With over 9,400 tickets already sold for the Sears Centre concert April 17 in Chicago, IL, tickets are moving fast for all the U.S. spring tour dates as Hillsong UNITED is set to mobilize a movement of people to help ease hunger in the local communities surrounding each worship night. At each of these events, Hillsong UNITED is asking people to bring in nonperishable food to be distributed to local families in need. The donations will be facilitated through local ministry and organization contacts in each city as part of the I-HEART:: This Means Love food drive, which is a practical expression of Hillsong UNITED’s mission of helping people.

“This is important. Bring with your ticket some nonperishable food that we, with the help of some local folk, will be giving to needy families in your city. We’re talking cans of soup, pasta, rice, that kind of thing,” requests Hillsong UNITED member Jad Gillies.

“Did you know that one in four American children live in families that will use food stamps for five or more years?…We sing ‘let justice and praise become my embrace’ and this is how we show it,” adds Jad. “Together we can make a BIG difference. So don’t just bring your ticket, bring your contribution to the I-HEART :: This Means Love food drive….We will have collection points at the entry to each event, so bring your items in a bag or box. We will see you there!”

Inspiring people into action, Hillsong UNITED launched in 2008 The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts as One double CD and DVD. Its aim was to capture the heartfelt worship of people at Hillsong UNITED Worship Nights around the world and calling them to a life committed to bringing justice to hurting and broken people. Then in 2009, Hillsong UNITED released in 500 U.S. theatres The I Heart Revolution: We’re all in this Together (http://www.theiheartfilm.com/), a feature-length documentary that illustrates the inseparable union of worship and justice, inspiring people to think creatively about helping people, and then act, contributing to the global I-HEART movement (I-HEART.ORG). Filmed over a period of two years, the documentary follows the worship band through six continents, 42 nations and 93 cities in a cross-cultural journey of music, animation and interviews. The resulting DVD will be available in North America toward the end of 2010.

Hillsong UNITED songwriter and worship leader Joel Houston expresses the purpose of I-HEART: “There are a lot of people who need to know Jesus. If our worship is just great youth meetings, nice songs, lots of jumping around and a few CDs, then we’re missing it. Our vertical expression must have a horizontal effect. So, we’ll continue to worship, praise and honor God with heart, soul, mind and strength the best we know how, but the fruit of that must be a generation who are totally committed to reaching the lost and helping those who need help, locally and globally.”

“One of the strengths of our Church is the way the youth are embraced and encouraged to be a part of all that is happening,” adds Houston, also the Creative Director of Hillsong Church. “It’s what makes UNITED distinctive. We’re not just a band. The very nature of who we are and what we do is inclusive. It’s a discipling model. Everything we (the current band) do is because someone gave us an opportunity.”

Having led worship in churches, stadiums and open fields in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, the full Hillsong UNITED spring U.S. tour itinerary follows:

April 13 (Tuesday) - Boston, MA - The Wang Theatre - SOLD OUT
April 15 (Thursday) - Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre - SOLD OUT
April 16 (Friday) - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Centre - BATTLECRY Conference
April 17 (Saturday) - Chicago, IL - Sears Centre
April 19 (Monday) - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Center
April 20 (Tuesday) - St Louis, MO - The Fox Theater
April 22 (Thursday) - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theater
April 23 (Friday) - Oklahoma City, OK - Lloyd Noble Center
April 24 (Saturday) - Austin, TX - Austin Music Hall - SOLD OUT
April 26 (Monday) - San Antonio, TX - Municipal Auditorium
April 27 (Tuesday) - Baton Rouge, LA - All Access 2010 Conference

Hillsong UNITED was born out of the Youth Movement of Hillsong Church, where the Youth group meets weekly and now has over 3,000 attendees. Young people are encouraged and empowered to use their creativity in music, arts and film to serve in ministry. In 1999, UNITED recorded its first Album Everyday, which featured original songs written by the young people. With nine albums in as many years to its credit, Hillsong UNITED has built a very large brand image and following all around the world.

With concerts of 60,000-plus in attendance, UNITED’s touring has taken them to six Continents and 46 Countries, including 80 cities in the USA alone. Its 2007 album, All Of The Above, and 2009 album, A Cross the Earth: Tear Down The Walls, launched to No.1 on U.S. Billboard Christian charts, and the latter and most recent album also grabbed the No. 2 position on the iTunes mainstream chart, just behind Eminem. Hillsong UNITED has sold over 1,000,000 albums in the U.S. alone, and recently entered into a recorded music licensing and marketing agreement with EMI Christian Music Group.

Based in Sydney, Australia, Hillsong Church is one of the world’s fastest-growing ministries, with a 25,000-plus strong congregation in Australia, as well as one of the largest evangelical churches in London, Cape Town and Kiev. Hillsong also has churches in Stockholm and Paris, and recently announced plans to establish a new church in New York City. Hillsong Music has sold over 11 million albums to date and has earned 30 Gold and Platinum awards around the world.

For more information, please visit: www.hillsongunited.com and www.theiheartrevolution.com.