Hillsong Africa

Healthy You

A Holistic approach

As a church we believe that we are body, soul and spirit. From scripture we see God’s desire for us here on earth is to be reflective of heaven, bringing peace wherever we go. This peace, or Shalom when experienced is multidimensional, complete well-being and it flows from all of our relationships being put right — with God, within oneself, and with others.

 The Passion Translation commentary explains it like this:

 “Shalom means wholeness, wellness, well-being, safety, happiness, friendly, favour, completeness, peace, secure, to prosper, to be victorious, to be content, tranquil, quiet and restful.” 

Click each link below for more info.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes mental health as:

– The state of wellbeing,

– in which the individual realised their abilities,

– can cope with the normal stresses of life,

– can work productively and fruitfully, and

– can contribute to their community.

Mental health is important for our overall well being as it affects the way we think, feel, behave and function. Our mental wellbeing determines our ability to feel positive emotions, manage stress and show resilience in difficult circumstances. It also enables us to realise our full potential, have a sense of purpose & fulfilment, be productive in every aspect of daily life as well as build meaningful & healthy relationships and contribute to our communities. (World Health Organization (WHO): https://www.who.int/)

Support we offer

1. Guide to Mental Wellbeing (coming soon)
2. Refresh days
3. Staff support & short term Counselling
4. Access to Equip Courses subsidised by Church

The basic foundation of spiritual wellbeing is the belief that life is meaningful and it involves our beliefs, our  personal values and purpose in life. It is an ever growing journey to become more like Jesus in His being and doing. It involves growing in the disciplines recognised in scripture leading to a holy life, like daily prayer, devotion, worship, practising God’s presence, sabbath rest and being lead by the Holy Spirit. We are ultimately a church and this area of our lives are central in everything we do. How can we fulfil the Call of God in our life, if we ourselves do not continuously abide in the vine.

Support we offer

1. Weekly staff meetings that helps us grow in our understanding of the word and where we worship and pray together as a team
2. Prayer meetings at locations and on Tuesdays
3. Oversights prioritising spiritual growth as part of the essence of every team member’s role
4. As a church we are growing on healthy spiritual growth (more info coming soon)

Relational well being refers to the relationships and connections we have and how we interact with others. It involves building and nurturing meaningful relationships with self, others (family, friends & team) and church community. Having healthy and supportive relationships contributes to a sense of belonging, fulfilment and longevity. We are a “people first culture” and believe that cultivating a healthy community is central in following Jesus.

Support we offer

1. Consideration for Parents as reflected in the Parents Guide (coming soon)
2. A work environment that encourages community with staff meetings and team building activities
3. Access to Equip Courses subsidised by Church like the Marriage and Parenting courses
4. Groups mid-week

We take care of our bodies through exercise, resting well, maintaining our personal hygiene, drinking water daily, and consuming balanced and nutritious food. When we steward our physical bodies well, our health improves both instantaneously and long-term. Physical wellbeing is more than just fitness. For example, when we get enough sleep: we feel more energised, remember better, our immune system is strengthened, our physical wounds get time to heal, and the list goes on! We recognize everyone has different abilities and capacities in every season, find what works for you. 

Support we offer

1. Mental Wellbeing Guide that includes the importance of physical health (coming soon)
2. Rest is an important part of your physical well-being and we offer many leave options for our staff that can be seen on our Leave Guide
3. We offer medical aid/ medical insurance to our team, with various reward programs available to incentivise physical well-being.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau defines financial well-being as a state of being where a person can fully meet current and ongoing financial obligations, can feel secure in their financial future and is able to make choices that allow them to enjoy life. 

We value you as staff and the contribution you make in building God’s house, thank you! We desire to provide a total remuneration package that meet your needs and enables you to flourish in your finances as noted in  1 Tim 5:18. Building financial strength, like everything in life, takes time, wisdom and consistency and we endeavour to support you in your overall financial wellness.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Financial Well-Being in America,

Support we offer

1. Access to the Financial Leadership course 
2. Financial Planning advisor access with Protekma
3. Evolving Staff benefits that include Medical subsidy and short term and long term savings. We are continuously looking at ways of expanding our benefits package to support our team in pursuing financial wellbeing in every season of life.
4. Wherever possible seeking to provide market related staff salaries and continuing to grow in this area as our finances grow. Our Remuneration Guideline gives an overview of our salaries and benefits and how it is determined.

Though we consider what we do a calling, we also acknowledge that there is a very real job element to our involvement in church. Our desire is to see each person fulfilling their God-calling, using their gifts and talents and continuously growing and developing in a healthy way towards long term purpose goals. We desire to be a healthy and loving team working with excellence towards mutual goals in a way that promotes collaboration, innovation and progress. We acknowledge that everyone is in different seasons and capacities and want to provide safe places that offer great support while keeping everyone accountable to our high call and values. Our values are depicted below:

Rest from work is a biblical concept which God Himself established at the creation and is an integral part of the replenishment process, essential for healthy living.

Generally, the various forms of leave available help to ensure we continue to replenish and are able to give our very best to those around us, whether at work or at home. Let’s take a look into the different leave categories!

Leave Categories

1. Annual leave
   
2. Family leave
3. Study & Personal development leave
4. Sick leave
5. Maternity, Paternity & Adoption leave
6. Sabbatical leave
   
7. Refresh days

Being a leader or staff member of Hillsong Africa requires a higher level of accountability and general lifestyle expectations, as we aim to please God and live without blame before others (1 Tim 3). Our communities and Church look to us as an example of how to follow Christ and be transformed by Him.

Though we don’t expect people to be perfect, we do require you to be committed to becoming more like Jesus and being accountable. This means that we are open to feedback that will help provide correction & realignment whilst creating safe places where concerns can be raised without victimising those who courageously provide feedback. We work through and resolve disputes on a case-by-case basis following a restorative approach, seeking to provide care and support for all involved.

Scripture provide guidance on our general approach:

• Matt 5:24 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,
• James 1:19-21 First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
• Eph 4:15-16 …speaking the truth in love…
• Matt 18:15-17 Reconciliation is progressive in nature, from one-on-one to getting others and the church involved