For singer/songwriter Tom Frye, ministry isn’t just about leading worship and performing concerts, ministry starts at home.  Tom believes that our first ministry is to our families; serving our spouses and our children.  It is this understanding that led Tom and his wife Lisa to start Family First, a ministry which focuses on equipping families to effectively minister to one another and to those in their circle of influence.

“When Lisa and I were starting our family I made many mistakes.  I was so focused on commitments outside my home, including serving on boards with civic organizations, assuming many responsibilities at church, and spending long hours at work that I was neglecting the most important people in my life, my family. Additionally, during those early years of our marriage we were committed to giving in home care to my elderly grandmother and Lisa was serving as director of a newly formed Pregnancy Care Center, two ministries to which I believe we were genuinely called.” Tom related.  He adds “All of my outside obligations were genuinely for good causes, but with the combination of our jobs, my grandmother and the other commitments it was impossible to give my wife and children the time they needed or deserved.”  It was during this period when a friend challenged Tom with this simple statement “Your family is your first ministry.”

Tom and Lisa took that advice to heart and began to work themselves out of many of their commitments in an effort to focus on the ministries to which they felt genuinely called.   In the fall of 2000, a year after his grandmothers passing, doors began to open for Tom to share his music.  At the same time, with their oldest daughter Kaylyn entering Kindergarten, the Frye’s began home schooling.

Now, ten years later, with his children thoroughly entrenched in the band (Kaylyn 18 vocals, rhythm and bass guitar, and Maggie 17 vocals and keyboard and Jonathon 15 vocals and auxiliary percussion) and Lisa assisting with World Vision Child Sponsorship, and some occasional percussion, the Fryes have learned the importance of having a family ministry focus.  Through their failures and victories they have learned the importance of deliberateness, perseverance and faith.  It is this understanding that has helped them not only to serve their family, but now serve together with their family to minister through music, mentoring and service.

The Frye’s are available for concerts, church services, home school and family conventions, as well as songwriting and worship seminars.

Mission Statement:

Our desire is to grow God’s Kingdom by strengthening families.  And our hope is that through our story and experiences we can encourage families to draw closer to God and each other and in doing so discover their families own unique call.

Values Statement:

We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God and as such the ultimate source of wisdom.

2 Timothy 3:14-17  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of Godmay be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We believe the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lordis the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

…and family relationships are strengthened when parents model and instruct their children the Word of God.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Love the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.