Overview

Hillsong Youth Services (HYS) started in the Hills district of Sydney in 1989. At that time, HYS (formerly known as Hills District Youth Services) was the only youth focused service in the area. Over the years, HYS has expanded into new locations across Sydney and broadened the range and scope of the programs it provides to young people aged 12-25 years. HYS runs diverse community based programs and services to encourage and empower young people to lead and impact in every day life, make positive life choices and have specialised support through the challenging times of adolescence.

HYS is a not –for-profit public benevolent institution and part of the community arm of Hillsong Church. HYS is a separate legal entity and works with youth in the local community regardless of gender, socio-economic status, religious, cultural background or political beliefs. HYS is partly funded by, and accountable to, a number of different government agencies including Department of Community Services (DoCS) and Department of Family and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA). The remaining funding comes from a variety of community sources, like The Hillsong Foundation, the corporate sector and individual donors.

HYS exists to:

Assist youth in crisis
Provide engaging youth programs and activities
Provide relevant and effective youth programs, support and information

Our goals are to:

Increase the number of young people connected into community programs
Increase the number of young people referred to other support agencies
Reduce the level of youth arrests and anti-social behaviour
Reduce the level of drug & alcohol related incidences in the lives of young people

Our staff are trained professionals with broad experience in youth services and programs. One of our greatest strengths over the years has been our ability to co-ordinate a large volunteer base made up of hundreds of willing helpers, many of them young people, who want to assist and contribute to the programs and initiatives we offer.