Interview with Kelly and Ben Treat from Ohio, USA
Kelly is 28 and Ben is 33. They have been at Hillsong International Leadership College for almost two years. Kelly has studied Worship and Creative arts and Ben has been doing the Pastoral Leadership stream.
Kelly and Ben have been married for 9 years. Before they arrived at Hillsong International Leadership College, Ben worked at a steel foundry and Kelly in Human Resources and as a substitute teacher.
Read below to get the rest of their interesting story.
Kelly and Ben, why did you decide to come study at Hillsong College?
Ben: We knew we had a call for ministry, no doubt about that, but we felt as if we needed a Bible College experience before we went on in our ministry.
Kelly: We needed something that could launch us into the next level. And when we thought about it, Hillsong was the obvious choice because of their excellence and their leadership.
How did you hear about these things?
Kelly: The obvious one is through the music and worship. Then we had heard a lot of Pastor Brian’s teaching on Podcasts, so we knew about Hillsong and we felt we had gotten a great look into what Hillsong stands for through that.
Ben: There was something in the heartbeat of Hillsong that really resonated in us.
What has surprised you moving from another country to Australia?
Ben: To me it was how similar this was to USA. It was really easy to meet people and to be accepted into this culture. And it went really fast too.
Kelly: It was so easy to settle in, and I’m not just saying that. I mean, in our minds we thought that it was going to be a big big deal, but once we where here, we realized that it wasn’t. God took care of so much, and it was not at all as big a deal as it was in my head.
Ben: It was so easy to get connected. The Aussies are so outgoing, and that makes it really easy to. And another thing that really helped us was the fact that we made a conscious decision to get planted into church. We didn’t stay at home in our rooms, we got out and into the church and church culture. That made a great difference and speeded the process up.
Has there been any challenges because you’re a little bit older than the average college student which is between 18-25 years old?
Kelly: Being older gives you another perspective on things because you have some more years behind you. You filter things differently than when you where 18. Maybe you have dealt with some stuff and it’s even easier for you to learn. It gives you a platform, and you will maybe find some things easier.
Ben: I would also say that there are so many different people here, so age is only one of the things defining people. There are so many different cultures, and so many different backgrounds.
Kelly: One of the great things and one of Hillsong International Leadership College’s greatest strengths is the fact that it is so connected to a church. There are so many different communities available so no matter who you are and what you like, there is someone like you, and someone for you to have fellowship with. You will find people to hang out with, that’s for sure.
What has challenged you the most during your stay?
Kelly: One word: change! Change in so many ways. For example, the changing of mindsets. Changing my perception on different things. It is so great to be challenged in the way you do things. All the stuff we learn challenges us to rethink why we do things the way we do them.
Change is not easy, it is difficult to keep changing and to keep and open mind. It is hard work.
Ben: I thought the lectures and the educational side was going to be the most challenging, but it surprised me that the most challenging thing was all the stuff happening on the inside. Hillsong is not just a lot of learning and a lot of books it is a season for both head and your heart. It’s impossible to leave the way you came. Hillsong changes you.
What, out of the things you have learned at Hillsong College, will you still be using 10 years from now?
Ben: I think the phrase: It’s all about God and People. That has really impacted me, and I know that as long as I keep that as my focus, then I’m on track. If I had to boil it all down, that would be it. And on top of that I’ll be building on the foundations that I’ve laid in the years here at college and in church.
Kelly: Here at Hillsong we’ve seen the great value put on each generation and we’ve seen how every generation is vital and important for the wholeness and life of the church. This is church family at it’s finest. I want to bring that family feeling with me to the next church I’m going to be a part of.
What is one of the main things that God has done in your life while being at college?
Kelly: This whole journey of us coming to Hillsong International Leadership College and to Australia has been a testimony of God’s faithfulness. There were a lot of things we could not figure out how to workout. But we know now, that nothing is impossible for God. We can totally do and be everything He want’s us to be. There are no limitations, only the ones we put on ourselves.
Ben: Another great quote from Hillsong is this “don’t set your goal too low - If you set them high, you will go further”. Hillsong and College has a mentality that allows you to dream big.And I really love that.
If you were to describe the area where you have grown the most, which one would that be?
Ben: For me it is definitely in the aspects of leadership I’m much stronger leader than I was before. I have had so many chances to test my skills and to stretch my skills. I have tested out the things that I have learned and had time to learn in a practical way too. My confidence has grown so much, cause I have a lot of experience to back me up now.
Kelly: I’ve grown in areas of attitude and people skills, I feel I have matured. I have learned to see the best in a person, and to bring the best out of the people around me, and not just be a person who reacts to what people do or say to me.
How has it been doing the journey as a couple?
Ben: Challenging sometimes, ha ha ha...
Kelly: It is great to be doing it together. I have felt like a lot of the tough things gets easier because we are two doing it together. I mean everything like moving here, getting to know the culture, getting the economy to work out and so on. Coming here has really put our relationship in a whole new perspective in so many ways.
Ben: College has supported us so much, and we’ve really seen growth. We’ve gone deeper than we have before, and the things we have learned has challenged us to get to know each other better. I can honestly say that our marriage has never been better.
What has been your favorite lecture?
Ben: Public speaking was for me the best of them all. This lecture focuses practically on our public speaking skills and gives you great skills to be able to get up in front of a crowd and communicate clearly. This class really gave me confidence and it helped me break some boundaries and break out of what I thought I could compared to what I really can!
Kelly: We have had two similar lectures called Old and New testament introduction. This class is a great walkthrough of the two testaments and it gives you an insight into the background stuff. Things like, the time in between the two testaments. It discusses the context of the letters in New testaments, and it really challenges your understanding of the bible. I really enjoyed getting some good solid foundation laid, and learning to read the Bible within it’s historical context.
What are you going to do after college?
Kelly: We definitely want to join a local church, and just start working there. At the moment we don’t know the what and the where, but we know that we will be fully planted in a local church and invest all we are and all we have into it. We are really big in our understanding and focus on the local church. It all happens in to local church, and all mega churches started out as local churches
Ben: This is also a thing college teaches us, to not just abandon what we came from and stay in Sydney. Hillsong International Leadership College teaches you to grow in what you are in, and to bring home the culture you’ve been a part of here at Hillsong.
What’s a good advice for people thinking about Hillsong International Leadership College?
Kelly: Come with a willingness to learn. Come with an open mind. Come ready to be challenged. Don’t let anything limit you from coming such as finance, kids or marriage. Because often the limits you set for yourself, are going to stop your development and growth. You can way more than you think you can.
Ben: Come with the willingness to get involved, the sooner you get involved the sooner you get to know the people. A lot of the stuff you will learn in college is practiced as you become apart of the church and teams in the church, so the sooner you’ll jump into that, the sooner you will start learning.
It’s totally worth it!
