Our Story
Matt & Debbie met and were married in 2004. In early 2005, they were at church and met a group that was looking for a tenor singer. Matt, who has sang since he was 4, was excited for the opportunity. He joined the group, Ambassadors of Grace, and sang with them off & on for a couple of years. During this time, our first daughter, Ryleigh Jean, was born. Trying to raise a baby, work and being in the group was stressful on the family--and the other members of the group were feeling the call to become a full time ministry--so Matt decided to step away from the group. Another daughter, Emmalee Jane, was soon added to our family. After taking a little break from singing, we felt called in early 2011 to start our own ministry. We had several engagements during 2011, so we purchased our sound equipment. God has blessed us since we have started this ministry and we are truly excited and looking forward to the future. We can't wait to see what God has in store for us and how He is going use this ministry for His honor and glory as we continue to grow in Him.
Joshua 24:15...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord
Matt
Like alot of people who sing, whether it be country, pop, gospel or otherwise, I started out singing in church. And I am glad to say I still sing in church. While growing up, music was a big part of my life. My dad would play the guitar and piano, and we would gather around and sing. Nothing fancy, some old country songs, but mostly gospel and hymns. I learned to sing harmony sitting beside him at church. Our church also had a Christian school where we attended and music was always a big part of school life as well. I have three younger sisters and as we grew up we discovered a family harmony and have sung together at churches and family gatherings through the years. Looking back I can now see how God has been preparing me for this time in my life, with a family of my own and the desire to sing and testify as to what He has done in my life, and to share the gospel wherever He may lead us to go.
Debbie
When we started this ministry, I worked quietly behind the scenes because I wanted nothing to do with being in front of people--STAGE FRIGHT! As of March, 2016, I have been joining Matt & the girls on stage--it started with a song to try to encourage Emma that the stage wasn't so bad, but that has progressed to several songs now because I found out that the stage wasn't so bad as well!
I never would have imagined that I'd be a stay-at-home, home-schooling, mom because I always thought I'd have a job outside the home, but that was my plan. Also, it was never in my plans to stand on a stage in front of people and do anything, let alone sing. However, I've learned numerous times that God's plan is ALWAYS better than our own. I've been amazed, shocked and at times, brought to tears by the things that have transpired since we started this ministry and I know things are only going to be getting better as long as we are doing God's will. Sometimes that means that we must step out of our comfort zones and do things that we never would have imagined we would do!
Ryleigh
Ryleigh started singing with her dad on her 5th Birthday at a church in Bucklin, MO. She was still timid for several months after that but really blossomed after January of 2013, and has gotten more and more comfortable being on stage. In late 2015, we realized that Ryleigh could sing harmony. This thrilled her dad and he was excited that they would soon be able to do some 3 part harmony. She enjoys practicing the songs with her dad and learns them fairly quickly.
Ryleigh likes to color/draw, read, play outside, and spend time with her family watching movies.
Emmalee
Emmalee (Emma) sang with her dad for the first time, at a concert in Neal, KS, when she was 2 years old. While it was a little easier to get her up on-stage when she was younger, she went through a phase where she didn't want to go up there and sing at all. We left it in God's hands and knew that when she was ready she would let us know. In late 2015, Emma started getting a little better about going up to sing, sometimes she would make mom hold her, but in 2016, when mom started singing with them, she really took off. She has become more comfortable on stage and has become quite the "stage manager".
Emma likes to draw, run, play with her sister, and watch movies with her family.
