chord structure and unanimously agreed that this was the song we wanted to record as a new feature to our Sing Noel album.

CKG: After 20 year in the music industry, how do you react to the success of the group?

SB: I am just really grateful to still be traveling and making music with my best friends. We have so much fun traveling together and it never gets old! Even after 30 years.

CKG: Tell us about a time when God answered your prayer?

DJ: I have seen God answer prayer many times. Most recently I would have to say that he answered my prayer around the passing of my Mom. She had been struggling with her health and had become very afraid of dying alone. I had been praying for the Lord to answer her prayers for peace in that area.   Looking at the days around her death I watched God orchestrate so many details. The most important was that all 3 of us daughters and my Dad were there around her singing her into heaven. It was one of the hardest, but yet beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed. God was there with us and we felt His presence. God did not abandon my Mom and I witnessed his love and care for us all.

SB: God always answers prayer, though it may not always be the answer we want. He always hears us – that is a promise from His word. So just knowing that brings me comfort and a will to “pray on”. We prayed a lot about colleges for my girl. I feel he answered that prayer by putting her in the right place despite any reservations I may have had. I’m glad he is sovereign over me and my insecurities and worries!

CKG: Which scripture has had the biggest impact on your life and faith?

LC: II Tim. 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.”

I would like to thank Denise, Leigh and Shelley for taking time to participate in this interview. It has been a pleasure to bring their inspiration to Christian Women Living Magazine.

If you would like to learn more about the music you can go to Pointofgrace.net. You can also find all of their “socials” on there.

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Cyndi Kay Green