The Lutheran April-May 2025 Digital Edition

Each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved. ACTS 2:47B

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

EDITORIAL

Editor Lisa McIntosh

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Executive Editor Linda Macqueen

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LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

The Lutheran informs the members of the LCANZ about the church’s teaching, life, mission and people, helping them to grow in faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. The Lutheran also provides a forum for a range of opinions, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or the policies of the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand.

Loyalty points for Lois

We are blessed to have many loyal readers in The Lutheran family. One such subscriber is Lois Rathjen, who her daughter Kaye says has ’possibly read every word of every copy’ since our LCA magazine was first published in 1967. An active member of the Lutheran Church all her life, Lois has been part of congregations at Natimuk, Vic, Koonibba, SA, Henty, NSW, Maitland, SA, Nhill, Vic, and Loxton, SA. She moved to the SA Riverland in the 1980s, when her late husband Eric was called as principal of Loxton Lutheran School. Set to turn 97 in May this year, the loving mum, grandmother and greatgrandmother is ‘still shining for Jesus and still blessing others’, says Kaye.

Send us a photograph featuring a recent copy of The Lutheran and it may appear on page 2 of a future issue and on our website at www.thelutheran.com.au

People like YOU bring love to life

This edition features people involved in their congregation’s local mission initiatives. Be inspired by these LCANZ outreach endeavours on pages 5-15.

Jane Chen

Grace Chinese Lutheran Church Perth WA Lay pastoral ministry leader

Most treasured Bible text: Psalm 23:1–3

‘The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures .., He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.’

Lisa Enever

Wodonga Lutheran Parish Vic Parish Ministry Coordinator

Most treasured Bible text: Joshua 1:9

‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’

Lorraine Eldridge

Trinity Lutheran Church Ashmore Qld Church Plant Oversight Committee Chair, retired Lutheran college teacher

Most treasured Bible text: Psalm 121:1–4

‘I look to the mountains; where will my help come from? My help will come from the Lord ... He will not let you fall.’

Let the light of someone you know shine through their photo being featured in The Lutheran and LCA Facebook. With their permission, send us a good quality photo, their name and details (congregation, occupation and most treasured text) and your contact details.

It seems we’ve been talking a lot about mission in the LCANZ in recent months. And, after having the privilege of reading the stories of those congregations who have received Local Mission Fund grants for this year, it’s easy to see that many in our Lutheran family are doing more than just talking about it, too.

They are actually doing mission in and among their local communities. It’s such a beautiful expression of bringing love to life, both in our church and, more importantly, outside it as well. How wonderful!

How encouraging, when we often are tempted to focus on the negatives – the shrinking worship attendances, the apparent lack of young people, the bickering among ourselves, whether about the big things or the small things.

So, the stories in this edition about LCANZ members taking up God’s offer and prompting to share his love with people right under their noses – those he has placed in their backyards, so to speak – are an excellent reminder of what ‘church’ can be. They remind us, too, ‘that in all things God works for the good of those who love him’ (Romans 8:28).

I’m sure many others of you are already serving in your neighbourhood mission fields, sharing care and compassion, hospitality and hope, building relationships and, perhaps, even making friends for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Certainly, Jesus’ example in washing the disciples’ feet, which we remember especially on Maundy Thursday, is the ultimate template for humble service.

In fact, is there a better time than Easter to pray that he will use us in this way? The joy of the resurrection is ours to live and share, not to keep to ourselves.

But while some people are already putting their mission dreams into practice, you may have an as-yet unfulfilled idea that would help foster a missional culture in our church. Why not work on it with your congregation, school or agency and apply for funding when the grants open again this year? You can read more about that opportunity on page 5.

In this edition, we also continue to give thanks to God for 80 years of Lutheran Media and 75 years of ALWS. You can learn about ways to be involved with anniversary events and support the work of these ministries.

As always in your Churchwide magazine, we include our popular regular columns and highlight some of the many resources designed to support and equip our faith families – and we share the big news from across our church.

I pray you will be inspired and enriched as you read the words that follow. May God bless your reading,

Nurturing grass-roots mission

Speaking your language

Planting for growth

Learning together

Building community

Teaming up to welcome newcomers

Sowing the seeds

Leaving a legacy of love and service

Because we bear your name: Bishop Paul’s letter

Dwelling in God’s word

Life

Go and Grow)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following pages may contain images of people who have died. Our cover: iStock.com.

BISHOP PAUL’S LETTER Because we bear your name

‘The hearing ear and the seeing eye – the Lord has made them both’ (Proverbs 20:12).

I was listening to a podcast about a familiar parable of our Lord – the one known as the ‘Prodigal Son’ (Luke 15) – and I was reminded how faith sees everything in a new way. Since the parable is given that popular title, we often forget that the story is about TWO sons: the younger and the elder. The story of the elder brother is so very helpful for understanding our participation in the mission of God.

The elder brother seems rightly upset. The younger brother has insulted their father, acting as though the father was already deceased by demanding early access to the inheritance, then squandering the family estate.

Then upon the return of the younger son, the fatted calf is killed and there is celebration. The elder son would have been expecting this calf to go towards something other than a celebration for his wayward brother.

see ourselves and the world through eyes enlightened by this good news.

As this word of the gospel takes root in us, we discover the missionary call to bear this good news to all the world. This word of the gospel shapes how we see ourselves and those around us. We are not entitled members of a cult who will have nothing to do with other people. We are beloved daughters and sons of the God who has gone to the cross to show us love and who sends us as witnesses to the ends of the earth.

This is the ‘hearing ear’ and the ‘seeing eye’ we read about in Proverbs 20. Faith in the work of Christ and his cross gives us eyes to see the neighbour in a new way.

FAITH IN THE WORK OF CHRIST AND HIS CROSS GIVES US

EYES TO SEE THE NEIGHBOUR IN A NEW WAY.

But this elder brother also does not understand the heart of his father. The father must go out to his elder son who has not come into the celebration for the younger brother’s return. The elder brother speaks of his brother as ‘this son of yours’ and he speaks of prostitutes when there is no mention of prostitutes in the story. The elder brother has dwelt in the father’s house, expecting that he had earned entitlement. He believes that he deserves more than his wayward brother.

In response, the father is gracious and purposeful, addressing the elder brother personally as ‘little child’ and saying, ‘You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found’.

This parable calls us to see each other with the eyes of faith enlightened by the gospel. Scripture proclaims, ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’. This is God’s amazing and abundant love for all – regardless of race, background or misdeeds. We who are baptised into the death of Jesus Christ are raised with him to walk in newness of life and to

This past month, I gathered with my wife, Heidi, and our extended family, at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Henty NSW, for the funeral of Heidi’s father, David Muller. It was a sad but hopefilled time as we commended this Christian man into the everlasting arms of the Good Shepherd, trusting in his mercy.

What was quite clear about David’s witness was those ‘hearing ears’ and ‘seeing eyes’ of faith. His obituary reminded us that David had learned to not despise preaching or God’s word, but instead to keep that word holy and gladly hear and learn it (Small Catechism, 3rd Commandment).

And in hearing and learning the word, David lived as a gentle and purposeful evangelist who saw all those around him as people for whom his Lord and Saviour had died on the cross.

We are privileged to bear the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Christian mission he has given to us. In the parable, the father said to his beloved child, ‘You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours’.

In Christ,

Backed by an LCANZ Local Mission Fund grant, Victor Harbor Lutheran Church’s Combined Churches Welcome Pack project was officially launched earlier this year during an ‘Eat Together Pray Together’ event on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. See page 14

BY JODI BROOK

Sharing the message of the cross

After the first year of a new LCANZ grants fund designed to nurture a missional culture across the church, 10 congregations have begun a journey to bring their local mission dreams into being.

You can read about their inspiring grass-roots outreach and service endeavours in the following pages. However, the story doesn’t end there – the Local Mission Fund and Seed Project funding will return this year.

So, if your congregation has a local mission idea that needs financial support to become a reality, these grants might be the answer you have been praying for.

A total of $400,000 is being made available annually with Local Mission Fund major project grants of up to $100,000 each, and Local Mission Seed Project funding grants of up to $10,000 each. Inaugural grants were awarded in 2025 for missional projects, including cross-cultural ministry and church planting, a regional learning hub, and mission and ministry activities that enhance school-church connections and outreach.

extend our reach and connect with even more people in our community.’

College Chaplain Tala Aufai, from Queensland’s Trinity Ashmore Lutheran School Church Plant, says the school is ‘so grateful for the positive response from our alumni’. ‘Three students who graduated last year (have come) on board as part of our team of volunteer leaders for Encounter Youth – praise God’, he says.

IF YOUR CONGREGATION HAS A LOCAL MISSION IDEA THAT NEEDS FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO BECOME A REALITY, THESE GRANTS MIGHT BE THE ANSWER YOU HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR.

Ministry Coordinator Lisa Enever, from Wodonga Lutheran Parish in Victoria, which plans to better engage with co-located Victory Lutheran College, says members were thrilled that their funding application was approved.

‘After watching the Friday livestream of the Convention of General Synod, which focused on the mission work of the LCANZ, I felt incredibly excited and inspired by the direction the church is heading in’, Lisa said. ‘It was so uplifting to see the amazing mission efforts other parishes are making in their communities. I’m truly grateful and blessed that the LCANZ approved the funding grant for our parish, allowing us to

Each of the 2025 successful local mission grants was awarded to a congregation whose project supports local mission innovation and efforts that might be applied more broadly across the church.

The LCANZ Local Mission Fund application process for 2026 grants opens on 1 July 2025.

HOW TO START PREPARING NOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT

1. Place the 2026 Local Mission Fund on your church committee meeting agendas.

2. Read the application criteria available at www.lca.org.au/local-mission-fund

3. Invite your members to start thinking and praying about the local mission opportunity God might be placing before your congregation.

As the LCANZ’s Local Mission Coordinator, Jodi Brook mentors and supports groups that receive funding.

Starting or expanding cross-cultural or multiethnic ministries in church and/or school communities was a popular theme of multiple LCANZ Local Mission Fund applications for this year. Both St Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Brisbane and Zion Lutheran Church at Glynde in suburban Adelaide have been reaching out to people from different cultural backgrounds for some time but now hope to serve new people in new ways, thanks to grant funding designed to enhance mission culture across the church. These are their stories …

PRAYERFUL PLANNING REWARDED

St Andrew’s Church Council Secretary Karyn Cullen says ‘growth and integration’ between two language groups is ‘a work in progress’ at the Brisbane City congregation. ‘This is supported by a faithful and prayerful congregation and enabled by the generous Local Mission Fund grant’, she says of the $75,000 in support.

