A Hillsong Staff Day That Changed My Life

Prophecy, Strength Finders, And Pouring Into Your Team

When I joined the staff at Hillsong NYC as the Evening College Pastor, I felt like a fish out of water. Teaching and leading writing classes on Monday nights came naturally—but everything else felt like uncharted territory. Most of the staff had been raised in Hillsong. They knew the culture inside and out—a deeply Australian one—and were adamant about doing things a certain way.

That was one of Hillsong’s secret sauces: a strong church culture. Everyone understood what was and wasn’t kosher, and there was always someone nearby to make sure you did things the “right” way. Culture flowed through the organization fractally—absorbed, repeated, and enforced at every level.

Being on staff, though, was a different story. Carl (Lentz) threw a lot of curveballs, and there was a constant tug-of-war between him and the Australians sent from HQ to ensure everything was being done “Brian’s way.”

I joined right in the middle of that tension.

In a church culture that strong, you quickly learn there are three kinds of people: those who embrace the system and thrive, those who reject it and fade out, and those who try to understand it—and go mad in the process.

I was the third kind.

I saw two cultures colliding: Carl’s and Brian’s. The staff was divided over which path to follow. Add to that the dysfunction of an itinerant pastor who led with more vibes than strategy, plus the fact that half the staff had never worked at a church before—and I was confused most of the time.

I was smart enough not to ask questions out loud—especially not to people who were already confused. Ask a smart question in that environment, and it’s instantly read as condescending. You couldn’t be smart and curious at the same time; that kind of clarity killed the vibes, bruh. So I internalized everything. It became a constant inner dialogue—a mental running commentary that never shut off.

My only hope of staying sane was to not notice anything. To “stay out of hallways.” To play the joker. That’s how I coped.

And for the record, “staying out of hallways” is the move of a genius—taught to me by the Dean of Students at Portland Bible College. If you stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, especially in sensitive spaces, you’re just asking for trouble.

So I stayed out of meetings—even the ones I was technically invited to. I stayed in my lane: Evening College. And I made it the best I possibly could. That was my world. Everything was about EC. And it showed—Evening College thrived.

I didn’t loiter around the offices. When I was there, I cracked jokes. Kept things light. Played dumb. I wasn’t allowed to say boo anyway.

All of it kept me protected—and completely frustrated. I felt stuck.

So there I was—serving time in NYC, doing a job I never wanted, feeling invisible in the organization, and starting to really doubt myself.

And then along came Daniela.

Hillsong Global didn’t get everything right with Hillsong NYC, but one of the things they did get right was her. Daniela’s job was to visit staff across the global campuses and lead them through a StrengthsFinder assessment. Maybe you’ve heard of it.

It’s not like the Enneagram. It’s not a personality test. It’s built around your strengths—your actual areas of gifting. The purpose? To help you see:
a) how God wired you,
b) what strengths you should double down on,
c) where you’ll naturally be weak (because strengths and weaknesses are usually two sides of the same coin), and
d) how much you need a team.

It wasn’t just practical—it was deeply pastoral.

I’ve been part of large and small churches for over 25 years. I’ve sat through every staff retreat, leadership summit, prophetic workshop, inner healing weekend, and org development seminar you can imagine. I’ve worked with some of the best in the world and had the privilege of learning from true GOATs in their fields.

And let me tell you: Daniela’s StrengthsFinder session was hands down the most powerful staff development experience I’ve ever had.

She wasn’t just a robot handing out assessments. She wasn’t just a therapist walking us through the Strengths and their intersections. Daniela was a prophetess—ministering directly to the hearts of the staff. It was deeply profound.

And it couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I was desperately needing direction—and yes, validation. The Christian word for that is confirmation: when someone prophetically names how God designed you. Not your gripes. Not your baggage. Not taking your side in some petty conflict. We're talking, “God made you like this, and that’s why you think and feel the way you do—and this is actually a strength. Your best future lies in embracing that design and doubling down on it.”

Daniela didn’t just leave the insights with us, either. She shared her assessments—and her prophetic read—with Carl and his senior staff. For them, too, it was a moment of clarity. Suddenly, they could see us, not just manage us.

I remember Carl’s Chief of Staff, Tolu Badders, shifting dramatically in how she saw and led me after that week. She gave me more leash. She stopped being frustrated by my idiosyncrasies and started to recognize what I was: a suffering multipotentialite—creative to a fault, built to lead an organization, not just work in one.

From that day forward, everything changed. I began to enjoy parts of my job. Carl and Tolu started playing to my strengths. They gave me space. They trusted me.

If you lead a church or any kind of organization and you want to give your staff an emotional spa day plus an upgrade in how to lead them—bring Daniela in. Immediately.

She’s done this work all over the world. She carries a strong local church ethos and a prophetic gift that is so natural, so understated, you might miss it if you’re not paying attention.

Her email is Daniela.duarte@outlook.com.au

Don’t sleep on that!

-N

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash