Sunday

Sundays are wonderful! It´s not a relaxing day, but a great day - is there anything better than running to the house of God? Noop!

Alarm goes off at 830, and then the car leaves for Merrylands where Hillsong has a spanish extension service at 9am and an english at 11am. For good reason we only go to the later one.

We help out with hosting before and during the service, and afterwards we lead discovery course for new christians - so much fun!
The best question at discovery today was absolutely “How can I describe how God is when there are so many different goddesses?”  It´s so awesome that this woman has found her way to the church and to the right course in the right time. It is a privilege to be part of someones faith-journey.

Home again at 2pm after a quick stop at McDonalds, and now it is assessment time (hehe but of course I felt like writing a blog entry exactly right now).

At 5.30 text service starts at Hillsong at the Hills Campus. It´s gonna be great - one of our pastors Julia A´bells gonna preach, and you never wanna miss that…
During these evening services we help out in the Welcome lounge, talk to new people and visitors, serve coffee and chill out. It is really fun. But to be honest I actually thought it was pretty horrible in the beginning, talking and chit-chatting to strangers was not my strongest side so to say, but nowadays I kinda enjoy it!! SO I didn´t lie!

But, now I really have to start doing my assessment, otherwise it´s not gonna turn out well… So World Perspectives and an assessment with research on gender, the secular and the biblical response etc etc Feel pretty demanding but I look forward to the result I will come up with in the end….

So til next time,
Have a blast!!

Love, Lotta <3

Söndag

Hillsong College Online Open Day

It’s HEEEERE! HILLSONG COLLEGE ONLINE OPEN DAY!!! Yiihaaa. It’s a 24 hour event, streaming a 20 minute TV program about College & college life, as well as possibility to chat with current students from all around the world. If you’re lucky - or blessed - you might run into someone from your own country!

Why are we doing this?! - It’s simple. We can’t fly everyone here to see what Hillsong College is like - but we can give you a pretty good picture of it through the web.

We’ve created a unique web page for this event - featuring

• Staff blog
• Interviews with students around the world
• Common questions

And coming up on October 9th, and only that day, for 24 hours:

• Live chat with current Students
• 20 min TV program about Hillsong College

Make sure you don’t miss that day - on the page you can sign up for a reminder!

This is a great opportunity to get insight information from first, second and third year students across all different streams and pathways.

Book in 30 minutes on your Friday (or Thursday or Saturday depending on your timezone) and make a Virtual visit to Hillsong Church & College in Sydney!

College Online Open Day

Into second year at Hillsong College!

My first semester of second year at HILC started some weeks ago. It’s been quite a rapid jump into a lot of things. Our two intensive weeks at the beginning was under the subject Leadership Theory and Development. Mark Hopkins, executive vice president, Ps. Duncan Corby and Ps. Daniela Duarte taught on subjects such as contemporary leadership, leadership vs. ministry, growth & influence and situational leadership.

Decision making
One thing that stood out was the huge difference between ministry-based and leadership-based decision making. Where the first one is initiated by external needs leading to feelings and resulting in an action, the second one is initiated by a persons core beliefs, leading to decisions that result in actions.
So simple, but so true. All to often decisions in churches and in the life of Christians are based on many other things than core beliefs. When it comes to a Scandinavian setting I believe this is what will make a difference. When we get our core beliefs right, that forms our values, visions and goals of course inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is the best possible base for great decision making and creating direction for a church. This will empower people to work for the Kingdom with passion and purpose.

Ethics and Outreach development
Two other interesting subjects are Christian Ethics, lectured by Ps. Amanda Ferguson and Ministry and Outreach Development by Ps. Daniela Duarte. The purpose of MaOD is to learn how to develop different programs in the society in a way that is actually making an impact and difference. Too often we assume we know the needs and assume we know a certain people group or subculture and we don’t. Creating a community program on these assumptions often fails, and takes up a lot of effort in vain. Typically the planning phase for a good program takes around 18 months to develop. But – when it’s done well, based on good research and understanding of the target audience, it can actually make a huge impact and bring the Kingdom to people that otherwise never would have been reached.

This is a great season to be part of Hillsong College – and… the best is yet to come!

Hillsong College - Mid-semester update: Season of new strength

We’re half-way through the first semester of year 2009. Nine months have flown by in no time at all. And life at Hillsong College just becomes even more interesting.

This is the time of the semester when everyone is starting to be settled, kind of a quite smooth season, leading up to the mid-semester break in a couple of weeks.

