Couple answers a higher calling through family ministry

BROWNSBURG, Ind. January 21, 2008 02:41 pm

— The setting for a pivotal, life-changing moment was, of all places, a Fazoli’s.
That’s where, over lunch one summer day in 1997, Robbie and Denise Grimes decided to take their singing talents to a whole other level.
“We just felt like there was something else we needed to be doing with the talents God gave us — in addition to and beyond just serving at our church,” Robbie said.
The two met while performing at the now-defunct Old Indiana Fun Park in Boone County. Before marriage, Robbie wanted to be a famous pop singer. Denise was going to be the next Dolly Parton. They’ve achieved their goal of being singers since those heady days. But it’s for different reasons now. And that fateful day in Fazoli’s, Robbie says they decided, “If we’re going to do this, we need to work at doing it. This is our dream.”
That dream was ministering the word of God to other young families, but in a contemporary way. At the time, Robbie says there were ample single artists and others serving families through the Southern Gospel genre. But there was nothing current for that purpose.
That’s why Higher Ground Family Ministries was born. The Grimes’ goal is to help bring families closer together through modern means. The couple has released two CDs and delved into the DVD market with the “Our House” series, which features the whole family — including daughters Courtney and Jadyn — and other local actors performing skits and singing original songs.
“The videos really came out of a need to have something with real people in it that parents and their kids could watch that wasn’t too corny and had quality Christian messages,” Robbie said. “We couldn’t find things like that.”
The series has earned the Grimeses national attention. Local movie theater premieres of the DVDs have been so successful that the couple is working to have similar events in other parts of the country.
Reputation precedes them enough that Higher Ground was recently nominated for Contemporary Artist of the Year and Inspirational Artist of the Year in the third annual Momentum Awards. It’s part of IndieHeaven.com, a consortium of independent Christian artists formed out of a desire to network.
Voting for the awards is currently ongoing at the website www.indieheaven.com/momentum_awards.php. Visitors can vote as often as they’d like. Awards will be handed out March 29 at the Christian Independent Alliance Summit in Nashville, Tenn.
“It’s exciting and humbling that someone would appreciate something God gave us and glean meaning from it,” Robbie said.
Denise added, “We’re always excited or in awe when someone writes to us or comes to us and says, ‘This song or this CD, God used this in my life.’”
She cites the song “God Chose You” off of their first CD, “Show Them the Love.” Denise wrote it for Robbie for their seventh wedding anniversary. Now other couples call it their song and even play it at weddings.
“It shocks us,” Denise said. “The music’s so personal when we write it, but it’s cool to see when other people use it in their lives.”
The Grimeses admit that the past five years have been a whirlwind.
“Five years ago I never thought I would have 24 songs that I’ve written and published and are on CDs that people actually listen to and want to purchase,” Robbie said.
It’s still been a slow growth though.
“I think God gives us only what we can handle,” Denise said. “Initially, I think we were both like ‘let’s do this, let’s make it big.’ We wanted it to be a huge part of our lives. But God really slowed us down. Since then, it’s been baby steps.”
The most amazing part has been their ability to finance these projects through a small grassroots organization and no backing from a record label or studio. The Grimeses aren’t quite sure how they’ve done it either.
“Even still, we’ll look at our tax statements and (Robbie will) say, ‘I don’t know how in the world we had the money to do that,’” Denise said. “The numbers don’t work out, but somehow we always have enough money. It’s unbelievable to see how it all works out.”
Writing is underway for the third installment in the “Our House” series. The Grimeses also hope to assemble collections of their children’s songs and favorite hymns updated for today’s audience. Higher Ground also is expected to receive non-profit status this year too.
For more information, visit the website at www.highergroundfamily.com.

Wade Coggeshall writes for the Hendricks County Flyer in Avon, Ind.

Photos

Robbie and Denise Grimes, with help from daughters Courtney and Jadyn, have turned their grassroots Higher Ground Family Ministries into a nationally-known organization. They’re nominated in two categories at this year’s Momentum Awards in Nashville, Tenn.

The Grimes family recorded their first CD, “Show Them the Love,” at The Music Barn in North Salem.