Vision Sunday 2010 Magazine

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About us

03 The Church I See…

04 Hillsong Church: The Journey So Far

06 What we believe

07 Heaven is in this House

08 Living for the Cause of Christ

09 Salvation

10 Connecting through Friendships

11 Finances

16 Hillsong Globally

17 Nation Builders

30 Heart for the House

31 Mobilising Hope in Cape Town

32 Hillsong Foundation

Update

12 Opportunity Knocks: Interview with Brian Houston

18 Sydney UPDATE: Interview with Joel A’Bell

19 Kiev UPDATE: Interview with Zhenya and Vera Kasevich

20 Paris UPDATE: Interview with Brendan White

21 Stockholm UPDATE: Interview with Andreas Nielsen

22 Cape Town UPDATE: Interview with Phil Dooley

23 London UPDATE: Interview with Gary Clarke

26 Personal Perspective: Interview with Bobbie Houston

Contents update

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42 Vision Rescue One for another

36 Linking up & Joining Forces: Interview with Joel Houston

40 Hillsong Disaster Relief

42 Vision Rescue

44 Watoto Babies

46 The Gulu Projects

48 Watoto Families

49 Compassion

50 The A21 Campaign

51 Sisterhood

49 Compassion

Contents

The Church I See...

THE CHURCH THAT I SEE IS A CHURCH OF INFLUENCE. A church so large in size that the city and nation cannot ignore it. A church growing so quickly that buildings struggle to contain the increase.

I see a church whose heartfelt praise and worship touches Heaven and changes earth; worship which influences the praises of people throughout the earth, exalting Christ with powerful songs of faith and hope.

I see a church whose altars are constantly filled with repentant sinners responding to Christ’s call to salvation.

Yes, the church that I see is so dependent on the Holy Spirit that nothing will stop it nor stand against it; a church whose people are unified, praying and full of God’s Spirit.

The church that I see has a message so clear that lives are changed forever and potential is fulfilled through the power of His Word; a message beamed to the peoples of the earth through their television screens.

I see a church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found and acceptance is given.

I see a people so Kingdom-minded that they will count whatever the cost and pay whatever the price to see revival sweep this land.

The church that I see is a church so committed to raising, training and empowering a leadership generation to reap the end-time harvest that all its ministries are consumed with this goal.

I see a church whose head is Jesus, whose help is the Holy Spirit and whose focus is the Great Commission.

Y ES , T H E C H UR C H T H AT W E SEE C OU L D W E L L BE OUR C H UR C H – H I L L SO N G C H UR C H .

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Hillsong Church

The journey so far www.hillsong.com

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“The health, validity and significance of the local church has always been at the heart of Hillsong” The journey began in February 1978, when Brian and Bobbie moved to Australia as newlyweds from New Zealand, joining the ministry team of Sydney Christian Life Centre.

In the early 1980s, they saw the need to provide people in Sydney’s north west with a fresh and contemporary church, and in August 1983, they founded Hills Christian Life Centre.

Their very first service saw 45 people attend, and from these small beginnings, Hillsong Church has grown to one of the largest churches in Australia. Hillsong Church today is made up of four major campuses, several international campuses, including Kiev, London, Paris, Cape Town and Stockholm, contributing ministries, extension services and a citywide network of connect groups.

Over the years the church has become known internationally through its live praise and worship albums (contemporary hymns). These live worship albums are produced as a resource for other local churches; and songs that have been birthed from this local church are now sung each week in congregations all over the world. The Hillsong International Leadership College attracts students from all over the globe and is committed to

training, equipping and empowering the next generation of leaders in theology, music, pastoral leadership and other areas of ministry.

The health, validity and significance of the local church has always been at the heart of Hillsong, and out of this came what is now known as Hillsong Conference. Churches of all denominations are able to experience what God is doing in and through the people at Hillsong Church, and come from far and wide to attend the annual Hillsong Conference, the Colour Your World Women’s Conference and Hillsong Men’s Conference.

Hillsong Church is also actively involved in building relationships with our community both locally and globally through ‘One For Another.’ As we move forward as a church we are passionate about increasing our ability to creatively meet the real needs of humanity, honouring God by loving one another as He loved us.

As Hillsong Church continues to increase and grow, the vision remains consistent: to build the Church of Jesus Christ and bless the body of Christ worldwide.

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What we believe From the inside out

We believe that the Bible is God’s Word. It is accurate, authoritative and applicable to our everyday lives.

We believe in one eternal God who is the Creator of all things. He exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He is totally loving and completely Holy.

We believe that sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ as both God and man is the only One who can reconcile us to God. He lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross in our place, and rose again to prove His victory and empower us for life.

We believe that in order to receive forgiveness and the ‘new birth’ we must repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to His will for our lives.

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We believe that in order to live the holy and fruitful lives that God intends for us, we need to be baptised in water and be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to use spiritual gifts, including speaking in tongues.

We believe that God has individually equipped us so that we can successfully achieve His purpose for our lives, which is to worship God, fulfill our role in the Church and serve the community in which we live.

We believe that God wants to heal and transform us so that we can live healthy and prosperous lives in order to help others more effectively.

We believe that our eternal destination of either heaven or hell is determined by our response to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again as He promised.

Heaven is in this House

A place to flourish

CHURCH OUGHT TO BE MAGNETIC, THE ATMOSPHERE, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE PEOPLE AND THE LIFE WITHIN, SO MAGNETIC THAT OTHERS ARE DRAWN TO IT. Those wandering past the doors should not be able to simply walk past, and when they step inside, they should be amazed. They should discover a place that is overflowing with unconditional love and acceptance, and hear the sound of laughter and good times resounding through the crowd. They should encounter a multitude of people who are united in their love of life, love of God and love of others.

It should be a place of growth, where everyday people can meet God, build great relationships and learn how to flourish in life. Church should indeed be a living, breathing expression of Heaven on Earth – a place where people feel so welcome that they never want to leave.

For church to be like this – if our purpose is to reflect the very nature, character, love, splendour and majesty of God – then it needs to start with us. The atmosphere and the environment don’t simply happen and it is not just an act put on by a few people. It needs to be a genuine and purposeful welcome from those who have already encountered God and are prepared, willing and excited about helping others do the same.

OUR RELATIONSHIPS SHOULD GO BEYOND THE SUPERFICIAL; WE SHOULD ACTUALLY BE PREPARED TO INCLUDE AND SHARE LIFE WITH OTHERS, HELPING THEM TO NEGOTIATE THE SEASONS, AND DISCOVER THEIR POTENTIAL. WE, THE CHURCH, NEED TO REALISE THAT WE ARE GOD’S RESCUE PLAN. Together, if we go about our lives with a sense of excellence and generosity, we can make the house of God magnificent.

We can create an atmosphere that is irresistible to God and irresistible to mankind; a place where the power of His presence and the power of His word can touch lives and bring change. We can build great relationships, and bring freedom and success to everyday lives.

We can be a church whose heart beats in perfect time with His and that causes the world to take notice.

IF WE TRULY BEGAN TO REFLECT HEAVEN, THEN WE MIGHT SERIOUSLY BEGIN TO IMPACT THE WORLD.

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Living for the Cause of Christ

To live a life of purpose

“Every cause has an effect, and when we live for the Cause of Christ, its effect will be evident in every area of our lives” Jesus died so that we could have life and not just any old life; He wants our lives to be rich and plentiful, to be full of passion and excitement, power and influence.

THE LIVES THAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR US ARE LIVES BEYOND OUR WILDEST IMAGINATION. IT IS WHEN WE LIVE FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST THAT OUR LIVES REALLY BEGIN TO BECOME WHAT GOD INTENDED THEM TO BE. When Jesus came to earth, He lived and died to glorify God, to do God’s will and to reunite lost people with their Father in Heaven. Living for the Cause of Christ is about living our lives with the same intent.

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It’s about dying daily to ourselves, making God our priority and continually making choices to put God’s Kingdom first in our lives.

To live for the Cause is to live a life of purpose, and to live life on purpose.

It’s about living a life that extends beyond ourselves. We don’t prosper in order to store up wealth for ourselves, but in order to help others and to finance the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

When we realise that we were born for the Cause and that we have the capacity to do great works for God’s Kingdom, we can begin to move forward into the plans and purposes of God.

Discouragement and frustration will no longer be able to pull us down or throw us off course. We will be empowered to rise above any inadequacies and barriers because we will realise that it is not just about us; we have a job to do, a purpose to fulfill.

Every cause has an effect, and when we live for the Cause of Christ, its effect will be evident in every area of our lives.

WHEN WE BECOME WHOLEHEARTEDLY INTENT ON BRINGING THE ABUNDANCE OF HEAVEN TO EARTH, THOSE AROUND US WILL NOT BE ABLE TO IGNORE IT AND WE WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT OUR WORLD WITH THE REALITY OF CHRIST.

Salvation in Jesus Christ

SEEING THE PEOPLE IN YOUR WORLD RECONCILED WITH GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST. “This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message.” Ephesians 3:7 msg THE CAUSE OF CHRIST Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost and He has commissioned us to carry on with His purpose. Ultimately, everything we do as a church is so that people would be reconciled with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

SALVATION The most important part of our service is when we give people an opportunity to make their peace with God. We would ask that you respect this time of the service by remaining in your seat and giving people every opportunity to make this decision.

CELEBRATION The Bible tells us that the angels rejoice at each salvation (Luke 15:10). Let’s all join in with the celebration as we cheer on those who have just made what is potentially the most significant decision of their lives!

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY Church is not an institution, but a people who come together as God’s family.

Everyone can play a part. Let’s all take responsibility for the ongoing discipling of our friends, especially those who are new to our church.

In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents Luke 15:10 nlt

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Connecting through Friendships

Building an inclusive community

“We are committed to making church personal to everyone” IT’S PERSONAL In a large church it’s easy to feel lost or overwhelmed. But when the crowd is made up of unique individuals, each adding value, each contributing, each taking responsibility for helping others and each being relationally connected to one another, church becomes personal to everyone involved.

We are all part of building a healthy church. ‘Connection equals care’ is more than a slogan - it’s a reality that begins with building authentic relationships, caring for and being cared about. Friendships are important to all of us. They make us feel like we belong.

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CONNECT GROUPS We are committed to making church personal to everyone through connecting you into the church community. Our connect groups are small groups of people that meet regularly in homes, parks and restaurants all across the city. Connect Groups are all about authentic relationships, which we believe are vital to doing life well. Connect Groups share meals, discuss the Bible, and pray for one another. We believe that Connect Groups are for everyone.

