Connecting people with Jesus this Easter
Easter provides us with various opportunities to connect
people with Jesus. Our Good Friday services present the Good News of Easter in
an engaging and compelling way. Many people who do not normally attend church
are open to going at Easter.
While we can probably all think of people in our circle
of friends who would not be seen dead in a church, there are possibly others
who are a little more open. Why not spend some time asking God to show you who
he wants you to invite to one of our Easter services. We have had some ‘Easter
at Good Shepherd’ postcards printed which you can use to give to those you
invite. You can pick some up from the Ushers’ desk this Sunday. If you can’t
see them, just ask one of the worship hosts.
The Easter break also provides us with the opportunity to
catch up with people and have them over for a meal. Why not use this break to
connect with people and demonstrate the love of Jesus in you through your warm
hospitality? Who knows what God may do as you eat and chat together? While you
may feel it is too soon to ask them to church, time invested now in growing
your relationship with them may provide opportunities for an invitation down
the track.
The good news of the Easter story is far too important to
keep to ourselves. Ask God to show you who he wants you to share it with this
Easter.
Pastor Noel
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 continue
the series “Soul Encounters on the Way
to the Cross”. This week’s message is “A welcome fit for the King” “LORD, save us; LORD, grant us success. Blessed is
he who comes in the name of the LORD…
(Psalm 118:25-26 NIV)
Bible Reading: Zechariah
9:9-10, Luke 19:28-40
Podcasts available at www.paravista.org.au
ALIVE!175
This year the Lutheran Church of Australia
will be celebrating 175 years of God’s blessing on Lutherans in Australia and
New Zealand.
On Sunday 21st April these
celebrations will begin with a worship service to open our General Convention
at 10am at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. This will be followed by a lunch
provided for $5.00.
ALIVE!175 will commence at 2.00 pm on
Sunday, 21st April, after the worship service (10am) and lunch.
Through a combination of live performances and multi-media presentations,
you'll travel through our Lutheran history in Australia, celebrate how God is
working in our church in the present, and look with hope to how he will lead us
into the future.
While our regular Sunday worship services
will occur as normal at Para Vista you are encouraged to attend the opening
worship service at 10am. It will certainly be an amazing experience to worship
with so many other people. You are also welcome to attend just the ALIVE!175
presentation in the afternoon from 2pm. More Information can be found online @ http://www.lca.org.au/
To help the organisers plan we ask that you
register for this event. You can do this by emailing churchenquiries@paravista.org.au ASAP or writing “Alive 175” on your welcome
card indicating how many will be attending and if you will be going for the
whole time or just the afternoon presentation.
Family Prayers
Good Shepherd families, we would love to get you involved with leading the prayers in our 10:30am worship services. You would be rostered on one Sunday a year and we would love to see and hear both adults and children leading the congregation in their prayers. We hope this is a fun and meaningful way for families to get involved in the service! Please contact Beth Einthal (beth.einthal@paravista.org.au) if you would like more information!
Good Shepherd families, we would love to get you involved with leading the prayers in our 10:30am worship services. You would be rostered on one Sunday a year and we would love to see and hear both adults and children leading the congregation in their prayers. We hope this is a fun and meaningful way for families to get involved in the service! Please contact Beth Einthal (beth.einthal@paravista.org.au) if you would like more information!
Kingdom
Kids
Kingdom Kids will be
celebrating Palm Sunday this week with all zones joining together (including
Baby Zone). Please feel free to join your kids as they go on an adventure to
find the true meaning of Easter! It is going to be an amazing morning of fun,
faith, adventure and celebration. Please bring some fruit kebabs or hot cross buns
to share in a celebration following Kingdom Kids in the courtyard (please leave
these in the Kitchen when you arrive at church). We hope to see you then!
Please note that there
will be no Kingdom Kids on Easter Sunday to enable families to celebrate and
worship together.
Baby
Zone
Baby zone is being
transformed through the wonderful work of God and an amazing team leader, Tanya
Harrison! Some amazing resources are now being used and the room is taking
shape! Please come and spend some time with your children playing and growing
in Baby Zone! It is so much fun joining them in their faith journey!
Playgroup
This Wednesday, Little
Lambs Playgroup will be celebrating Easter! Please join us for a special craft
activity, an exciting ‘hunt’ and some visitors from the school! Mrs Kluge and
her class will be visiting for story and music time and we are very excited!
