Casting Crowns' lead singer Mark Hall wrote an editorial in USA Today this week about the impact of popular social networking sites on teenagers.

In his nearly 850-word editorial that ran in the Oct. 30 edition of the newspaper, Hall said sites such as Facebook and MySpace are "valuable means for parents to penetrate their child's secretive, sometimes sullen, outer exteriors and see glimpses of their inner souls."

"So parents, sell those golf clubs on eBay and go online where your kids are," wrote the youth pastor at Eagle's Landing First Baptist in McDonough, Ga. "It's as good as saying, 'Hey, you can get online, but I can get on there anytime, too.' That alone starts some communication. And stay aware that kids try things out, say things to push your buttons, to see how you'll handle it."

Hall noted that before he wrote the music for Casting Crowns' latest album, a friend urged him to check out the MySpace and Facebook sites of teens from his youth group.

"What was there turned our entire album and title into a message to kids living between The Altar and The Door-where they deal with issues about values, parents, God, truth and the life that hits them as soon as they're on their own," he said.

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