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Alyssa, Lauren and Rebecca Barlow are BarlowGirl, a Christian pop ban scheduled to perform Tuesday at the Redding Convention Center.

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The sister-trio BarlowGirl featuring Alyssa, Lauren and Rebecca Barlow, doesn't mind being referred to as a Christian pop act, but lately, the group has sharpened their rock edge, while remaining true to their bold Christian message.

"Our style at first was more pop; now as we have released more albums, it is more pop rock," said drummer and vocalist, Lauren Barlow.

The band's self-proclaimed "vocal heavy, melodic rock" style, characterized by a strong string element and trademark seamless harmonies, will be on display when the "Million Voices" tour comes to the Redding Convention Center Sept. 30. The tour is in support of the band's latest album "How Can We Be Silent," and features special guests Jimmy Needham and Brooke Barrettsmith.

The group's new album offers arguably its most provocative work yet. The cover of the CD features the sisters standing confidently in a boxing ring, which is a nod to "One More Round," a song about getting back up after life's many blows. The tracks "Keep Quiet" and "Million Voices" present a strong wake-up call for timid Christians, especially younger generations.

"I think this world tells our generation that we are not good for anything except sitting on the couch watching television, sitting on the Internet and playing video games," said Lauren. "It is what you bring to the world and not what you take from it. It is about giving and impacting culture."

BarlowGirl's fans seem to support their stance and often ask them for spiritual advice.

"They love our message and confirm that. People come up and tell us, ‘I am struggling with this or that.' We pray for them and show them verses in the Bible and refer them to different books to read or people to talk to," said Lauren.

In the "Million Voices" tour, the group also plans to give back by raising $1 million for Mercy Ministries, a residential program that offers life-changing services for young women suffering from debilitating conditions.

During the tour, BarlowGirl also released a traditional Christmas album, "Home for Christmas" on Sept. 23. The classically arranged renditions present fans a different approach to music by the rock group. "We grew up listening to Amy Grant and Nat King Cole, and instead of doing a rock album, we wanted to do something classic. This is a beautiful arrangement of our favorite Christmas songs," said Lauren.

The group first found success in 2004 with its self-titled debut, which spawned the hit "Never Alone," the longest running No. 1 song on Radio & Records Christian Hit Radio (CHR) and Christian Rock charts, and made the trio the best-selling new Christian artist of 2004.

The band's follow-up album, "Another Journal Entry," in 2005, featured the hits "Let Go" and "I Need You to Love Me," which was No. 1 on the CHR charts for 13 weeks.

If BarlowGirl's group chemistry is an indicator, there |will be a lot more music to come.

"I love getting to experience this with my family. There are tears and fighting but at the end of the day we are family. It forces us to work a lot to become closer," said Lauren.

News assistant Jean-Marie Pierce can be reached at 225-8225 or at jpierce@redding.com