Prayer meeting with 4500 people @ church

Is Hillsong a church that believes in prayer? How important do they thing prayer is? Do they pray for the sick? Does people get healed? Can you see God performing miracles? - Many people think it’s mostly about the music. How wrong they are.

In every weekend service there is time for prayer requests. AND - for prayer reports. It’s amazing what God does. Every week there are reports about people getting healed, marriages reconciled, people restored, financial miracles. And - most importantly, through out the week, there is a solid prayer life through out the whole city - of course in peoples personal time with God, but also in the connect groups that gather - and form a network of people ready to pray for their friends at any time of the day or night.

Last sunday Pastor Brian had wanted to gather the church to a big prayer meeting - in times when many people face financial challenges and a lot of stress and pressure due to the circumstances in the global financial markets. So two evening meetings where changed to one big prayer meeting at 6pm.

The church was packed, and the atmosphere full of expectation. The church prayed together - for all prayer requests - and in sections, for the continents and their specific situations. There was a strong sense of togetherness, and that God walks through all seasons and situations with his people. Mighty is he!

Two new photo albums!

Some time ago we visited the Blue Mountains, and a couple of weeks ago the most beautiful Nelson Bay. Take a check at the photo albums below and get a taste of the nature and life of Australia!

Go to the Blue Mountains album

Go to the Nelson Bay Album

Food, friends and a pool: Married couples potluck

One great thing since we’ve arrived has been the parties with the married couples from college. We’ve met about once a month, and it’s been really fun to get to know other married couples at college. As some girl expressed it: “I’d want to be married just to get to go to those parties” Yepp - you bet it’d be worth it!

At saturday we had a married couples party at our place. Barbecue, salad, fellowship, and games in the pool. Quite a few turned up, and it was great fun from the beginning to the end. Especially nice was to once again get to know some new people. You’ll find more pictures below.

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Getting under the surface - five weeks at Hillsong college

I wrote some thoughts in August when we had been 5 weeks at college. It gives a pretty good picture on some areas of what Hillsong College is about. And with two months more perspective, it’s just gotten even better.

Written 28th of August:

It’s amazing how fast time can fly. It’s soon three weeks since we started college - and almost 2 weeks since we were isolated from cyberspace and thrown into the jungle of northern Sydney. Finally able to write some posts.

Two first weeks we had two subjects as intense courses - Introduction to pastoral leadership and Teamwork. This week the actual subjects for this semester starts off.

What stands out

There are a few things that stands out already during our first weeks here at Hillsong, and the college. One of my personal concerns during times of decision what Bible College or pastoral education to attend, was not to know the actual profile of Hillsong Church never the less the college. But every day so far, I’ve found myself concluding that what I see and experience is very good.

Wisdom and balance

Hillsong is a pentecostal church, but born in an postmodern age. Traditional old-time pentecostals would ask where the shouting in tongues and all the profecies are. Traditional evangelicals might find the sound a bit too loud or the worship too enthusiastic. Or as someone put it: Too relevant. But it seems nothing is left to chance, but that things are done a certain way for a reason. And, the main reason that actually determines what is reasonable is the vision statement of the church, which is mainly based on the Great Commission.
Shortly put - the church [the people that are the church] exists for the lost and for its community, not to serve itself. That’s the cause of the church, and what ever that takes, is to be lived out through the life of the people that are the church.

Personal growth

The emphasis is - in words of the College Vice President Mark Hopkins - in both knowing AND experiencing God. It’s not so much about performing (as many would think) as about serving. It’s not so much about your gifts as about your attitude. Character is valued more then charisma. Charisma might be a good bonus, but worthless without character.

Atmosphere and expectance

Atmosphere is highly valued - and not without reason. Starting from when people enter the parking area, everyone will know they are valued and important - not only through words, but through how they are met. Also at College I sense an attitude of respect, warmth and care that seems very genuine.

Depth

During our first lessons in Introduction to Pastoral Leadership I was taken by the insight shared by the pastors from all the different departments. It was easy to tell that these people had really put thought into their specific age-group or area of responsibility, to understand their task not merely on a theological or typically pastoral, but also on a sociological level which looks into the situation in the community and the everyday lives of the people that are to be reached, won for Jesus, and discipled.

Observe that these are just a few points that covers some areas that stood out the very first weeks. Much more could be said about the contents of the teaching itself etc. But will be for a later post.

Nelson Bay photo album

[Show as slideshow]

Blue Mountains photo album

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En sak till: Jag har fått JOBB!

Jee, jag fick napp och en arbetsintervju senaste vecka för arbete som barnsköterska och dagen efteråt fanns det ett brev i postlådan där det stod att jag hade fått jobbet! Jag är så glad och tacksam för det. Och tack till alla som bett för att jag ska hitta ett passande jobb här.

Jag kommer att jobba som ambulerande sjuk- och semester vikare i alla existerande daghem i regionen. De menade att det borde finnas jobb för ca 1-2 dagar i veckan lätt och för hela december - och det är precis det jag behöver. SÅ jag är glad för det - förhållandevis ok lön får jag också. Det känns som ett passande jobb för en tid som denna. Sen får vi ju se vad framtiden har med sig här på den fronten.

