(Nashville, Tenn.) Dec.19, 2005 - After its highly successful Fall 2005 tour, performing to nearly 150,000 fans over 38 dates, Casting Crowns announces plans for a second leg of its headlining "Lifesong Tour." Joining Casting Crowns on the Spring leg will be award-winning and critically-acclaimed female artist Nichole Nordeman, plus singer/songwriter newcomer Josh Bates and speaker Tony Nolan.

Casting Crowns will take to the road on February 9th through May 7th with plans to reach 46 markets across the country in support of their recently GRAMMY-nominated, RIAA Gold Lifesong album.

About the fall leg, Shane Quick from Real Life Promotions stated, "To call the Casting Crowns Lifesong Tour 'just a concert' would be an injustice. It was so much more than that. I feel like I'm a step closer to God because of it. The only thing that shines brighter than Casting Crowns' amazing music is their love for Jesus Christ and his lost people. I believe Casting Crowns has set the standard for how a Christian concert should be."

Even with a heavy touring schedule set for 2006, Mark Hall and the band remain focused on the ministry, with Mark still leading his youth group's 400 students each Wednesday night, even while on tour.

Casting Crowns has sold 2 million units in its short two-year career. The band was named this year's GMA "Group of the Year," and lead singer Mark Hall was named GMA's "Songwriter of the Year" for the second consecutive year as well as BMI's 2005 "Songwriter of the Year." Casting Crowns' 2004 debut album quickly earned the highest first-week sales of any debut artist on Nielsen SoundScan Christian market sales chart for the year, eventually selling more than 1 million units. The project's three radio singles, "If We Are The Body," "Who Am I," and "Voice of Truth" all spent multiple weeks at No. 1 on numerous charts, the third of which spent a record-breaking 13 weeks at No. 1.

Nichole Nordeman is a two-time "Female Vocalist of the Year" and eight-time Dove Award Winner. "What If", the second single from her latest release, Brave, is currently climbing radio charts and rising in the top 15 on both R&R and CRW, following "Brave" which soared to #1 on R&R. Unfailing honesty has been the resonating theme of Nichole Nordeman's music from her first record (Wide Eyed) in 1998 and with her current critically acclaimed project, Brave. The armful of Dove and ASCAP awards and radio #1's are just further evidence that Nordeman has captured the hearts of like-minded listeners. Nordeman's lyrics and melodies were recently described by All Music Guide as an "inspirational, unfailingly honest, and crisply modern approach to CCM," adding that she's "clear about her faith, her belief. But she is never heavy handed with it."

Special guest speaker and emcee for the evening, Tony Nolan, is no stranger to Christian audiences. With his evangelistic focus and relevant speaking style, Tony speaks to over 800,000+ students through radio, television, festivals, concerts and conferences every year.

Tony is also the founder and leader of UPGRADE, a "salvation awakening" insurrection, with a core mission to facilitate corporate encounters with God through prayer, concerts of worship, and biblical teaching that supernaturally transforms hearts, resulting in a resurgence of First Century outreach. He lives in Woodstock, Georgia with his wife Tammy, and their three children.

Josh Bates is a 23-year-old singer/songwriter and Kentucky native. At the age of fifteen, Bates became acquainted with Mark Miller, president and founder of Beach Street Records, an imprint of Reunion Records, which set off a seven year mentoring friendship. A uniquely talented musician, Bates has played mandolin since he was eleven and now plays guitar and piano. He grew up singing in church, influenced by the culture of the Appalachian region.