Life Church Leoben

Church Name: LIFE Church Leoben

Church Location: Goesser Strasse 52. 8700 LEOBEN

Church Service: Saturday 5pm

Pastors/Leaders: Helge & Petra Plonner (Bi-vocational)

Helge was born in Leoben, Petra in Carinthia. Petra had a powerful encounter with God in 1990 when she actually was only focused on becoming rich and then gave her life to Jesus in 1991. Helge was a rock musician and was the first young person to find faith in Christ in the first Church which Gianni and Angela pioneered on May 4th 1990. Both of them got to know God through LIFE Church and then got to know each other through the LIFE Church Youth Camps. They now have three grown-up children.

Besides leading the LIFE Church Leoben Petra founded the Christian privat school and Kindergarten "Trinity" and works for the citizens‘ movement „Fairändern“, which stands for more rights for the unborn.

Helge works as the owner of a driving school, as well as RE school teacher and is completing his degree in theology.

What they love about Life Church:

The fact that the culture of the kingdom of God is consciously lived and furthermore the vision is broad enough so that everyone who wants to build the kingdom of God can find their place. Helge & Petra maintain deep friendships with various other leaders in the movement and love the fact that LIFE Church decided some time ago not just to be "a vision for Austria" but to Impact Europe.

What they love about Austria:

The people, the genuine care and concern for one another, the humor, the social awareness

What does Helge love about Church planting:

The completely new context in which again different/new people can be reached for Jesus; its like fishing in a lake where nobody or hardly anybody has ever fished before.

What does Helge love about Leadership:

"I love to train people in the word and see them grow spiritually and take responsibility. The BEST thing is when newly saved people find their place in the church, get baptized and then get involved in the church or in the kingdom of God.“

What you MUST KNOW about them:

Helge writes children‘s songs, Petra is a great negotiator at any bazaar. Both love a good meal with family or friends.

Life Church Leoben then and now!

LIFE Church Leoben started as a life group in the home of Angela & Gianni in 1988, with its first Church service was in 1989. Helge & Petra took over in 1997 when the Gaeta’s moved to Vienna.

As the first Church founded in the movement, LIFE Church Leoben is a pioneer base, from which Gianni and Angela pioneered further churches in Villach, Klagenfurt and Wolfsberg, before heading to Vienna. Various ministries have also been birthed in this first Life Church and are modelled here to be further established throughout the movement such “Trinity” school and kindergarten, “Turning Point” day care center for the socially disadvantaged , songwriting and the recording of worship music, establishing a church choir, running an annual summer camp for children and also the first Life Church to purchase property.ownership.

Helge and Petra make a point of getting noticed in the community by regularly admitting good articles for the local newspaper.

In 2000 Hilli & Ingo were sent out to church plant in Liezen and in the recent years the church has supported the church plant in Graz by regularly sending volunteers, some of whom have now moved to the city.

Specific prayer request: Future Church/Location plant in Bruck an der Mur and in Mürzzuschlag

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County: Styria

Population of Town: 25,000

Population of Political District: 60,000

Features of the Town: University Town, accommodating one of Austria three largest Technical Universities. It’s a strong industrial town also offering great shopping possibilities for the whole area.

Features of the Political District: Is situated in a loop of the river "Mur". it is one of 3 towns (Leoben, Trofaiach, Eisenerz), close to the motorway so fast and easy access to Graz and Vienna but also to Hungary and Slovenia.

Our Challenges - Broken families, suicide, addictions, unemployment, Spiritual need with little understanding of a living God. Agnosticism and liberalism.