Australian Darlene Zschech is acclaimed all over the world as a singer, songwriter, worship leader and speaker, most notably for her involvement in the music from Hillsong Church, Sydney over many years. Although she has achieved numerous gold albums and her songs are sung in many nations of the world, her success simply stands as a testimony to her life’s passion to serve God and people with all her heart. Darlene along side her husband Mark are the Senior Pastors of Hope Unlimited Church on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia.

As a songwriter, Darlene is perhaps most famous for the chorus Shout to the Lord, a song that is sung by an estimated 25 to 30 million churchgoers every week and has been covered by at least twenty other artists. Shout to the Lord was nominated as Album of the Year for the 1997 Dove Awards and was nominated as Song of the Year for the 1998 Dove Awards. In 2000 Darlene received a Dove Award nomination for Songwriter of the Year and received the International Award for influence in praise and worship.

In addition to “Shout to the Lord,” Darlene has written over eighty songs that have been published by Hillsong Music Australia alone. In 2005 Darlene released another album Change Your World, which features a new arrangement of Michael W. Smith’s worship song “Agnus Dei”. Involved in the Compassionart project 2008, she was so honored to be allowed the privilege of writing with some of the most generous-hearted worship writers and leaders of our day. Darlene is also passionate about raising and training other worship teams and writers, and has written three books which include Extravagant Worship, The Kiss of Heaven, and her new book The Great Generational Transition. These three titles combined have been translated into 19 different languages.

Many years ago Mark and Darlene made a life commitment to do whatever they could to bring answer and relief to human suffering, and one of their great joys in life is to work with Compassion International, serving the world’s poorest of the poor children.

It was a Compassion trip to Central Africa in 2004 that prompted Mark and Darlene to initiate HOPE: Rwanda, a global endeavor designed to bring hope to a nation seemingly forgotten since the horrific genocide of 1994. The 100 Days of Hope (April 6 – July 15, 2006) project was strategically coordinated to cover the same 100 days that saw approximately 1 million people viciously slaughtered.

As a new hope has spread into Cambodia, Vanuatu and India, HOPE: Global continues to bring hope and healing. The HOPE team are excited about all the future endeavours that continue to gather great momentum.

Darlene and Mark live on the Central Coast of Australia with their three daughters, Chloe and Zoe, Amy and son-in-law Andrew, their beautiful grand-daughter Ava Pearl and their handsome new grandson Roman Emmanuel Mark. While they travel extensively and have the honor of working and ministering alongside amazing friends around the globe, family remains Darlene’s supreme delight. As she says, “First and foremost I am a woman who simply and wholeheartedly loves Christ, and serves Him through loving my family, serving the church, and speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Australian Darlene Zschech is acclaimed all over the world as a singer, songwriter, worship leader and speaker, most notably for her involvement in the music from Hillsong Church, Sydney over many years. Although she has achieved numerous gold albums and her songs are sung in many nations of the world, her success simply stands as a testimony to her life’s passion to serve God and people with all her heart. Darlene along side her husband Mark are the Senior Pastors of Hope Unlimited Church on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia.

As a songwriter, Darlene is perhaps most famous for the chorus Shout to the Lord, a song that is sung by an estimated 25 to 30 million churchgoers every week and has been covered by at least twenty other artists. Shout to the Lord was nominated as Album of the Year for the 1997 Dove Awards and was nominated as Song of the Year for the 1998 Dove Awards. In 2000 Darlene received a Dove Award nomination for Songwriter of the Year and received the International Award for influence in praise and worship.

In addition to “Shout to the Lord,” Darlene has written over eighty songs that have been published by Hillsong Music Australia alone. In 2005 Darlene released another album Change Your World, which features a new arrangement of Michael W. Smith’s worship song “Agnus Dei”. Involved in the Compassionart project 2008, she was so honored to be allowed the privilege of writing with some of the most generous-hearted worship writers and leaders of our day. Darlene is also passionate about raising and training other worship teams and writers, and has written three books which include Extravagant Worship, The Kiss of Heaven, and her new book The Great Generational Transition. These three titles combined have been translated into 19 different languages.

Many years ago Mark and Darlene made a life commitment to do whatever they could to bring answer and relief to human suffering, and one of their great joys in life is to work with Compassion International, serving the world’s poorest of the poor children.

It was a Compassion trip to Central Africa in 2004 that prompted Mark and Darlene to initiate HOPE: Rwanda, a global endeavor designed to bring hope to a nation seemingly forgotten since the horrific genocide of 1994. The 100 Days of Hope (April 6 – July 15, 2006) project was strategically coordinated to cover the same 100 days that saw approximately 1 million people viciously slaughtered.

As a new hope has spread into Cambodia, Vanuatu and India, HOPE: Global continues to bring hope and healing. The HOPE team are excited about all the future endeavours that continue to gather great momentum.

Darlene and Mark live on the Central Coast of Australia with their three daughters, Chloe and Zoe, Amy and son-in-law Andrew, their beautiful grand-daughter Ava Pearl and their handsome new grandson Roman Emmanuel Mark. While they travel extensively and have the honor of working and ministering alongside amazing friends around the globe, family remains Darlene’s supreme delight. As she says, “First and foremost I am a woman who simply and wholeheartedly loves Christ, and serves Him through loving my family, serving the church, and speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”