Sara Groves — Her Christian College Experience Christian Recording Artist Sara Groves answered questions for The Christian Connector, Inc. relating to her own Christian college experience.
Below you will find a number of The Christian Connector (CC) questions and Sara's responses (SG). Our hope is that Sara's experience at the Christian college she attended will be an encouragement to you. Sara attended the same Christian college where her dad taught biblical studies.
CC: Did you plan to be in the Christian music industry while you were in college?
SG: Like any girl who grew up singing Amy Grant songs into her hairbrush, I had secret dreams, but no, I did not see myself doing this in any real way.
CC: What led you into Christian music?
SG: Well, it's a long story, but in a nutshell, my husband believed in me, and felt that the music I was writing in my piano room would be well received by others, and put his time and energy to that end.
CC: What do you most, and least, enjoy about being in Christian music?
SG: I love communicating and meeting with people, and I love the work of writing music. My least favorite part of Christian music is that label. I don't think music can be Christian or non-Christian. I think Christ calls us to a fully integrated life of faith, and as an artist, I want to write honestly from my worldview.
CC: How would you describe the professors at the school you attended?
SG: When someone has a genuine relationship experience with God it is like a diamond ring that comes in a velvet box. When it comes time to hand that experience down I think sometimes it is human nature and the nature of institutions to hand down, not the ring, but the velvet box thinking, "This is how the ring came to me, it must be how it will come to you too." It takes a very special place, and very incredible people to pass down the ring instead of the box.
CC: Did you consider schools other than your final choice?
SG: ... I never really considered going anywhere else. I practically grew up on the campus, going to games, talking about worldview and "All Truth is God's Truth"... I don't remember thinking about any other college.
CC: What did you most enjoy about your college experience?
SG: Having my dad for a class called Essential Christianity. The texts were Mere Christianity and Celebration of Discipline, and the point of the class was to get students to think about their own worldview outside of the way they were raised. I got to see what my dad did every day when he took his briefcase and left the house - I got to see what he was really passionate about. All of our conversations around the table made more sense after that class.
CC: What do you think were some of the advantages in attending a Christian college versus a secular school?
SG: Well, I made every major decision of my life at that time. I met Troy (her husband), I picked a career, and the seeds that many of my professors planted are still with me today. I know many people who made it through secular schools just fine, but I really enjoyed learning about Literature and History through a Christian worldview.
CC: How has your Christian college experience affected your personal life?
SG: My marriage and friendship with Troy is the most personal and meaningful thing... Our parents both went to (the school we attended), so we had a lot in common. I might not have found that at another school.
CC: How has your Christian college experience affected your professional life?
SG: The professors ... really encouraged me to think about my worldview, to take it apart, and to ask good questions. They believed that God was big enough to handle my questions, and that questions and conversation are a part of intimacy with God. Also, as a Liberal Arts college, we were encouraged to see the purpose of every career path, not just that of a pastor or missionary. These ideas still influence my music a great deal.
CC: What was your major in college?
SG: English and Social Science Education
CC: Can you share any longer term goals you may have, say over the next ten years?
SG: Well, my goals for the next ten years are the same for my life in general: to know Christ more, to continue to build a strong marriage, to be a good mom to these boys.
CC: If you had to do things over again, would you attend a Christian college?
SG: Yes. I feel like that was a formative time, and I was so impressionable. I'm grateful there were so many people who cared about, not just attaining knowledge, but about my becoming a whole person.
CC: What advice would you give to those who will read this in regards to attending a Christian college?
SG: I don't feel like there is one way to do anything - God is creative in the way he teaches us, but for me, my Christian college experiences, and the friends I made were and still are priceless.
The Christian Connector, Inc. would like to provide a special thanks to Sara Groves.
You can learn more about Sara and her music by visiting her web site: http://www.saragroves.com/