Finances

Building the House IMAGINE A CROWD OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BLESSED BY GOD FINANCIALLY, WHO ARE THEREBY ABLE TO BE A BLESSING TO THOSE AROUND THEM – BOTH IN THE CITY THEY LIVE AND IN THE LIVES OF THOSE BEYOND THEIR IMMEDIATE WORLD. BY UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING GOD’S WAYS IN THE AREA OF FINANCES WE WILL SEE ‘GOD RESULTS.’ NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATION Hillsong Church is a not-for-profit organisation. The affairs of the church are overseen by a board of directors, each of whom serve on the board in a voluntary capacity. All of the income received by the church is used for the work of the ministry; there are no dividends paid or shares issued. A Remuneration Committee comprising predominantly of non-executive directors establishes salaries. We operate a stringent system of checks and balances to ensure the church is operated with financial integrity. Our financial statements are independently audited.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS We believe in the biblical principles of Tithes and Offerings and encourage people in this area. This has the two-fold benefit – the benefit to God’s house and the blessing that comes to the giver. All offerings at Hillsong Church are free-will offerings. Whilst we believe in biblical tithing, all giving is entirely optional.

HILLSONG FOUNDATION Hillsong Foundation is for those who have a heart for giving over and above their Tithes & Offerings to finance the work of God through the local church.

They shoulder the responsibility of financing facilities, our community initiatives as well as other trusted ministries who are making a difference locally and throughout the world.

HEART FOR THE HOUSE The Heart for the House offering is a once a year sacrificial offering. This is an opportunity to give over and above Tithes and Offerings to see the church advance in vision. A minimum of 10% raised through the Heart for the House offering is given to designated organisations.

“Understanding and applying God’s ways in the area of finances” update

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Opportunit y KNOCKS

Senior Pastor Brian Houston On life, church & vision for the future.

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“When times are tough it’s actually a prime time for the church” Is it true you’ve got a Harley?

It’s a Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Dyna and I love it. For me it’s an escape, even when I’m preparing a message, I love to get on it to meditate and think. You put that helmet on and people don’t really see who it is. For me. it’s one of my key relaxation points.

Anywhere you particularly like to go?

Well, I’ve ridden from Sydney to Queensland 3 times for holidays!

Now, in terms of the church globally, is there anything you’d like to mention about how things have been going the last 6 months?

I’m very encouraged with where we’re at as a Church. I think in some ways for us as leaders, we’ve all wanted to hear from God about fresh direction and how to approach the more global opportunities that come our way. I feel like there is a health, and a sense of working together for a bigger purpose cultivated in our church environment.

What is it that inspires you about a location when you think about starting another Hillsong Church?

What always inspires us is cities- in particular cities where there is both openness and cities with young people - but not many churches for them to go to.

I feel like what we do best is in big cities. Where there is a big city, there is generally big needs this is where I find inspiration.

“I think the greatest collection of human resources is inside the church”

I’ve heard you say before that Hillsong Church is not built on the merit of a few, but on the sacrifice of many. What is it about lots of people that gets you excited?

I think the greatest collection of human resources is inside the Church. Nothing brings such a huge diversity of people together as the Church does, so within that you get such a massive amount of gifts, talents and passions.

When you get people that have a real revelation and understanding that these gifts are from God and they have something to bring to the table, the church will flourish.

But we don’t tap anywhere near the full potential that is within our churches! Like some of the intellectual knowledge and other gifts that we have sitting in the pews, you would just have no idea!

How do you think the role of the media internally as a church has impacted you? And looking forward, what would you like to do more of in regards to using media to reach people?

Media is such an incredible opportunity, and of course such a quick moving world. Someone who is middle aged (like me), struggles to keep up with all the different ways we can be reaching people.

If we understand the potential of media; written, spoken, visual, whatever- it’s massive! I think we should be doing everything we can to exhaust all the possibilities there are to use it.

I’m excited about the way our leaders and staff are getting innovative with church life. I recently spoke to our staff about ‘living with a commitment to innovation’ … Our limitations are a great foundation for innovation.

There is so much coming up in church life, conferences, youth camps, new community initiatives, and no doubt the needs will far outweigh the means. But if we commit to being problem-solvers, and not bow to the pressure of life; continue to raise up young leaders in a healthy and forward-thinking environment…I believe we will see the fruit of that in the new year.

At church we’ve been talking a lot about HOPE. I guess people really need to hear that there is hope, especially when you flick through the newspapers. Do you ever get overwhelmed with what’s going on in the world?

I think when times are tough it’s actually a prime time for the Church. When things people have put their trust in are all failing, that’s the time when people start asking bigger and deeper questions.

I think we’re really living in that type of season, and I feel that the Church in general should be ready for people who want to know what it’s all really about.

Humanity is facing so many grave challenges. The recent earthquakes in Haiti have left people feeling so hopeless, scared and anxious about the future. I believe that these are the times that the Church can step up and bring HOPE, HELP, SOLUTION and ANSWERS to those who are searching.

Looking ahead, with regard to making a difference around the world, through our Aid and Development partnerships, what things are you excited about?

There have always been two camps in the church: one that cared about social justice, and one that cared about the spiritual side of ministry. I feel like in the last few years we’ve gained some great ground in bringing the two together -without one being at the cost of the other.

The world is huge, and we’ve built a platform where we have a responsibility to care for the hurting and the needy. Deciding where to start, how much to sow, whether to focus on one area or do a little bit everywhere is always a challenge, because there is always a whole lot more need than there is resource!

As for the relationships that we already have with Watoto, Compassion, A21, Vision Rescue and so on, we really want to focus on them and continue to do more and more. As time goes on there will be a lot more opportunities.

I’m excited about the way our churches are also relating to our LOCAL communities. What we do to support marriages, build strong families, encourage healthy lifestyles, inspire young adults and support great charities and organisations in the cities that we live in is so important to who we are as a church. I’m excited to move forward on a local level in 2010.

I love what our church is doing through the Sisterhood and The I-HEART Revolution. We are mobilizing a generation of young adults to take responsibility and bring change, solution and care to the world around them. So as well as what we’re doing ‘hands on’, our heart is to mobilise the church to do more both locally and globally.

“God gave Bobbie and I the vision for this church 25 years ago, and we’ve been relentlessly pursuing it ever since” You’ve been leading Hillsong Church for over 25 years, how hard is it to keep yourself personally fresh and growing?

I think you have to make it a priority to keep yourself fresh. Continuing to love people helps create fresh vision.

The things that jade you the quickest are the obvious I guess, like striving and pressing too hard. But I really feel that if you keep your motives pure and you remember the simple- that it’s all about God and people - you won’t lose sight of the fact that there is so much opportunity ahead of us. I think that energises you. I think for me, when I become jaded or I let discouragement become too big, it’s because I’ve taken my eye off the main thing.

Do you think people make life too complicated then?

I do actually, I really do. I mean Bobbie and I have got better at it over the years. When we first started, we hardly gave any time to holidays and all of those things. I think we’re now a lot more determined -we work very hard but we have no problem taking holidays, and we always take our Monday’s off. These things really help to keep life balanced, and help to keep you fresh.

Do you feel pressure to stay unpredictable, to keep the ‘wowfactor’ at church?

I think you can let yourself come under that pressure. Things like the Hillsong Conference every year, we can try to out do the year before or the live worship albums, or even the songs that we’re singing in church. But what I’ve found is: if you keep the church healthy, focus on keeping the soul of the church healthy the church will prosper as the soul prospers. To me, the rest is an outworking. If we’re talking about a healthy church, then the fruit of a healthy church is always going to be a new song, fresh life, greater creativity, fresh ideas, and healthy people - and that’s been our experience over all these years. So I try not to give in to that pressure of ‘what are we going to do next?’ and just focus on keeping things healthy.

Has there been a ‘theme’ on your heart or particular topic you have been speaking on lately?

Two things really: I’ve been talking about ‘The Power of a God Encounter’ recently. Also I’ve been focusing on helping people to realise that wherever they’re at in life, sometimes we come to an end of a season or era, but it’s nowhere near the completion of a vision. We need to keep people moving forward, and keep living with the realisation that it’s all still ahead of us, and the best is yet to come!

What can you tell us about what Hillsong Church is going to be doing globally in the coming months?

I often find the New Year and fresh vision really challenging because God gave Bobbie and I the vision for this church 25 years ago, and we’ve been relentlessly pursuing it ever since. Even though we conceived it then, it continues to grow, and hopefully it is becoming more and more focused. To me it’s a matter of staying consistent, and sometimes the way to achieve all that God has put in your heart to do is just be there long enough.

Hillsong Globally

A global view to champion the cause of local churches everywhere

HILLSONG’S HEART: The Greater Church or ‘Body of Christ’ Hillsong Church will continue, through our conferences, resources and example, to do all that we can to Champion the Cause of local churches everywhere, and extend the Kingdom of God by connecting people to Jesus.

HILLSONG’S FRIENDS: The ‘Hillsong Leadership Network’ The ‘Hillsong Leadership Network’ is available to churches and church leaders everywhere for connection and resource.

The ‘Hillsong Leadership Network’ is united and committed to making a difference on the earth...bigger than any one expression. It is a company of people encouraging each other to embrace our individual cities and nations with the love, hope and goodness of a compassionate and faithful God. Together in partnership we will make a difference in the world for Christ.

HILLSONG’S FAMILY: The Hillsong ‘Group of Churches’ This is a new initiative which will function as a group of completely like-spirited churches who are ‘family’. Many of these are literally sons or daughters of the house who have been ‘sent’ to pioneer. Others have been bonded to us through

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years of connection. The ‘Hillsong Group’ have a commitment to work together with like-faith and like-spirit for the greater cause of Jesus and His Church. There is a commitment to a certain tone and culture, and a commitment to work together with a kingdom perspective on certain agreed global projects, missions, or aid initiatives. We are a ‘group’ of self-initiating, forward thinking, kingdom-building visionaries working together for a greater cause!

HILLSONG’S HOUSE: Hillsong Church A house, united in name, vision, oversight and purpose. It is a single church with several international expressions to whom we extend full rights of the house!

The Churches that make up ‘Hillsong Church’ are primarily churches, which were initially planted from Hillsong Church, and each recognises Hillsong in Australia as ‘Central’ and values Brian and Bobbie as Senior Pastors.