The Colour Conference was a great experience - seeing all the college students and other volunteers working together, to make it possible for some 13000+ woman to meet up at the Sydney Entertainment center for a few days of fellowship, worship and teaching sessions.

I believe the months ahead will be a time of personal growth for everyone wanting to go further with the Lord. There are the times of obvious growth through challenges we face, sort of the more rough seasons when you feel you’re getting stretched in almost every aspect of life. An then there are the silent seasons where God comes an meets you, as he did with Elijah through a “gentle and quiet whisper” - a time when God wants to affirm in depth who He is. I believe this is such a season. I believe God wants us to come closer to him without fear - that kind of fear that the people of Israel had by the mount of Sinai. They realized God is holy, and they were not, so they were filled with fear that they would be destroyed because of their sins. But we are able to come close to him because Jesus made it possible. He took the wrath of God on him, and that’s why we can have a clean consciousness and boldly come before him. That’s why we can be friends with the Most Holy God. And I believe the time is now - to strengthen that friendship, to say to God: “Here I am, I want to fellowship with you”.

And out of the quite affirming whisper will come new hope, new strength, new passion and new life!

Grattis Johan 30 år!

Vill skriva några rader till min man Johan här med anledning av hans 30 års dag!

Det är underbart att ha någon att dela de stora

och små stunderna i livet med,

någon att vara nära och att alltid och för evigt älska,

någon så underbar som du!

Älskar dig och hoppas ditt 31:sta levnadsår skall bli bättre och och mera välsignat än något år tidigare varit. Gud välsigne dig oändligt mycket, ser framemot framtiden med dig!

Love, Lotta

Glad Påsk på er!

JESUS ÄR UPPSTÅNDEN OCH VI ÄR LEVANDE I KRISTUS!

Tänk att det är påsk igen - en tid att riktigt komma ihåg Guds enorma kärlek till oss - en kärlek så stor att han valde att sända sin enda son till vår jord!

- 1 Joh 4:10- This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. (The Message)

(Kärleken består inte i att vi har älskat Gud utan i att han har älskat oss och sänt sin Son till försoning för våra synder)

Visst är det 0TROLIGT fantastiskt! Vilken nåd att vara känd och älskad av Gud själv! Tänk att han såg dig och mig och sände sin son för din och min frälsning och glädje, och för att vi skulle få LEVA i, av, genom och tillsammans med honom! Gud är så god!

GLAD PÅSK TILL ER!

KRAM - Lotta

Personligt ansvar 2009

Hur går det där? Här har det nya året har börjat på ett underbart sätt. Vi vet att Gud är så fantastiskt god och trofast och jag är övertygad om att Gud har så mycket nytt och spännande för alla - mera än någon av oss ens någonsin kunnat drömma om. Det här kommer att bli det bästa året någonsin! Är du med?

Vi hade vår första Sisterhood samling för i år i församlingen och Julia ÁBell (en underbar trebarnsmamma, fru och seniorpastor i City Hillsong i Sydney) talade om hur året 2009 potentiellt kommer att bli det bästa året hittills i våra liv och i församlingens liv. Jag vill dela med mig av det här till er:

Det handlar om: personligt ansvar.

Vi har alla ett ansvar för hur detta år blir - både för oss personligen och som församling.

2009 kommer att blir det bästa året någonsin eftersom:

1. Vi aldrig har haft detta år förut.
2. Vi har förstått att vårt värde finns i Jesus, och inte i vad vi gör.
3. Vi söker Guds ansikte dagligen och gör oss beroende av Guds Ord.
4. Vi hittar vår specifika plats i församlingen och tar det vi har och får med ut i vår vardag.
5. Vi ber. Alla ber. Det inte något några gör eller något någon enbart gör, det är något vi gör för att vi är kristna och älskar Jesus, vi ber ständigt mitt i alla andra sysslor och uppdrag vi har.
6. Vi förväntar oss mera från Gud. Vi förväntar oss att Gud kommer att beröra oss med sin Helige Ande; sätta människor fria. Det är för vår frihet som Jesus har satt oss fria!
7. Nya kvinnor och män kommer in i vår familj. De besöker inte enbart Kyrkan längre, utan kyrkan blir deras hem. Därför bygger vi cell/connect grupper och vi förblir en liten församling men med många människor.
8. Vi blir Jesus händer och fötter. Godhet och snällhet präglar oss och vi finns till för människor med behov.
9. Vi fokuserar på andra! Vi sätter andra högre än och före oss själva!

