OUR HISTORY
Mainstay Fellowship originated in 2014 under the name Billund Christian Fellowship and was founded with the express intent to serve as a mission for the Billund community. The group began as a mixed Danish / English speaking bible study out of Vestermarkskirken, (an established local church in Grindsted) led by Torgunn and Leif, a married couple bound by a shared passion for international missions.
In 2015, Torgunn and Leif answered a sense of calling to become more rooted in Billund, establishing a home study in the community, made up of local families. The focus being to remain English-speaking, with a goal of serving Billund through the international community.
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From 2016-2019, the fellowship grew to include a large number of mostly American families and expanded into weekly meetings, shared meals and the start of a small children's program to meet the needs of young families. In 2019, the group transitioned from meeting in various homes to a larger public space at Kærhuset, to accomodate growth.
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As the 2020 pandemic unfolded, the fellowship moved exclusively online and the overall number of participants shrank over the course of time. The group stayed creative and adapted in the hope of returning to in person connection.
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From mid 2021 onward, the fellowship resumed in-person and returned to hosting gatherings to study, pray and share meals. Today, this rhythm continues through small groups, Sunday worship and discussion events, group outings and other pop-up events to share life together.
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Our registered association was formed during the summer of 2023, establishing a volunteer board of directors to help share in the mission and vision of expanding Christian fellowship opportunities in Billund.
OUR FORENING
Our forening (registered public association) was created to help organize and prepare our fellowship for a bright future. It is welcome to anyone who wishes to join through a profession of faith and the shared desire to build Christian community in the Billund Kommune and beyond. Our volunteer board is listed below:
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Torgunn Bråten Skov
I am Norwegian by citizenship and origin, but Denmark has been my home 1996. My husband, Leif is Danish. We have three sons together and our family has beautifully grown to include three daughters-in-law and two grandchildren.
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I grew up in a Christian household and have professed a faith in Jesus since a very young age. I was formally educated to become a pastor from the seminary at the Missions Church of Norway and worked as a pastor for two years in Norway before answering the call to go on mission in Africa.
I cannot remember a time when I did not believe that I was going to be a missionary. For four years I lived and worked in The Republic of Congo together with my family, dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus with that country and its people.
Today, I work in a full-time role as a travel consultant, but am fortunate to use my pastoral education regularly on a volunteer basis at Mainstay. The passion I discovered for international hearts in Africa has stayed a part of me and in many ways inspired my calling to be a part of Mainstay Fellowship as a teacher. I have been a part of the group since its beginning.
Mike Psiaki
While I am originally from the United States, my wife and I moved to Denmark in 2012 for a job at The LEGO Group. We joined a church In Vejle (Kirkcentret Vejle) , a congregation we have been a part of for 11 years. When our second son was born we chose to relocate to Billund to be closer to work and school.
I encountered Jesus growing up in a Christian church in upstate New York. The leaders and volunteers in the children's and youth programs showed me what it means to live a life connected to Him.
I'm passionate about the local church and family ministry, dreaming to see the Kingdom of God built here in Billund. I'm married to my amazing wife, Karen, and we have three wonderful children, all born here in Denmark – Jacob, Daniel, and Thomas.
David Bulfin
I was brought to Billund through a sense of calling. As a lifelong designer and LEGO fan, becoming a designer at The LEGO Group was both a bold and natural next step in my creative career, built upon a long standing pull towards living abroad in Denmark. However, the opportunity, timing and role all emerged totally independently from how I pictured my life’s story. I’m an American by origin, but also feel a great sense of belonging here in my adopting country. Today, I claim Denmark as home.
I initially began my journey of faith by intellectually giving equal dignity to all forms of belief. Through the dedicated study of numerous religious structures across cultures and traditions, I encountered Jesus, finding Him and the concept of grace to be profoundly unique and confusing. Hungry to know truth, I pursued an exploration centered on the life of Jesus and became a believer when I was struck by how mis-aligned He was to the structures of control and authority that mark organized religions. To me, Jesus consistently feels alive and revolutionary and has brought my life a sense of hope and direction, forever changing the way I see myself, the universe and the people around me.
I joined Mainstay and continue to stay involved because I believe in living life as part of a faith community. I felt an immediate sense of welcome and kinship from the group when I first arrived in Denmark and I’ve felt compelled strengthen that bond for myself and for others who have been called to life in Billund.
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Is Mainstay a part of a specific denomination?
Not formally. Our participants come from a variety of traditions and we believe that this makes our group strong and empowered to have open discussions on the variety of things that unify us in the Christian faith. Our fellowship is not associated with the state Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark, also known as the folkekirken. We do however, associate in partnership with Evangelisk Frikirke Danmark (EFD), a network coalition of churches across Denmark that come from a variety of protestant denominations. You can learn more about the EFD through the link below:​​
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