‘God responded to our congregation’s plan to extend its ministry with an opportunity in Pastor Yong Bong Cho and his wife, Giselle, to minister to Koreans in Brisbane city in their language’, Karyn says.

St Andrew’s Pastor Tommi Vuorinen supervised and mentored Yong Bong from early 2023 to his ordination as a Specific Ministry Pastor in late 2024. The congregation’s church council endorsed activity for the Korean ministry, which began with a weekly

prayer meeting and a shared lunch in early 2023, led by Pastor Yong Bong and supported by Giselle. Attendance grew from two people in January 2023 to 18 in February 2025. Karyn also points to further evidence that ‘growth in the Korean ministry is being realised!’ ‘On 16 February 2025, 11 members of the Korean group were accepted as members of St Andrew’s congregation’, she says.

MILESTONES HAVE BEEN SET BY THE TEAM AND … ‘MORE GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING!’

She says, ‘an ineffective and aging sound system in the church was the first casualty of this growing ministry’. A new sound system was installed along with a large-screen TV. 'This benefits not only the Korean prayer group meeting on Sunday afternoons but also the congregation’s worship services and other Lutheran groups using the church space. Bilingual services are not unfamiliar at St Andrew's, as Pastor Tommi also ministers to the Brisbane Finnish congregation. Now, bilingual, and even trilingual, services are becoming more common. The Korean and English groups have also shared a couple of lunches.’

After the grant was awarded in October 2024, the congregation formed a project team to direct the funds – plus $35,000 from St Andrew’s itself – toward strengthening the Korean language ministry in Brisbane in 2025.

Milestones have been set by the team and Karyn says, ‘more great things are happening!’ These include a person from the Korean group – Anastasia Kim, who works as a chaplain for Lutheran Services at two of its aged care communities –joining the project team. A weekly advertisement is taken out in a Korean-language newspaper while appropriate online advertising channels are also being investigated.

‘Opportunities for increased interaction between the Korean and English groups in the congregation are being identified, while our regular Bible study group, Wine and Word, will include both language groups’, Karyn says. ‘This is a bonus exposure to conversational English for the Korean attendees, most of whom are students. Opportunities for cultural exchanges in more interactions between English and Korean group members are being explored, too.’

CHURCH PARTNERS LAUNCH MULTICULTURAL YOUTH MINISTRY

In early 2024, Zion Lutheran Church at Glynde in South Australia initiated a long-term strategic plan and a new mission and vision. Chairperson Tim Eckert says two key priorities emerged from this plan: ‘Spreading mission by growing our multicultural community’ and ‘Growing faith in young people through “first-third ministries”’, which serve children and young people.

‘With a growing and vibrant children’s ministry and a core group of high-schoolers, we wanted to pursue ways of supporting and growing these young people as they move into and through their teenage years’, Tim explains. ‘We also wanted to develop ways of complementing and adding to the sustainability of our existing cross-cultural ministries at Glynde and collaborating with our other church partners onsite – Grace Lutheran Chinese Church, Adelaide Korean Global Mission church, and our Nuer Lutheran Fellowship.

‘With our partner congregations, we have developed a thriving mid-week multicultural ministry, which started from humble beginnings with the influx of refugees from South Sudan in 2004. This ministry has largely been focused on families with children aged up to five years, attracting more than 100 people per week in various activities, such as playgroups, Mainly Music, and “coffee and chat”.

‘We seek to build on these as the young people who have benefited from these ministries are now older and between eight and 30 years old.

‘Our partner congregations have identified a need for ministry to young people in this age range. We share the long-term goal of growing multicultural groups and activities to develop the faith of those within this demographic. Our churches have established Sunday schools but do not have regular and active groups for young people aged eight to 18 and 18 to 30.

Tim describes the Local Mission Seed Project Fund grant from the LCANZ as a ‘blessing’. ‘[This] will help us to initiate this and aid us in fostering the spiritual growth and development of young individuals within our diverse community.’

Glynde Zion welcomes part-time youth coordinator Emma Klatt (right) to help grow ministries and leadership skills among young people in the multicultural community. She is pictured with Amy Liew, Blake Eckert and Pastor Richard Fox (left to right).

Below: (left to right) LCANZ Local Mission Coordinator

Emma Klatt, Barb Mattiske and Pastor Richard Fox at Emma’s installation to the new role.

‘WE .... LOOK FORWARD TO HOW GOD CAN CONTINUE TO BLESS OUR MISSION AND MINISTRY TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY IN THIS WAY.’

With the help of the grant, Zion has employed a part-time youth coordinator, Emma Klatt, who will spend the next 12 months with the congregation to:

• develop and coordinate the vision for cross-cultural ministry to young people within Zion’s church hub and local community;

• implement initiatives to grow ministries for people aged eight to 30 in the culturally diverse community at Glynde;

• grow leadership skills in active Christian witness among local young people; and

• develop child, youth and young adult multicultural ministries at Glynde to help address a need from current young people and grow this ‘so more young people can grow in the love and faith of Jesus Christ’.

‘We are very excited that Emma has joined us in this role and look forward to how God can continue to bless our mission and ministry to our local community in this way’, Tim says. ‘We thank the LCANZ for making the Local Mission Fund grants available and helping us with the seed funding to sow in growing our mission.’

Planting a new church has always been a great step of faith. Despite that, two LCANZ Local Mission Fund recipients are making this bold move for the sake of the gospel. Trinity Lutheran Church Ashmore on Queensland’s Gold Coast is partnering with the co-located Trinity Lutheran College to plant a church for students and their families, while Grace Lutheran Chinese congregation in Perth is planting a church for Chinese-speaking people in the northern suburb of Duncraig.

INVESTING IN YOUNG PEOPLE

When I had the privilege of sharing with my home church of Trinity Lutheran Church Ashmore the launch date for Encounter Youth – our church plant strategy – the response was overwhelming and filled with love, support and encouragement. I am deeply moved by the prayers and generosity of so many church members who have contributed to the church plant. Equally, I am grateful for the steadfast aid from College Principal Dr Tsae Wong and the entire Trinity Lutheran College community, who have been gracious and unwavering in their contributions.

Also in our core church planting team are my wife Josephine Aufai, my fellow college chaplain Samuel Fletcher, and Samuel’s fiancée Greta Matthias.

Encounter Youth will unfold through a staggered approach, beginning with the launch of our youth group, followed by our kids club and, God willing, culminating with the launch of our church in October. Our youth group, Encounter Youth, is led by Samuel, who has been instrumental in championing this ministry and crafting its vision statement (‘We want our youth to encounter God's love and discover their purpose to love.’) and our mission statement (‘We intentionally create an atmosphere where what we do leads others to Christ.’).

BY TALA AUFAI

students outside our school before we started! We are excited to see how God will use this ministry, as we remain intentional in discipling and mentoring our young people. We are also grateful for the positive response from our alumni, with three students who graduated last year coming on board as part of our team of volunteer leaders for Encounter Youth. Praise God!

Our goal is to nurture students who will be eager to serve God with their talents. When we launch our church in October, we hope to involve students in music, sound desk, ushering, Bible reading, prayer and many other areas.

OUR GOAL IS NOT TO BUILD CHURCH BUILDINGS BUT TO SHARE THE GOSPEL AND WITNESS LIVES TRANSFORMED.

The response from students to Encounter Youth has been overwhelmingly positive, and there was even interest from

Thanks to generous financial support, we have been able to purchase valuable resources. This is an investment in our young people. They are an untapped goldmine of fearless and passionate followers of Christ, and our hope is to see them grow into zealous and contagious disciples who inspire others in their faith.

We want events to unfold naturally, allowing space for growth and connection. While we have a plan, we submit it prayerfully to the Lord, trusting in his timing, blessing and direction. In the year ahead, we plan to host picnics and barbecues on select Sundays, creating opportunities for families to gather, share a meal and build meaningful relationships.

We have planned a worship night in May when we will invite the school community to gather in worship through song, and I will share a message. By then, we hope to see students actively involved in singing and serving. We are deeply grateful to our church council and the Church Plant Oversight Committee for their wisdom and guidance.

Our goal is not to build church buildings but to share the gospel and witness lives transformed for the glory of God. We long to see our school and local community come alive for him –becoming a people devoted to Christ, responding to his grace and love through lives of worship and surrender.

CREATING ‘A WELCOMING SPIRITUAL HOME’

Duncraig Ministry was launched on 5 January 2025 by Grace Lutheran Church Perth, as a welcoming spiritual home for Chinese-speaking believers. From the very beginning, our vision as a sending church has been clear – to build a church deeply rooted in the Bible, overflowing with love and grace, where the gospel is spread, disciples grow and God’s work is evident in our lives.

We believe that church is more than just a place of worship; it is a family in Christ, supporting and uplifting one another. Our greatest hope is to not only strengthen the faith of believers but also extend the love of Jesus to the surrounding communities, offering a place of hope and belonging to those seeking God.

To fulfil this vision, we are expanding our ministry through key initiatives:

1. Spiritual growth: We are introducing regular discipleship training courses and church prayer meetings to help believers grow in faith and experience deeper spiritual renewal.

2. Church management: Forming a deacon team will encourage more brothers and sisters to serve in the ministry, ensuring our church is organised and sustainable.

3. Pastoral care and fellowship: We are adding birthday blessings, special prayer sessions, and blessings for children and the elderly after Sunday worship, fostering a loving and caring church family.

4. Gospel outreach: Outreach efforts will include fellowships for unbelievers, such as health groups, Chinese Alpha courses, outdoor evangelistic activities like barbecues, walking prayers and community elderly care initiatives.

5. Worship ministry: We aim to establish diverse worship groups that bring together people of different ages, cultivating a vibrant and inclusive worship culture.

6. Family and daily life ministry: We plan to create fellowship and discipleship groups that target families. Such as

BY DAVID YAP

OUR GREATEST HOPE IS TO NOT ONLY STRENGTHEN THE FAITH OF BELIEVERS BUT ALSO EXTEND THE LOVE OF JESUS TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

parent-child relationship groups, couples groups, mums groups and dads groups, to help families live out their faith in everyday life.