We have Lead Pastors in Sydney, London, Cape Town, Kiev, Paris, and Stockholm. We have a commitment to work together in mission, vision and spirit. The Eldership of Hillsong Church is effectively the spiritual oversight of these churches.

Nation Builders Empowering a new generation of leaders

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8 niv Nation builders/Missions giving (Church planting) is the mission’s vision of Hillsong Church, which helps people by supporting ministries and initiatives outside our four walls.

This giving is received predominately through connect groups and mid week events. It has been through this giving that we have been able to support Hillsong TV and church

planting initiatives such as Jesus Lifehouse Japan, Hillsong Kiev, Hillsong Paris, Hillsong Cape Town, Hillsong Stockholm, Berlin CLC and Youth Alive.

Through this giving we are empowering a new generation of dynamic leaders to build churches abroad that will serve communities and cities and ultimately impact nations.

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Hillsong Update talks to Joel A’bell about the past, present and future plans of Hillsong Sydney.

How did it come about that you started working for the church, and what was your first role?

I actually had just been promoted at work when my Pastor asked if I wanted to come on staff as the youth pastor. I said yes and then raced home to tell my wife Julia. We were both so excited!

Before you joined Hillsong staff, what did you do for a living?

Before I joined Hillsong staff in 1999, my wife and I were running a great church in Wollongong, which is on the south coast of New South Wales.

Did you always have aspirations of being a pastor?

Ever since becoming a Christian at 14, I wanted to serve God. I didn’t think that was restricted to being a ‘pastor’, but the more I grew, the more I knew I didn’t want to do anything else!

What has been a highlight for you over the past 10 years working for Hillsong?

There have been so many highlights, from individual encounters to main stage Hillsong Conference opportunities. But, I think the greatest highlight for me has been watching both my children become Christians and flourish in church. Both their school teachers have commented that it is obvious they are part of a large, healthy church community!

If someone wasn’t sure about serving on a volunteer team, what would you say the biggest benefit of joining a team is?

The biggest benefit of joining a team is the opportunity to serve other people. To live is to love and to love is to serve. The other benefit is gaining a greater understanding of self, as you utilise the gifts and talents God has poured into your life. Every human being must understand that if they don’t make their contribution to the world, it may never be made!

You oversee the Hills, City, Southwest and Brisbane campuses.

Could you update us on how things have gone in each campus in 2009?

We currently have 4 campuses and 14 extension services, which comprises 35 services every weekend!

The Hills Campus is in our largest convention centre and therefore sees the largest attendances. Our Sunday night service at Hills has got to be one of the greatest services of the weekend!

The City Campus keeps defying all logic of church growth.

Any obstacle you can think of, it has. From parking, to breakout rooms, to foyer space and turn- around time, 8 services makes this campus a real downtown style of celebration!

The extension services are weekend church services that have anywhere from 100 to 600 in attendance and function all around Sydney. Some are foreign language services and others just reach out into different suburbs of Sydney. There has been considerable growth in leadership development and community influence in these services, and in 2010 Ben Houston will be looking after this whole area. Very exciting!

The South West Campus (in the Campbelltown area) is just one year old as a campus, and seeing great growth and maturity in its culture. Leaders are being developed, programs are expanding and the Sisterhood will be starting there this year!

The Brisbane Campus is only 8 months old (as a Hillsong Campus) and has tripled in weekend attendance. The kids ministry is bursting at the seams, the staff and team are on a wonderful learning curve, stacks of people are getting saved and we are all very excited!

How did Hillsong Brisbane come about?

Hillsong Brisbane was a historic church in our nation called Garden City Christian Church. They have had several senior pastors over the last 50 years and this last season the board decided to seek several submissions for a new Senior Pastor. In May of 2009, the board and church voted for Brian and Bobbie to become their Senior Pastors, and Garden City became another significant campus in the Hillsong Family. The story so far has been phenomenal, with explosive growth and decisions for Christ. It’s very humbling!

What’s the greatest leadership lesson that you’ve learnt from working with Pastor Brian?

It has been a tremendous privilege to work so closely with Brian and Bobbie. I have been developed more in the last 10yrs than all of my 30yrs before that. The biggest leadership lesson I’ve learned working with Pastor Brian is a Scripture that I hear him regularly mention from 3 John 2 ‘That all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.’ That life and ministry is directly related to the health and well being of my heart and soul.

What are you looking forward to in 2010 and why?

2010 is presenting some very exciting opportunities for us. In Sydney, there is much to do in our communities, as a lot of Sydney still don’t know who we are and what we do as a church.

Easter will see our ‘XChange: Easter Film and Art Festival’ step up another level, and with fresh touches on the Hillsong Conference I know it will be another year of personal impact. I’m most excited about what our global partnership can produce, and what the collective weight of our prayer and focus can do to impact all that God wants to accomplish through us as Hillsong Church.

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Kiev update

HILLSONG UPDATE TALKS TO ZHENYA AND VERA a fantastic event for the young people to enjoy. This is like KASEVICH, ABOUT THE PAST, THE PRESENT, AND THE the German Oktoberfest, but with rock music. We used rock FUTURE PLANS OF HILLSONG CHURCH IN KIEV AND music to attract young creative people in our community to our church; it is a great music festival with Christian content. We MOSCOW. also had an amazing Men’s Conference in November.

December was a big month for us. Christmas didn’t exist How did you both become part of Hillsong Kiev?

VK: When missionaries first came to the Ukraine they did not in the Soviet Union for nearly 80 years, and many people do know how to start a church, so they held three evangelistic not know the real meaning of what it is. We invented a pageant concerts. Zhenya was playing bass in a rock band and they hired called ‘the Creator of Christmas’, and every year we bring many, him for the three concerts and they paid him $5 a night to play. many people from our community to church - just to tell them We were unsaved so it was just a job for us and $5 was a whole the story of why God created Christmas. Beyond that, we are month’s salary! On the Sunday morning after the concert, the looking forward to a fantastic 2010 in our new building! pastor asked us to stay for the church opening. Finally, after four Sundays, Zhenya was hoping to get his paycheck, but the Could you tell me about some of the challenges you’ve faced rePastor said ‘No, don’t you understand? It is about more than a cently and what challenges you think you’ll face in the future? paycheck. It is about playing for God and worshipping God’. ZK: I would say that normal everyday challenges come and go, We began to play in the worship band without even being there is nothing you can really do about them. You just have to saved! During this first month we already felt something in our be faithful with what you have. Our biggest challenge recently was our venue. We have changed venues so many times over hearts and we decided to stay in church.

ZK: After every Sunday in church, the Pastor would give an the last six months that we say our church is just for the clever altar call, but I was playing the bass and never had a chance to people who can find us! We could never even give an invitation go down to receive Christ. After about two months I went to the to church, because we would never know where we would Pastor and said, ‘I want to do this, I want to pray and receive be next! Because of the economic problems in Ukraine now, Christ’. We became pastors of Hillsong Kiev on 1st June 1997, people’s faith is shaken. And I believe that the biggest challenges four and a half years after being saved. To be honest, we didn’t we face at the moment are not physical, but spiritual. If people know what we were doing! We were just newly saved Christians keep their faith, they will come through any situation. and we had this huge responsibility on our shoulders.

How do you go about building Hillsong Kiev?

What have been some of the big highlights for the church re- ZK: We had a theme in our church called ‘transformational church’. What this means is that church should not work under cently, and what is coming up over the next 6 months?

ZK: We have been very pleased with how Hillsong Moscow has the culture of a country. Jesus is not building the Ukrainian developed! We’ve had a great start. Moscow has been going for church or the Australian church or the English church - He is two years, and we’re really looking to develop leadership there. building The Church, one church. Many people are shocked In our church in Kiev we’ve moved into our own building that we can build a Hillsong Church in Kiev or in Moscow, now, which we are renting 24/7, so we have it every single day. a culture totally unlike where Hillsong came from. But there We can fit 1000 people in the building, and we are looking for- is no ‘Hillsong culture’ - we are building Kingdom culture, and that works everywhere! Jesus is building one church, it is ward to having some stability as a result of that.

VK: We are doing lots of events to attract young people. For universal. example, in October we had the Rocktoberfest, which was update

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HILLSONG PARIS PASTOR, BRENDAN WHITE, LOVES THE ‘EXPRESSIVENESS’ OF FRENCH PEOPLE AND IS BUILDING A PASSIONATE CHURCH THAT SEES GOLD IN EVERY INDIVIDUAL. The Australian way of life - dare I say it seems so far from the way of life in Paris. What’s it been like adjusting to French culture?

You can definitely find heaps of differences between Australia and France, yet I have discovered that there are basic individual needs no matter where you go. I actually really love French culture, language, type of thinking, mentality. There’s a stretch but instead of letting it be a frustration I’ve let that become a great discovery.

How do Parisians respond to the presentation of Christianity we have at Hillsong?

All I can say is that peoples lives are being turned around, they’re loving God and passionate about life. The best representation is always transformed lives, people will always notice when their friends lives are changed, they respond and want to be part of it. I have had people walk in and say, “I really loved Church,” which I think is a great compliment. God and His Church have always been moving in France and I never just want the way we do things to become a fad. I think we need to always be thinking about how to present the message so that wrong perceptions and understandings in any culture don’t get in the way of people encountering God.

Paris update

What do you enjoy most about living in Paris?

The city is really beautiful. I love the café life, how people sit til’ late at night chatting with friends. And bizarre things just happen in the streets – there are people walking around with musical instruments, dogs or riding bizarre bikes. I really love the uniqueness of French people. They love expressing themselves.

I want them to know that’s a ‘God gift’.

Outside of church what do you do to unwind?

Different sports are probably the best way I wind down. I live on the fringe of Paris near a forest, so I’m jogging at the moment and mountain bike riding. In summer I play a bit of tennis.

Did you have any idea that you would end up pastoring a church in Paris?

I didn’t wake up one morning with a vision of a map of France! I really sensed a great future, but joining the dots is a challenging journey for anyone. I think that our mindset can be, “Slam it in the microwave, get there quick”. It hasn’t been like that at all.

Honestly, there’s been moments of, “Okay, where does this go?”

Or, “Is that exactly where I’d thought I’d go?” I just wanted to do whatever it took for God and I’ve said yes to the challenges and stepped up.

What’s been the most difficult part of starting up Hillsong Paris?

