Spreading the word: Casting Crowns aim for 6th straight group of the year win at Dove Awards

Casting Crowns aim for 6th straight win at Doves

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The members of Casting Crowns will be missing church Wednesday night, but they have an excused absence.

The Christian supergroup will be attending the Dove Awards, where they are up for a sixth straight group of the year award and are among seven nominees for artist of the year.

Usually, Wednesdays are reserved for youth ministry, the focus of the band’s music career.

“For me, seeing a sixth-grader come up through our student ministry and go to college with their own friendship with God — not mine and not the church’s religion, not a belief system that’s been ingrained in them because they have their own faith — to me that is the goal,” said Casting Crowns leader Mark Hall. “That’s why we’re here, that’s why we’re writing songs.”

Producer Bernie Herms leads all nominees at the Doves with eight. Producers/songwriters Jason Ingram and Wayne Haun have seven nominations, and Jars of Clay, Skillet, Matt Maher and Jason Crabb will be up for six awards when the Christian and gospel music world meets at the Grand Ole Opry.

Francesca Battistelli, Jason Crabb, Jars of Clay, TobyMac, Mary Mary and Skillet join Casting Crowns as nominees for artist of the year. Last year’s winner, Steven Curtis Chapman, is not nominated in the category.

The Casting Crowns are looking for their first win in the category, a logical step for a band whose message has caught fire on the Christian music scene. The Grammy-winning band, which includes Hall, Megan Garrett, Melodee DeVevo, Hector Cervantes, Chris Huffman, Juan DeVevo and Brian Scoggin, has sold more than 5 million albums; is one of the best drawing tours regardless of genre; and is a top seller at a time when album sales are sagging.

Their latest album, “Until the Whole World Hears,” opened at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 167,000 sales and was certified gold with 500,000 albums sold in just four weeks.

In the end, it’s not about album sales or tour revenue for Hall and his bandmates, though.

“Songs come from what we’re teaching,” Hall said. “All these songs start out as Bible studies, messages, things that have come up in conversation. They all start out in ministry and sort of evolve into these songs.”

Hall and three other members of the band are active in youth ministry at the Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in the Atlanta area and the other three minister at nearby churches. The band usually only tours Thursday through Saturday, steering the bus home in time for Sunday- morning service.

“People ask me all the time, ‘Do they really go to church there?’” Eagle’s Landing pastor Tim Dowdy said. “They don’t just go to church here, they’re serving and teaching and leading every time they’re here. They’ll be here at 4 on Sunday morning, sleep on the bus ’til 6, take showers and at 9:30 they’re leading Bible studies with students and at 11 they’re leading worship and at 4 they’re in discipleship with kids and at 7 they’re leading the parents meeting. That’s just what they do.”

Their message is rooted in the Bible, flavored with rock ‘n’ roll and delivered with an earnestness that connects with their audience.

Yet Hall, 40, never intended to do more than reach out to the youth he’s been mentoring for the last 18 years. Soon after he decided he’d begin working with children, young adults and their families, he said he began hearing songs in his head. He started playing the piano by ear and soon encouraged young people in the congregation to pick up guitars and join him.

“We just sing about everyday life,” Hall said. “We definitely don’t have it altogether. We have not figured life out. … We’re not splitting any atoms out there in the world. We’re just talking about real life.”

Dowdy said the first time he heard the band, he knew they were special. The message was powerful from the start.

“It really says something,” he said. “It’s not some kind of Christian cheerleading music. It is actually rooted in the word of God and based on real ministry in the life of the church every week, and it speaks volumes.”

On the Net:

The Dove Awards: www.doveawards.com

Casting Crowns: www.castingcrowns.com