7. Annual gospel events: Hosting gospel concerts will allow us to use music as a bridge to share the gospel with a wider audience.

As we embark on this journey, we recognise several challenges that require God’s guidance and the support of our community:

1. Ministry team building: Pray that God will bring more willing and passionate co-workers to serve alongside us in this holy work.

2. Gospel expansion: Pray for wisdom and effective strategies to reach and influence more Chinese-speaking families in the community.

3. Believers’ growth: Pray that every member, regardless of their stage in faith, will establish a strong foundation in God’s truth and be inspired to actively participate in ministry.

We trust that God’s faithfulness will lead us through these challenges. Let us continue to pray, serve, and support one another, making Duncraig Ministry a place that glorifies God and builds his people!

At St Petri Nuriootpa in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, we were delighted to receive an LCANZ Local Mission Fund grant to further our vision for a regional learning hub.

For some time, we have been aware that encouraging local people in our congregations to develop skills in church ministries, learn more of the Scriptures and learn more about living their faith in all the challenges and issues they face in their work, family, church and personal lives is so needed.

As a larger church in our region, we want to serve our area however we can to help make many local learning opportunities happen for the people of the Barossa and Light region.

We have always intended to work collaboratively. Our local pastors have been very supportive, as have other Lutheran leaders in the area.

We want to understand the needs of God’s people in local churches and

BY ADRIAN KITSON

work with local leaders and organisations to develop different learning opportunities. This is done in the hope that the Regional Learning Hub enacts the Lord’s intent for his church in St Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:12, ‘to equip the saints for the works of service, for the building up of the body of Christ’.

St Petri’s Governance Council authorised me to assemble a small working group to form a starting document to guide us in establishing the hub. A draft Terms of Reference has been formed. Local pastors and working group members met with LCANZ Local Mission Coordinator Jodi Brook and the SA-NT District Assistant Bishop for Mission, Pastor Stephen Schultz, and further defined how it might best work.

WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF GOD’S PEOPLE IN LOCAL CHURCHES.

It has been a challenge to be clear on the best way to establish this project and to find the most useful focus for starting to offer learning opportunities. However, at least five things have become clear:

1. Local people must be asked what they need, what they see and what they want to learn more about for their life and contribution to God’s kingdom and their local church.

2. It would be wise to start very small and very local and try some learning opportunities, based on what we have discovered the needs are, and then ‘learn as we go’.

3. It would be wise to not worry too much about accredited/ formal-qualification learning but rather focus on practical and applicable learning for everyday people serving in churches and living their lives in Christ.

4. It would be wise for St Petri to begin the work, so a start is made, but always with consultation and cooperation from anyone interested.

5. Two main streams of need this project should work in are: 1) assisting local church leaders develop skills in leading worship; and 2) supporting people in living the life of discipleship; sharing our faith with more confidence, supporting people in grief, caring for people, and learning the Scriptures and Lutheran confession of the faith.

We plan to listen to local people and offer short learning experiences in these two broad streams, as the Regional Learning Hub takes shape. The vision is to offer low-cost seminars, courses, sessions and experiences that can be accessed in-person or online in real time or on-demand.

Lutheran education services are often located close to or with a congregation that instigated their foundation. Even when they are co-located, though, the church and school will naturally host very different communities. Several of this year’s Local Mission Fund grant-recipient congregations made building closer ties with a Lutheran school or college a big priority, as they reach out to neighbours.

SHARING LOVE WITH OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD

BY JULIE SCHOLZ

At St Paul Lutheran Church Blair Athol, in suburban Adelaide, our congregation has a growing desire to strengthen our relationships with those around us, especially the children and families of St Paul Lutheran School and Playgroup, but also the wider community.

So, in 2024, our Outreach Ministry Task Group shared ideas with our church council for increasing connections and building bridges in our neighbourhood. This led to an application for a grant from the LCANZ Local Mission Seed Fund, with a project entitled, ‘We exist to share Jesus’.

As church members sought ways to build relationships, care for our school and playgroup families, and engage with our diverse local community while growing as followers of Jesus, we were blessed to receive the funding. This support has enabled us to engage cross-cultural coach Craig Heidenreich, who is walking alongside us throughout 2025, providing practical training and encouragement.

WE ARE PRAYING THAT THIS WILL BE A YEAR OF DEEPER CONNECTION WITH THOSE WE LIVE AMONG.

We are praying that this will be a year of deeper connection with those we live among. Recent migration from India and the Middle East has created a mission field right on our doorstep. Regarding faith, 33.5 per cent of our neighbours identify as Christian, 31.8 per cent practise Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or Sikhism, while 30 per cent do not identify with any religion.

We feel the Lord is calling us to journey with him and learn how to love and serve our new neighbours. Positive developments are already occurring within the school and playgroup, where enrolments are increasingly multicultural. We hope these relationships will become bridges to the wider community.

To strengthen our efforts, we are forming a small missional team of ‘Bridge-builders’ who are committed to fostering connections with our diverse neighbours. We are becoming more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s presence in our everyday interactions. With guidance from Craig, we are identifying local gathering places within our migrant community where we can

simply be ‘present’ – praying, listening and building relationships.

One small step we have taken is visiting a local Indian restaurant, to learn more about Indian culture and religious practices. Such moments of cultural learning are helping us take the first steps toward deeper conversations and friendships.

Once we develop a better understanding of our neighbours and how to welcome them intentionally, we aim to trial several outreach initiatives. These include engaging school and playgroup families by inviting them to worship services followed by a shared meal.

These are just the first steps in our renewed vision for outreach at St Paul Lutheran Church. With faith, prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we trust that 2025 will be a year in which love comes to life in our neighbourhood. We invite our congregation and the wider LCA community to join us in prayer as we step out in faith to share Jesus’ love with those around us.

Julie

Scholz is vice-chairperson of St Paul’s Lutheran Church Blair Athol, in South Australia.

WITNESSING GOD AT WORK AROUND US

BY HANNAH DOECKE

It has been a joy to begin working in the child and youth ministry space with strong support from our St James Lutheran Church and college in the Hervey Bay suburb of Urraween Queensland. This gives me great hope for our mission and ministry connecting with the local community, particularly through St James Lutheran College.

My role is supported by the congregation, along with an LCANZ Local Mission Seed Fund grant which was received for our Community Connection and Growth Project. In my first few weeks, I have focused on the JAM (Jesus And Me) Kids program, creating intentional spaces and an altar display reflecting the liturgical colours throughout the church year. This display is visible to college staff and students using the space during the week. I have also recruited new and returning volunteers, allowing us to form multiple JAM Kids groups with agespecific content.

I have developed a Term 1 2025 curriculum for JAM Kids and am working on the rest of the year. The curriculum follows the lectionary, focusing mainly on the gospel reading for the week, but occasionally the Old or New Testament texts. Each week highlights a key theme or message, with content tailored to different age groups.

activities and guide music time. This approach prevents burnout and ensures sustainability.

Leaders have also noted that smaller, tailored groups foster more meaningful conversations, particularly with older children, making the experience more enjoyable for both volunteers and participants.

I am currently recruiting volunteers for a youth group for Years 3-6 and Years 7-12 students, to be run on Monday afternoons. I am also developing a curriculum distinct from the lectionary, with each term exploring relevant themes. The youth group will provide a space for fellowship, fun and faith-building through shared afternoon tea, games, small group discussions and Bible study.

I AM EXCITED TO SEE GROWTH IN THIS MINISTRY AND LOOK FORWARD TO WITNESSING GOD’S WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY.

Many students, especially those confirmed in 2024, have expressed a strong desire to deepen their understanding of God and theology, a need this group aims to meet.

Feedback from JAM Kids leaders has been overwhelmingly positive. Volunteers appreciate that I handle the setup and content creation, reducing their workload. Now, they simply pick up a prepared lesson, facilitate discussions, lead craft

Additionally, I have met with College Principal Michael Stock and, starting in Term 2, will launch a Youth Alpha program during Friday morning tea breaks. Open to all high school students, this initiative will be supported by the college chaplain and promoted within the college. It offers students a chance to explore the basics of the Christian faith, ask questions and wrestle with their beliefs.

This program aims to strengthen ties between the college and the church, encouraging students to join the youth group and possibly attend church with their families.

I am excited to see growth in this ministry and look forward to witnessing God’s work in our St James community.

Hannah Doecke is the Child & Youth Ministry Coordinator for St James Lutheran Church Hervey Bay, in Queensland.

As part of its engagement with co-located Victory Lutheran College, Wodonga Lutheran Parish held a Gospel Fluency workshop to help church members connect with the college and wider communities. Among those involved were Pastor Brett Kennett and Erin Grainger from the LCA’s Victoria-Tasmania District, Wodonga’s Mission and Ministry Coordinator Lisa Enever, workshop facilitator Pastor Nathan Hedt and Wodonga Parish Council Chair Alex Sweetman.

BEGINNING IN MISSION

BY RON ASQUITH

The story of our mission outreach at Wodonga Lutheran Parish in Victoria began by acknowledging the truth that to meet our strategic vision, we had to ask ourselves some hard questions. Our vision is to be a welcoming, compassionate and growing church in which Christ’s love inspires transformation and growth in individuals, their families and the community, with a faith that endures forever.

But how can we do this when our challenges reflect the challenges being experienced through many parishes within the LCANZ?

How can we effectively communicate the message of Jesus to more people, more often and in more places when it is difficult to sustain growth within our own parish?

To answer these questions, we used our strategic plan as the framework and cut our outreach planning into ‘bite-sized’ pieces so that it did not overwhelm us. We concentrated on what needed to be done and how best to do this, before looking at funding. After all, our strategic plan starts with Jeremiah 29:11: ‘“For I know the plans I have for you”’, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.’

So, firstly, we considered the time needed to give this outreach the best chance of success. Our strategic plan is over three years, and the outreach program is intentionally aligned with this plan. We believe this allows us to experience what works and what doesn’t, helping us to refine processes and strategies and build a self-sustaining system that will endure. In doing so, we will allow people to explore what it means to be a Christian and we can walk with people in their faith journey. Secondly, it became apparent that we needed to appoint a coordinator rather than relying solely on church members.

OUR VISION IS TO BE A WELCOMING, COMPASSIONATE AND GROWING CHURCH IN WHICH CHRIST’S LOVE INSPIRES TRANSFORMATION AND GROWTH.

