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Last Tuesday, an 8.2 magnitude earthquake caused 15-20 foot high tsunami waves in Samoa, killing hundreds, displacing thousands, and leaving devastation. Pop vocal group The Katinas, who grew up there, have several displaced friends and family members as a result of the catastrophe and are now calling upon fans for disaster relief.

On Wednesday, October 7, the band will host a Hope for Samoa benefit concert at Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, Tennessee—an event that will also include Michael W. Smith, Jeremy Camp, and Natalie Grant. For those who can't attend, tax-deductible donations for Samoa relief are also being accepted at the Katinas' website.

"Our dad, four sisters, brother and two nephews that live there are okay, however, some of our friends and close family members are still missing," the group wrote in an open letter. "One of our cousins … died in the aftermath of the tsunami.We have been planning our third annual missions' trip to Samoa this November.[These] events have made us even more passionate to go and help our people."

Family Force 5 is releases its first holiday album, Family Force 5's Christmas Pageant, today. The project merges familiar favorites re-arranged with the group's signature wit and enthusiasm. The group also announced a holiday tour, running Nov. 28-Dec. 16. Check out a list of dates here, and bring a canned good to the show.

Critical favorite Sara Groves is finishing her new album, Fireflies & Songs, due Nov. 17. Described as a "songwriter's album," the project returns to Groves' roots of telling stories of her own faith journey; her last two studio albums focused more on social justice, and she also recorded a children's album and a Christmas album. "As a songwriter, it's easier to step back and take an observer's view, and that's what I'd been doing the last couple albums," Groves said. "Of course, I'm in all those songs and they're personal, but I wasn't 'digging in the dirt' for sure. It's hard to do that. It's hard to say, 'Here's my stuff.' I'm not writing about other people's stuff."

Music lovers and VT fans can catch an online music video culled from its holiday-themed DVD Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving. Catch the lead single "Give This Christmas Away" (a duet between Amy Grant and Matthew West) by clicking here, which blends footage from the cartoon with the recording sessions and Operation Christmas Child's ministry efforts (which the lyrics also describe).

Naming a collection The Best New Praise & Worship Album Ever may seem presumptuous, but this triple disc, set to street on Oct. 20, could come close, with 33 hits from the likes of Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Delirious, Israel Houghton, Tim Hughes and Michael W. Smith. Expect a mixture of church and radio favorites from a cast that's collectively sold over 32 million albums.

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