|PIC1|Recently Grammy-winning, multi-platinum artist Casting Crowns wrapped its US headlining The Altar and The Door Tour as one of the best-attended, highest-grossing Christian music tours of all time.

On August 19, Casting Crowns fans, plus the nearly 500,000 people who attended this monumental live show, will be able to experience it in 5.1 surround sound on Casting Crowns' third live DVD/CD release, The Altar and The Door Live. Both of the band's previous DVD releases Live From Atlanta and Lifesong Live have reached RIAA Platinum status.

Casting Crowns' The Altar and The Door Live is a 2-disc DVD/CD set featuring eight live songs recorded at St Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, on February 24, with additional audience footage shot at the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida, on February 22.

The live tracks include No 1 radio hits "East to West" and "Every Man", off the RIAA Gold album The Altar and The Door, plus "All Because of Jesus", "Praise You With The Dance", "Love Them Like Jesus/Does Anybody Hear Her", "The Word Is Alive", "Somewhere In The Middle" (with special guest John Waller), and "What This World Needs".

The DVD also includes 35 minutes of bonus content including a behind-the-scenes documentary of the tour, the band's powerful new "Slow Fade" music video and for the first time, teaching material from the band's lead-singer/songwriter and pastor Mark Hall. Hall created four five-minute teaching videos for the DVD specifically geared as tools for discussion in Bible studies and church services corresponding to the songs "Slow Fade", "East to West", "Every Man" and "The Altar and The Door".

Hall recently led the 39th Annual GMA Dove Awards with seven wins including Group of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, and Song of the Year for its No 1 hit "East to West". The group's third studio recording The Altar and The Door achieved an historical debut at No 2 on The Billboard 200 chart with 130,000 first-week copies sold, making it the highest debut in the country that week. The album sailed to RIAA Gold status in 10 weeks. Casting Crowns was the No 1 top-selling Christian music artist of 2007 and won its first American Music Award in November.

Hall is a full-time youth pastor, serving his 17th year in youth ministry as a student pastor at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in Atlanta. All seven band members remain active in student ministry in the Atlanta area and tour part-time around their local church duties.

On the web: www.castingcrowns.com