Family shares God’s word with country through music

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PENDLETON — Kelli Roberts has always loved to sing.

Scott Roberts, her husband, has always loved to share his faith.

Together with their eldest son, Garrett Roberts, they’ve combined their love of God, music and family to create Westward Road, a high-energy Christian country/Southern gospel trio who travel the states sharing their faith through music.

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“It has been a dream of ours to finally be able to do what we’re doing,” Kelli said.

The trio recently signed a recording contract with Chapel Valley Music and will have a CD, “Amen Like Thunder,” coming out later this summer.

Their newest song, “Gonna Take a Ride,” is being played on Christian radio stations across the country.

While they’re busy, with bookings set for many dates in 2018, their goal is to travel and perform 150 dates out of the year.

The Roberts make their home near Pendleton, but they make their living performing original songs of faith, which has them on the road several weeks at a time.

Scott, 47, was the music director at North Christian Church in Markleville for 17 years before he and his family decided to follow — at God’s calling, they say — a professional musical career.

Garrett had been singing with Scott and Kelli on their worship team at church. As he grew older, his voice grew stronger and developed to the point where they loved the sound it brought.

“It was a good blend,” Scott said.

Shortly after, in the fall of 2014, the family started writing songs and felt it was the time to take the show on the road and perform as a family.

Since then, they’ve sung all over Indiana and in many other states heading south all the way to Florida.

They love the idea of reaching people and sharing their faith through music.

“When you’re in one church, you get to serve those people, and it’s great,” Scott said. “But, when you travel, we get to see people getting saved everywhere we go.”

The family includes four children, but for now Garrett, 20, is the only one performing with the family. Two of their other children — Payton, 10, and Kade, 8 — have been joining in on some of their songs.

They’ll eventually join the group, when the timing is right, Scott said.

Kelli, 44, has been singing in church since she was a child. She also had the good fortune to work with Sandi Patty, the internationally known Christian music singer, who helped Kelli develop her voice.

She acknowledges the family’s decision to leave the church in Markleville and head out on the road a few years ago was a true leap of faith, but they have felt led by God the entire time.

Being able to share God’s word through music with their family has been a true blessing.

While the family was hoping the performances would provide a living, they’ve been surprised by the doors that have opened through their singing.

Obtaining a record label and being asked to perform at national showcase conventions have been surprises, they said, but confirms they made the right decision.

When not traveling and performing, the family worships at Ovid Community Church.

The family recently performed at Curry’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Greenfield and will perform throughout the state and region many times through 2018.

They also will take part in the National Quartet Convention in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in late September.

A music video of their latest song can be seen on the family’s website, westwardroad.com, and on YouTube under “Westward Road — Gonna Take a Ride.”

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Here’s where to see Westward Road in the area in coming months.

April 22: Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church, 3447 S. State Road 9, Greenfield

June 17: Eden United Methodist Church, 2122 Eden Road, Greenfield

Aug. 19: Philadelphia United Methodist Church, 2265 W. U.S. 40, Greenfield

Oct. 21: Amity United Methodist Church, 6042 W. County Road 100N, Greenfield

For more information on when and where to see the family perform, visit westwardroad.com/tour. To book the trio for a performance, see its website or call 317-498-7841.

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