Such an appointment provides value in terms of consistency and focus, planning and execution, volunteer support, accountability, reducing burnout among church members and sustained engagement – this is particularly important given our engagement with Victory Lutheran College in Wodonga. A role description was developed for a 0.6FTE mission and ministry coordinator position.

Thirdly, we identified risks associated with the program and how we could overcome or mitigate them. This exercise was important and informed us of other resources needed before we established our budget.

Before taking our plan to the members, we applied to the LLL via the Victorian District, for a $25,000 mission outreach grant. By God’s grace, our application was successful, encouraging us to press on in our mission.

But there was one more amazing twist to our story – the establishment of the LCANZ Local Mission Fund. We give glory to God for the establishment of this fund and for the support we have received to increase the mission and ministry coordinator role to 1.0FTE.

Many initiatives are being planned and implemented, including close engagement with the college. We look forward to sharing these stories in future.

Ron Asquith is the treasurer of Wodonga Lutheran Parish, Victoria.

The Combined Churches Welcome Pack Project, instigated by Victor Harbor Lutheran Church, is a collaborative effort among churches on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula to welcome and connect with the growing number of new residents moving into the community. The project offers newcomers a visit and a gift from a member of a local Christian church. Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig explains.

In 2024, an idea emerged during a meeting of pastoral assistants at Victor Harbor Lutheran Church, South Australia. Soon after, 12 church leaders from various denominations across the South Coast met to explore how they could work together to welcome and connect with the many new residents moving into the area approximately 80 kilometres south of Adelaide.

The church leaders agreed to establish a program in which new residents would receive a welcome visit and gift from a member of a local Christian church. The initiative has since become known as the Combined Churches Welcome Pack Project. With care, this plan aims to provide opportunities for new relationships to grow.

In October 2024, Victor Harbor Lutheran Church received a $10,000 LCANZ Local Mission Seed Project Fund grant to support the project. Since then, the project has been shared with other local churches, and a development team of lay volunteers from across the many churches has formed.

On 2 February 2025, the Combined Churches Welcome Pack project was launched during an ‘Eat Together Pray Together’ event, which drew around 400 Christians from the region. (A promotional video about the event is at https://vimeo. com/1048805979/92784cb512?share=copy)

In short, the welcome pack project is all about Christians going out, speaking peace and building relationships with people who have moved into the area.

Work also has begun on creating a magazine and a supporting regional website at www.greatsouthcoast.com.au

A key factor in the project’s success is the willingness of local Christians to respond to God’s call to become a ‘welcome to the Great South Coast’ visitor. These visitors will be coordinated to deliver welcome packs to new residents and, where possible, grow neighbourly friendships that may help new residents become curious about the faith and local churches.

To ensure God has the best opportunity to work through these visits, all official visitors will undergo visitor and evangelism training. Provided by Encounter Youth – an organisation that trains the Green Team to have faith conversations at the Victor Harbor Schoolies Festival – the training will equip visitors to engage in discussions about faith in everyday life. Two identical training sessions will be offered at different times in May.

During the launch event, attendees prayed that God would send into his harvest field workers who are equipped to confidently engage in faith conversations. Approximately 10 per cent of those present signed up to attend visitor and evangelism training. The official visitors will be commissioned at a ‘Church Together’ worship gathering in June 2025.

We are truly blessed to be involved in ministry here in Victor Harbor at such a significant time. We give thanks to God for the ways he is leading his church to work together in mission.

Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig is the Welcome Pack Project Leader for Victor Harbor Lutheran Church, South Australia and pastor at Victor Harbor Lutheran Church.

BY JOHN MEIER

The dynamics of our congregation at Immanuel Lutheran Church in the rural town of Kadina in South Australia have changed. While our numbers are increasing, we no longer have a youth or family presence.

But having been awarded a Local Mission Seed Project Fund grant by the LCANZ, we now can reach out to those who have not heard the good news of Jesus, as well as to those who have heard it but put it away.

Inspired by an article in the June-July 2024 edition of The Lutheran about the Local Mission Fund, our congregation met after church one Sunday. We acknowledged the urgent need to act and considered possible mission ventures. A small committee committed to review suggested options and put a grant application together.

We noted that in the 2021 Census statistics for our Copper Coast region on Yorke Peninsula, 8,707 people –58 per cent of the population – did not identify with any religion. There were 356 people who indicated they were ‘Lutheran’, yet our communicant membership is 106. The potential harvest in both areas is large!

Events will be held at the Kadina, Moonta and Wallaroo town halls, while Ian has also agreed to speak at Maitland Lutheran School and Harvest Christian College, Kadina.

We have invited other Copper Coast Christian churches from the local inter-church fellowship to join our outreach. Their response has been very positive.

Pastor Jeremy Smith is doing a great job in proclaiming the gospel to our congregation. We pray that our outreach program will also help bring this message to many more in our community. Our follow-up is a key priority for us so that people will feel welcome in our church, get to know who Jesus is, experience what the love of God means and come to faith in Jesus as their Saviour.

OUR MEMBERS ARE EXCITED BY THIS MISSION VENTURE … PLEASE PRAY THAT THROUGH IT, THE LORD WOULD BRING MANY PEOPLE INTO THE SAVING GRACE OF JESUS

We have been working with other local churches to host an Alpha course, which introduces participants to the core principles of the Christian faith, as the basis for this follow-up. Pastor Stephen Schultz, the LCANZ’s Assistant Bishop and the SA-NT District’s Assistant Bishop for Mission, agreed to hold a mission workshop to help us prepare.

The consensus was to invite New Zealand evangelist Ian McCormack who, similar to Saint Paul, had a glimpse of eternity and was given a second chance at life. While Ian had considered himself an atheist, he is now an ordained minister and preacher for Jesus and has spoken in more than 60 countries worldwide. Our aim in asking Ian to share his testimony is to attract unbelievers, people who have doubts, or who wonder what life is about and those who consider themselves atheists. We are extending invitations via a bulk mailout and using local TV, newspaper and social media.

Our outreach meetings are scheduled for May this year. We seek God’s help in our preparation, planning, fine-tuning and overcoming challenges that may face us.

Our members are excited by this mission venture and are thankful for the Local Mission Fund grant. Please pray with us that through it, the Lord would bring many people into the saving grace of Jesus.

PRAYER

POINTS

6–12 APRIL

New LCA International Mission leader Pastor Mark Schultz and Program Officer Erin Kerber as they serve in mission with the church’s overseas partners

13–19 APRIL

Christians worldwide, as they commemorate Palm Sunday (13 April) and Holy Week and prepare to celebrate the resurrection joy of Easter Sunday (20 April)

20–26 APRIL

Our nations’ servicemen and women and those who have lost loved ones in wars on ANZAC Day (25 April)

27 APRIL–3 MAY

Participants, sponsors and organisers of ALWS Walk My Way events in Adelaide (3 May) and Brisbane (10 May) and the children blessed by money raised

4–10 MAY

Delegates and organisers of the upcoming SA-NT (17-18 May) and Qld (30 May–1 June) District Conventions of Synod in Adelaide and Cairns

11–17 MAY

All mothers, those who are missing their mums and those who have longed to be mothers, as we mark Mother’s Day (11 May)

18–24 MAY

Young people both within and outside of the LCANZ on the eve of New Zealand’s National Youth Week (19–25 May)

25–31 MAY

Positive, respectful relationships between all Australians, as we mark National Reconciliation Week (27 May–3 June)

BY CRAIG HEIDENREICH

For anyone interested in mission, it’s

hard to go past the account of Jesus sending out the 70 in Luke 10.

Read Luke 10:1–24.

One of the reasons I find this passage so compelling is the joy Jesus displays as the disciples return (v21). The simple obedience of these unnamed disciples brought great joy to his heart, and we can too! The essence of Jesus' mission strategy is that we connect with the ‘person of peace’. When I am living with the expectation that God is already working in the hearts of people around us, this becomes a daily ‘treasure hunt’.

How do we find these treasures? Re-read verses 5–9.

I see four key steps in these verses which seem to unfold in a sequence. The steps are to bless, eat, heal and tell.

Step 1: Bless – Re-read verse 5.

As the disciples approach people, they are to offer the standard Hebrew greeting – ‘Shalom’, which is translated as ‘peace’. Shalom is the profound peace of complete wellbeing. When we bless people from our hearts before we even get to know them, they are more likely to respond.

Step 2: Eat – Re-read verses 7,8. What do you notice about Jesus’ instructions in these verses?

This step takes time as we dwell with people. Jesus speaks of typical Middle Eastern hospitality and the open-hearted person who opens their home. In our culture, we may find a way to enter into the world of the receptive person in everyday situations where people linger and talk.

What examples can you think of?

Recently, my wife and I connected with a Hindu waitress at an Indian restaurant. After only two visits she wants us to meet her relatives and is introducing us to the other staff! While we ‘eat what they give us’, we are incubating honesty so that people open up about their concerns. This is crucial if we are to introduce the kingdom of God.

Step 3: Heal – Re-read verse 9a. In what different ways can we follow this instruction of Jesus?

We can engage with people where they need healing and give them a taste of Jesus as a person. We can pray for bodies and hearts.

Recently, I spoke with a Buddhist man who felt his shameful affair had affected his son's health with chronic asthma. We had been talking about Jesus – and I felt prompted to offer, ‘Let’s pray and ask Jesus to heal your son as a sign that he has forgiven you’.

Essentially, this is the moment a person can ‘touch’ Jesus and experience him. You may not have faith to pray for a miracle, but we can act in ways to show people how much Jesus cares – enough to die for them.

Step 4: Tell – Re-read verse 9b. What do you discover in this text about what Jesus wants us to do?

The kingdom is all about the King. We just point to Jesus, acknowledging that all we have done is because of him. We could keep people depending on us, but the time is ripe to invite them to relate to Jesus themselves.

An example was a visit with some Muslim friends of ours. The lady of the house was unwell, so my wife joined a group of women comforting her. As they sat on the bed, she felt moved to tell them the story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed. The women were fascinated that the ‘important’ man would respond lovingly to a ‘lowly’ woman, and they asked: ‘Can we pray to Jesus too?’ The answer is yes!

