Life Investment
Written by Roger Perkins, I recently read an article
which stunned me into a reality check. Perkins was recounting a talk given by
an old pastor named Grover Wilcox. Perkins wrote that Wilcox had graduated from
Wheaton College but his denomination
wouldn't ordain him because they thought he wasn't good material or ready for
the pastorate! So Wilcox, in obedience to God, started a church in the inner
city and was a pastor there for forty years. Perkins appropriately said that
the old pastor certainly knew about faithfulness. He had experienced church
planting, sowing and reaping and then at the age of seventy, Pastor Wilcox and
his wife moved to Africa, not to retire, but to spend their final years in
Kingdom work—much of it in prisons.
But it
was these words of the old pastor which Perkins quoted that stunned me into the
reality check. The old pastor challenged those in attendance at his talk, ‘I
don't want to be too harsh, but what are you doing that would cause God to want
to extend your life?'. With that the Holy Spirit plainly gave me a
wakeup call to make every day count by remaining close to God and living out
his will. Perkins added, “Life is short no matter how long it is”.
In his
letter to the Philippians Paul wrote, "So then, my dear friends, when I
was there with you, you were always careful to follow my instructions. And now
that I am away you must be even more careful to do the good things that result
from being saved, obeying God with deep reverence, shrinking back from all that
might displease Him. For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey Him, and
then helping you to do what He wants’.
I
challenged myself with these following questions; am I doing what God wants me to do to build His
kingdom? Can I confidently say that I am being obedient and what I’m doing
would cause God to want to extend my life?
Reflect and challenge yourself. What
kingdom building has God been prompting you to do at home, at work, in your
social life or at church? What are you doing that would cause God to want to
extend your life? Ask God! When the answer comes, simply go and do it.
Barry Klaer
Pastoral Care and Fellowship
Prayer Requests Not
included in this newsletter, but if you would like to view the
current requests, refer to the e-mail that alerted you to this
Newsletter. If you have a prayer request or wish to be covered by
prayer please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request
This week we start a new Series, “Everyday mission for everyday people”. This week’s message is “Me
a missionary? – Equipped for mission”
Jesus said,
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19,
20)
Bible Readings: Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:4-8
Upcoming Events
Rise UP Dance Fundraiser for the
Cebu Mission Foundation coming up soon!
Saturday Night 4th August @ 7:30pm
Golden Grove Arts Centre
Incredible night of talent from the best in SA
Tickets are now available from Laura Carson or
the church office for $20. Tickets are numbered and limited so get in quick!
Contact Laura for more info
Laura Carson – Children and Family Team Leader
lcarson@paravista.org.au
8263 5087
DISCOVERY IS MORE THAN
MEMBERSHIP…
What is Discovery?
- Discovery is a means to assist every person on their journey through life at Good Shepherd.
- Discovery involves learning more about God, about ourselves and the life that God has given us in Jesus.
- Discovery is designed to explain who and what our congregation is – our DNA.
- Discovery shares a variety of tools for growth in God’s family.
Register Now!
The
next Discovery course starts on Tuesday evening 28TH AUGUST at 6:30pm – 9:30pm beginning with a meal and an informal
introduction to the staff and continues on the 4th SEPTEMBER 2012.
To
Register Write ‘Discovery’ on your welcome card or contact the office by
telephone (8263 5087) or email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au
FROM THE PASTORAL PADDOCK
Continuing our acknowledgment for the
work of many of the teams who contribute to the life and smooth running of our
congregation:
We would like to
acknowledge and praise God for a number of men who do menial chores, but tasks
that are a necessity to the life and smooth running of our congregation.
Two men who have ‘bin doin’ a good job are; firstly, Nigel
Kraft who has for many years, after the 10:30am Sunday service, been faithfully
taking out the recycling and rubbish bins to the footpath. And secondly, Ray
Turner, who on Monday afternoons, brings the bins in. Thank you gentlemen!
And we thank God
for the shrubs and garden surrounds being kept in a pristine landscaped
condition. For this we acknowledge and thank God for three o other men, Kevin
Lane, Jim Materne and Rex Pfitzner who keep the shrubs trimmed and gardens well
maintained. We thank you both as well.
