Jars of Clay burst onto the music scene with its first album, which is rare for any band let alone a Christian band.

Powered by the modern rock hit "Flood," the debut album "Jars of Clay" established what had been a quartet of college buddies -- they started writing songs as class assignments at Greenville (Ill.) College -- as a major player.

While the band, which plays Wednesday at Grove City College, has not answered "Flood" with another mainstream hit, it has consistently sent songs and albums to the top of the Christian charts and scored Dove and Grammy award wins.

The latest accolade was a Grammy, the band's third, for "The Eleventh Hour."

"We were really excited about winning the Grammy for 'Eleventh Hour,' especially being self-produced and writing all the songs together as a band," said guitarist Matt Odmark, calling from San Antonio.

"The Eleventh Hour" released last year, followed 1999's "If I Left the Zoo" and 1997's "Much Afraid."

After four albums, the musicians thought it was time to put out a live recording, but their label, Essential/Silvertone Records, wanted to release a best-of album.

"We didn't really want to do a best-of," Odmark said, adding that the band thought a live record would have "a little more credibility than a best-of."

A live album would reflect the interests of the band's fans, Odmark said.

"Our fan base has kept us touring a lot, which has been a savior to us over the lean years the music business has had," he said.

They ended up compromising. "Furthermore -- From the Studio: From the Stage" is a two-disc set. The first disc is acoustic versions of eight favorites and three new cuts, and the second disc is a 10-song live album.

The band is touring behind "Furthermore," mostly playing colleges.

But the band also has played clubs, and will continue to do so, even though clubs tend not to be bastions of moral behavior.

"The club shows were a unique opportunity for us," Odmark said. "We feel that our music translates very well in that environment. It's intimate and small."

Odmark said the band is not bothered by the excesses that can occur in alcohol-serving establishments.

"The way we understand our beliefs and our faith is our faith doesn't need a certain context to make sense," he explained. "It was an opportunity to live that reality out."

While the band does not do the one-on-one ministering to fans as some Christian bands do, it encourages them to get involved in community causes.

The band's latest focus has been the African AIDS epidemic.

"We're worked with various humanitarian efforts over the years, but none of them has connected with the four of us as deeply," he said.

The band has held symposiums at some tour stops to outline the problem, and singer Dan Haseltine discusses his January trip to Africa.

Odmark said AIDS is a "huge and complex issue," which means that the average person can find a way to make a difference, whether through political action or support of the church- and faith-based charities that see the problem first-hand.

The band has started the Blood Water Mission, a foundation that provides AIDS-related medications.

With their career established and their interests expanding beyond music, the musicians feel they've achieved a good work pace.

"Definitely, things aren't as manic as they were in the first year of so. We've still been busy," Odmark said, adding that a new album is in the works and could be released in the fall.

Jars of Clay, Caedmon's Call and Randall Goodgame will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the college's arena. Tickets are available between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. outside the campus bookstore and at Itickets.com Tickets also will be sold at the door.