Jesus is the very embodiment of the Father’s love. He is also the King and each of us either follows or rejects him. By the power of the Spirit, our time with the person of peace may clarify questions and bring them to a decision about Jesus as Lord. Jesus encourages the disciples to press on even when some people reject the King. We are to dust ourselves off and continue the treasure hunt!

Craig Heidenreich is the LCANZ’s SA-NT District’s Mission Facilitator and a cross-cultural ministry coach.

LUTHERAN MEDIA SHARES 80 YEARS OF BLESSINGS

BY JOANNE CHAMBERLAIN

To get its 80th-anniversary celebrations underway, Lutheran Media has launched a book on its history entitled Lutheran media ministry in Australia and New Zealand: 80 years of blessings.

Available now for purchase, the special edition traverses the timeline of Lutheran media ministry in the two countries, from humble beginnings on radio in 1945 to a current reach in the millions via multiple media platforms.

The book also includes commentary from past presenters, directors, staff and ministry partners and features anecdotes from former directors, pastors Robert Wiebusch, Richard Mau and Richard Fox, along with mission partners in New Zealand and Lutheran Hour Ministries in the United States. Each contributor shares how Lutheran Media ministries have inspired millions of people with messages of hope.

SAME MESSAGE, NEW METHODS

Also covered by the publication is the transition through media influences and creative ways to reach people with the gospel. There are common threads of budget constraints, shared stories and lives transformed through various projects.

With inspiration from US soldiers during World War II to broadcast ‘The Lutheran Hour’ in Australia, and innovation that has brought ‘Messages of hope’ alive through podcasts and videos, our shared stories of hope through Christ reach across continents and social barriers.

As she serves as Lutheran Media manager today, Dr Tania Nelson says she is ‘inspired and encouraged’ by the words of St Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:6–9: ‘I [Paul] planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow ... For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.’ ‘I am thankful to God, who makes the messages of hope seeds – that are watered by our faithful supporters – to grow’, she says. ‘To God be the glory!’

Buy your copy of Lutheran media ministry in Australia and New Zealand: 80 years of blessings through the website https://lutheranmedia.org.au/store/ product/80-years-of-blessings/ or by calling 1800 353 350. You can also buy a copy through the Lutheran Media office at 197 Archer Street, North Adelaide, South Australia.

LIVING EASTER EVERY DAY

BY ANNE HANSEN

Easter is the culmination of God’s plan for our redemption. He had planned this from the beginning of the world and now, because of the resurrection, we can live in the hope of eternal life. This can be experienced every day, not just during the Lenten and Easter seasons.

As we read in 1 Peter 1:3, ‘Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us a new birth and a living hope. This hope is living because Jesus Christ rose from the dead’. Yes, Jesus came to bring life and hope for every day! Things may worry us from our past and in our tomorrows, but we have the hope of Jesus as our future.

BRINGING OUR HOPE TO LIFE

Lutheran Tract Mission (LTM) has many resources to bring this hope of life everlasting to you each day. There are postcards to put on your fridge to remind you of God’s love, bookmarks telling of the hope that is yours and devotional tracts to share with a friend. Go to the LTM website at www.ltm.org.au and check out the SALVATION category.

DEVOTIONS TO CONTINUE YOUR LENTEN JOURNEY

While Lent is already well underway for 2025, it’s not too late to incorporate something extra into your Lenten reflections and devotions.

Lutheran Tract Mission (LTM) has produced a booklet of 47 devotions entitled ‘Miraculous Jesus’ – you may have already read some in the LCA’s Daily Devotions. I chose the title ‘Miraculous Jesus’ for a reason. In the devotions we go through each of the gospels in turn, discovering all the amazing miracles Jesus performed in his life and even into his death.

‘Miraculous Jesus’ is available on the LTM website to be downloaded and printed or used as a digital flipbook. Go to www.ltm.org.au/flipbk/lenten-2025/

Anne Hansen is LTM’s Tract Development Officer.

the Footsteps of Apostle Paul in Greece and Western Turkey

15 - 25 May 2026

Stand at the foot of the Acropolis where Apostle Paul preached, challenging the ‘Unknown God’ of Greek philosophy (Acts 17:16-34). Here was the beginning of Christianity in Europe. Follow in the evangelist Paul’s footsteps, as we journey from the majesty of the Acropolis to Thessalonica, Corinth and more. Take time to enjoy the beauty of picture-perfect islands of Mykonos, Santorini and Patmos as we sail across seas that Paul traversed.

IDEAS FOR PENTECOST

Otherwise known as the birthday of the church, Pentecost Sunday closes the season of Easter. It is the celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the colour red symbolises the fire associated with the coming of the Holy Spirit. This year Pentecost will be celebrated on Sunday 8 June. The GIFT (Growing in Faith Together) Pentecost resource includes some simple suggestions for celebrating Pentecost, whether at home with family members or in worship with your congregation.

These include inviting everyone to wear red on Pentecost Sunday, hanging red, yellow and orange balloons from the ceiling, inviting children to cut out dove shapes and pass them out in worship during the ‘passing of the peace’, providing a special ‘birthday party’ morning tea and singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the church. Download GIFT Pentecost for free at: www.growministries.org.au/gift-pentecost-e-resource

ALWS partners in Ukraine are working with the UN’s refugee agency to build underground schools for 3,245 students and 581 school staff, so that they can safely take part in face-to-face learning despite living in a war zone.

WHAT ELSE?

This year, Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) celebrates its 75th anniversary – that’s three-quarters of a century of our church serving the most vulnerable people through our own overseas aid and development agency. To mark its special birthday, ALWS is hosting Walk My Way anniversary events and setting an ambitious goal to support 75,000 children with the essentials for a happy, healthy life. Just $25 per child can help to provide food, schooling and safety.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Upcoming Walk My Way events will be held in Adelaide on 3 May and Brisbane on 10 May. Events were held in March at Bonegilla Migrant Centre near the twin towns of Albury/Wodonga (learn more about Bonegilla on pages 26 and 27) and in suburban Melbourne.

Join a celebration event and make a donation that will change the future for a child impacted by poverty and war in Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Burundi, Bangladesh, Nepal and Ukraine. Register now at www.alws75.org.au or call 1300 763 407.

The Adelaide event will include two Walk My Way courses and a chance to farewell the Churchwide Lutheran precinct at North Adelaide, including tours of ALC buildings and a garage sale. It will also include the launch of former ALWS Director Brian Neldner’s memoirs, Table of Eight In Brisbane, the ‘Riverside Ramble’ event will feature Ukrainian food and culture.

For Holy Trinity Sunday, which follows Pentecost on 15 June, the GIFT resources ‘Fruits of the Spirit’ (www.growministries. org.au/gift-fruits-of-the-spirit) and ‘What we believe’ (www.growministries.org. au/06-gift-what-we-believe) contain helpful information and ideas.

EASTER SERVICES NEEDS COVERED

The LCANZ’s Commission on Worship has been preparing this year's worship resources for Lent and Easter and, as usual, you will find them available four weeks in advance. All resources for Lent, including Holy Week, and the beginning of the Easter season are now available on the Worship Planning Page at www.lca.org.au/worship/wpp/ Holy Week this year begins with Palm Sunday on 13 April and ends on Easter Sunday on 20 April. In addition to Sunday services and feast days, Lenten mid-week resources for your private devotions are available under the ‘Seasonal Resources’ tab.

GET HELP

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic and family violence, visit www.anrows.org.au/get-support or call 1800 RESPECT (24-hour National Sexual Assault Family Domestic Violence

PRAY FOR GOD’S MISSION

Prayer is a vital part of engagement in God's mission. Through prayer, we hear God's voice, and he helps us to see people and situations the way he does.

Since August 2022, LCA International Mission has hosted an online prayer gathering on the last Tuesday of each month between February and November at noon ACST. Starting times: 9.30am (WA), 11am (NT), 11.30am (Qld), noon (SA), 12.30pm (Vic, NSW, ACT, Tas), 2.30pm (NZ)

Each month a different ministry/partner is asked to be involved. The session starts with a 15-minute presentation in which the ministry/partner informs those online about their ministry/themselves before those gathered pray for them and/or the ministry.

SAFE CHURCH TRAINING UPDATES

By providing a Safe Church training program, the LCANZ assists congregations and other bodies to promote high standards of ethical behaviour and care for all, especially for children and others in vulnerable circumstances.

Our training is part of the LCA’s commitment to reflecting God’s love through the way we treat each other and those who come into contact with our church.

In addition to the option of completing the LCANZ’s Safe Church training in a self-paced online format, there are regular live online webinars scheduled as an alternative for Levels 1 and 2 of the training. To find out when the next live online sessions will be held, go to www.lca.org.au/safechurch-training/#upcoming-training

20–26 APR

27 APR–3

50:4–9a

65:17–25

118:1, 2, 14–24

JOIN OUR OVERSEAS PARTNERS

You are invited to join in God's mission by praying for (and with) our partners in mission at these online sessions. LCC Tang Krang Community Centre Cambodia is the scheduled guest for 29 April, while GKPS Rehabilitasi Berbasis Masyarakat of Indonesia will join the prayer gathering on 27 May. Contact LCA International Mission Program Officer Erin Kerber at erin.kerber@lca.org.au for more information and to receive the link to connect online.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE LIVE ONLINE

If you would like to participate in upcoming sessions, please email psd.training@lca.org.au with the following details:

• your name

• your congregation

• the session for which you are registering. For more information, visit the Safe Church Training webpage at www.lca.org.au/safechurchtraining

LECTIONARY READINGS

2:5–11

22:14–23:56

For more prayer and devotional resources, including a listing of daily Bible readings for each day of the church year, go to www.lca.org.au/wpp/prayers-devotions • Lutheran Tract Mission also provides the readings in a booklet, which can be accessed electronically at www.ltm.org.au/tract/view/70593-daily-bible-readings-for-2024 or as a printed booklet through the LTM office (phone 08 8360 7222) for a donation of 20c per copy.

so a child can step up! Step out ...

When Jesus welcomed the little children, he encouraged us to follow in his footsteps in bringing love to life for those overlooked and forgotten by the world. Our Lutheran Church provides practical care to the world’s poorest communities through ALWS. In 2025, to celebrate 75 years of service, ALWS aims to support 75,000 children with the essentials for a happy, healthy life – food, school and safety.

