Michael W. Smith led worship for an overflow crowd of 11,000 -- some from as far away as Alaska -- at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky on July 19.

The worship experience lays the groundwork for Smith's second live praise & worship CD. Titled Worship Again and set to release through Provident Music Distribution/BMG October 22, this is the 16th record of Smith's career.

"We were in Louisville a few months ago for a solo performance," Smith told the crowd. "When it came time to pick a place to do this event, I automatically thought of this place," he said, to the overwhelming approval of the congregation, on its feet nearly the entire evening.

Smith added later, "I was only open to doing a second worship record if I could find songs that I thought could impact people in the same way the first album did, and I believe these songs fulfill that requirement. One of the highlights of my career has been getting the feedback about how God has used songs from the Worship project in peoples lives -- I can't wait to see what God will do with Worship Again."

For the event, running almost two hours in length, Smith and a 14-member band and vocal worship team rehearsed in Nashville for several weeks, plus two days in Louisville, to prepare. "All these players and singers are worshipers first, then they are amazing musicians and vocalists," Smith acknowledged. David Hamilton (who arranged Michael's instrumental Freedom record and who has conducted for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra) served as musical director for the night. There was no admission charged.

"This is a great opportunity to experience God in a way we've never experienced Him before," Smith told the crowd at the beginning of the evening. "I believe that when we get into the presence of God, He changes us. We forget about our agenda, and all we want to do is be about His agenda. So, what we want to happen tonight is for God to re-captivate our hearts, so that when we walk out of here we can say, 'I'm a new person because of what happened here tonight.' That's what I'm shooting for!"

Often one to include worshipful songs in even his well-known pop performances, Smith began the evening with "Step by Step," a Rich Mullins-penned song sung in churches worldwide. The worship experience featured additional selections, including "The Wonderful Cross," "Lord Have Mercy," and "Here I Am to Worship." A climatic moment of the event included Smith's interpretation of the popular U2 song "40."

A moving experience of "I See You," also written by Mullins, highlighted the night as the congregation engaged in a call-and-response performance of the song that ping-ponged from one side of the auditorium to the other.

"I could do this the rest of my life," Smith said. "I was made for worship. You were made for worship," Smith reminded the gathering in the church's 650,000-square-foot worship center.

"It was an electric night!" commented the Rev. Dave Stone, an associate pastor of preaching at Southeastern. "You could sense the Holy Spirit was here. Michael was typical Michael in putting all the attention on Christ, taking the focus off himself. He made that quite evident early on, and everyone got into that spirit. Because of that, it was a night of worship, rather than a night of performance." Rev. Stone continued, "I have a sense people walk away from an event like tonight's saying, ‘I appreciate Michael W. Smith because he helps me to love Christ more.'"

This marks Smith's third live-recorded event in 13 months. Earlier this year he recorded the Worship DVD/VHS in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, before 15,000 youth at YC 2002, an annual, multi-denominational youth conference. The project is set to release August 20 and features six new worship songs, as well as a making-of segment, commentary, behind-the-scenes footage and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

In June 2001, Smith recorded the original Worship album in Lakeland, FL, before 10,000 people. The CD far exceeded sales expectations, noted as last year's fastest-selling album of 2001, certified Gold by the RIAA in only 14 weeks; it is now approaching Platinum status. Worship won this year's Dove Award for Praise & Worship Album of the Year. "Above All," one of the album's signature songs, garnered a 2002 Dove for Inspirational Song of the Year.

This November, Smith and Essential Records' recording artist and Dove Award-winning Group of the Year Third Day will impact 16 markets for the Come Together and Worship Tour, already billed as one of the top concerts of the fall season. Last fall, Smith led worship on the 12-city multi-artist Songs4Worship Tour -- which included Darlene Zschech, Don Moen, Nicole C. Mullen, Caedmon's Call, and Watermark, among others.

For more information on Michael W. Smith, visit www.michaelwsmith.com or www.reunionrecords.com. For more information on the upcoming Come Together and Worship Tour, visit www.cometogetherandworship.com.