Hmm, I haven’t really thought “difficult”. I’ve just kind of got on with doing it. You know, you love people. And you believe the best in people and I suppose people can only step up themselves. That’s one of the things. You believe in people so much.

That’s a good thing but it can be a frustrating thing as well. I suppose the challenge is to keep enlarging people’s mindsets and continually creating a culture of what can be.

What’s your strategy at Hillsong Paris?

Our strategy would be “one person” – to really value the gold in every person. I think if we move away from that strategy it almost becomes about the spectacular and not the significance of every individual. There are huge social needs in Paris, like any big city. It’s got that really dark, lost feel. There are a lot of immigrants, homeless, people working on the streets. A lot of single mums. Another real need is community – I think there’s huge individual loneliness in the city. We have big dreams for the future in regard to all of that, and we’re just starting to link with some associations to help on the streets and with housing for single mums.

What are the main recent highlights?

Lives being changed. People coming to church, their families getting saved, their kids joining Hillsong Kids. That’s what really matters. We’ve just gone to three services, more connect groups.

We can advance in every area, yet it’s lives being changed that really matters.

How do you feel about soon becoming a father?

I’m pumped! C’est la belle vie!

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Stockholm update “CHANGED PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR WORLD,” SAYS HILLSONG STOCKHOLM PASTOR ANDREAS NIELSON. HE’S RELYING ON THE RIPPLE EFFECT TO IMPACT A NATION WHERE CHRISTIANITY IS OFTEN A MATTER OF TRADITION.

Tell us about the culture of Stockholm…

Stockholm is big on fashion, big on design, big on expression, big on music. Some of the best producers and songwriters live here, and artists from America will fly into Sweden to work.

Sweden has a Lutheran culture, but at this point in time it’s more a cultural or political thing than a decision people have made. Basically, a whole generation has been brought up who don’t even know who Jesus is and would never imagine in their wildest dreams that church would have something to offer them.

What have been your challenges building a church in Stockholm?

The main challenge would be facilitation. We don’t have offices or a lot of staff yet; we’re totally a mobile community. We’re renting one of the bigger nightclubs in town for Sundays and Stockholm is a very expensive city, so it takes a lot of resource to do it.

I work at home, coffee shops, hotel lobbies, we’re in conference rooms for staff, and there’s this Baptist church that is really cool letting us use their facility for leadership nights.

To be honest, one of the big challenges is not to get ahead of yourself; to build step by step, realising the slower we go the faster we get there. You’ve got to be moved by the need you see but you can’t – completely – let that dictate the speed. So we’re making sure we’re building people and letting the people build the church. Otherwise we could end up just attracting crowds and not building lives.

What’s been happening lately?

We recently worked with a lot of young girls who have parents in prison over Christmas. We also heard last year about people in our church being out on Christmas Eve trying to get a pizza, trying to rent a movie, being totally alone. We said there’s no way we’re going to have a church and have people who don’t have family over Christmas. We do church in a nightclub and my wife, myself and our family borrowed that nightclub and did Christmas to just say, hey, whoever doesn’t have a family come and be part of our family.

What is your strategy?

Just to make sure the way we grow is in a way that people can engage their world with, and that we become the shopping window people look into at what God can do. If a person really gets changed, resourced, and gains a revelation of who they are in Christ, then it’s going to have an effect, you know, like rings on the water [the ripple effect]. That is going to affect their immediate world and cause them to bring their friends.

What are your favourite things to do to unwind?

I’m a big sports fan. I have, I think, 18 sports channels. I’m a major football fan – Barcelona – and a major-major ice hockey fan. I used to do martial arts quite a bit – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

You grew up in a ‘picture perfect’ Christian family, yet the hidden reality was very different. How did you overcome your conflicted feelings about church?

Church is built by people, so sometimes things can be messed up and what we experience can become an excuse not to figure out how church could be part of our life and what the message of grace could be. From my experience, you come to a point where bitterness is just going to drag you down. It’s like trying to swim with big anchors stuck on your body. If you had a bad experience, just go back to what church is all about. It’s about Jesus. It’s about God. Let’s start with that and if you earnestly seek and find Jesus and find God, everything else is going to work out for you as well. So get back to the basics of what it is.

What’s the biggest personal challenge you’ve had to overcome?

In one sense it’s been me. Maybe growing up not having a lot of confidence poured into me, always being a bit of an underdog.

So I had to overcome that in a couple of ways. Stop looking at the world from a down perspective, but also stop making excuses: ‘Well, I didn’t have that growing up’. That’s all good when you’re 15 but at some point you’ve got to decide what’s defining your life. If you had a rough start it’s easy to develop a mentality where you think the whole world owes you. Even make sure you don’t live out of a sense of, “Well I’m just going to show the world now”.

Instead, take on the perspective of “I can be a contributor”, life is going to change for the better. We’re all products of our environment but it’s in Christ we find out who we really are and what we can live for... Not the struggle of trying to get into Christ. To think that, I’m okay, I can participate. I don’t have to graduate to Christianity – the freedom from the past and the hope for the future of it.

What are the main highlights to look forward to for Hillsong Stockholm?

The Sisterhood is really taking off, working with young teenage prostitutes in Stockholm. Lina, my wife, and her team are working with the police and these girls, doing what a lot of the system hasn’t been able to do for them.

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THE HILLSONG UPDATE TALKS TO PHIL DOOLEY ABOUT was that the week after, people did come back. I think it was a WHAT IT’S GOING TO TAKE TO BUILD ON THE PAST, WHILE matter of God’s grace. We have joined with some great people WORKING ON THE PRESENT AND FUTURE PLANS OF HIL- here; and a lot of guys who used to be at Hillsong London and SONG CHURCH IN CAPE TOWN – A CHURCH THAT IS EX- who moved back have really helped us. The good thing is that CITEDLY (AND OVERWHELMINGLY!) FINDING ITS FEET IN there are people I meet in church who say “I made a decision SOUTH AFRICA. for Christ on the very first Sunday” and they’ve stayed on the journey with us.

3000 people turned up for your first service. How did you feel?

It still seems surreal – at the time my big question was whether What were some of the biggest challenges you had starting the any of those guys would come back the next week? People will church? come out for something new and will naturally be excited about The biggest challenge right now is that we don’t have our own the launch… but it is one thing to have a crowd of people turn venue. We’ve had to move around and tell people where we’ll up, and entirely another thing to have a group of people who be. We’ve had church at a theme park, and had rides in the are committed, week in week out! What was very heartening afternoon for everyone! We’ve had picnic church, church in university halls, and church in the city hall. That’s been the biggest challenge. But we’re believing that God is going to bring the right place for us.

Over the next six months, what are the major highlights you’re looking forward to?

We’re excited about this new year... plenty of vision to take church forward! We’re looking at the possibility of starting another campus in Cape Town in order to reach out to people in our city. Social development wise we’re working on dormitory accommodation for a school for disabled kids in a township ‘Gugulethu’... (You will hear more about this I’m sure!) Plus, doing what we can to impact universities in Cape Town. That’s just a few things... church is still only 18 months old so there’s plenty to be done!

What’s happening with the Sisterhood in Cape Town?

The Sisterhood is out of control! We did our first Sisterhood gathering and 1300 women came. We ended up having to do two events to fit all the women in. At the next event we had almost 1900 women and we moved into a bigger auditorium. And then for our most recent gathering, we had to have two meetings in the bigger auditoriums because we had 2800 women come!!

There is something special about women feeling that they are loved and valued, especially in nations where women have not received a lot of that in the past. So as far as the Sisterhood goes, just pray for us! There are heaps of women coming from everywhere and I really believe that God is all over it.

What do you think the most pressing need is in Cape Town right now and how do you plan to meet it?

One of the most recent newspaper articles had the headline that SA now holds the record as the nation with the greatest disparity between rich and poor. People asked me before we went to SA “what would you like the church to bring?” And if you look at the practical issue of wealth and poverty I think the word we’d want to bring is ‘hope’.

The wealthy may be getting wealthier, but is doesn’t deal with the real issues of the human heart, there is still a lack of hope for their nation and so they isolate themselves from the rest of society - or worse they take their money and they leave the nation, which isn’t good for SA. Then those who are poorer say “there is nothing for me here” so they resort to all sorts of social ills - whether that be drugs or violent crime - however they cope. Because of a lack of hope, society deteriorates.

My dream is that the church can be this place of HOPE! Where rich and poor (and everyone in between) come and worship together. A diversity of colour, language, and culture, united by Christ. A place where those who have resource can assist those who don’t, and those without are encouraged and given practical opportunities to move forward with their lives.

We believe we are called to build a church centered around the Gospel message that brings positive upliftment to our city.

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London update HILLSONG CHURCH LONDON’S GARY CLARKE TALKS TO US ABOUT WHAT SHAPED THE LAST TEN YEARS AND THE FOCUS FOR THE NEXT DECADE, CONNECTING PEOPLE THROUGH FRIENDSHIP.

Ten years in London, what have been some of the highlights for you?

This year has been a significant year for the church here in London. We’ve had some amazing services, where we’ve seen thousands of salvations and numerous miracles take place as we’ve prayed together for people’s needs. Personally a huge highlight for me has been to see the sense of family that has been created between a group of people who were previously strangers, but who have decided to connect their lives to build something significant in the city of London. Some of the stories of people finding a place of belonging and their needs being met, simply by everyone caring for each other, have been extremely touching. Of course there has also been the conferences, which now draw church leaders and team members from every country in Europe and there was the Ten Year celebration last year in the O2 Arena. We’ve moved from being a church of transiting travelers to now being an established local church, which is very significant.

And looking ahead at 2010, what are some of the things to look forward to?

We are not far away from the Dominion Theatre hitting its capacity. This presents us with the obvious and exciting challenge of trying to add another location to facilitate more growth. That’s something we are gearing up for in every area of the church; finance, teams, equipment, staff, etc. Colour Conference is set to be a step up on last year and Hillsong Conference is taking a big leap forward as we move into the O2 Arena and host a night with Joel & Victoria Osteen. We get the amazing opportunity to use two of London’s landmark venues; The Royal Albert Hall (for Colour) and the O2 Arena, and use them to advance the purposes of God! As well as all the ‘events’ taking place, we are really focusing this year on improving our ability to connect people to the life and expression of the church. This is largely driven through connect groups, so we are exploring how we can make them even more effective, along with other areas of church life. We’re set for an incredibly exciting year, one that I believe will position us very well for the decade ahead.