ADELAIDE

Saturday 3 May

Parks & River Walk

• Farewell to North Adelaide Lutheran precinct

• Fun, food & festivities

• Lutheran ministries hub

• Guided tours of ALC buildings

• Book launch: Table of Eight

BRISBANE

Saturday 10 May

Riverside Ramble

• Community hub

• Ukrainian food and culture

Just $25 per child helps ensure children have nutritious food to grow up strong. School so they are free to flourish. Safety in families independent and hopeful for the future.

You can support this bold 75th ministry goal through ALWS Walk My Way.

Whether you step out yourself … or support a walker … or give a donation … you bring love to life to help 75,000 children step up to the life every child deserves.

• How you like

• ALWS will help you!

CALLS

Extended

• Rev Matthew P Bishop – Blair Athol SA to Bethlehem Adelaide SA (0.5FTE)

• Rev Michael D Dutschke – Bridgewater SA to Para Vista SA

• Rev Mark A Gierus – Redlands Qld to Alberton Qld

• Rev Paul A Hage – Redeemer Toowoomba Qld to Tabeel Retirement Village Laidley Qld

• Rev Ben J Hentschke – Qld District to Southern Barossa Churches SA

• Rev Nicholas K Kitchen – Mountainside Auckland NZ to St Pauls Caboolture Qld

• Rev Lee S Kroehn – Rochedale Qld to Novar Gardens SA

• Rev James N Leach – Central West Parish NSW to St Pauls Caboolture Qld

• Rev Leon N Rosenberg – Ferryden Park SA to SA-NT District (Interim Ministry assignment to Elizabeth SA)

Accepted

• Rev Matthew P Bishop – Blair Athol SA to Bethlehem Adelaide SA (0.5FTE)

• Rev Mark A Gierus – Redlands Qld to Alberton Qld

• Rev Leon N Rosenberg – Ferryden Park SA to SA-NT District (Interim Ministry assignment to Elizabeth SA)

Declined

• Rev Jonathan M Goessling – Tatachilla Lutheran College McLaren Vale SA to Warradale SA

• Rev Ben J Hentschke – Qld District to Golden Grove SA

• Rev Ben J Hentschke – Qld District to Southern Barossa Churches SA

• Rev Nicholas K Kitchen – Mountainside Auckland NZ to St Pauls Caboolture Qld

Hubert Krenske In Memoriam

Rev Hubert Krenske born 20 May 1944 (Gatton Qld); married Jean Helen Krenske nee Timm 4 Jan 1970 (Biloela Qld); ordained 27 Dec 1970 (Biloela Qld); served Emerald Qld (1971–1975), Currumbin Qld (1975–1981), Highfields Qld (1981–1987), Nobby Qld (1987–1992), Murgon Qld (1992–1997), Rockhampton Qld (1997–2005), Pittsworth Qld (2005–2009); retired 28 June 2009; died 11 Jan 2025; funeral 22 Jan 2025 (St Johns Lutheran Church Wilsonton Qld); mourned by wife Jean, children Paul and Dean and families

GRADUATE ASSIGNMENT

• Rev Sean P Hotinski assigned to Goombungee-Maclagan Qld.

ORDINATIONS

• Rev Sean P Hotinski – Ordained as a General Ministry Pastor on Sunday 16 February 2025 at St Paul’s Lutheran Church Blair Athol SA by Bishop Paul Smith

Upcoming ordinations

For updated information relating to upcoming ordinations including times, please visit the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/callsemployment-volunteering

INSTALLATIONS

• Rev Robert P Bartholomaeus – installed to Living Faith Greater Geelong Vic on 16 February 2025 by Bishop Lester Priebbenow

• Rev Mark R Schultz – installed as Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission at St Mark’s Lutheran Church Mount Barker SA on 23 February 2025 by Bishop Paul Smith

• Rev Simon J Mackenzie – installed to Port Lincoln Parish SA on 9 February 2025 by Bishop Andrew Brook

• Rev J Andrew Everson – installed to Naracoorte Parish SA on 26 January 2025 by Bishop Andrew Brook

• Rev Mark S Simpfendorfer – installed as Interim Specific Ministry Pastor at St Paul’s St Marys on 2 March 2025 by Bishop Richard Schwedes and Our Saviour Sutherland on 9 March 2025 by Bishop Richard Schwedes

Elmore Leske In Memoriam

Rev Dr Elmore Leske born 4 Apr 1928 (Rainbow Vic); ordained 25 Jan 1953 (St Stephens Rainbow Vic); married Pamela Judith Leske nee Wilksch 11 Apr 1953 (Bethlehem Adelaide SA); served Bethlehem Adelaide SA (1953–1957), Concordia College (teacher – 1948–1949, 1957–1959), Concordia College SA (principal – 1959–1968), Seconded to Lutheran Church of England, Westfield House, Cambridge England (principal – 1968–1977), Lutheran Teachers College (lecturer and vice-principal – 1977–1989), ALC (lecturer –1990–1996); retired 31 Dec 1996; died 26 Jan 2025; funeral 27 Feb 2025 (Bethlehem Lutheran Church Adelaide SA); mourned by wife Pamela, children Judy, Peter, Jonathan and Robin and families

• Rev Mark M Winter – installed to Pacific Lutheran College Caloundra Qld on 20 March 2025 by First Assistant Bishop Ben Hentschke

• Rev Greg J Bensted – installed to Bundaberg Parish at St Johns Bundaberg Qld on 23 March 2025 by First Assistant Bishop Ben Hentschke

• Rev Sean P Hotinski – installed to Goombungee/Maclagan Parish at St Matthews Goombungee Qld on 23 March 2025 by Bishop Mark Vainikka

ROLL OF PASTORS

• Rev Mark C Altmann – Readmitted to the LCANZ Roll of Pastors as Pastor Emeritus on 19 February 2025

• Rev Andrew C Bettison – Resigned from the LCANZ Roll of Pastors, effective 30 January 2025

• Rev Avito S J da Graca Costa – Resigned from the LCANZ Roll of Pastors, effective 1 February 2025

• Rev Kim D Kuchel – Change of call eligibility status from General Ministry Pastor to Pastor Emeritus from 2 Mar 2025

• Rev Joseph D Theodorsen – Resigned from the LCANZ Roll of Pastors, effective 31 Dec 2024

• Rev Adolf Warkki – Readmitted to the LCANZ Roll of Pastors as Pastor Emeritus on 19 Feb 2025

IN MEMORIAM

• Mrs Melva Laurel Stolz nee von Bertouch, widow of Emeritus Pastor Bill Stolz, died on 1 Mar 2025, age 102. Funeral service was held on 14 Mar 2025 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Hope Valley SA.

Rev Hartley Bernhard Hage born 31 May 1930 (Angaston SA); ordained 1 Mar 1953 (Immanuel Light Pass SA); married Myrtle Dorothy Hage nee Klemm 5 Jan 1955 (she died 14 July 2021); served New Guinea (teacher – 1955–1965), Point Pass SA (locum pastor – 1965), Light Pass Lutheran School (teacher – 1966–1967), PNG (teacher – 1968–1972), Eudunda SA (1973–1978), Jeparit Vic (1978–1984), Barmera SA (1985–1994), Tanunda Lutheran Home (chaplain – 1994–1997); retired Aug 1997; died 28 Feb 2025 (Tanunda SA); funeral 8 Mar 2025 (Immanuel Lutheran Church, Light Pass SA); mourned by children Evelyn Ewell, Rose Chilcott, Charles Hage, Grace Rethus, Paul Hage, Alice Lamnek and families

NEWS FROM AROUND OUR CHURCH ...

LCANZ gives thanks for ALWS 75th anniversary

Hundreds of LCANZ members and friends have gathered to thank God for the 75th anniversary of Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) at the places where the church’s overseas aid and development agency had its beginnings.

The weekend of celebration and thanksgiving events in March centred around Albury in the New South Wales Riverina and at Bonegilla, just over the Victorian border, where ALWS’s ministry of practical love and care had its roots in the service of a Lutheran pastor almost eight decades ago.

Bonegilla was a migrant reception centre and camp that became a temporary home to approximately 300,000 post-World War II refugees and migrants, from 1947 until its closure in 1971. In its early years, many at Bonegilla spoke German and a high percentage were Lutheran, so Pastor Bruno Muetzelfeldt, who served at nearby Albury, was asked to minister to the new arrivals (see also pp26,27)

On Saturday 22 March, almost 200 people joined the commemorations and celebrations at Bonegilla, with some travelling from as far as Mackay, North

Queensland, 2000 kilometres away. Former residents, some who had not previously returned to Bonegilla, shared memories of their time at the camp.

On the same day, 105 people participated in Bonegilla Walk My Way, walking all or part of the 10 kilometres return to the Old Bonegilla railway station. Through this and multiple other campaigns across 2025, including Walk My Ways in Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, Executive Director Michael Stolz said ALWS aimed to support 75,000 children whose lives are affected by war or poverty.

Also contributing to funds being raised are proceeds from the book Table of Eight,

Above: More than 100 people participated in Bonegilla Walk My Way to support children affected by war or poverty. Left: Former Bonegilla migrant centre residents shared their stories to mark the ALWS 75th anniversary. They are (front, from left): Kurt Engler, Brian Neldner (who worked at Bonegilla), Wilhelmina Dutschke, Herbert Rösch and Alfred Borchert; (back from left) Kath Hentschke (daughter of the late Sid Bartsch, former head of ALWS), Lutz Peters, Veronika Dolder, Ivar Schmidt, Margrit Friebel and Inta Grass.

which was launched on the anniversary weekend. It is the memoir of Dr Brian Neldner, whose own remarkable legacy of service in international aid and development began at Bonegilla.

Michael said that, as of the time of The Lutheran’s deadline, more than $16,700 had been raised, supporting 668 children. Adding to this will be an offering from the anniversary thanksgiving service at St Luke’s Lutheran Church Albury, on 23 March, at which LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith reflected on the origins of ALWS and the Christian life in service of others ‘whoever they are’, done in response to the saving message of the gospel.

LCA welcomes new leader for international mission

New LCA International Mission leader

Pastor Mark Schultz says he is excited ‘to see what God has in store’ for the church, as he starts his ‘next adventure’ in ministry. Pastor Mark was installed as Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith at St Mark’s Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills on 23 February.

Pastor Mark said: ‘If there is one thing I have learnt in ministry, it is that we cannot conceive the adventure that God has for us when we say “yes” to his call.’