When you see these
men, please personally thank them for their commitment to serving God and in
doing so are serving you and me.
Barry Klaer
Pastoral Care and
Fellowship
My Country by Brenton Ragless
I love a
sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror –
The wide brown land for me!
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror –
The wide brown land for me!
It was Dorothea Mackellar who penned the poem ‘My Country’.
However last Saturday Channel 9 weatherman Brenton Ragless brought that poem to
life when speaking to over 100 men at the Men@PV breakfast. Raggy, as he is
affectionately known, pictorially illustrated the beauty of this great land and
in its diverse and ever changing landscape and weather patterns.
And weaving scripture into his presentation, Brenton honoured God,
the creator of the world highlighting Romans 1:20 & 25, “From the creation
of the world…God’s eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen…as a
result people are without excuse….they exchanged the truth of God and served
something created instead of the Creator…” and on a more challenging and sobering
note, James 4:14 “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little
while and then vanishes”
He brought memories to a few of us more mature aged blokes as we
remembered the introduction of TV Australia and then walking us through the
ever changing medium of television which
has brought and continues to bring instant world events and other
information into our lives..
Feasting on
‘soggies’ (cereal in milk) bacon, snags and eggs and a cuppa tea or brewed
coffee more than 100 blokes gathered to enjoy the food and fellowship and Brenton’s’
presentation.
(left) Brenton tucking into the bacon
and eggs while talking Holdens and other things ‘Aussie” with Ben Laube
(Right)
Guess who’s coming to breakfast? The old Life FM breakfast crew
came to hear Brenton. Brenton’s dad Leigh (foreground
left) with Doug Oakley and Lenny Firth
(left) In eager
anticipation the blokes filed into the church to hear more than the usual 2
minute weather presentation
(Far left) Guy Smiley presenting the
weather on the Muppets. Brenton grew up interested in things
above…and not only the weather
(left) The world
watched as the Apollo 11 astronauts walked on the moon. An interesting fact
Brenton revealed was that at Christmas 1968 the crew on Apollo 8 who were the
first to circumnavigate the moon when asked to comment they quoted the first 10
verses of Genesis…”In the beginning God created…Brenton reflected, “What an
unbelievable experience for these astronauts of Apollo 8, Frank Boreman, Jim
Lovell and William Anders to be looking at the earth, the very place that God
spoke into being”.
(right)
Forecasting weather in Noah’s day…”Hi folks, are you still with us? We have
reached and exceeded our average rainfall….What will the next 40 days bring? Other
interesting fact Brenton highlighted; First daylight saving. Joshua 10:13
Thank you to the
Men@PV team for a great breakfast and for inviting Brenton Ragless to share his
testimony and the enlightening information on the ever evolving course of
television in Australia.
CAR PARKING -
WE’VE STILL GOT A GREAT PROBLEM
Those
attending the 10:30am service AND particularly those operating on Lutheran time
(running a little late) will probably have noticed that getting a car park is a
hassle.
IT CAN BE SOLVED WITH YOUR GRACE
Can I PLEEEEASE respectfully ask you as members to use Mattiskes car
park to free up car parking for visitors and new attendees. Your action of
grace will be a gift of self-sacrificing, gallant and one of unselfish service
and a blessing to visitors and new attendees.
PROBLEM CAN BE
SOLVED!!
NAME BADGES
With the number of new attendees now
coming to our church, it would be gracious, courteous and respectful to them
for each of us to wear our name badges.
Haven’t got a name badge? Or the other is lost?
You can order
your name badge by writing ‘name badge’ on your welcome card.
(Don’t forget to indicate if you want a pin, clip or
magnet backing and your preferred first name – for example James likes to be
known as Jim or Elizabeth likes to be known as Beth)
Cost is $9:50 payable at front office
Notice Board
BSF (BIBLE STUDY
FELLOWSHIP) is an interdenominational women’s bible study
happening weekly at Good Shepherd.
Each Tuesday morning from 9:30-11:30
between 50-60 women of all ages are meeting to study God’s word.
