The summer festival season is fast approaching.  Here is the rundown on major festival appearances.  Click here for the full tour schedule.

• 6.19 Big Ticket Festival- Gaylord, MI
• 6.20 Alive Festival- North Lawrence, OH
• 6.21 Glory In The Gardens- Williamsburg, VA
• 6.27 Celebrate Freedom- Dallas, TX
• 7.10 Spirit Song- Cincinnati, OH
• 7.11 King’s Fest- Doswell, VA
• 7.18 Sonshine Festival- Wilmar, MN
• 7.30 Soulfest- Gilford, NH
• 7.31 Rock The Sound- New York City, NY
• 8.1  Uprise Festival- Shippensburg, PA
• 8.5  Kingdom Bound- Buffalo, NY
• 8.8  Unity Fest-Muskegon, Michigan
• 8.15 Newsong Festival- Letchfield, KY
• 8.22 Flevo Fest- Netherlands

In The Hands of God No. 1 at Christian Retail; No. 28 on Billboard Top 200
Debut Marks Biggest Street Week in Inpop History

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) May 14, 2009—newsboys debuted at No. 1 this week on the SoundScan Christian Albums chart with its fourteenth studio release, In The Hands of God. The album, whose title track also recently topped the Christian AC radio chart, additionally claimed No. 1 on the SoundScan Christian Adult Contemporary Albums chart, Soundscan Christian Digital chart, No. 1 on iTunes’ Christian/Gospel Top Albums chart and No. 28 on the Billboard Top 200. The occasion marks Inpop Records’ biggest ever street week in its 10 year history and the first No.1 record for newsboys since releasing Adoration in 2003.

Jeff Frankenstein of newsboys comments on the response, “After 20 plus years of being a band, all we can really say is ‘thank-you’! We are truly blessed with wonderfully loyal fans.”

Produced by Max Hsu (Superchick, tobyMac) along with newsboys’ Peter Furler and Jeff Frankenstein, In The Hands of God boasts the classic rock sound that has made newsboys’ music legendary among Christian music fans for more than two decades. Featuring 10 hit songs, including “No Grave,” “The Way We Roll” and “Glorious,” the album additionally includes background vocals by Michael Tait of dc Talk, who recently stepped into the role of new frontman for newsboys. In The Hands of God, the last album on which Furler will sing, is an autobiographical record and a tribute to God’s divine providence over newsboys’ long-running career. The band recently wrapped its 35-city “Join The Tribe” tour this spring.

Our friends over at Hearitfirst.com are partnering with Inpop for a really cool newsboys contest! ENTER TO WIN a trip to Nashville for a backyard Aussie-style barbeque with newsboys!

The winner will receive round-trip airfare for 2 to Nashville, hotel accommodations for 2 nights, a $200 visa gift card and a BBQ for the winner and the winner’s guest with newsboys, plus a newsboys merch pack and a tour of Inpop Records and newsboys HQ!

Head over to Hearitfirst.com to enter to win now…All you’ve got to do is fill out a form - it couldn’t be easier! Tell me you wouldn’t want to help Duncan “grill some burgers on the barbie.” Seriously. Tell me

While you’re there, check out all the featured newsboys videos and audio Hearitfirst has got up on the home page!

Our good friends at Rhapsody have a special feature on the new record. You can listen to the entire record for free! Check it out here.