Musician Sara Groves puts faith into action

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Singer/songwriter Sara Groves is on a mission—to help audiences gain a deeper understanding of God’s love for his children. And by doing more than just singing songs at her concerts, she is challenging Christians to grow in their walk with Christ.

“When I’m performing concerts, I feel a specific calling to challenge people to take that next step with God, because every single person has a place to go in their walk with Christ,” Groves said.

Sarah Groves

“I’ll discuss different issues and then pose questions like: ‘What are we doing to make an impact on others? Are we being fully devoted followers of Christ? What areas in our lives are we holding back from Christ? If we really applied the gospel at every level of our lives—friendship, marriage, parenting—what would that be like?’ 

“I sometimes feel that God puts harder subjects on my heart, so it’s not a typical concert experience. I want to encourage people to explore God and who he is.”

To encourage people to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others, Groves often shares information about various mission organizations at her concerts.

Her husband, Troy, documented several of their mission trips and relief efforts for the Nomad Show, a reality film series that chronicles the experiences of young missionaries serving around the world.

In April 2009, Groves traveled to Washington, D.C., on behalf of International Justice Mission to advocate for victims of human trafficking, meeting with congressional aides.

As a result of her social advocacy, Groves was selected as a delegate to attend the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism in Cape Town, South Africa. The goal of the event, founded by Billy Graham and John Stott in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974, is to promote unity, humility in service and a call to action for global evangelization.

Desiring to meet needs in Jesus’ name, Groves recently had the opportunity to partner with prison ministries and performed two concerts for more than 1,000 women inmates.

She noted the women there defy stereotypes and do not fit neatly into any single category.

“This is always the biggest surprise for anyone who visits. Our prison populations are made up of a diverse group of men and women who are in desperate need to hear the gospel and have their lives changed,” she said.

“Each experience and mission trip has taught me so much about how many people are hurting around the world and need to hear about Christ’s love.

“I was just a typical soccer mom well into my suburban life when God convicted me that I wasn’t being the Good Samaritan. If anything, I was being like the man on the other side of the road. It was then that I realized I needed to take action, step out of my comfort zone and share Christ’s love with those in need.”