In such a diverse city, how do you create that family feel?

The development of the volunteer side of the church here has been great to watch. This is such a significant element of church life. It’s great to see people as they join a team and it becomes a ‘family unit’ to them where life-long friendships are built, where they go out of their way to support each other in the tough times and celebrate together in the good times. It’s just one of those Church things; people serving together, creating bonds that are linked to a cause, so it has strength beyond whether they agree with each other all the time. Working to achieve something together creates an environment of fulfillment and shared success, where there’s a desire to help others grow and fulfill their potential. Observing this take place over the last year has been incredibly rewarding.

In relation to Church life, what was significant in 2009?

2009 saw us add a fourth service at the Dominion Theatre in Central London, giving us more room to add the people in our world to our church. We also started a second service in our Surrey extension campus. Connect Groups have continued to expand with almost every area of London covered and great stories of people really connecting in smaller group settings.

Volunteer Teams have all been growing too, as we aim to create capacity to add more locations and more services. Our Easter Special saw the highest Sunday attendance numbers at that point in time and our Christmas Special saw an increase on that again, all of which signals steady growth in the number of people calling Hillsong Church home. There has been a lot of focus on our infrastructure and development of people over the past year, which is designed to enable us to operate more effectively as well as advancing into whatever opportunities the next few years present. update

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NewYork2010 WATCH THIS SPACE

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Perspective personal

with bobbie houston

Original interview was conducted in October 2009 during Hillsong Conference in Europe

Leading up to the Hillsong conference, what did God lay on your heart to speak about?

At conference, I’m often asked to talk about the House of God. So for me this year, the verse that was resounding most in my heart was in Isaiah 56 where God says, ‘My house of worship shall be known as a house of prayer for all people’. I think there is so much revelation yet to unfold on the subject of prayer in the realms of the everyday and normal. Sometimes prayer is made to appear weird or super-spiritual, but I want to see us all have the confidence and boldness to reach out whenever we encounter someone in need and simply ask, “Can I pray for you?” I really think people are open to prayer. If someone is going through a crisis, I don’t believe they’re going to say “No thanks”. That’s what I wanted to sow into the conference; I think we are going to see amazing miracles happen because we are all going to get a greater understanding of how willing God is and that heartfelt, earnest prayer actually works.

You speak about the church quite frequently - does the revelation of it get deeper and deeper for you?

There have been times when I have caught a “glimpse” of something, like when I once saw -in what was a heartbeat moment - the greater potential of the Church. And then as you begin to share and articulate it, it grows … and then suddenly it becomes reality. I find that personally encouraging because it confirms that what you were feeling or sensing really was of God. And then, when you kind of think that you’ve got it worked out, He opens your eyes to yet another layer. And the truth is, He’s God and there is no end to who He is and where He is leading us all. I love it.

tell women that there is a God in Heaven and a bunch of people on the Earth who believe in them - and as long as we stay true to that, I know the future will make itself clear. What we have to get good at is fleshing that message out – raising women up who can network and mobilise women across the Earth to carry that message of hope. All we are really doing is pointing women firstly to a Saviour King and then letting them know tangibly that we also are here for them. It’s really no more complex or complicated than that.

Do you think some pastors and leaders are cautious about sending women to Colour Conference?

I’m sure some might be unsure, especially if they don’t understand what our heart is. Ultimately, I want to send women back to their churches and communities more inspired than ever to be a blessing. In Australia where we have a longer history of the conference, I believe that many pastors trust me because that is what has happened. In parts of Europe, we are still pioneering some of this – I heard some feedback of some eastern European women who came to Colour, and I guess saw a glimpse of their potential, but when they went home they encountered opposition from leaders who maybe felt challenged or threatened by that. That is why everyone needs to be sensitive and wise, because we are all on a journey and again, I want the conference to be a blessing to pastors and churches.

How do the next 6 months look for you personally?

For a split second somewhere this year, I got the impression from Brian that we were going to settle down or do things differently, but then it all ramped up again. He has just handed over his leadership role as the head of Australian Christian Churches, Could you update us on the last 6 months of Sisterhood? which has now given him heart and head space to really start I’m excited to see all of the six key Hillsong churches now processing things that have been in his spirit for the past few running the Sisterhood. We are all at different stages but I feel years. So, some of those things are now becoming reality. like we are really on the same page. In Cape Town, Lucinda has At our 25th Anniversary in Sydney, I sensed that we had only had 3 United Nights and the response has been amazing, spent 25 years laying a foundation, that in many ways has been which just shows how hungry the women are for the message. tested and proven, and now I think God is going to build upon I’m sure somewhere in the future we will have Colour there, but that foundation - something that is way beyond our imaginatiming is really important. I believe the same mandate that is on tion. None of us are perfect and our church certainly hasn’t the Hillsong Conference, which is to champion local churches, arrived, but I sense that God trusts us, so who knows what truly is also upon the Colour Conference – it’s all about gathering lies ahead. I think the next six months are big!! women, inspiring them to their true potential and then it sends them home hopefully better equipped and more inspired than Apart from the UPDATE magazine, are there any other magaever to be the change where they live. zines you like to read?

I love creativity and I love looking at magazines and books.

So, looking forward 6 months, how does Colour 2010 look?

I don’t always “read” them and I don’t agree with some of the I always want to be open to God when it comes to the Colour extremities of the fashion industry, but I will sometimes look at Conference, and nothing in me wants to run ahead or start Vogue and Harpers Bazaar because I think they often capture making things up. I know what the original directive was – to the feminine heart’s inclination towards what is beautiful.

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22/01/10 10:48 PM

10:48 PM

Heart for the House

Together as one

WE BELIEVE THAT AS A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BUILDING AND ADVANCING OUR CHURCH. Joining together as a group of individuals, the impact of our collective giving far exceeds what we could achieve on our own. We believe that together we are called to build a large, bible-based, Christ centered church to reach and impact our cities and ultimately the world.

The Heart for the House miracle offering is an annual offering over and above our regular tithes and offerings. Once a year we come together, and out of what we have and what we have

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planned for, we contribute towards moving church forward, enabling us to impact more lives.

This year, together with all our international locations, a key focus will be a tremendous life changing project in Cape Town.

We will be helping the lives of the disabled children of the Tembaletu school, as well as contributing to the already generous work that Hillsong Cape Town are doing within their local community, by providing the children with much needed dormitories to give them a better opportunity for education and health.

Mobilising Hope in Cape Town

Hillsong Church worldwide making a difference at a local level

SUFFERING FROM A PHYSICAL DISABILITY CAN MAKE LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL A MASSIVE CHALLENGE EVEN IN THE BEST CIRCUMSTANCES. FOR THE DISABLED CHILDREN OF GUGULETHU, AN IMPOVERISHED TOWN-SHIP IN GREATER CAPE TOWN, LIVING ANY SORT OF LIFE IS A DAILY TRIAL. After conference 2008, Hillsong Cape Town began to get involved in the lives of disabled children in Gugulethu by helping to provide easy-to-construct, durable wheelchairs to the children of Tembaletu School. Many of these children had wheelchairs at school but not at home, and at times had to drag themselves into the school buses every morning. The gift of these wheelchairs was a massive benefit to both the children and their families, giving the children the gift of mobility.

This school stayed in the thoughts of Pastor Phil Dooley, and when it was time for the annual Heart for the House offering at Hillsong Cape Town, he decided that a portion of the offering would go towards helping the school. What the school needed more than anything was accommodation where the children could stay during the week.

“It was intense,” said Phil. “These kids have to travel great distances to get to school and because they get up very early to wait for a bus, they are vulnerable at this time. Some have been sexually or physically abused, teased, their personal belongings stolen, and they can’t run away... often there’s very little food at home, the last meal is the one they receive at school and then they must wait until arriving back at school to eat again.”

Through the Heart for the House offering, the church was able to contribute R100,000.00 towards the school, not nearly enough to build the dormitory for the school, but as Phil says, ‘It’s a start and you’ve got to start somewhere.” Phil then went

to the church and asked if anyone could help practically to get the project rolling. “The response was amazing! We had people in church, architects, surveyors and engineers who said, “We’ll do it, no charge.”” Just from within Hillsong Cape Town, plans for the building are being drawn up, and experts in planning permissions in the townships have been guiding it through. It is hoped that construction of the dormitories will begin by July.

Hillsong Church Cape Town saw a need, and in helping to meet it, the whole international Hillsong Church has acted to get behind and support the need. When you give in London, Kiev, Stockholm, Sydney, or any of the campuses, you are adding to what Hillsong Cape Town is doing in this school.

“We also had this crazy idea that some guys from London and Sydney and all over could come out for a week during construction to help out!”

Helping the children at this school is not just about making their lives easier, it is about ensuring that they get a proper education and that they’re fed everyday. It is not just about helping the children at this school, it’s about building greater health into the nation of South Africa, and showing what a Christ-centered church is all about.

“Every time you do something like this in a township, the people recognize that God is a part of it. It doesn’t matter if the name Hillsong gets mentioned, what’s important is that we’re representing Christ to these people and meeting a need.” update

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Hillsong Foundation

For the benefit of future generations

Simply put, the Church is about LOVE IN ACTION – love towards God and love towards what is closest to His heart… people.

The Hillsong foundation exists to bring hope and assistance to people who are in need. We have often stated that Hillsong Church is not built on the gifts and talents of a few, but the sacrifice of many. Our collective partnership has always added strength to the effectiveness that we as a Church have in reaching local and global communities.

Generosity above and beyond our tithes and offerings has touched the lives of many. It began with 100 Kingdom Men in 1996 and has now grown to embrace hundreds of willing hearts. In 2009, we started approaching the Hillsong Foundation with fresh perspective. While there are still three levels of involvement, we have made some changes to the format of our gatherings. You can be involved at one of three levels: Strategic Partners Formerly known as our Kingdom Builders, these individuals see it as a part of their mandate in life to financially resource the ever-increasing vision of our church. Together, they contribute at a significant level and through their ongoing faithfulness they have led the way in assisting us to provide the facilities and ministry we undertake as a church. Our STRATEGIC PARTNERS have set the culture of Hillsong Church in regards to financial stewardship.

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Key Partners Our KEY PARTNERS were formerly known as Vision Impacters. These dedicated individuals play a KEY role in helping to underpin the funding of our collective vision.