Underbart eller va!? Gud är så fokuserad på oss människor - Han känner oss inuti och utanpå och Han älskar oss trots det med en oändlig kärlek! Han har anförtrott oss denna värld, så låt oss inte försumma det, låt oss inte ta vårt kall lättvindigt, låt oss istället tillsammans göra detta år till det bästa året någonsin för alla de i vår omgivning, för vår församling och för oss själva.

Låt oss ha vårt fokus fäst på Jesus och varandra, axla nya utmaningar och ansvar, hugga i där det behövs och bära varandras bördor som aldrig förr! Det är en förmån och nåd att få gå in i ett nytt år med Jesus, Kungars Kung och Herrars Herre. Vilket välsignat liv att få tjäna honom i både smått och stort! Vår Gud är god och trofast - halleluja!

Glädje och Kärlek,
Lotta

Hillsong Stockholm - welcomed by Swedish church leaders

So - a Hillsong Church has entered the Scandinavian map. Sunday was a big day for former Passion Church lead by Andreas Nielsen, when it was announced that they change their name to Hillsong Stockholm. And according to Andreas himself and people related to the church, in many ways it’s nothing more than that, a name change - an acknowledgment of them being a part of the Hillsong family, as they’ve been from the beginning.

What will be more interesting is the response in Sweden and Scandinavia.
Some might argue that the response doesn’t matter, really. And for Hillsong Stockholm, it might not matter that much, I’m sure they will do their mission to reach Sweden anyway. But the respons will matter for Scandinavia in general.

I was very happy to read in the Swedish news paper Dagen that Pelle Hörnmark, Superintendent of the Swedish pentecostal movement, was present on Sunday and acknowledged Hillsong Stockholm. Hörnmark says he believes that Hillsong can contribute to the Swedish Pentecostal movement.

Stefan Swärd, pioneer pastor at Söderhöjdskyrkan, points out important it is that the churches do reach the young people, and congratulates Hillsong Stockholm at his blog.

Others church leaders congratulating the “new” church are Richard Svensson pastoring Norrortskyrkan and Per-Johan Stenstrand pastoring LifeCenter, a Hillsong-like church.

Sweden, scandinavia and Europe is in a great need of contemporary churches. Last week Dagen wrote a series of articles about the huge amount young adults leaving churches in Sweden. Also in Finland the fact that young people leave many churches received wide attention in media last year. Of course there are great examples of churches breaking the trend, and attracting young people. But the need is so much greater.

It’s easy to make church politics about new churches, and unfortunately in Finland there have been extremely few church plants the last decades, and even fewer successful ones. Sweden and Norway haven’t been as conservative, and are somewhat better of with new growing churches, as well as some older churches turning into a positive trend.

In the beginning of the 20th century there wasn’t room for what became the pentecostal movement, in the existing denominations. In the coming decades, I believe the pentecostal churches, as well as other, will have their chance not to do the same mistake, but to embrace the new churches (not saying it’s a new movement!), and if willing, to find that the new churches brings necessary life and new thinking which will contribute to Christianity on wider scale.

It is indeed great to see Hillsong on the Scandinavian map. Congratulations to Andreas & Lina Nielsen!

Hillsong Vision Sunday 2008!!

Building a church of 25000 people is incredible.
Leading a church of 25000 people is a big task.
Empowering the body of Christ, building strong well-rooted Christians is what every spiritual leader is called to do.

Seeing the life of Hillsong Church with my own eyes is breath taking, challenging and extremely inspiring.
Seeing the sincerity of the leaders, to truly equip every Christian to live successful lives and to fulfill their calling is good for my twisted European view of what a big church is and can be about.

Today Pastors Brian and Bobbie shared the vision for year 2009 (which wasn’t just their own thoughts, but that of the eldership and leadership in the church!), mainly through a great film/multimedia presentation. And shortly put, it can be concluded with the three words: FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

Two big new things were announced amongst many other:

- the Gift Exchange an opportunity for people skilled in an area to train others

- Hillsong Stockholm was launched! Passion Church, lead by Andreas & Lina Nielsen, has from the beginning been built on Hillsong values and has been overseed by Hillsong. So it wasn’t necessarily a big surprise for everyone, but it will definetly impact Sweden and Scandinavia.

Also they’ve launched their new website at http://www.hillsong.com

I’m personally very thrilled to see what 2009 has waiting. I believe it will be a great year when the people of God has the opportunity to draw close to him, and experience his limitless grace and abundant love, and to rise up as light in the world!