Casting Crowns will make its first appearance in Tuscaloosa Thursday when the band hits the stage of the amphitheater at 7 p.m. in front of more than 4,000 people.

Wendy Riggs, director of the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, said she is excited about what she considers to be a milestone for the amphitheater.

Not only is it the band’s first gig in town, but it will be the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater’s first time hosting a Christian contemporary rock band. When it comes to hosting Christian concerts, public venues tend to have competition with churches in the area.

“So many mega churches have venues that are the same size as the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater,” Riggs said. “Not only do the bands not pay rent at the churches, but a collection is done during the show, and the band gets that money as well.”

Most of the songs the band will be performing are from its latest album “Come To The Well.” Casting Crowns front man and principal songwriter Mark Hall is the youth pastor of his home church, Eagles Landing Baptist Church, and most of the messages he delivers in his sermons are the inspiration for the songs on the album, as well as the album title.

“Teaching the story of the woman at the well with my teenagers and families is where it all came from,” Hall said. “I knew before any other songs were written that this album had to be called ‘Come To The Well,’ because that is the central theme of everything we’re going to talk about in the next two years. Your walk with Jesus is where it all starts. It’s where it all comes from. That is where it started, with the idea of Jesus being the well versus other things.”

Jonathan Svejda, a junior majoring in biology, has been a fan of Casting Crowns since he was in middle school. He has been awaiting the performance since this summer when he read about the band’s upcoming appearance.

“They have been my favorite band because their music incorporates worship, and it’s uplifting music all the time,” Svejda said. “It’s fun to be able to praise God whenever you have the chance.”

Betsy Kiser, marketing coordinator for all concerts at the amphitheater, said a Christian concert would be a worthwhile addition to the diverse mix of genres the staff attempts to provide when scheduling events.

“The Casting Crowns and Francesca Battistelli concert achieves this goal, and we look forward to fans coming out and enjoying a great night of music and fellowship,” Kiser said.