Foundation Partners Not everyone is able to contribute at the level of a Strategic or Key Partner, yet his or her gift is no less important. For our church to be able to achieve all that it is called to, we need everyone to partner with us. A Foundation Partner is anyone who contributes to the Hillsong Foundation at a level below that of a Key Partner.

WE ARE A CHURCH THAT WILL NEVER SETTLE BECAUSE WE HAVE ACHIEVED PRESENT GOALS. WE MUST CONTINUALLY CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO LOOK BEYOND THE PRESENT AND SEE A FUTURE OF OPPORTUNITY; A FUTURE FULL OF PRECIOUS PEOPLE STILL WAITING FOR THAT GOD ENCOUNTER. Anyone who supports the Hillsong Foundation financially, partners for the benefit of future generations. The value of every individual’s commitment is highly valued and significant.

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We are a church that is all about God, a God that is all about people. As we move forward as a church, we are passionate about increasing our ability to creatively meet the real needs of humanity. This includes the work of CityCare, Aid & Development, The Colour Sisterhood, The I-HEART Revolution, and much more. Honouring God by loving one another as He loved us. ONE FOR ANOTHER is a symbol that identifies that a product or event is not for profit, and that a percentage if not all proceeds will go toward our social action initiatives.

The power of the collective, through partnership and collaboration to eradicate poverty in people’s lives

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&

Linking Up Joining Forces Original interview was conducted in October 2009 during Hillsong Conference in Europe

With the songs of UNITED’s THE I-Heart Revolution being belted out across the globe, Update caught up with Joel Houston on the launch of We’re All In This Together, the documentary revealing the heart behind ‘I Heart’.

CD: I heard it was your 30th recently, how do you feel?

JTH: Yeah the thirties! I’m feeling really good, I felt like I did my twenties well, and I’m excited about my thirties.

CD: How did you celebrate?

JTH: I went surfing in Samata in Indonesia with a group of friends. We spent two weeks touring around some of the islands.

The surfing is pretty intense, I’ve still got some cuts and bruises but we survived to tell the story. It’s rare to get time with your friends at our age, where life is busy, so to get time to stop was pretty special. Actually, apart from the surfing, we got a lot of time to watch sitcoms, and I did some reading and writing. Just getting away, there’s no phone contact, no email, it’s a kind of a beautiful thing to be cut off from the world.

CD: So it’s been a big year for you? You’ve obviously done a lot of touring. What was the response like when you went to South America?

JTH: It was amazing. The first time we went to South America was to Colombia about 4 years ago. It was there that God birthed the whole The I-HEART Revolution in my spirit. That’s why I’ve got this little thing on my wrist [points to weaved wrist band] which someone put on me, I haven’t taken it off because I wanted to keep it on for this season of my life. We’ve travelled a lot, been to a lot of places but it blew my mind to be in a place like Colombia and to be overwhelmed. Hearing the singing of thousands of people in their own language. We can get so fixed

on where we’re at and what’s going on in our world that we forget what we’re a part of- this magnificent enterprise that is the church of Jesus Christ, the Kingdom. It’s an incredible thing to be a part of, and my eyes were opened to that there, and I realised for all our different cultures and backgrounds, for all the differences that exists in humanity all people are actually the same. The message of Jesus is relevant to everyone so that’s where ‘I-HEART’ started. South America has been incredible, we’re actually going back this November 09’ and dad’s coming.

We’re going to Argentina, Peru, Chile, Brazil and a whole bunch of places.

CD: Has the ‘I-HEART’ documentary, We’re All In This Together, been a labour of love? How do you feel about it now that it’s all finished and ready to be shown?

JTH: It’s a strange place to be, after spending three and a half years working on something and then it’s no longer in your hands. God birthed this in my spirit and I didn’t know how it was going to turn out or how it was going to look. It’s amazing to see how it’s snowballed to become what it has. The commitment and faithfulness of the people that helped put it together is second to none. We could have just told the story of the sacrifice of the people that helped to make it happen, the challenges that were faced along the way in itself has been a story. It’s been incredible to see the hand of God on it in different circumstances. At this point I’m feeling a little numb, let’s just see what happens, let God do with it what he wants to do.

CD: I just saw recently on the main Hillsong website, that you guys had a film festival. Were you excited at the work you saw coming out of it?

JTH: I’m passionate about the arts, and seeing the church use their creativity across the board to spread the message of Jesus in a way that reaches people where they’re at. We didn’t give people that much notice, but we put it out there and the response was incredible. I definitely think it’s something that we can develop over time. I think the creativity that exists in the church around the world is completely untapped. For the longest time there’s been an attitude that to really serve God you have to do that from the pulpit or from the stage. That’s not true; we’re all called to use our gifts and talents, in whatever sphere we’re in, in whatever we’re passionate about, to see the kingdom of heaven established here on earth. That’s what the film festival was about, that’s what ‘The I-HEART Revolution’ is about, that’s what the future of the church is about - to tap into that creative resource for His kingdom.

CD: What have you learnt from 2009 that you feel will hold you in good stead for 2010?

JTH: That the journey of grace is one that is unwrapped in our life daily, based on experiences. I feel every lesson in my life, everything that happens, every journey, and every disappointment, all these moments are serving to reveal God’s grace in my life. That He would use me, in spite of me, and that He would have a plan for every single one of us despite of ourselves. Ultimately, my story, your story and everyone’s story is connected. As simple as it is, if we get our head around that, everything else makes sense. We don’t feel like we have to keep pleasing others, to keep striving to achieve for what ever reason, but we can just rest in God’s grace. I’m part of something way bigger- that’s the most liberating thing.

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CD: You’re a well known person with high expectations put on you. Do you feel a lot of pressure to stay innovative and push the boundaries?

JTH: If you start thinking about it that way, that’s when you start freaking out. Many years ago I felt at the end of the road and God spoke to me and said “at what point did you start taking my grace for granted so that you thought you could do this on your own, and at what point are you so out there on your own that you need to fall back and trust in me again?”. That’s something that you continually have to address, the constant temptation in our lives is to start focusing on ourselves in whatever capacity. Not just in the hugely self-centred ways that we talk about, but just in the little things like motives, we can be doing things, and it’s all about helping others and every now and then you question why there’s this tension in your heart and if you’re honest it’s because your motives are a little skewered. It’s at that point that you have go hang on, I’m letting go, I’m letting God be what only He can be. At that point you find yourself at that place of grace, where you find yourself on your knees giving glory to God. CD: After the launch of the documentary, how do the next 6 months look for you?

JTH: As far as I-HEART goes, we want to create ways in which we can connect the body of Christ, the church, but also individuals and their creativity. The motive needs to be that we help other people rather than focussing on being under this or that banner, or getting your plaque on the wall in some orphanage.

We can link up, joining forces to make a difference. As for UNITED it’s a transitional time. Obviously we have come out of our youth ministry, but nowadays what is happening with UNITED is linked to what is going on in the church. We’re really keen to try new things, not get comfortable with what has worked in the past and not fall back on what we know works. Lets push the box out a little bit further and lets see what’s possible when it comes to using our gifts and creativity to communicate God’s love for humanity.

Are we missing the point?

When what goes on inside the four walls of our church buildings sometimes has no effect on those outside of it... That while we busy ourselves with our own lives, we neglect the key thing God has called us to do... That in trying to communicate the Gospel we’ve complicated a very simple message: Love.

In choosing ignorance over responsibility, we are not just sleeping through the fire of injustice, but we’re fanning the flame and lending our hand to the abuse and oppression of those in need.

www.I-Heart.org

Now what? What can I do... I can’t do everything?

This is a question we’re asking ourselves over and over. Let’s keep it simple. People matter to God – People represent God – People should help people. Imagine if everyone had one idea and everyone did one thing to help. Our world is full of stories of remarkable individuals and churches demonstrating God’s love. I-HEART.org is a platform for these stories; raising awareness, inspiring movement and connecting the dots. Why couldn’t your idea motivate someone who you may never meet, to change their nation? Why couldn’t the good that you’re doing now prompt another to act.

We’re convinced that today’s generation is awakening to real love, with a desire to live a life that displays this love. The I-HEART film launched across North America, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia carries one simple theme: We’re all in this together. A picture of a generation and the church waking up to see that things aren’t right... And a challenge to do something about it.

We can’t do everything, but we must do something.

I-HEART exists to help more people, help more people. Join our conversation. Be inspired and inspire. Share what you’re thinking and doing.

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Hillsong Disaster Relief

Providing emergency assistance Copy by Darren Kitto

iStockphoto.com

Hillsong has had a history of providing emergency assistance in disaster situations, including the Asian Tsunami in 2004. We have been working with partner organisations who have trusted networks to ensure that our assistance makes a difference on the ground for the effected people.

In order for us to respond quickly in an emergency we are seeking people to partner with us and financially support our being able to be on the ground quickly in a disaster situation. All funds will be put into an “emergency relief fund” to be used in the event of a disaster. Each response will differ according to the disaster but we believe that we have a responsibility to respond when there are traumatic events that effect people so drastically. Snapshot of some of the projects we have been involved in: TSUNAMI Sri Lanka – in partnership with AOG Ceylon we responded immediately with 10,000 unit of antibiotics to be distributed to doctors on the ground. Over the first few weeks we sent a team of people to assess the situation. Over the next 12 months we built permanent homes and communities for people who had lost their homes in the Tsunami in Trincomolee and Batticaloa, two areas that were hit but with had received very little assistance.

This project, supported by AOG-WR, built 2 model villages including 70 houses in total and community facilities. The 70 houses and community facilities directly benefited approximately 70 households, estimated at 350 people, including men, women and children. They also benefited by learning some basic building skills that will provide future employment opportunities. The whole community benefited directly from the community facilities.

India – in partnership with Opportunity International we provided relief assistance to many of Opportunities microfinance clients and assisted them with forgiving their debts and

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replacing their business and personal assets as well as provided new loans to over 900 women in the worst effected areas, this enabled victims to be able to replace damaged businesses and get a fresh start for the future.

FIJI – FLOOD RELIEF - 2009 In January 2009 Fiji was affected by major flooding which caused devastation to the Island. As a church we asked people to bring items that weekend, to our surprise the church brought 10 tonnes of goods including 14000 items of clothing, 2900 school items, 1100 blankets and over 4800 items of food were donated in one weekend by members of Hillsong in response to an appeal.