Babies and children up to
school age are wonderfully cared for and taught in their own
age-specific classes.
This year the focus is on the book of Acts.
Would you like to join us? Turn up on any Tuesday morning to join an
introductory class, or contact Sonia Hulme on 7122 2903 for more information.
CLEAR CONSCIENCE - courageous living retreat:
Dr Hal Senkbeil, an
experienced, faithful and sensitive United States Lutheran Pastor, lecturer,
author and popular presenter teams with Dr Bev Yahnke, a clinical psychologist,
psychology lecturer, decorated church worker and vibrant presenter to give us
insights from their complementary professions into cutting edge issues that
surround us all in these early years of the twenty first century.
Engaging, easy to
understand, informed, encouraging, spiritual and even life changing are all
appropriate ways of describing the retreat scheduled for St Martins Lutheran
Church, Mannum, South Australia on the weekend of Saturday
18th and Sunday 19th of August, 2012.
Treat yourself to a
recharging, uplifting weekend away by the Murray River and also enjoy the
hospitality and celebration of fellow Lutheran Christians including a
celebration banquet. Rediscover the rich heritage that we have in our faith and
how it can and does make a difference. Costs have been kept to a minimum. For
more information and enrolment forms visit the Mannum parish website at http://www.mannumlp.org.au/ or phone the parish office on
(08) 8569 2863 (leave a message with your contact details if unattended).
Disability Awareness Sunday August 5th 2012
Lutheran Disability Services (LDS) encourage you to consider
becoming involved in running a Disability Awareness Sunday in your church. The aim of the day is to develop your
congregation’s capacity to welcome and include people with a disability in all
aspects of your church life together and to pray for this ministry
Wend/Sorb Society of SA. Topic: Finding Wends in the USA and worldwide. Speaker: Cathy Petersen, organiser of
the Iowa Wends in the USA. At St Andrew’s Lutheran Church Hall, 22 Avenue Rd,
Glynde, on Sunday 29 July at 2pm
Golden Grove Lutheran Primary School and Fellowship
25th Anniversary
Saturday the 25th
August
All past staff,
students and families are invited to join us for a night of celebration. More
details on our website – www.goldengrove.sa.edu.au RSVP to Elaine 82826001 / baldock.elaine@goldengrove.sa.edu.au
Burmese man seeking adult apprenticeship
A Burmese man in
“The Ark”, Salisbury church family is looking for a Host Mechanic for an adult
apprenticeship as a mechanic. Contact Pastor Wayne Boehm at Salisbury on 8281
2976 if you can help.
From the Office
LLL
On 22 July 2012, Mr. Andrew Waldhuter the Promotions Manager from the
LLL will be visiting and speaking at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Para
Vista. He will provide us with an update
of the services offered by the LLL including; deposits, donations & legacies
and REG. After the services Andrew will
be available to answer individual questions.
Education Centre Working Bee, We need you!
What is it? We are
going to clean out the attic and the cupboards in the Education Centre. We will
need to move some heavy items out of the store room and transfer some to tips
and sort the rest.
When is it? Saturday
28th July, 10am -12noon.
Who do we need? We need a
few people who can lift medium to heavy loads. If you are unsure whether you
are physically able to help, contact Emma.
How can you get involved? You can
ring the church office on 8263 5087 and let them know you want to be involved
in the Education Centre clean up.
You
can email Emma at ekluge@paravista.org.au or put a
note in her pigeon hole.
Vacancies
Please check the church
notice board for details of all job vacancies
“To include people with a disability in
Christian Community”
Disability Support Workers required
Casual and
permanent part-time positions available
Are you
interested in working in a supportive Christian environment within a team of
dedicated staff to support adults with a disability to live independent and
fulfilled lives? Some relevant previous experience is desirable but not
necessary. Training will be provided. Driver’s License, First Aid and Police
Clearance essential.
To receive a
copy of the Position Description, or to make a confidential enquiry, please
phone or email. All applications must include a copy of your current CV and the
details of two Referees
136A Wright
Street, Adelaide 5000
8212 7766
Optimism! Don’t leave home without it.
Church Web site: www.paravista.org.au
