A song in Anaheim

The famous Christian music group Hillsong United will be playing at Encounter Friday the 21st (tonight) and Saturday the 22nd in Anaheim, CA at the Anaheim Convention Center. The idea of this event is “to encounter our God”. The heart of Hillsong seems evident in the fact that they play their music for the Lord and wish to help others achieve a level of worship and commitment to the Lord through their songs as well as their attitudes.

This event is designed specifically to pastors, youth leaders, musicians, and worship leaders, as well as students committed to leading their church through personal example. This conference is designed to equip and train-up leaders in the church despite their age. There will be teaching from scripture, incredible worship times, as well as a general sense of growth toward becoming more involved in your local church.

The Hillsong United group, originally from Australian based Hillsong Chruch, has been producing CD’s since 1992 and has been putting on conferences since 1986. They are a lively rock style, worship group that have had their songs played in churches across the United States as well as other countries. Their commitment to solid, Christian lyrics as well as catchy and easily sung melodies has also helped the spread of their music. A few popular songs by Hillsong you may recognize are Hosanna, From The Inside Out, and Mighty To Save.

Though it may be too late for you to attend this wonderful conference, it is definitely something to look for in the future! The Anaheim Conference center hosts many Christian events and if you catch them in time you can great deals on pre-sale tickets! Check back here for more great suggestions on future conferences as well as concerts as they come near us.

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Hillsong gives up on Sydney mega church site

A battle between the Hillsong Church and a South Sydney resident group over a controversial $78 million mega church appears to be over, with the Evangelical group putting the site of the proposed church on the market this week.

Hillsong has listed the Rosthschild Avenue, Rosebery site, which it paid $28 million for in 2006, with property agents CB Richard Ellis and is seeking Expressions of Interest for the site.

Both Hillsong and CB Richard Ellis refused to comment on the proposed sale.

The decision to sell follows ongoing controversy surrounding the proposal which involved building a 2700 seat stadium, underground parking for more than 600 cars and a seven storey office block at the site.

Locals had vehemently opposed the construction of the mega church, on the grounds that the area would be overwhelmed by Hillsong members and traffic on weekends and weeknights. Hillsong currently attracts about 20,000 worshippers to its Baulkham Hills and Waterloo churches on weekends.

Following an independent report which recommended the proposal be rejected, the church withdrew its development application from the Central Sydney Planning Committee last year, one day before the body was to meet and decide on the mega church’s future.

The move to sell the site is a complete reversal by Hillsong, which had been adamant it would build a mega church in Rosebery.

The proposal has been dogged with controversy, with locals accusing Hillsong of dirty tricks including fraudulent petitions, secret meetings with politicians, and flawed traffic assessments in a bid to gain approval for its proposal.

A public meeting about the proposed church held early last year attracted almost 1000 people to the Wesley Centre in Sydney. Residents opposed to the church proposal later claimed many of these people were bussed in by Hillsong from the Hills district and its Waterloo church.

Hillsong has denied these claims.

Rosebery residents Action Group spokesman Graeme Grace said residents were pleased to see Hillsong was looking to sell the site.

“They have obviously thought deeply and realised it’s just not the right place for it,” he said.

“Yes it’s a relief, but we are not going to count chickens before they hatch. We are going to wait till it’s sold then relax.”

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Hillsong Live Faith+Hope+Love CD, DVD To Release August 4

Integrity Music announces the August 4th U.S. release of Faith+Hope+Love, the latest CD and DVD from Sydney, Australia's Hillsong Live.
The Faith+Hope+Love recording features Hillsong worship team members Darlene Zschech, Joel Houston, Brooke Ligertwood and Dove Award winning writer Reuben Morgan. Together with Andrew Crawford, Houston and Morgan also co-produced the album.

The CD features 13 live tracks including new music such as the Top 10 iTunes single "You Hold Me Now co-written by Morgan, winner of the 2009 Dove Award for Worship Song of the Year (Mighty to Save). Other stand-outs include His Glory Appears written by Darlene Zschech and Marty Sampson;It's Your Love penned by Mia Fieldes and The Wonder Of Your Love, penned by the Hillsong's Sampson and guest writers Jack Mooring and Leeland Mooring.
The Faith+Hope+Love companion DVD offers live video of each song plus documentary footage. In addition, Faith+Hope+Love worship resources, including CD trax, a songbook and a digital songbook, will be available October 9.

Hillsong Music is a ministry of the Sydney-based Hillsong Church, Australia's largest evangelical congregation with sister churches in London, Paris, Kiev and South Africa. With churches across the globe singing their songs, and sales of over five million units in the U.S. alone, Hillsong Music is one of the world's leading producers of praise and worship music and resources.

Track list (including writers/ featured worship leader):
1. The First And The Last writers Joel Houston, Reuben Morgan / features Joel Houston
2. For Your Name writers Jad Gillies, Joel Houston, Reuben Morgan / features Gillies
3. Glow writers Matt Crocker, Joel Houston / features David Ware
4. It's Your Love - writer Mia Fieldes / features Darlene Zschech
5. I Will Exalt You- writer Brooke Ligertwood / features Ligertwood
6. Yahweh - writer Reuben Morgan / features David Ware
7. No Reason To Hide - writers Matt Crocker, Joel Houston / features Houston
8. God One And Only - writers Jonathon Douglass, Sam Knock / features Douglass
9. The Wonder Of Your Love - writers Jack Mooring, Leeland Mooring, Marty Sampson / features Zschech
10. His Glory Appears - writers Mary Sampson, Darlene Zschech / features Brooke Ligertwood
11. We The Redeemed - writer Jill McCloghry / features McCloghry
12. We Will See Him - writers Robert Fergusson, Reuben Morgan / features Morgan
13. You Hold Me Now - writers Matt Crocker, Reuben Morgan / features Jad Gillies

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oel Osteen Direct from Australia on GOD TV

Each year, the Hillsong Conference brings world-renowned speakers and worship leaders together for one of Australia's largest and most influential Christian events. This year Joel Osteen will be featured at Hillsong for the first time and GOD TV will once again broadcast the conference worldwide for five days from July 8-12.

The pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, with more than 40 000 people regularly attending services, Joel is committed to bringing a message of hope to the world and helping people achieve their potential. He will be featured direct from the Acer Arena in Sydney on Friday July 10 at 7.30pm (Eastern) along with his wife, Victoria, and the Lakewood ministry team.

Joel Osteen's weekly half-hour program 'Joel' is already part of GOD TV's international line-up of programming, but this is the first time he will be appearing 'LIVE' on the network.

Designed to champion the cause of the local church, Hillsong Conference is hosted by Hillsong pastors, Brian & Bobbie Houston. The Conference attracts about 25,000 delegates from different countries, with some 5,000 volunteers. Many more will be able to participate through GOD TV this week as the network relays the messages in prime time viewing.

Hosted by Bo Sander in Sydney, GOD TV's coverage of Hillsong 2009 also includes:

• Wednesday July 8 at 9pm - Craig Groeschel, the pastor of LifeChurch.tv, who is known for his creative and relevant Bible teaching;

• Thursday July 9 at 10pm - Jentezen Franklin, pastor of Free Chapel in Gainesville, GA and Irvine, CA, which has been named as one of the top 30 churches in America.

• Saturday July 11 at 7.30pm - Brian Houston, who has a passion to see the local church rise up and present the Gospel with relevance; and

• Sunday July 12 at 8pm - Louie Giglio, who is the director of Passion Conferences, a movement calling for students around the world to live lives that reflect their Creator.

Praise and worship will be led by the Darlene Zschech, Joel Houston and the Hillsong music team and special guest, Chris Tomlin, who is best known for the song, 'How Great is our God'.

"Hillsong Church has touched the hearts of so many people through anointed music and a word in season and it's always a privilege for us to share their inspirational songs and challenging messages with our viewers worldwide," said GOD TV's director of television, Wendy Alec. "Hillsong Conference is one of the highlights of our LIVE programming at GOD TV and I encourage viewers to tune in for all five nights!"

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Hillsong sings faith, hope and love in next live worship album

There are only a few days to go until Hillsong releases its latest live worship album, Faith+Hope+Love, on Monday 6 July.

Faith+Hope+Love was recorded live in March 2009, over three weekends and locations in Sydney. Led by the Hillsong worship team including Hillsong United, Darlene Zschech and Reuben Morgan, this album features 13 songs o faith in the midst of personal circumstances, hope in Jesus for the future, and love – one for another.

Joel Houston, Worship Pastor at Hillsong said, "In 2009 we’re going all out, we’re taking a new approach and it involves everyone one of us. It involves you!

"So get it in your spirit now to expect an encounter with our Creator and Saviour like we’ve never seen or experienced.

"Expect the unexpected and let’s together believe that whatever gets captured will ultimately break down walls and breathe the light, love and freedom of Christ into people’s circumstances all over the earth."

Faith+Hope+Love will be available on CD, priced £14.99, and DVD, priced £17.99. A Faith+Hope+Love Music book, priced £13.99, and CD-Rom music book, priced £13.99, are also available.

Hillsong United: New album review

Hillsong United, not to be confused with Hillsong, has released a brand new album titled, A_CROSS// The EARTH: Tear Down the Walls. The album as a whole is what you would typically expect from the guys at United. Is it their best work to date? That is debatable. However, there are two tracks that rise above the rest.

Some songs on the album, such as "Desert Song" and "Your Name High," have been borrowed from the "mother band" (Hillsong). Other songs that can only be described as "epic" are, the title track "Tear Down the Walls" and "You Hold Me Now." "Tear Down the Walls" seems, lyrically, to be everything that the band has been trying to get across to their listeners since the beginning. It's a compilation of desires, prayers, and God's children crying out for redemption. Located just after midway through the album, the song is placed perfectly for a great transition into the hymn-melodic track "Soon." Not to mention, the track lasts for nearly ten and a half minutes. So, taking into account the length, the conviction based lyrics, and the number of dynamics, "Soon" is a breathe of fresh air.

Neither Hillsong nor United have a lot of songs based on Heaven. "You Hold Me Now" is definitely icing on the cake for this album. It's not typical "Hillsong style" but it gives this album that little something extra. "No weeping, no hurt or pain/ No suffering/ You hold me now, You hold me now/ No darkness no sick or lame/ No hiding/ You hold me now, You hold me now." These lyrics are only made greater when being sung by the entire Hillsong congregation at the end of the track. One more successful album for Hillsong United, despite the predictable song structures. That's another story for another time.

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Latest Hillsong album set for July release

IN JULY Authentic Music will be releasing the latest album from Australia's megachurch worship phenomenon, Hillsong. 'Faith+Hope+Love' is being released in multi-formats including CD and DVD. Recorded live in March this year over three weekends and locations the project will be Hillsong's 18th live album. Worship was led by such well known Hillsong figures like Darlene Zschech and Reuben Morgan. The album offers "13 songs of faith in the midst of personal circumstances, hope in Jesus for the future, and love - one for another."

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