Casting Crowns has sold more than 4 million albums, but Peace on Earth (Beach Street Records, Provident-Integrity Distribution), out Oct. 7, will be the band's first Christmas record.

The new album is loaded with classic hymns, from "Away in a Manger"—a version that first appeared on 2005's WOW Christmas—to "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."

Group leader Mark Hall said he hopes that this album, though filled with familiar tunes, will cause listeners to reflect on Christ's birth and enter into worship.

"I want to see people rediscover the worship that Christmas songs have in them," he said. "A lot of times, when we sing carols, we sort of shift into Christmas carol mode. Singing songs that we've been singing for so long, we might not be hearing what they're really saying."

In addition to the classics, two original songs appear on the album, "While You Were Sleeping (Christmas Version)"—which Hall wrote as a Christmas song but then changed to make less seasonal to include it on the 2005 album Lifesong—and "Christmas Offering," which was written by praise & worship artist Paul Baloche.

Casting Crowns plans to tour the Christmas album to 14 cities throughout November and December with Natalie Grant, Michael English, Avalon and other artists.

Read more in the Sept. 22 issue of Christian Retailing.

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