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Hillsong Church Kiev -- Reinventing Church
08 September 2006
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The nation of Ukraine is still trying to find its identity 15 years after the fall of communism in Europe.
The capital city, Kiev, caught the imagination of the world two years ago with its so-called Orange Revolution. People rose against the corruption of the ruling pro-communist regime. Massive street demonstrations brought the city to a standstill.
Today, however, most of that passion has dissipated and people have grown apathetic about politics and the future of this city. Politically, nothing seems to have changed and many people have given up hope of seeing real change.
In this environment, a church like Hillsong, Kiev is truly remarkable. It has grown in just the past few years to over 3500 active participants, with a heavy emphasis on relevant presentation, passionate preaching, social care programs and community outreach.
Built on the model of the Hillsong Church in Sydney, it is reinventing the image of Christianity for generations that have never seen anything of Christianity apart perhaps from the more staid Orthodox Church approach.
Pastors Zhenya and Vera Kasevich have built a team of dedicated young leaders who are learning excellence and positive leadership skills of which their parents, growing up in the Communist era, knew nothing.
Mal Fletcher recently visited the church for the third time. After a packed weekend (Sunday alone has three services just 15 minutes apart), he said: 'This church really is a testimony to the fact that God loves to do things when people say they can't be done!'
'I wish everybody who says "the church in Europe is dead" would come to Kiev and see what's happening here.'
'The vibe here is like that of the Hillsong Church in London, only younger -- which is great for the future of the church and the city.'
Pastors Zhenya and Vera are distributing Mal's classic book Making God Famous in Russian. The weekend featured the launch of the book.
For more on Hillsong Church Kiev, go to www.hillsong.com.ua.
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