By Planetshakers’ Joth Hunt
As one of the worship leaders of Planetshakers, I have the incredible privilege of traveling to many different countries around the world and seeing what God is doing across the globe! While God is moving every place we visit, I would love to share with you about some incredible things that are happening right here in my nation of Australia.
In the past few decades, we have seen many great churches spring up all over our country and many great and influential praise and worship songs that have reached the far corners of the world. We here at Planetshakers have loved seeing such a powerful move of God sweep across our nation and the overflow that has reached countries that we only dreamed of having influence in!
It is so encouraging to hear testimonies from all around the world about how a song birthed from a personal moment with God or from a movement that started in the small city of Adelaide, Australia, has changed people’s lives.
We recently heard a testimony of one particular couple who have a son diagnosed with cancer. Although their lives were turned upside down by this news, they listened to our song “Nothing Is Impossible” over and over again, and each time it injected a new measure of faith into their spirit, completely changing their perception of an otherwise dire situation. This is just one of many stories we have heard of people having life-changing moments with God and discovering more about His incredible and loving nature through our songs. What an honor it is to be a part of God’s master plan and be used by Him in such a way.
At our annual Planetshakers Awakenings, thousands of people from all around Australia and internationally come together in my hometown of Melbourne for a week of impartation and encountering God. I absolutely love this week where people from different churches and backgrounds gather to worship God and be imparted with something that they can take back to their local churches. We have heard so many instances where people have come to a Planetshakers Awakening, received a word from God, and gone on to plant churches or become pastors in their hometown.
Many of the youth pastors in the regional areas around Melbourne and around Australia can attest to hearing a word from God at a Planetshakers Awakening when they were younger about the call of God on their life to become preachers and pastors. We absolutely love seeing them doing incredible things for God years down the track, especially when they bring their young people back to a Planetshakers Awakening where they can encounter God, too.
Another project that we have just recently released is the Outback Worship Sessions. This is an album of new and old Planetshakers songs that we believe capture the heart of worship in Australia. I believe that Australia has such a unique voice to contribute to the Global Church.
Despite the common misperception that attendance in churches is shrinking, we are seeing quite the opposite in Australia. There are many thriving churches filled with people who are genuinely excited about what they are a part of and the kingdom of God that they are helping to usher in.
We can’t wait for what God is going to do in the future of our nation and how we can keep partnering with churches around Australia and the world to see the kingdom of God come!
##
Joth Hunt is the lead singer and music director of Planetshakers, as well as a songwriter and producer.
Originally formed in 1997 to lead worship for the first Planetshakers Awakening (conference) held in Australia, Planetshakers Band is passionate about uniting generations worldwide through worship. As Australia’s largest youth/young adult Christian movement, Planetshakers’ goal is to see people encounter God, be transformed by His presence and empowered to make a difference in their world. While they tour internationally, the team remains based out of Planetshakers Church, a multi-campus, 12,000-plus member congregation based in Melbourne, Australia, that is pastored by husband and wife, Russell and Sam Evans. www.planetshakers.com
