The Childers Trio: Jantzen with sons Eric and Jay
   

      A 30-year veteran of Gospel music, having begun his career with The Riverside Boys, Jantzen Childers now sings with his two sons, Jay and Eric, as The Childers Trio, blending perfect harmony with the Gospel message. 
      “Singing with my boys is one of the greatest blessings I have ever experienced,” Jantzen told this writer, in an interview with The Christian View. “Knowing that they are Christians and that they are using their talent for the Lord makes me so happy. I thank God every day for saving me and for allowing me to sing His praises with my sons. I am happiest when we are singing together, and I really feel the presence of the Lord.” 
      “Singing with Jay and Daddy is something I will look back on in my life and be very proud of,” said Eric. “It is a privilege that God has blessed me with, that I will always be thankful for.” 
      “I think it helps our ability to harmonize together, since we are so close in vocal ranges,” said Jay. “I think that being a family group makes it much more comfortable to be on stage together. I can almost feel what Eric and Dad are going to do.”
       Jantzen’s wife, Lynn, has been supportive of his ministry, he said. “She is a wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother,” he added. “I have a daughter, Shannon, who is a great person. I know she could sing, but she doesn’t think so. We have been blessed with six wonderful grandchildren, and I hope that some of them will sing with us someday.” 
      Jay and his wife, Dawn, have two children, Alex and Sydney. “Dawn has been a great part of my life over the years,” he said. “I am not sure where I would be today if she had not been there to keep me grounded in what is right. I can’t get her to sing with me, but she is always helpful with our group. Alex and Sydney are a joy. They have changed my life like I never could have imagined.” 
      Eric called his wife, Catherine, “perhaps the best singer I know.” The couple has a daughter, Emma Cate. 
      Singing Gospel music is ‘in their blood’, as Eric explained. “I sing because it is what I have always grown up around. I traveled nearly every weekend with my Dad and the Riverside Boys when I was growing up and always wanted to be just like them. I sing Gospel because it allows me to do two things I love—sing and tell people about Jesus—at the same time.” 
      “I think Dad’s years with the Riverside Boys really influenced our singing Gospel music,” said Jay. “We grew up in church singing old hymns, and on weekends went to hear Dad sing. That, and our love for the Lord, I think guided us to sing Gospel.” 
      In addition to singing, Eric also writes music. His songs have been recorded by The Childers Trio as well as other Gospel groups. 
      “I love to sing, but writing is my passion,” said Eric. “It’s my way of worshipping. It’s hard to express exactly how writing is fulfilling. Robert Arthur and I co-wrote a song entitled "Threads", and I have seen numerous people facing trials use that song as an anthem for their faith. It’s something that I’m thankful I can be a part of. I began writing about 10 years ago, which is the same time I started playing guitar. As soon as I learned a new chord, I tried using it in a song.” 
      “Eric’s writing is actually what started us singing as a trio,” said Jay. “When he was a freshman in college, he began spending time playing on the guitar. He came home one weekend with a simple song he had written, and Dad and I learned it and sang the harmony with it. It is what really started it all. God has blessed Eric with a gift. He has such a great way of seeing God speak through events or Scripture and putting that into a song. Eric has written so many great songs that I have fallen in love with, that’s it’s hard to pick one, but I really love "Threads." It is such a deep look into what we can trust God sees for our life.”
       “I love all of the songs that Eric has written,” said Jantzen. “My two favorites may be "Threads" and "Heaven Became." I had a wonderful Christian mother who sang, and the song "Heaven Became" really reminds me of her. She was the greatest influence on my life, and she was my greatest musical influence, also.” 
      “I love to hear Dad sing lead,” said Jay. “I have always felt such a real presence of God when he sings. His voice is very soothing and emotional. 
      “My biggest influences have been my Mom and Dad,” Jay added. “We have a very close family, and they have always been there to encourage or lift us up as well as give discipline when needed. They are the people I look up to and hope to model my life after. 
      “My grandparents were also a big influence in my life. They were all Christians, although my Dad’s father did not become a Christian until he was 67 years old. They were all great people and are ever present in my thoughts. My wife and my Mom have been encouragers to me. Dawn has always been supportive of our singing, and she has been a great wife and mother to our children. Mother always keeps us focused on what we are supposed to be doing, and she is always there for us when we need her.” 
      Outside influences have also inspired the group. 
      Gold City is Jantzen’s favorite Gospel group. "Amazing Grace" and "It Is Well with my Soul" are his favorite songs. 
      “Robert Arthur has been a huge musical influence on me,” said Eric. “He writes and plays music in Nashville. He heard me play a song of mine at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Union when he was home visiting. We became friends, and he has taught me so much about what it means to write music. 
      “Steven Curtis Chapman is my favorite singer, and my favorite song of his would probably be "Dive." I’m also a big fan of Phillips, Craig, and Dean and also Nicole Nordeman,” he added. 
      “I really love Steven Curtis Chapman’s music,” echoed Jay. “His songs are well thought out and speak God’s message to us.”   
      Another favorite song is "Because He Lives." “That song has always been special to me, because it was the first song I sang in front of people, when I was about 12 years old,” said Jay. 
      The Childers Trio has recorded four albums, Childhood Memories (named for a song Jantzen wrote as a soldier serving in Vietnam), I Will Fight On (with the title song written for a friend who died with cancer), Living Water, and The Reason. 
      Singing with them on their most recent project was Rev. Ben Hill, Pastor of Lockhart First Baptist Church, where Jantzen and Eric are members, and where Eric serves on staff as Youth/Children’s Minister. 
      Jay is a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Union. 
      “Both of our Pastors have been very supportive, either by remembering us in their prayers or by asking us to sing,” said Jay. 
      In addition to sharing a love for God’s music, father and sons also share a love for God’s Word. 
      “The 23rd Psalm is one of my favorite scriptures, and the book of Isaiah is my favorite book of the Old Testament,” said Jantzen. 
      “One of my favorites, which means a lot to me in terms of our music ministry, is II Corinthians 2:15-16,” said Eric. 
      “I have so many that are special to me,” said Jay. “I think if I had to pick one, it would be Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It is an encouraging scripture to me, but, more than that, I need it to help me remember that Christ is where my strength really comes from, and He is the one I should lean on each day.”