Posts Tagged ‘Hillsong’
7 days in…
August 8, 2008n’ I LOVE IT!!!
I absolutely do… There are so many beautiful things about this country! The people for one are simply gorgeous!!! If you think that Aussies are friendly, you haven’t seen the South Africans! Or at least the ones in church are!!! SO SO WARM n’ LOVELY! And then there’s the mountains and the beaches! Unspoilt beauty…
When I walked into church for the first time last Sunday, it felt like HOME! It totally felt like I was walking into a Hillsong church… only thing was that there were different people there! I LOVED IT!!! We had passionate and very amazing volunteers everywhere and the warmth was totally palpable.
FOOD here is yummy! And the prices… even BETTER! So far I’ve eaten thai, sushi, nice brekkie and plenty of coffee. Haha! I just had to work out decent coffee places to go to! There’s Gloria Jeans and Seatlle Coffee Company here but I quite like the local Greens, Green Bean or even Mugg & Bean (yummy brekkie!). Haagen Daaz is here (YES!!!) but so far I have not found any substitute for the Lindt Cafe yet… Haha- And yes, they make my super super super crispy bacon to perfection here so I have no complains!!!
SHOPPING is a bit dismal… I have yet to find anything I really like here. But hey! maybe I’d save A LOT of money then. Haha! There’s Nine West, Aldo, Guess, Esprit and stuff but nothing quite like Sportsgirl, Witchery, Zara, Topshop… Any of my friends wanna send me some nice clothes? 
DRIVING… While in Africa, drive like the Africans do! No one signals very much here! And at roundabouts… initially I was really puzzled since there seemed to be no rule or convention of what happens there… so now it’s fully whoever gets in first gets right of way!!! It’s generally been quite good driving around… up until tonight when I got lost soooooo many times while driving to this place where we have mid-week church activities! I was honestly rather freaked out this one time at night when I drove into this one road that seemed to wind up the mountain!!! Anyhow I’m safe and sound at home now so I’m thankful!
Anyway… it’s way past my bedtime so now that I’ve finally updated my blog, I’m off! ‘nite!
I love Cape Town!
i heart my church!!!
June 29, 2008If you think that my frequency of trips to Starbucks n’ the shops are aplenty, then you’ll probably think that the amount of time that I spend in church is crazy! 
Haha…
I LOVE my church, which has been my ‘home’ now for the past decade, where I’ve had the pleasure of building great relationships and where I’ve been challenged to grow in every way. (So many mindsets broken by the Word of God!) It has also been the place where I’ve been able to give of myself in service with my talents n’ giftings… To know that my contribution, together with the sacrifices of so many others, is bigger COLLECTIVELY and more able to bless MULTITUDES MORE than I could ever dream of really makes me feel like I’m a part of something BIGGER n’ MORE AMAZING than my self, my life and my wants.
I have so much more to say about this but I’m gonna get ready to go back to my fav place now
Hillsong Cape Town Launch Pics…
June 18, 2008
Will post more soon… Just spent over 4 hours getting the pictures just how I like ‘em on the site… Have a look here for more!
5 Services, Over 3000 people and 200+ Decisions for Christ!
June 16, 2008
Woohoo!!!
I watched the 1st service @ 9am and then the 6pm and 8pm services… Technology’s GREAT! What’d I do without it?
All I can say is that it totally feels like the beginning of GREAT THINGS to come! Just the tip of the iceberg…
The volunteers were so beautiful and sensational! They MADE CHURCH HAPPEN by serving wholeheartedly and selflessly for FIVE services in 1 day!!! Call it an induction to Hillsong Culture! You’ve gotta LOVE it!
Read here for more.
Pics to come…
Hillsong Cape Town Launches in 17.5 hours!!!
June 14, 2008It’s gonna be THE blast of the year in Suid-Afrika!