After Air Pacific kindly donated the shipping for the whole 10 tonnes we worked in partnership with local churches and government. These 10 tonnes of goods were distributed to hundreds of families in the Nadi region who had received no assistance to date.

Australian Bush fires Over $200,000 was donated by the Hillsong Church community, and sent directly to the Bushfire Appeals of the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Previously, we also contributed to the Canberra Hospital Burns Unit after bushfires in Canberra in 2003.

Samoa Tsunami 2009 Together with ACC world Relief and Habitat for Humanity we have contributed towards the rebuilding of 425 homes in Samoa after the Tsunami in 2009.

Philippines Typhoon 2009 Together with ACC world Relief we contributed towards the initial emergency disaster efforts, including emergency food, clothing and shelter.

Indonesian Earthquake 2009 Together with ACC world Relief we contributed towards the initial emergency disaster efforts, including emergency food, clothing and shelter.

Haiti Earthquake 2010 We received an offering in January 2010 which was sent directly to Compassion. They have 43,000 sponsor children in Haiti of which more than half of them have been effected by the Earthquake. Compassion are well equipped in Haiti and are working tirelessly to help these children and their families. Compassion also find provide refuge for unaccompanied children.

DROUGHT RELIEF – COOTAMUNDRA 2007 (ongoing) The sister City to Baulkham Hills (location of the Hills campus in Sydney) is Cootamundra. Cootamundra was badly effected by droughts in 2007 and we were approached by the Mayor of Baulkham Hills to get involved. The majority of the funds we raised from $5 Live Album tickets were donated towards a full time chaplain who is currently in Cootamundra working with Farmers and the drought affected community. Hillsong contributed funds to renovate a house of a family who had lost their mother and had 5 children. This was a Cootamundra community led project and helped not only the family but rallied the community together. Currently the chaplain is helping Cootamundra to deal with the issues relating to depression and suicide as well as helping to build community spirit.

“In order for us to respond quickly in an emergency we are seeking people to finance us being able to be on the ground quickly in a disaster situation”

iStockphoto.com

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Vision Rescue

Addressing generational poverty in India Copy by Dominique Johnson

Photography by Ryan Shelton

www.visionrescue.org.in

“ Desperate people act desperately and poverty creates desperation” One of the most significant issues in India is poverty, and the scope of poverty experienced by millions goes back to generations and generations of underclass people who are trapped.

It can be argued that in many places poverty is the result of an injustice, but in India a multitude of people have been born into it. They live in poverty, they die in poverty; their children are born into poverty, they live in poverty, they die in poverty… it’s a vicious cycle.

The heart of Vision Rescue is for the people who suffer these injustices every day. They offer help to kids and adults

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who find themselves in overwhelming situations, whether it be in the slums, on the streets, or wherever; where they see need they reach out the best way they can.

Biju Thampy and his Vision Rescue team want to teach people that living in poverty is not actually their birthright, and that there is something better for them in life.

In Mumbai alone there are around 300,000 street children. Vision Rescue works on the ground to try rescue and educate these kids. Their program for street children operates out of two buses in

Mumbai; the buses travel to different locations every day of the week, providing children with food and education. Under no circumstances would these kids normally be educated; not just education as in basic numeracy or literacy, but basic health and hygiene issues as well.

Vision Rescue also provides hot meals for the children, and for many of them what they are fed is the only thing they’ll eat for the day; it’s not like a soup kitchen, it is literally their only meal.

Vision Rescue is now in the process of developing a ‘dream centre’ for the children. This home will be for orphaned

children, and those whose families are unable to care for them. The wall construction for the building has been completed and the paper work for government approval is being processed. Vision Rescue hopes that through this home they will be able to transform lives and offer meaningful futures to those in need.

Desperate people act desperately and poverty creates desperation - this reality relates to the problem of drugs and prostitution in India. Desperate parents allow their daughters to be sold off as prostitutes for the sake of the family. Some of the girls who are sold into prostitution also become pregnant, which then starts off the same cycle of poverty when their children are born into it. It’s a self-perpetuating and ugly cycle.

Vision Rescue is part of the solution for rescuing these girls from the generational poverty entrenched in their lives, the type of poverty that creates such desperation. They’re currently helping commercial sex workers get out of serious problems while offering them counseling, and also providing education for their children.

Bombay is like the Hollywood of India. The ‘Bombay dream’ is not a concept; it’s a reality. People move from the countryside into the city of Bombay to fulfill their dreams, but not everyone does. As a result they end up rock bottom of society because there are no safety nets for this type of risk. Many of the adults Vision Rescue work with have made an attempt at the ‘Bombay dream’ and have subsequently ended up hopeless and usually with chronic drug addictions or part of crime gangs. Vision Rescue offers rehabilitation programs to help them get past their addictions; it’s a case of helping them clean up and change their perspective on life.

As well as this rehabilitation program, Vision Rescue also offers medical assistance to people who urgently need it.

They have so far assisted over 5,000 people by offering basic first aid and guidance sorting out relevant paperwork for people who need to go to hospital. They are hoping to invest in a medical van in future so they can have a more hands-on approach to this area of need. The medical van will include doctors and nurses, as well as a television screen to show educational material about health issues.

Vision Rescue works consistently across 14 different locations. In addition to the aforementioned programs, they’ve recently started a children’s day program and have formed a football team!

As a global church we have been partnering with Vision Rescue for close to six years, and we’re determined to continue to help them make it work on the ground.

The scope of the need may appear endless, but the importance of our contribution to the work of Vision Rescue cannot be underestimated.

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Watoto Babies

Caring for orphaned and abandoned infants Copy by Dominique Johnson

Photography by Watoto

www.watoto.com

“Every baby has a primary caregiver through the duration of their time at Baby Watoto” Baby Watoto was born out of the need to help infants who are orphaned, abandoned or left in a vulnerable state.

There are many babies found in these situations in Uganda, Africa. They are victims of the reality of poverty, a lack of education and the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Gary and Marilyn Skinner, who started the Watoto Children’s Villages, are trying to answer this need by providing a home for these babies. Baby Watoto -The Bulrushes - in Kampala was the first home to be built and is now a state-of-theart facility.

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Babies ranging in age from newborn to two years old come to the home through a number of different referral sources hospitals, the police, the child protection unit, local people and other homes or organisations. Baby Watoto is legally able to provide immediate care for babies while they sort out the relevant documentation, even if babies don’t come in directly from government officials. Baby Watoto then looks after the children until they are old enough to go the Watoto Children’s Village or be reunited with relatives.

Many of these babies need intense care and medical attention, which the home provides. Newborn or premature babies

often need incubators, treatment for jaundice, oxygen and tube feeding amongst other things. Some babies need specialist formula and treatment for any illnesses they come with, and other babies simply need lots of love and general care.

Every baby has a primary caregiver through the duration of their time at Baby Watoto; this is to ensure they learn to bond with people. Each caregiver looks after two to four babies depending on the baby’s age and type of care needed. When babies are ready to head to their new family at the Watoto Children’s Villages their caregivers go along to ensure a smooth transition.

There are two more baby homes in the pipeline in Uganda – one in Suubi and the other in Gulu. The second home at the children’s village in Suubi will open in the early part of 2010, meanwhile architectural drawings for Baby Watoto Gulu are complete, and construction has started. The intended opening of this third home will be June 2010.

Just like Baby Watoto - The Bulrushes - in Kampala, these facilities will serve as a rescue centre for orphaned and vulnerable babies in the region.

There are always positive reports coming from Baby Watoto – here’s one of the most recent: “Mark* came to Baby Watoto in November 2007 at two and half years old.

He was very ill and had previously spent nine months in a local hospital following severe abuse. One of his most significant medical issues was that he was unable to digest food. To find out why, he had to undergo a medical procedure that wasn’t available in Uganda. After much preparation, a team from Baby Watoto were able to take Mark to neighbouring Kenya for the treatment.

Mark stayed in Kenya for two weeks while undergoing a number of different procedures. He also underwent major surgery to correct his inability to swallow food. Following the operation Mark recovered slowly but steadily. Two weeks after his major surgery he returned to Uganda with the Baby Watoto team, and since then he has been eating and gaining weight.

A recent trip back to Kenya for followup surgery amazed doctors when the results exceeded their expectations! Mark has now graduated from Baby Watoto and has moved to the Watoto Childrens Village.”

As a church we’re partnering with Baby Watoto to ensure the babies’ homes can run consistently and continue to be a key part of local communities in Uganda.

It’s one thing to have the financial injection to build one of these homes, but quite another to sustain it, which is why we want to be equally committed to its future. *Name changed for confidentiality reasons.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27 niv

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The Gulu Project Rehabilitating war-affected children Copy by Dominique Johnson Photography by George Botha www.watoto.com For more than 20 years, the LRA has waged a ruthless ‘spiritual crusade’ of murder, mutilation, abduction and destruction against the people of Gulu in northern Uganda. Unimaginable atrocities have been inflicted upon an entire generation of children, and innocent children have been turned into weapons of war.

Northern Uganda has suffered civil unrest since the 1980s when there was an uprising against the Ugandan government. Since then government forces have been fighting The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a notorious rebel group in the region. The people most affected by this war, like any other, are the innocent.

There are repeated attempts at cease-fires and peace talks, but in some communities, the LRA is still terrorizing the locals with brutal murders and abductions of children.

Over twenty thousand children have been abducted from near their homes and schools during the twenty-two year civil war, and alarmingly children make up eighty-percent of the rebel army. Although many of these children don’t escape, there are some that do, and the Gulu Project is committed to rehabilitating and reintegrating them back into society as ‘normally’ as possible.

In August 2007 Watoto founders Gary and Marilyn Skinner started the Gulu Project by launching a church in downtown Gulu – a town riddled with victims of war and disease.

Since Watoto’s launch in Gulu the needs of the community have been great and diverse; Watoto has been working towards addressing these needs.

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“As a result of the trauma rehabilitation initiative more than 6000 people have started their journey of healing and are freely sharing their stories” Along with meeting basic physical needs, education and medical support, areas of intervention also include finding a solution to the orphan crisis through planting Watoto villages, and empowering women – the primary providers for their families – through Living Hope, a programme aimed at helping women affected by HIV/Aids.

October 2008 saw the opening of a Watoto Children’s Village in the town.

This was a significant development for the rehabilitation of war-affected children, as well as local people in the region. The village is located in an area that was once a deserted no-man’s land. It is now being transformed into a promising, bustling town.

