[WM] The release of your latest album III
Alex Pappas
marks the third chapter in the Hillsong Young &
Free story. In many ways, Young and Free is like
a third book in the Hillsong trilogy. The same
way that United grew to become the voice of
a generation, Young and Free has become a
voice for the generation that followed. What
essential elements of the Hillsong DNA connect
the dots between the three generations that
make up Hillsong Worship?
[Alex Pappas] Wow! That’s such a big, great
question. I think the essential things would be
genuine, heartfelt worship and a desire to write
songs that would connect with people exactly
where they are. Like you said, we’re the third
band of the movement to come out of our
church, and genuine heartfelt worship is so
fundamental.
We’ve been calling III the third chapter, but the
third chapter has really looked like really trying
times. When we were younger, it was easy to
have declarations like “I love you God” and big
statements like that. But once you’ve lived a
little bit of life and been through some seasons,
God teaches you some things. We’ve had a few watching a documentary that Hillsong United got you where He’s got you for a reason. It’s
“trial by fire” seasons. Luckily for us, God chose made about one of their albums. Their story not by accident. He’s often got us in places
to use those seasons to grow us and sharpen was pretty similar to ours in that they were just a that don’t look like they’re the fulfillment of
us. These songs are the representation of that. bunch of kids who loved God, wanted to praise our dreams, but He’s using that to build our
him as best as they could with whatever they character. He’s using it to build our craft. He’s
[WM] Unlike the key members of the United had in their hand at the time. We watched that using it to prepare our skills, to prepare us for
team, you didn’t ‘grow up Hillsong’. You grew with our whole worship band and I remember the day that He’s going to put something bigger
up in a small town here in the States before thinking, “We’re not very good, but God can in our hands. He wants us to be ready for all
moving to Sydney to attend the Hillsong use this for something, and I don’t know what that He’s going to entrust us with.
International Leadership College. After that, you it is.”
[WM] In our last interview with Brooke Fraser,
went on to become the Youth Worship pastor
at the Hillsong City Campus. Looking back, it And this is the thing. I knew I wanted to do she echoed the opening line from “Only Wanna
seems pretty clear that God birthed a spirt of music and had those dreams in my heart. The Sing”, emphasizing that when you guys tour it’s
worship inside you and called you to Hillsong whole way people were speaking into my life not a performance, you’re ‘just doing church’.
to develop it. Can you tell us about some of saying, “You’re meant to do worship!” But I was Can you speak to the key distinctions that
the dreams you felt God breathing life into, as a little bit reluctant, and was like, “Is this the separate the two?
well as some of the specific things you did in thing? Is this what you have for me, because I preparation for stepping into God’s call on your don’t see how I can fulfill all of the dreams that life? you’re given me, so I’m just going to trust you.” [Alex] When I was seventeen I took over It wasn’t a day’s journey. It wasn’t the next leading worship for the youth and young adult day. But as I look back, the thing I would say ministry at my local church. I vividly remember to encourage people would be this – God’s
“Only Wanna Sing” // Hillsong Y&F
August 2018
WorshipMusician.com
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