I am SO EXCITED and I’m not even there… TOTALLY feel like I’m missing out like crazy but I’m gonna REJOICE with them from this side of the world till I get there in A MONTH! YAHOOO!!!!!
So we started with two services, at 9am and 6pm… Then the 9am service filled up (we got RSVPs) so we started an 11am. Then the 6 filled up, so we started a 4pm… and now ALL of them have filled up… so… we just started a one-hour service at 8pm!!! How amazing is it to see people hungry for God! I am so many miles away but I still get the vibe that people are just so hungry for great church.
No doubt a fair proportion of people will be checking the church out… But I believe that a lot more will be wanting to find a place where they call home! I can totally imagine strangers walking off the street into church too and just encountering Jesus when they least expect it… and I am totally believing for that!!!
So for everyone reading this blog,
Hillsong Church Cape Town will be launching on Sunday, June 15 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Auditorium 2 @ 9am, 11am, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm (1-hour service).
Even though I have reported that it is ‘full’, I know that if you show up, they will work to accommodate you somehow. You can quote me on that
It is going to be but the beginning of great things to come! There are just some things that you KNOW even before you see…
Stay tuned for more updates and pictures
Soetwater Outreach | 7 June 2008
June 8, 2008
What an amazing experience we had at Soetwater yesterday with the beautiful people who are staying there as refugees because of the xenophobic attacks. These people are in an incredibly tough situation. They have no homes, very few possessions, most have no jobs, and they literally do not know what to do. I can only imagine how helpless you would feel and how hopeless life would seem during a time like this. The good news is that the camp site is becoming very well-organised and the necessary supplies are getting to the people. There are also many amazing volunteers who are helping to make life in the camp more enjoyable and there is an air of peace in the camp. Only God knows how long this situation is sustainable but we are praying for an outcome that will truly assist these people to move forward with their lives.
So back to yesterday… We organised a small outreach team to provide some entertainment and together with the support of Joyce Meyer Ministries, we were able to give out Bibles, plus 100 pairs of shoes we had bought! We gathered the kids together, then Blair and Chantel led with some songs of praise to God (in both English and African). It was so much fun and the kids were loving it! Some of the adults soon started to gather around and we then played the great youth ministry game “Chubby Bunny.” (Yep it even works in a refugee camp!!!) Jon Norman, our English import led in the fun and we had kids lining up to say “Chubby Bunny” with mouths full of marshmallows… It was hilarious! It was so wonderful to see everyone laughing and even more adults drawn to the ‘commotion’ where they smiled and enjoyed watching these little champions with bits of marshmallow flying everywhere… We sung a few more songs as the crowd gathered and then it was time to share a few thoughts with everyone at the camp… I could not help but think of what to say in a situation like this?? We kept our message simple so that the kids could understand as well… We talked about Australia, did some Kangaroo impersonations, and then went on to Lion impersonations… And then talked about how God made all things and how God loves all animals and all people. We then shared from Psalms 40 where it says that God hears our cry and will lift us out of the pit of despair. We then had a time of prayer and you could sense God’s Holy Spirit at work in the hearts of people.
Following that, it was time to give out the Bibles. We had both English and French translations so we decided to wander around the campsite and give them out. As we did, word got round that we had French Bibles and all of a sudden, people started running toward us to receive them. It was amazing to witness the scene as they were so thankful! What we soon realised was that many Africans from the region of the Congo were French-speaking and did not expect us to have Bibles in their language for them!! Some were in tears as they received them…
It was an incredible experience, and we want to thank everyone who has assisted in some way – whether by volunteering, prayer support or through a financial gift. We are planning another outreach next week and will keep you posted with details.
: Account written by Phil Dooley | Pastor, Hillsong Church Cape Town :
For more pictures.. Read the rest of this entry ?
It’s Heartbreaking – Pictures from Soetwater Refugee Camp
May 26, 2008
Woman in camp with her bundle of all she has…
Boy sitting on ground…
Volunteers from Hillsong Church transporting supplies to camp…
