Worship by Grace cartwriGht aspinwall HERE AND NOW HILLSONG UNITED AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD AT HAND ZioN: a hill in Jerusalem, on which the Temple was built rom the beginning, Hillsong UNITED has committed everything they are to developing a platform for worship the whole world can see and join. With their latest release, ZION, it’s clear that this group of worship leaders has grown into much more...they are a collective expectantly waiting and preparing for the Kingdom of God before them. At the helm of this prolific group (who has an impressive number of singles and albums to their credit) is Joel Houston. He, along with band members JD Douglass and Matt Crocker, recently caught up with CCM to explain the journey they’ve been on, the new sound and the things that inspire them all. CCM: Why did you choose the title ZION? JOEL HOUSTON: From the outset, I felt like this was going to be a project that spoke simply and decisively of the story of God...of the sense of purpose and mission that comes from realizing where we fit in that picture. I’m convinced that we are not only redeemed, but we are redeemed and called into the story of God with a specific plan and purpose. This is why we undertook this project in the first place; not to just add another CCMMagazine.coM