26 CCM 26 CCM When I first sat down with Casting Crowns, I asked what they’d been up to this summer. “Not much,” was the reply. I tried again and asked them what they’d been up to this summer besides music. And then the conversation was off to the races. With a new album and DVD hitting the street this month, clearly lots has been going Into the Casting Crowns goes global on. But the majority of their time has been spent within the churches they have served in for years, in other parts of the world where basic human needs remain unmet and at home, being wives and husbands, mothers and fathers. In their own words, they share how their lives ring true to the anthem they sing…until the whole world hears. “People need to bloom where they’re planted…” Wise words from a wise man and unlikely rock star…. Ok…rock star may be a bit of a stretch. But Mark Hall and the rest of Casting Crowns are undeniably a music sensation. At first glance, they look a little like a rag-tag group of youth workers ready to head to camp, to the ball field or to a Bible study with a bunch of kids. True to form, in this instance, first impressions are right on. Despite record-breaking album sales and a recent Dove Award for Artist of the Year, the members of Casting Crowns are still serving in their churches. They’re still going to camp and they’re still blooming in all the places God planted them. So while most bands are doing the “artist thing,” traversing the country from festival to festival, Casting Crowns is doing the “youth group leader” thing. Summers are always a little bit different for us because of youth camp. We are in four different churches. Four of the seven [of us] are with me at Eagle’s Landing, Megan is at First Baptist with her husband who is a youth pastor, Bryan is a middle school