Worship Musician April 2020 | Page 7

Laura and I spoke via an international phone 26:3, “He will keep a perfect peace, those who’s call during the last week of March, during minds are stayed on Him.” (It’s important) just the completion of the first few weeks of the making that conscious effort amidst the chaos Covid-19 pandemic. It was on our minds. It was and confusion and in the uncertainty of what on everyone’s minds. Hillsong birthed Young & the future looks like, both immediately and long Free roughly eight years ago in order to minister term, just to make a conscious effort to turn to, and document, the creative expression your thoughts toward Jesus who is our peace, and sound of a unique group… teenagers. and He will keep up in peace. So, it’s a really Hillsong’s passionate intent towards youth is an Easter service and a communion service, an example for the worldwide church. Their and that’s just ready to go. Hopefully when it 2016 release, Youth Revival was a Grammy comes to Easter, we are able to do that live, [WM] You grew up in the church as did your nominated recording for “Best Contemporary but just in case we’ve already got something brother Joel. I guess you couldn’t help it being Christian Music Album”. Via Capitol Christian ready to go. the children of Brian and Bobbie Houston! It’s Music Group, their new single, “Lord Send beautiful exercise to practice through this time. often said that “preachers’ kids” can be a wild Revival” was recently released, as was their I think the most important thing right now is lot, filled with rebellion, and sadly, sometimes anthemic “Best Friends” single. people just feeling loved and like they’re not forsaking the Faith. I understand that the faith alone and are being supported and connecting of our kids may take on a different expression [WM] What a pleasure it is to visit with you with one another. So many people have lost or personality as they grow to adulthood, today. It’s certainly an interesting, fright-filled their jobs and the future of their businesses are so I’m not referring to that. Tell us about the and faith-filled time we live in! We’re all currently unsure, so it’s about being able to point people transference of faith from your parents to you experiencing world history with this corona toward Jesus at this time. I think about Isaiah and your brother. What was that role modeling virus, and whether or not it will become Biblical history remains to be seen. How is Hillsong and Hillsong Young & Free coping with it all? How are you planning for Easter services in Australia and worldwide at this point? Have you adapted to online fellowship? [Laura Toggs] The last couple of weeks have been really interesting, I think for a lot of people being sent home means taking a step back, but for us it seems almost like scrambling to innovate within the restrictions and limitations that we find ourselves in, in order to keep the church going and to keep reaching our people and pastoring and loving our people. In this short amount of time we’ve been able to set up our church fully online with different ways of globally connecting. It feels like every day is changing a little more. You never know what the next day is going to bring, and there is so much uncertainty. So, what we’ve been doing is filming back-to-back services just to have ready to go in case we’re not allowed to get together at all. In Australia we can meet still as long as there are twenty-five people or less in the room, and we’re keeping that distance from one another. We have been filming back-to- back church services, and we’ve already filmed Laura and her father, Brian Houston April 2020 Subscribe for Free... 7