Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Review: Hillsong United “We’re All In This Together”
By Sean Wendell Worship powerhouse Hillsong United recently hosted a live event on 440 US movie screens to debut their documentary,The i Heart Revolution: We’re All In This Together. The event was hosted live from Australia on November 4, 2009, and featured performances of several worship songs, along with interviews about the project preceeding the film's showing.
The live event lasted about half an hour and featured two live-via-sattelite performances and two pre-recorded live performances. There were also live interviews with the band members where they talked about how the injustices they’ve seen around the world has affected them. The documentary was two hours long and was compiled from 3 years of filming. There were over 2000 individual tapes with over 150,000 minutes of footage used in the compilation of the project.
Hillsong United's frontman Joel Houston said, “It’s a story made up of many stories, told by many voices, no individual voice any more or less important than any other, yet every voice working together to ultimately tell one story - a story that involves everyone; that captures our collective and idiosyncratic purpose in one, part documentary, part apologetic, part call to action.”
The film takes you around the world with Hillsong United as they traveled through 42 nations and 93 cities on tour, and exposed injustices such as hunger, poverty, child labor, homelessness and child sex trafficking. The film also tells stories of people seeing need and acting, such as that of William and Catherine Booth who saw people who were hungry and homeless in 1865, felt called to reach out to these people and ultimately founded the Salvation Army. One man in the film said he kept waiting for a calling from God, and realized that if you wait for your calling you might miss out on actually doing something.
Following the event, Emily, a 16-year-old from Central New York who attended with Youth Pastor Chris Szulwach, shared her response with friends on Facebook, writing "That was the most amazing movie ever. And I personally think every teen should see it!" Emily also connected with the event's text update service.
The I Heart Revolution: We’re All In This Together documentary is the second part of the three part “The I Heart Revolution” project which as a whole seeks to inspire a movement of people helping people. Beginning with a CD and DVD called “With Hearts as One” which revealed Hillsong United’s passion for Christ through their worship, and continuing with the third piece, a website http://www.i-heart.org which launched with the release of the film.
The purpose of the site is to educate people about the many injustices in our world, and inspire them to do something about them. It also gives them a place to be connected to others and share experiences, essentially continuing the story from the documentary. You can sign up and build a profile where you can connect with other members to share your stories, get ideas and support. In the "DO" section of the website you will find causes that you can support and ideas that you can act on.
I enjoyed The I Heart Revolution: We’re All In This Together documentary. The message was strong and touched everyone in the theatre with me. One person was so moved she lead us in prayer immediately after the final credits. While powerful, the film was not without its flaws. Some of the video editing was too rapid fire which made it hard to watch at times. There was also material that was included that was never fully explored. Regardless, I feel truly blessed that I was able to be a part of the live event and join in the I Heart Revolution experience.
*credit to: http://www.youthspecialties.com/articles/review-hillsong-united-were-all-in-this-together/
I-Heart Revolution
Hillsong United never set out to make films or build an online community, but responded to the inspiration that they experienced when touring the world. As the band saw extreme poverty first hand and the injustices associated with it, they questioned “if the worship within the four walls of a Church is having no affect on the streets travelled to get there, then maybe we’re (as Christians) missing the point.” I-HEART is the response to this question and has since evolved into a social justice movement.
In 2008, Hillsong United released ‘With Hearts as One,’ a double CD and DVD. Shown in 200 cinemas across Canada Hillsong Church
In 2009, Hillsong United went on to launch ‘We’re All in This Together,’ the second part of I-HEART. It is a feature-length film that examines the inseparable union of worship and justice. Using real stories and animation, the film inspires and challenges people to think creatively about helping people, and then to act, contributing to the global I-HEART movement of people helping people.
To further facilitate this action, an online community has been created as interactive space for collaboration. Part three of I-HEART; http://www.i-heart.org puts legs on the inspiration of the film, as a united force of recognizing need, sharing ideas and working together to do something to help people. As Joel Houston explains, “Imagine a global online community where at any moment you can see what other like-minded people all around the world are doing locally to make a difference. It's about being the change.. Locally, and together having global effect..” Individuals have the opportunity to learn about global issues through the I-HEART 20 CAUSES, inspire others, be inspired themselves and collaborate around social justice issues on a global level. Organizations can similarly build an interactive profile of their own, attracting and building support. Collectively, the website is a new space for purposed based dialogue, working together; to help more people; help more people.
