Chris Tomlin Teases 'New Elements' of Christmas Tour

Chris Tomlin is ready to get fans in the Christmas spirit. The contemporary Christian artist — whose latest album, Holy Roar, is nominated for best contemporary Christian music album at the 2020 Grammy Awards — kicks off his annual "Chris Tomlin Christmas: Christmas Songs of Worship" tour on Monday with a stop in Augusta, Georgia. “This tour, in particular, is one of my favorites,” Tomlin, 47, tells PEOPLE. “Part of that is because it is full of surprises and some of my favorite holiday traditions … so you will definitely see a few new elements as well as all the ones we love from the past few years.

” The tour — which is in its third consecutive year — will continue through the month of December before coming to a close at New York City’s Beacon Theatre on Dec. 20. Tomlin says he keeps coming back to do the tour year after year because the “joy and energy amongst the different crowds and cities each night is contagious. ” “There is something special about the Christmas season,” he says.

“Truly, I think one of my favorite parts of this time of year is all the traditions that happen, both in my own family and out on the road and I can’t help but look forward to these shows. ” Tomlin’s Christmas Day: Christmas Songs of Worship EP was released last month and includes four songs: three originals and the classic “Little Drummer Boy. ” Among his originals, Tomlin says “Hope of Israel” is one that sticks out the most. “This song was a collaboration with Ben Fielding, Jason Ingram and Reuben Morgan, who to me, would be hall of fame songwriters for the church,” he says.

“The chorus sings so right to me. [It] feels so worshipful and classic Christmas. Plus, Ed Cash singing opera in the instrumental section may be my favorite thing on the album. Christmas is my favorite time of year and there is nothing more satisfying than writing new music for the reason we celebrate this season.

” Though Tomlin has been busy recording and touring, he found time to spend on vacation with his family over the summer in Florida, where he happened to run into Florida Georgia Line‘s Tyler Hubbard while at the gym. “When I got [to the gym], there was just me and one other guy,” he says. “It turned out to be Tyler Hubbard.