‘So, I’m really excited to step out on this next adventure; to see what God has in store for the whole LCANZ, as we not only grow and strengthen relationships with our international gospel partners but also wholeheartedly trust God to provide the wisdom, the people and the resources needed to fulfil his missional command to all nations’, he said.

In his sermon for the installation service, Bishop Paul emphasised the importance and blessings of partnerships in the work of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Mark, who most recently served as lead pastor at the multi-ethnic, multisite LifeWay Lutheran Church in New South Wales, will remain based in Sydney and, along with Adelaide-based LCA International Mission Program Officer Erin Kerber, will continue to collaborate in mission with the LCANZ’s overseas partner churches.

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‘There is a huge amount of learning and listening to be done and plenty of mistakes that will be made’, he said. ‘But knowing that we journey with the God of grace means that the overriding feeling is one of anticipation. I can’t wait to see what the Spirit does in us here in Australia and New Zealand, and through us as we work with and learn from our global brothers and sisters in Christ.’

Ordination questions videos

LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith has recorded a suite of short videos on questions about ordination. These resources are based on short papers he prepared for the church in the lead-up to last year's Regular Convention of General Synod.

At that convention in Adelaide, LCANZ delegates resolved to remove the teaching in our church which prohibits the ordination of women.

‘Since the convention, I suggested to our College of Bishops that it would help some people in our church if I presented those brief papers in the form of videos so that people didn't have to read but could watch or listen to the material’,

Bishop Paul said. ‘In some conversations around the matter of ordination, sometimes people have been too quick to judge their sisters and brothers as unfaithful. Some people have published inaccurate information. Some have sought to make other Christians afraid. Some people have spoken very poorly of the work of the church and its faithful leaders.

‘I commend (the videos) to our gracious God, trusting that this work will help deepen the knowledge and study of the Scriptures and of the Lutheran Confessions amongst us.’

You can watch the videos at www.lca.org.au/bishop/ordination-videos

Save the date for online General Synod

A day-long online LCA Convention of General Synod will be held on 18 October 2025. The special convention will address business referred and deferred from the 21st Regular Convention of General Synod held in Adelaide in October 2024. No new business will be able to be added to the agenda.

Delegates at the online meeting will be tasked with considering and approving a doctrinal statement on ordination, as resolved by Synod in 2024. This statement has been prepared by the LCA’s Commission on Theology and InterChurch Relations as directed by Synod, and will also be addressed by an online

General Pastors Conference prior to the special convention.

Other ‘unfinished business’ from October 2024 scheduled to be addressed are proposals to: accept the full participation of Specific Ministry Pastors; adopt changes to church complaints handling, appeals and discipline processes; and continue the Hidden Hurts Healing Hearts Domestic and Family Violence Awareness campaign; as well as that any alternate Synod delegates from another parish are to be lay members.

Delegates will be contacted soon with further information.

New Assistant Bishop elected for WA District

Pastor Glenn Crouch is the new Assistant Bishop of the LCA’s Western Australia District. Pastor Glenn, who serves at St John’s Lutheran Church in Esperance and also oversees St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, was elected to the part-time role at the WA District Convention of Synod held in Perth from 28 February to 2 March.

Corrections

ST JOHN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH JEPARIT VICTORIA

Anniversary THANKSGIVING SERVICE

of church building dedication

LCA Western Australia District Bishop Peter Hage greets new District Assistant Bishop Glenn Crouch during the WA District Synod held in Perth from 28 February to 2 March. Pastor Glenn succeeds Pastor Kim Kuchel, who has retired.

Pastor Glenn succeeds Pastor Kim Kuchel, who has retired from pastoral ministry. Pastor Kim, who most recently served parttime with the Katanning–Narrogin Parish southeast of Perth, was elected as Assistant Bishop in 2024 and did not seek re-election. The role of WA District Bishop was not up for election this year. Bishop Peter Hage was elected for an initial four-year term in 2024.

In the Going GREYT! column on page 23 of the February-March 2025 edition of The Lutheran, the photograph of Lyall and Lois Kupke’s 50th wedding anniversary was from January 2024, not 2014, as captioned, while the Wendish Society photo was taken at Peters Hill, not Rosedale as published. We apologise for these editing errors.

Sunday 7 September 2025, 10am More details to follow.

21 June 2025 – Thank You Lunch Kies Family Wines, Lyndoch, SA

31 August 2025 – High Tea Concordia College, Toowoomba, Qld

2 November 2025 – Worship Service and Lunch

St Michael’s Hahndorf, SA All welcome!

For more details and to register to attend, go to: www.lutheranmedia.org.au/events

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LCANZ COMPLAINTS

Many complaints can be resolved before lasting hurt is caused, by addressing them quickly in a non-threatening manner and by raising the issue directly with the relevant person or organisation in a thoughtful and courteous manner. If this is not applicable or possible in your situation, you may lodge a complaint with the Professional Standards Department in any of the following ways: Phone the free-call number (Aust 1800 644 628 NZ 0800 356 887), email complaints@lca.org.au or write to Confidential, PO Box 519, Marden SA 5070.

Many in our church know of Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) and the work it does with the support of our Lutheran family. But far fewer would have heard of Rev Dr Bruno Muetzelfeldt, the man described as ‘the architect’ of what would become our LCANZ’s overseas aid and development agency.

More than 20 years after his death, Pastor Bruno Muetzelfeldt is still regarded as a key figure in post-World War II migration and resettlement efforts in Australia. He is particularly remembered for providing pastoral care and advocacy for Lutheran migrants.

Pastor Muetzelfeldt coordinated a ‘whole of church’ ministry, supporting refugees to learn English and find work and housing, and connecting them with Lutheran churches. Today, thanks to his legacy, our church annually supports more than 400,000 people impacted by war and poverty in 14 countries.

But how did this German-born son of a training centre director become the forebear of ALWS? And how did what began as an effort to ‘welcome the stranger’ on ‘home’ soil at a migrant centre near the NSW-Victoria border evolve into a ministry of compassion, care and dignity reaching out across the globe? Born in 1918 in Düsseldorf, Bruno would have gained insight into being a refugee when he was still young. By the time he was 16, he and his family fled their homeland for Australia. Bruno’s father, Rev Karl Muetzelfeldt, was the director of a training centre for teachers, deaconesses, nurses and social workers, from 1923 to 1933 near Düsseldorf. In 1933, Karl was arrested due to his public opposition to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party and, upon his release, began to look for positions overseas. His wife had Jewish heritage and he believed his family’s non-Aryan background placed them in danger. The United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Australia (UELCA) offered him a position as a lecturer in education at Immanuel Seminary and College, North Adelaide, South Australia. So, in 1934, Bruno Muetzelfeldt emigrated to South Australia with his father, mother Gertrud Muetzelfeldt, and three sisters.

They disembarked at Port Adelaide on 5 August and were taken directly to Immanuel College, North Adelaide.

Bruno studied at Immanuel College and then at Immanuel Seminary. He graduated in 1939 and was ordained that same year by his father. Among those assisting was UELCA General President Rev JJ Stolz, who would later become Bruno’s fatherin-law. Pastor Bruno Muetzelfeldt began his parish ministry at the UELCA Albury parish in NSW in 1939. In 1942 in Walla Walla NSW, he married kindergarten director Frieda Marie Helene Stolz, and the couple had two sons.

Following the end of World War II in 1945, many migrants to Australia were Lutheran, including displaced persons from Germany, Hungary, Poland and the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Their bridge – or common – language was German. The UELCA was affiliated with the same international peak body, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), as the churches from which many migrants had come, and considered that it had a responsibility for their welfare.

The church also recognised that it could play an important role in providing pastoral care, advice and resettlement assistance. After negotiation with the Australian Government and the World Council of Churches, the UELCA was authorised to provide services to Lutheran migrants in all government immigration centres.

The first Commonwealth Reception Centre was established in the former army camp at Bonegilla, Victoria, in 1947. Pastor Muetzelfeldt’s proximity in nearby Albury, fluency in English and German, and his own experience as a migrant placed him in the ideal position to minister to migrants at Bonegilla Immigration Centre.

Facing page: The Muetzelfeldt family, including Bruno (far right), when they emigrated to Australia in 1934. Above left: Pastor Muetzelfeldt (far right), with LWS–A staff Brian Neldner, Eeva-Liisa Viheriakoski, Ora Simpfendorfer, Lorna Koetz and Margaret Bruveris, on the day Pastor Muetzelfeldt departed for Geneva to serve with LWF. Above right: LCA and LWS representatives sign the Record of Understanding, which formed ALWS. From left, pastors David Paech, Lance Steicke and Bruno Muetzelfeldt, Brian Neldner, Max Otto and Sid Bartsch.

So, alongside his regular pastoral duties at Albury, Pastor Muetzelfeldt began providing chaplaincy and pastoral care at Bonegilla Immigration Centre in 1947. This involved holding church services, Sunday school, confirmation instruction, performing baptisms, marriages and burials, and assisting migrants with problems. Another duty for Pastor Muetzelfeldt was to compile lists of Lutheran migrants placed in jobs throughout the country and inform the nearest Lutheran minister of their location. When a second Commonwealth Immigration Centre was established at Bathurst NSW in 1948, he provided chaplaincy services there too.

Pastor Muetzelfeldt was holding services for migrants nearly every Sunday. By mid-1948, it was clear that chaplaincy at Bonegilla could no longer be carried out part-time from Albury. There were up to 1000 Lutherans there at any one time, and his work extended to liaison with government officials and advocacy for new arrivals at the centre.

To this end, Pastor Muetzelfeldt was called by UELCA to become the full-time Migrant Chaplain with the Commonwealth Immigration Department at Bonegilla. He began this position on 1 October 1948.

He moved to Geneva in 1960, where he served first as Lutheran World Service (LWS) Secretary for Relief and Resettlement.

In 1961, he was elected Director of the Department of World Service – at 43, the youngest person to hold the position. Under his leadership, LWS expanded its operations globally, particularly in Africa, and developed strong partnerships with organisations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

In 1962, Pastor Muetzelfeldt was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by Capital University, Ohio, for his ‘excellent work’ serving ‘the Lord and his church’.

TODAY, THANKS TO HIS LEGACY, OUR CHURCH ANNUALLY SUPPORTS

MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE IMPACTED BY WAR AND POVERTY IN 14 COUNTRIES.

