Faith Collides With Purpose to Birth a Global Movement -Planetshakers Conference Celebrates 20 Years

MELBOURNE, Australia - March 29, 2017 - PRLog -- You never know in life where the road will take you. For Russell Evans, sitting quietly in a pew in church, he never expected how the next few moments would change his life forever. Calling him out from the crowd, a man with a prophetic gifting told him God would use him to speak to the nations. There was just one problem, Russell wasn't looking to become a preacher, and he was battling his own insecurities.

The youngest son of a prominent minister in Australia, Russell grew up on the mission field and in church, but a call on his life meant facing one of his deepest fears. Struggling with reading and speaking, he felt inadequate to live up to his family's great heritage. This was compounded by the words of one of his teachers in school who belittled his abilities in class and told him he would never amount to anything. God, however, had other plans. At the age of 18, an encounter with God would silence the insecurities and open his life up to an adventure he never dreamed possible.

More than 30 years have passed since that moment, and Russell now heads one of the top ministries around the world. Today Planetshakers Church has grown to 14,000 members with seven campuses in Australia, South Africa and the United States, and through Planetshakers TV, millions are being impacted in more than 100 countries across the globe. The church has recorded 37 albums and various EPs, including their most recent release, aptly named Legacy – Part 1, Alive Again.

This success, however, didn't happen overnight. It began small and with a simple word from God. In 1996, Evans was in a meeting when the Lord suddenly rocked his reality, planting the seed for a global movement that's still going strong to this day. The word God gave him was "planetshakers." But it was more than just an idea of shaping culture or impacting nations. At its heart is the belief that the presence of God can change you and ultimately the world.

"When you encounter God, that moment can create momentum. And for us, it created a movement that spread like wild fire from city to city, and nation to nation," said Russell Evans, Senior Pastor of Planetshakers. "It's been an exciting journey, but one that would have never been possible without the presence of God – which is something we always strive to keep as the focus in our church, our music and our conferences."

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Planetshakers Conference, and there's big expectancy in the air. Along with recording their next live album, the ministry is partnering with Socality and Daystar Television Network to help share this once-in-a-life time experience with the world. With a hashtag that's been used more than 2.6 million times through Instagram, Canada-born Socality is a social media movement centered around connecting creatives to build community. Bringing together this conference experience with a live television audience, Daystar will be broadcasting this year's celebration to more than 608 million homes around the globe.

"We are excited to be sharing Planetshakers Conference 2017 with the world," said Marcus Lamb, Daystar's Founder and CEO. "We know that the presence of God changes lives, and through the power of television, we can take His presence to those lost and hurting regardless of where they are. We believe God is going to do big things in this time of ministry and worship, and we can't wait to hear how this impacts people's lives."

For more information on Pastor Russell Evans and the 20-year anniversary of Planetshakers Conference, you can visit www.planetshakers.com.

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About Socality

Socality is a movement built around connecting creatives through social media and gathering them to use their collective voice to strengthen and encourage community on a more personal level. Launched in 2014, our mission is to use today's innovative technology to convert online connectivity into face-to-face relationships. Through #Socality, which to-date has been used more than 2.6 million times, creatives around the world are experiencing unique, life-changing opportunities to use their skills and passions to inspire others! For more, check out Socality.org!

About Daystar Television Network

Daystar Television Network is an award winning, faith-based network dedicated to spreading the Gospel 24 hours a day, seven days a week – all around the globe, through all media formats possible. Reaching over 109 million households in the United States and over 2 billion people worldwide, Daystar is the fastest growing faith-based television network in the world. To learn more, visit Daystar.com.

About Planetshakers

At its core, Planetshakers seeks first and foremost to pursue the presence of God. All expressions of Planetshakers, including Planetshakers Band, which is known for its international touring and worship favourites like "Like A Fire," "Endless Praise," "Nothing Is Impossible," "This Is Our Time" and "The Anthem," find their source in the local church. There are currently seven Planetshakers Church campuses across Australia, South Africa and the United States. In the past 13 years, Planetshakers Church has grown to over 14,000 members and is led by Senior Pastors, Russell and Sam Evans. The husband and wife team also host Planetshakers TV, a 30-minute Christian television program broadcast in over 100 countries.

Planetshakers Church is further involved in numerous community and charitable causes, including prison ministry, school programs, refugee outreach, disaster relief and welfare assistance. It also partners with World Vision to assist in urgent humanitarian crises around the world, and runs Planetshakers College in Melbourne, which equips local and international students to impact their world for Christ.