…snart e d jul igen - lite updates innan dess

Hej igen,

det har gått 11 dagar sedan jag sist skrev något, och jag som lovat mig själv att sätta ner en tanke minst 1 ggn i veckan. Looooser!! …Haha, no int e de nu hela världen…

Som alltid, så springer dagarna förbi. Det känns alldeles oootroligt att det redan är okober och snart Jul. Vi har ju knappa 6 veckor kvar på skolterminen för i år!!

Det säljer redan julpynt, julgodis och plastgranar här i alla större butiker. Det gör man ju nog hemma i Finland redan också. Men jag har bara så svårt att fatta det - det bara känns så surrealistiskt att julen kommer då det blir varmare och soligare för varje dag som går! I promise, att jag inte kommer att få några julkänslor alls i år. Men det gör inget. Jag tror att det ska blir kul med Jul ändå - en annorlunda Jul efter 29 vanliga jular i snöiga Finland lär inte skada hemskt mycket

Vi har hunnit med en hel del de senaste veckorna, jag ska göra en liten lista här:

- Vårledigt från skolan med: 2 dagars utfärd till New Castle och Port Stephen´s (Underbart ställe- kolla bilderna här nedan!), flera dagar på beachen, träffa vänner, städa och fixa lite skolgrejs.

- Assignmnets x 3. Vi har rätt så krävande skoluppgifter att göra varje vecka.

- Finnish Connect träff riktigt kul att träffa alla de andra 14 personerna från Finland som finns här på Hillsong College.

- Varje vecka härliga möten i Hillsong church i Hills och på Hillsong extension service Mcquarie, samt fieldwork med the homeless ministry och Sisterhood.

- träffa nya trevliga människor från hela världen, bla ett te-kopp hos en underbart par från Sydafrika och Choklad chock på Max Brenner med ett skönt par från Norge.

- Beachdagar med varmt och soligt väder. Johan provade första gången att surfa!! Han kommer att fixa det inom några veckor med sin brinnande motivation - Go Johan, du e kanon! Jag köpte en bodyboard på rea i veckan så jag ska också kasta mig ut i vågorna snart!

- Och så klart skola, skola och skola - fantastisk undervisning som går djupt, goda föredömen att se upp till och attityder hos ledarna och lärare som får en att tänka om…

Det var kanske det.

Ikväll ska vi igen på Connect group till Ceasar, Ellen och baby Sara. Jag ser riktigt framemot det, det är ett tag sedan sist och vi skall ha barbecue party

Nu ska jag lägga mig ner och vila lite, har ett arma tungt flunssa huvud idag.

Men - Jag skriver snart igen…har mycket tankar och funderingar jag skulle vilja skriva ner här…

Tills dess, love God, love people and love life!

Love from: Lotta

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Tribute to my twin brothers Andreas and Tomas

Tomas wishing he had his wife with him in Budapest.

Exactly 25 years ago there was a battle going on. Two guys, ehm, my brothers, were to be born, and later to be named Andreas and Tomas. The battle though, was about who would be allowed to get out first thus older. And they couldn’t decide, so they took three rounds of rock-papper-scissor - the battle was intense, but eventually Tomas won. So they lined up accordingle, Tomas to get born first. What the guys couldn’t really know, still being in mums stomach, was that they would be born through Caesarean section (cut up the stomach and taken out that way) - AND - so the first one that way was… - Andreas! And Tomas… 1 minute younger became our youngest littl’ fella. Well - at least this is how the story goes according to Tomas.

Anyway - these guys have their 25th birthday today - hurray hurray hurray!

Andreas - the blond guy, is anything but “blond”. He graduated from the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary in June and is now pastoring the methodist church in Ekenäs, Finland. (That’s our home town btw.) He debuted as an author with the book “Wandering in the desert when others rest by the oasis” a great book about how to deal with life when things don’t quite go your way. Andreas has a great sense of humor and usually hatches new jokes for breakfast. He’s a great man of God, with deep insights in the Word and a strong passion to build the Kingdom of God.

Tomas is the wild one with the dark hair. Having lived many years in Vasa he recently moved to Helsinki with his wife Anna-Sara to work as youth pastor in the Filadelfia Church . He’s been leading the Pentecostal youth organisation Team Action for a number of years and has a huge passion for people and the Gospel. Last couple of years he’s been carrying out evangelistic teams to cities around Europe.

Tomas and Andreas are the most fun and great guys ever to chill with - dispite a rough upbringing (at times) by their older brothers. Won’t go there though.

I’m greatly privileged to have such wonderful brothers- you guys rock! And… there is a third brother, as cool as these two fellas - Stefan. He even has a blog: www.stefanforsback.com .

Like to berries, don’t you think?

Blue Mountains

Senast jag skrev nämnde jag om att vi skulle åka till the Blue Mountains följande dag, och det gjorde vi (13.09), och hjälp vad fantastiskt det var sen! Svårt att beskriva, måste upplevas. Otroliga höjder, vackra klippor, blå dimma i bergsdalen, smala trappor längs bergskanten, regnskogslikande gångleder och mycket mera. Vi åkte dit med våra härliga housemates Louise och Sam och njöööt av naturen. Gud är duktig på att skapa - om ingen märkt det förut

Här några smakprov