About Hillsong

Hillsong began as an Australian church, but the name also includes its record label (originally published as Hillsongs). Hillsong Church has one of the largest congregations in the country, giving it a position in the elite "mega church" category. The Hillsong Church now has offspring churches in other countries. Those include the main church in Sydney, as well as in London, Kiev, Cape Town and Stockholm. The record label has produced more than 20 albums and has become a standard in the Christian music community. The vision of this church is to equip other ministries to continue carrying the gospel of Jesus Christ.

History

Hillsong Church began in 1983 under the name Hills Christian Life Center. Hills Christian Life Center held its first meetings with its original 45 members at the Baulkham Hills Public School. Four years later, the church had over 900 members. Because of its size, Hills Christian Life began to meet in a different location, the Hills Centre. The decision to hold annual conferences was a landmark in the life of the church. The purpose of the conferences was to encourage church growth and build strong Christian leaders. When Hills Christian Life Center released its first praise and worship album in the 1990s, it became a huge hit among Christian believers. The church's praises and worship team was named Hillsong. The popularity of the album caused the church to change its name officially to Hillsong Church in 1999. The Hillsong Conference now draws over 25,000 visitors yearly. The church ministers to between 3,500 and 5,000 people weekly.

Beliefs

Hillsong's belief system is based on its Assembly of God heritage. Its members are evangelical Christians who believe that the death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ reconciled humanity to God. They are also a spirit-filled congregation, believing that Christians should be baptized in the Holy Spirit and bear spiritual fruit. They are pro-family and against homosexual marriage. They are pro-life and against abortion. They believe in a literal and symbolic interpretation of the Bible.

Ministries

Some of the growth of Hillsong Church can be attributed to its use of "connect groups." Small groups of 10 to 20 people meet twice a month. These connect groups participate in fellowship activities that build relationships with families. The name of the children's ministry is Hillsong Kids. The members break down children's churches into different age groups and minister largely to kids with their music. Hillsong Kids albums include "Jesus Is My Superhero" and "Super Strong God." There is a women's ministry called the Hillsong Sisterhood that also meets weekly. Other ministries include the youth ministry, Hillsong United. This church stays involved in the city's civil operations by volunteering to help answer some of the problems the home city faces. Hillsong City Care provides health services to people who wouldn't normally be able to afford it. They also teach job training and have community centers open to the public.

Conferences

The Hillsong Conference is an annual event held in Sydney's Olympic Park. The first conference was in 1986. The initial meetings were small, but the yearly conference now hosts over 30,000 people. The purpose of the annual Hillsong Conference is to offer training to church leadership and lay members. Attendees are introduced to new methods of evangelism, teaching and preaching.

Music

Darlene Zschech was the worship pastor at Hillsong from 1996 to 2007. She was replaced by Reuben Morgan in 2008. Darlene's album "Shout to the Lord" was nominated for the Dove Award in 1997. In 1998, the song "Shout to the Lord" from the album was also nominated for a Dove Award. She has also received the International Award from the Gospel Music Association. Darlene has also been involved in humanitarian ministries, such as Compassionart.

Resources

• Hillsong Church Website