Living the Dream

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses young Brazilians’ experiences at Hillsong College. It considers the powerful affective and transformational experiences of youth enrolled and housed at Hillsong College and who arrive alone in Sydney. The chapter investigates how they affectively embed their subjectivity within the church and come to think of their experience of studying and serving full time (thus donating substantial time and energy to the church) as “living the dream.” It argues that there are many reasons for them to feel so enthusiastic about the college—its focus on leadership and teaching of punctuality, reliability, autonomy, and excellence; the more egalitarian relationships with pastors and worship leaders; opportunities to make friends with other students from all over the world; and their own subjectivity becoming associated with the church (and brand) they loved. Overall, Hillsong College elicited deeply affective responses from Brazilian students.