Hillsong United, Relocation, London to Australia to New York to Maryland
Hillsong Live has announced their travel schedule, including news of relocating to New York City. Their wish is to be closer to their frontman Joeleth Timethous Houston called Joel Timothy Houston.
The news came shortly, after Joel's marriage to Sheena Harrell. They decided to keep it a secret until all the details were finalized. The original plans were to end Hillsong United once Joel Houston left, but Jad P. Gillies and Matty Crocker have decided to take it over, and hope to stretch it out, a bit longer. A few of the band's members including Marty Sampson, have already recorded album's outside of Hillsong including Brooke Fraser and they seem to be doing quite well. Brooke Fraser recently released an album titled "Something in the Water", it has reached Number #1 on New Zealand's ITunes. Congratulations Brooke Fraser. Due to the launching of Hillsong NYC, doors have been opened for them, in the States of America, leading them to relocate here.
Matty Crocker states that more opportunities lie in Australia, because of their well knownness, but to reach the lost, around the world, would include being based out of Maryland. Some of the band's members have already relocated to Maryland and New York City.
This is a great step for the entire Australian band. They are hoping more and more opportunties will arise. Currently Hillsong NYC's pastors Carl and Laura Lentz have met with a few well known celebrities, and have witnessed to them, and they have become saved.
credit to: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/hillsong-united-relocation-london-to-australia-to-new-york-to-maryl
Hillsong United
Hillsong United is an Australian Christian rock band They started as the youth ministry band from Hillsong Church in Australia Canada
Other members of Hillsong United include Jonathon Douglass (J.D.), Jadwin Gilles, Annie Garratt, Bec Gilles and Michelle Fragar who is the daughter of Russell Fragar also associated with Hillsong. Michael Guy Chislett plays guitar for Hillsong United and Matthew Tennikoff plays bass guitar. Popular New Zealand
The annual Hillsong United CD/DVD is recorded during their October youth conference Encounterfest; the album is released in February the following year. The 2007 Hillsong United album "All of the Above" was released on the 17th of March. Unlike all of the previous United albums, this CD was studio recorded.
To date in 2008, Hillsong United have released the first part of the I Heart Revolution recordings; 'With Hearts as One', made live around the world during the band's recent tours. The CD features previously released United tracks recorded live in different locations, and the first installment of a live DVD.
Hillsong United
HIllsong United Update
Spring Tour and Release
Mar 8, 2007 Kevan Breitinger
Australia's Hillsong United is bringing its explosive brand of modern worship to North America with an extensive tour and a new May release.
All of the Above Is the band’s eighth CD and first-ever studio recording. Australia’s top modern worship band will take time away from their home church, Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia, to play before an estimated 150,000 people between April and August. One of the first stops on the North American tour will be Nashville, where Hillsong United have been invited to lead the Sunday night worship service at GMA Music Week, gospel and Christian music’s annual industry convention. The worship night will be hosted by Hillsong United supporter and friend, Michael W. Smith, and held on Sunday, April 22 at the Ryman Theatre in Nashville.
“With the tour and new record, our hope is to stir up a generation both locally and globally to live lives that are sold out for God and His Cause – lives that are committed to being His hands and feet on the planet, and to bringing justice to the hurting and the broken,” Creative Director Joel Houston says. The message not only underpins the 12 tracks on the album, but it is also the motivator behind an exciting new movement, The I Heart Revolution (www.theiheartrevolution.com ) recently launched by Hillsong United.
“The I Heart Revolution is in its early stages but as we traveled all around the world in the last 12 months – to Asia, South America, Europe, Africa and at home in Australia – it became so clear that God is doing something significant among young people. Regardless of language or geography, whenever they worshipped God, something powerful happened. We captured this on tape and are pulling together a documentary that will share with the world what we had the privilege of seeing and being part of,” Houston explained.
* credit to: http://www.suite101.com/content/hillsong-united-update-a15637
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