Watoto is also trying to meet the psychosocial needs of war-affected children and the rest of the war-torn community through dedicated trauma rehabilitation.

At the beginning of 2009 Watoto intensified their provision of trauma rehabilita-

tion services in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, schools and the general community in and around Gulu.

As a result of the trauma rehabilitation initiative more than 6000 people have started their journey of healing and are freely sharing their stories. In addition a centre will be created specifically for the counsel and reintegration of children who’ve been affected by the war; this will upscale the work of trauma rehabilitation in this region.

Watoto’s presence in the community and reach into the IDP camps has also led to the discovery of thousands of people who have been left with the physical wounds of war. To help these people Watoto will develop a surgical hospital to facilitate reconstructive surgery for those who, for the moment, cannot be reintegrated back into society because of their disfigurement.

There are also plans to start incomegenerating projects, including those in-

volving agricultural and vocational skills development. This will mean the people of Gulu, and specifically war-affected children, can begin to rebuild their livelihoods en-route to self-sustainability.

The challenges caused by years of war and neglect in Gulu are many. One of the understandable consequences is damage to the infrastructure of the region, which the locals need to restore; razed homes, schools and hospitals all need to be rebuilt. For this reason, Watoto is working alongside the local government to restore Gulu town and Gulu hospital.

Hillsong Church partners with Watoto’s Gulu Project and their efforts to see a promising future re-instilled into the people of northern Uganda. We recognise the scale of this issue is massive - and that it’s complicated - but we also recognise that we can all slowly start to become part of the solution.

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Watoto Families

Linking community with community Copy by Dominique Johnson

Photography by Watoto

www.watoto.com

As a not-for-profit organisation Watoto has always focused its attention on children who have been orphaned by HIV/ AIDS, conflict and other circumstances. Alongside this has also been the need to empower women.

With this in mind Watoto came up with a way of helping both women and children by building houses and creating homes, commonly known as Watoto villages. A new concept aptly named Watoto Families is a way for you and your friends - or community - to link up with one another and become ‘family’ or aunties and uncles to these households, as well as help build new ones...

The Watoto Families project combines two ideas: the first is to build houses, and the second is to sustain these homes in the long run through monthly financial contributions. A typical Watoto home consists of a mother and eight children; these homes provide an environment where the children are clothed, fed, educated, and spiritually discipled.

The idea is that a group of individuals (a community of people) on the other side of the world takes personal responsibility for one of these households – meaning this group of people will make sure the house has sufficient supplies, is well-sustained and can be maintained on an ongoing basis.

By linking a group of people with a household of people, you will effectively become uncles and aunties to a family. This means we are not just building houses, but we are taking responsibility for running them, we are involved and not just fundraising… in other words raising the children, not just supporting them.

Watoto Families is about one community building a sustainable relationship with another, offering long term commitment to orphaned children and widows living in poverty. Hillsong Church is excited to partner with this project and join an extended family in Uganda.

“By linking a group of people with a household of people, you will effectively become uncles and aunties to a family” 48 update

Compassion

Releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name Copy by Dominique Johnson

Photography by George Botha

www.compassion.com.au

“Compassion believes that if you develop an individual child, you will impact a family” Hillsong Church also partners with Compassion – a Christian child development organisation with over fifty years experience of working in some of the world’s poorest communities.

Compassion works through local churches in developing countries to release children from economic, social, physical and spiritual poverty and, with the help of individual sponsors, is currently caring for over a million children.

These church-based projects provide holistic care, including education, healthcare, vocational training, social and emotional care, and spiritual care.

Local Christians know their own communities and provide integrity, long term commitment and Christian support to children and their families, allowing

each project to meet these core needs in a way that is appropriate for the children in their specific community.

Compassion’s programme not only has an immediate impact on the individual children, but also has a positive effect on their families and communities. Through the skills and opportunities they gain at the project, the children are empowered to change their own lives and the lives of those around them.

Compassion believes that if you develop an individual child, you will impact a family, enough impacted families will impact local communities, which will eventually impact an entire nation.

A common misconception about Compassion is that they only support Christian children, but the children registered in the projects come from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds and are

helped regardless of faith. And, although Compassion’s core programme is child sponsorship, they also provide funds for other facilities that enhance the lives of children in their care.

Compassion has recently started working in its 26th country - Sri Lanka.

Work there has begun through the Child Survival Programme, which assists pregnant mothers and babies up to the age of three. In the future they hope to see these children become sponsored through the Child Sponsorship Programme.

Hillsong Church has a long-standing relationship with Compassion. We have been partnering with them through child sponsorship in two geographical areas in Uganda, Africa – Kasese and Nebbi.

As a church we have sponsored almost 4,000 children, and would like to sponsor many, many more in future. update

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The A21 Campaign Putting an end to modern-day slavery Copy by Dominique Johnson

Photography by Hamish Jordan

www.theA21campaign.org

The A21 campaign is a fight against human trafficking, a modern-day form of slavery. It was initiated by Nick and Christine Caine with two main objectives in mind - to aggressively attack the trafficking industry through the legal system and government channels, and to work directly with rescued victims with the long-term goal being sustainable re-entry into society.

Defeating human trafficking is a great moral mandate of our day. The United Nations (UN) estimates nearly 2.5 million people from 127 different countries are being trafficked around the world, although it’s impossible to determine an exact figure. Human trafficking is also now a leading source of profits for organized crime, together with drugs and weapons, generating between 5 billion and 9.5 billion US dollars every year.

A21 is an officially established nonprofit organization in Greece with a secure project centre in Thessaloniki.

(Efforts are currently focussed in Thessaloniki, Greece, although the long-term intent is to venture into many European countries where there is a need.)

The campaign has experienced overwhelming influence in its first year of operations, and A21 is now considered the first port of call for girls who have been rescued, assisting them with restoration

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efforts including legal support and repatriation. They have also been granted access to three different detention centres in Greece, handed out over 359 gifts to women, and have assisted with dozens of cases with babies needing specialised milk products, diapers and clothes.

A21 has big plans for the future; these include establishing a full-scale restoration home for victims of trafficking, as well as offering a significant increase of victim support in Bulgaria and Ukraine.

Along with this they are looking at ways to improve legislation for the victim support process.

They would also like to launch victim identification training for police and border control, as well as awareness campaigns informing the general population about trafficking. This also includes school campaigns targeting prevention of trafficking, and campaigns targeting demand for sex.

Another area A21 is still working on is being able to provide legal and medical assistance to the girls they rescue. This creates a channel whereby the prostitution and trafficking department know the girls have access to lawyers who will do pro bono work for them as victims of trafficking.

A21 is also looking at ways to fund medical expenses, because when a girl comes into the shelter A21 becomes liable for all her costs (the girls are usually illegal aliens in the country to which they’re trafficked, therefore they have no access to health insurance).

These are just some of the areas A21 are involved in as they work hard to build an organisation that can effectively tackle human trafficking in Europe, and hopefully one day, worldwide. Hillsong Church has partnered with A21 to rally behind this cause and proactively fight this grave injustice.

Sisterhood Be the Change Copy by Bobbie Houston

www.thecoloursisterhood.com

People often ask ‘how did the Sisterhood start?’ To be honest I think it’s been at the core and heart of Colour and our message regarding womanhood since the very beginning. We’ve always wanted to place value upon individual women, and womanhood in general, so that we, as women from all aspects of life (and from all around the world), could then rise up as a collective force for good and make a positive difference in the earth.

As this simple but expansive vision grew and took shape, we renamed what was our original “Foundation 31” to “The Sisterhood Foundation”.

From the outset our hope and desire for the Sisterhood is simple. I want it to be an environment that gathers, equips and then mobilises women in whatever context they find themselves. For many that will be a “local” context - their neighbourhood, workplace, community and city. For others that may mean more expansive initiatives involving global issues.

The Sisterhood is ultimately about harnessing (and empowering) the collective strengths and gifting of women, so that together we can “be aware, raise awareness and make a difference”. The world is full of need and on many fronts injustice runs unchecked and unchallenged I believe there is something within the feminine heart and potential to be an influencer, that can step into situations and bring solution. The UN made a bold statement a few years ago that “the solution to poverty is to empower the women”. It was a bold, broad statement, but there’s a lot of truth in it at many levels, and we’re witnessing the reality of that statement in and through the Sisterhood. A simple but awesome example has been the partnership of the western Sisterhood in sponsoring the recovery of HIV positive women (sisters) in Uganda. Our Colour girls have stepped in and it is nothing short of miraculous to see several thousand African sisters begin to rise up and take control of their difficult situation, simply because women in a faraway land believed in them. This is the power and miracle of the Sisterhood - the stories and examples are rapidly becoming too many to recount.

The true heart of the Sisterhood is that of loving and caring for lost, hurting or challenged humanity. I spoke a recent message about us being “Our sisters keeper” - and I think when we (men and women) realise that we are sons and daughters of God, then all His children on the earth matter. The heart of the Sisterhood is to own and carry this revelation and play her part at this incredible time in history.

Regarding Aid and Development: At this juncture in the journey, we are partnering strategically with the Skinners (founders of Watoto) in Africa. I believe it is a heaven ordained partnership that our church has been blessed with. In and through that we have been able to outwork some of the Sisterhood mandate of “rescuing orphans” and that of “coming alongside sisters in need”. The Skinners are the first to say that much of their accelerated progress in the past five years has been because of the Colour Sisterhood and Hillsong church partnership.

This mandate regarding children has also been fleshed out in our ongoing partnership with Compassion, with thousands of children being sponsored, and with our growing partnership in Mumbai, India.

The plight of those captive to Human Trafficking is also important to the Sisterhood, and we are aligning strongly with A21 and the Be Her Freedom program, which in essence were birthed through the Sisterhood. I also believe the collective

The UN made a bold statement a few years ago that “the solution to poverty is to empower the women” prayer of thousands of women will bring much needed breakthrough in this massive worldwide issue.

There are other initiatives, many of which are helping facilitate the 2000 Millennium Goals, which I think is exciting.

The Colour Sisterhood does not sit separate to our Hillsong Foundation or what is now the I-HEART Revolution. It’s another avenue and vehicle to serve the vision of our house and the influence God has entrusted us to bring to the greater Body of Christ. The heart of Sisterhood is not independent. It is to come alongside - to come alongside individuals, local communities, churches, and ultimately nations. We exist to be a blessing and to see God’s beautiful daughters and their families rise to their fullest potential. update

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