‘Think Planetshakers, think of a Hillsong conference with amps.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘Young people relate to the music; they want a purpose in life, they want to be involved in a service; they don’t just want to be a spectator. There’s nothing wrong with tradition. It’s all about making that tradition speak to the younger generation.’

So says Pastor Russell Evans of the Planetshakers City Church, Melbourne, Australia. And he should know for three times every Sunday, the Melbourne Town Hall is FULL of thousands of young people (mainly 18-35) all with one desire - to worship God. And it’s not just restricted to Sundays for Christianity is a 24/7 calling. The church, known for its high-energy praise and worship, runs a full programme including outreach into the community.

Pastor Russell and his wife Sam planted the Melbourne church five years ago, though their ministry goes back much further. Since 2000 annual national conferences have drawn thousands of young people from across Australia – and further afield – to worship and learn more about their faith. 25,000 attended the Planetshakers Conference 2008. Live event albums have spread the Planetshakers’ music across the world.

Challenge spoke to Henry Seeley, Creative Director for Planetshakers Band – songwriter, album producer, and all round ‘Mr. Fix-it’. Henry: ‘I’ve worked with Planetshakers since we started it in 1997. But I’d been working with Pastor Russell Evans for a few years longer. I’ve had a lot to do with the whole creative process from the conception. I started writing songs and leading worship. ‘Now we have a team of ten staff back in our church in Melbourne. I’m very involved in the production of music and I’m on stage leading worship all the time!’ Your services are very lively. Where do you get the energy?

Henry: ‘That really is God. That’s the whole thing; we’re not trying to hype people up. We are genuinely excited about what God is doing in people’s lives. That is exciting for us. That is enough energy in itself.’

Does Planetshakers the band have a lift outside the church?

Henry: ‘In a sense yes, but we would not exist without the church. The church is our homebase and that’s our number one thing we do. All of our guys are really involved in that plus on tour we have some ‘extended family’, friends from other churches across Australia.’

Henry: ‘Well I guess we would see it as pretty high energy. But really our whole deal is that people encounter and experience God. Wherever you read about where Jesus was in the Bible, things happened. People got healed, people got set free, people came to a place of repentance and salvation so that’s what we really desire wherever we play.’

Henry:‘I actually grew up going to church with my mum and dad. I never really got it. Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved music.

‘In my late teens I was in a band but the more I pursued my own dreams, the more unfulfilled I was. I went to a friend’s youth group run by Pastor Russell. I experienced God in a way I had never understood. Over the next few months I went on this journey encountering God.

‘I knew that serving God and allowing him to fulfil my dreams was the most important thing in my life.’ The Planetshakers band will return to the UK next summer. Until then see www.planetshakers.com