Brian and Bobbie Houston from Hillsong Church are excitedly waiting for the release of the new "theatrical worship experience" called "Hillsong: Let Hope Rise," which will hit theatres this Friday, Sept. 16.
The movie will document the inspiring rise of the worship band Hillsong United led by the Houstons' son Joel, and how it journeyed from being a humble worship band in Sydney, Australia back in 1998 to become the Billboard award-winning band that it is today.
The Christian couple hopes that the movie experience will serve as a new avenue for non-believers to get to know God. Since non-believers might hesitate going to church, they might feel differently when the gospel is delivered through a movie.
"[We hope that] friends will feel comfortable — [people] may have friends who don't know Christ...and aren't comfortable attending a church service, but they might come to a movie theatre and have what is a worship experience there, and in doing so actually encounter the presence of God, and encounter something there that is beyond this world by the grace of God," Bobbie tells the Gospel Herald.
Brian adds that it has always been the goal of both Hillsong Church and Hillsong United to point people to Jesus, and the movie is another way for them to do so.
"I pray...that people are moved by it," he says. "We believe that many will actually be moved to stand on their feet in the movie theatre and actually worship the Lord. That's what we'd love to see happen."
Even though the movie focuses on the meteoric rise of Hillsong United, Brian hopes the true message of the movie, which is to let people become more "passionate about the local church, passionate about the God we serve," won't get lost in translation.
After watching the film, the pastor is sincerely hoping that people will develop a thirst to know everything there is to know about Jesus Christ and offer their lives for Him.
"Hillsong: Let Hope Rise" is produced by Jonathan Bock of Grace Hill Media, Matthew Weaver and Ben Field, and it is directed by Michael John Warren.