At the UELCA General Synod in September 1950, he was appointed Executive Migration Officer, and thereby, Chair of the Board of Immigration. His duties were to liaise with LWF, and other church organisations connected with immigration work; represent UELCA at government immigration departments, employment services, and social agencies; promote the program of the church in immigration matters, and promote immigration matters in the church; and oversee, guide and counsel the respective district immigration representatives and migrant pastors.

By early 1951 the Bonegilla office was named as the Australian field office of the international LWF Service to Refugees (LWS–A), and Pastor Muetzelfeldt as its first representative overseeing resettlement and humanitarian aid.

By the mid-1960s, under his guidance, the Lutheran Board of Immigration in Australia provided pastoral services in eight languages. His work laid the foundation for the LCA’s ongoing commitment to supporting refugees and migrants, both in Australia and internationally.

Bruno Muetzelfeldt retired in 1980, and his family returned to Australia, where he served on welfare and aid boards and as LWF honorary consul for special assignments.

On 10 July 1989, he witnessed the historic signing of the Record of Understanding between the LCA and Lutheran World Service, which handed Lutheran World Service-Australia over to the LCA as an independent but related organisation – effectively today’s ALWS.

Pastor Muetzelfeldt died on 20 May 2002 in Adelaide, aged 84, but not before leaving behind a legacy of humanitarian service, advocacy and institutional development. His influence extended well beyond his church, shaping migration policies and international refugee aid for decades.

This history was compiled from research supplied by Lutheran Archives, with reference sources including government, commercial and Lutheran church publications and academic papers.

1 PETER 4:10

In Going GREYT! we feature stories of some of our ‘more experienced’ people within the LCANZ, who have been called to make a positive contribution in their retirement. We pray their examples of service will be an inspiration and encouragement to us all as we look to be Christ’s hands and feet wherever we are.

BY HELEN BRINKMAN

a job for all seasons

Jan Summers loves helping to connect the people of her Hope Valley retirement community in South Australia.

Whether it’s daily letterbox drops, coffee shop gatherings, community lunches, or livestreaming weekly church services to the village nursing home, the 88-year-old is all about bringing people together within her suburban community in Adelaide’s northeastern suburbs.

‘I just like organising things for residents to come to’, says Jan. ‘I like getting people out of their houses.’

And it certainly gets her out and about. As secretary of the Lutheran Homes Group Hope Valley residents’ group and the local church council, it’s a mission that keeps her daily timetable full.

Her passion for community is evident in everything she does, from coordinating rosters and directories to volunteering for the 'Out to Lunch' program, which supports people on homecare packages with a hot meal at the village community centre.

‘When I get to 90, I am going to retire’, she laughs, though it seems she has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. Early each morning she’s out on a mobility scooter for letterbox drops across 284 units in the village, ensuring that about 350 residents stay informed and connected. ‘Wonderful things, gophers’, she adds.

Born Jan Dickenson in Frances, a small railway town near Bordertown in SA’s South East in 1936, she moved to Adelaide

HER PASSION FOR COMMUNITY IS EVIDENT IN EVERYTHING SHE DOES, FROM COORDINATING ROSTERS … TO VOLUNTEERING FOR THE 'OUT TO LUNCH' PROGRAM.

as a young child and was brought up by her grandparents and 11 aunts and uncles. She boarded at Immanuel College in suburban Walkerville in 1949 for four years before joining the payroll department of the Commonwealth Weapons Research Establishment. It was there she met her husband-to-be, Colin Summers, a tall man with a lovely smile who worked in the office next to hers, she recalls.

While Colin’s role took him on regular trips to the red dust of Maralinga in SA’s Far West, her job was as a research comptometrist, using a huge, mechanical adding machine known as a comptometer. This was the era before computers, but the role helped Jan develop skills that ensured she has no fear of technology to this day – she still operates the church’s sound control board for Sunday services. Her only fear there is remembering to start the livestream of the service to the village nursing home.

Married in 1958, the pair honeymooned in Waikerie in the SA Riverland before moving into their home in the Adelaide suburb of Klemzig, which was at that time still surrounded by farmland. ‘Because there were no main roads out in Klemzig at that time, we got bogged on the dirt road before we could get back to our house after the honeymoon’, Jan says.

Jan had to leave her Commonwealth employment as government policy prohibited married women from being employed. After several years of working for the de Havilland Aircraft Company and Nestle chocolates, she and Colin started their family of two girls, Tracey and Trudy, and a boy, Philip.

Jan later worked as a school assistant at Ridley Grove Primary School in suburban Woodville for 21 years, a job she says she only got because she could play the piano. It was a skill she developed due to the insistence of her great aunt Ivy, who thought that all young ladies should play the piano.

Jan and Colin moved to the Hope Valley village 28 years ago, and two years later, she put her administration skills to good use as secretary of the residents’ group.

Right: Jan Summers loves helping to connect the people of her Hope Valley retirement community in suburban Adelaide, including making daily letterbox drops to residents from her gopher.

Middle right: With no evidence she’d been baptised as a baby in Frances, in country South Australia, Jan (fourth from right) was baptised at Trinity Lutheran Church Hope Valley in 2003.

Bottom right: Jan Summers, nee Dickenson, and her late husband Colin (left) were married in 1958. The couple moved to the Lutheran retirement village at Hope Valley 28 years ago.

In 2003 she also added the role of congregational secretary for their local Trinity Lutheran congregation to her job jar.

As she wasn’t sure if she’d been baptised as a baby in Frances, Jan was duly baptised at Trinity that March, and after the service, everyone who came went across the road to a local hotel for a celebratory lunch.

‘I’ve always been one to put up my hand to help’, says Jan. ‘I volunteer for the “Out to Lunch” program supporting people on home-care packages with a hot meal in the village community centre, setting up and serving lunches four days a week.’

Her afternoons are for bookwork, and she lives through lists. ‘I just like doing things and … I like things done just so.’

On top of her volunteering, Jan is a grandmother to seven, and great-grandmother to five children – the latest born just before Christmas 2024.

As the village prepared for its 40th-anniversary celebration in March this year, Jan says she hadn’t yet stopped to reflect on her journey of service to the community. She was busy organising the community lunch for the celebrations!

But she does find comfort in her favourite Bible verse from Psalm 121, which reminds us all where our help comes from:

‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth …’ This psalm was read at Colin’s funeral 11 years ago at a popular family holiday spot on SA’s west coast. ‘We buried my husband’s ashes over at Tumby Bay and the grave faces the hills above the coast – the whole family chose it’, she says.

And if Jan hasn’t enough on her plate already, she is already thinking about new opportunities to volunteer.

‘My son and his family are into football, and he is setting up an inclusive football team in the suburban league this year, so I’ll probably be in on that.’

As always, Jan is quick to put up her hand to help.

Helen Brinkman is a Brisbane-based writer who is inspired by the many GREYT people who serve tirelessly and humbly in our community. By sharing stories of how God shines his light through his people, she hopes others are encouraged to explore how they can use their gifts to share his light in the world.

Know of any other GREYT stories in your local community? Email the editor lisa.mcintosh@lca.org.au

You’ll find most – if not all – of the answers to these questions in the pages of The Lutheran (as well as below the Sudoku).

1. What is the name of Lutheran Media’s anniversary history book?

2. Who was described as ‘the architect’ of what would later become ALWS?

3. Where did ALWS have its origins?

4. When does the LCANZ’s Local Mission Fund application process for 2026 grants open?

5. Which two Local Mission Fund 2025 grant recipients have received funding towards church planting projects?

6. Who is the WA District’s new Assistant Bishop and who is he succeeding?

7. There will be a special online Convention of General Synod this year. When will it take place?

8. Apart from matters deferred from the regular convention in 2024, what will be the special convention’s main task?

9. When are the upcoming district conventions in SA and Qld?

10. Which Sunday of the church year closes the season of Easter and when will it occur in 2025?

SUDOKU

IN A FEW WORDS

…

‘It is the duty of every Christian to be Christ to his [or her] neighbour.’

MARTIN LUTHER

Every number from one to nine must appear in each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal columns and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. No number can occur more than once in any row, column or box. The solution will be printed in the next edition.

February – March’s solution

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Grab a copy of our history book Lutheran media ministry in Australia and New Zealand: 80 years of blessings and join with us in celebrating God’s mission through media.

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Sharing hope for 80 years

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‘My boys are six and four. I also care for my 70-year-old mother. I am poor because I have low levels of livelihood, and we face shortages of food and basic necessities.

With the new irrigation system, I can grow vegetables twice a year, and during the rainy season I also cultivate wheat, teff, and other crops.

I plan to open a vegetable store. I want to sell and distribute products like onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers to larger towns.

Now I am lucky and happy. Our eyes are opened, our muscles stretched, and our stressed minds relaxed.

We hold onto bright hope for the future, but many mothers still need help to survive. Please stretch your hands towards these needy and exposed mothers and children.’

Etagegne Tsedale,

Ethiopia

You can bless others like Etagegne by dedicating a gift in your Will to keep on helping people through ALWS. As you do, those you love will see the values precious to you live on.

1300 763 407 * alws.org.au

alws@alws.org.au

Thank you!

That’s why education has always been at the heart of Lutheran ministry – here in Australia, and in projects we support together through ALWS.

In 2025, to give thanks for 75 years of ALWS service, our Lutheran Church aims to support 75,000 children with school, food and safety, in ALWS-supported projects from the Horn of Africa to Nepal to Ukraine.

If those 75,000 children lined up 1.5 metres apart, as we did during COVID, the line would be 100 kilometres long!

With such a big challenge, in such uncertain times, the LLL is leading the way by offering to match your

Lutherans have always known that when you give a child an education, you give a gift for life. Donations are tax-deductible. To use the LLL $75k Matching Appeal to have your impact DOUBLED, simply donate at:

kind donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $75,000! This LLL $75k Matching Appeal is in ADDITION to the LLL’s generous support of ALWS as our Platinum Partner.

NEW! LLL $75k Matching Appeal DOUBLES your kindness for children in danger of missing out on school!

On average, it costs $25 to provide a child in danger of missing out on school the essentials they need –schoolbooks, pencils and paper and trained teachers, along with food and safety. This is a gift for life!

So, if the full additional LLL contribution of $75,000 can be matched by Friday 27 June 2025, together we will support 6,000 children!