Playgroup is from 9:30-11:30am, please come and join the fun!
Beth Einthal
(Relief Children and Family Ministry)
Thank you
Our family thanks you for the many
comforting greetings sent to us at the passing of Kevin Oster some weeks ago.
We have been humbled by the visits,
cards, flowers, phone calls and texts which have thoughtfully acknowledged
Kevin and us, his family. We were also blessed by your presence at his funeral
and again we thank you most sincerely.
Ruth, Cathy, Michael, Paige and their families.
Ladies Fellowship
Next meeting is Tuesday 2nd
April at 10.30am. Meet at Old Highercombe Hotel Museum Tea Tree Gully
10.30am Morning Tea followed
by Museum tour Cost: $8.50.
12noon Lunch at Tea Tree Gully Hotel (Seniors menu available)
12noon Lunch at Tea Tree Gully Hotel (Seniors menu available)
Transport is available for
anyone who still wishes to attend.
Please ring Ruth at 8265 0221
by Sunday 31st March to finalize numbers
Hi Family,
I have two requests which
will bless you and visitors/new worshippers this Easter.
Firstly, we traditionally
bring hot cross buns to share with our cuppa after the services on Good
Friday. Could you please bring a plate
of hot-cross buns to share again this year to share after the service on Good Friday
morning. I would appreciate them being
pre-buttered if that’s the way you like them. I know my wife will prepare
gluten free buns!!
….and secondly,
Your
Easter Gift!
Again we are expecting larger
than normal attendances at church over Easter with visitors and first time
attendees. The *school oval and Mattiske car parks will be open for both the
Good Friday and Easter Sunday services. Your gift to them again this year will
be the gift and blessing of a close open car parking space near the entrances
to the church. *Subject to extremely wet weather when the Alliance Church car
park will be utilised.
Thank you in anticipation.
Barry Klaer
Pastoral Care &
Fellowship (Hospitality)
Cebu
Mission Fundraising
Our major Fundraiser for 2013 is a RIVER BOAT MUSIC
CRUISE on the Port River Dolphin Explorer. Tickets are available from
the church office, or from Team members Joan McCarthy, Di Ollino or Karen
McAleer.
Date: Saturday 13th April 2013,
Boarding Time: 6.30pm
for 7pm departure (don't be late or you will miss the boat!)
Where: Near the Lighthouse at the end of Commercial Road, Port Adelaide.
Where: Near the Lighthouse at the end of Commercial Road, Port Adelaide.
Tickets are $45/head which includes
music by The Adelaide Old Time String Band, dancing, 3hrs cruising and
supper.
There will be raffles, lucky squares, games and a coin slide.
Optional ~ you can even dress up like the band for some added atmosphere! So
gather your sea-legs and your friends and come along and enjoy a fantastic
night!
For any further details please see Poster and flyers (please
take one) in the Narthex.
Step Up 2013
Step Up is generally aimed at children in grade 5 who are interested or
have a desire to participate in Holy Communion.
Our planned dates are:
Sunday May 5th – Step Up lunch following the 10.30am
service.
Fridays May 10, 17, 24, 31 – probably at 7:30pm
Possible dates for Step Up to receive Holy Communion: Sunday June 9
or June 23.
All sessions will be held in the Good Shepherd Primary School. Mary Jo
Zwar is our Step Up facilitator – and she is fabulous. We ask at least
one parent to attend each session with their child.
To register, please notify our church office (8263 5087 or churchenquiries@paravista.org.au) with names (child
and parent/s) as well as contact information (email and phone).
Alpha 2013
The Alpha course is
where participants can discover who Jesus is and what it means to follow
him. Following the presentations by
Nicky Gumbel, participants can ask questions and search for answers in a small
group with others.
God touched many hearts
and lives through last year’s Alpha course here at Good Shepherd. This year we are hoping to run Alpha on a
series of Sunday nights: 14th April to 7th July; plus a
day where we explore the Holy Spirit (Saturday 1st June). We would like to kick off each Sunday evening
around 5:30pm with a meal.
For that to be possible,
we need the gifts and help of others. So
we are asking whether members and friends of our Good Shepherd family can serve
in the following areas:
- Helping with set up or pack up
- Catering or food preparation
- Creche
- Small group leaders
- Prayer team
- Music or sound
Please consider and pray
about being involved.
If you have any
questions or would like to join in this adventure, please contact any of the
Alpha Team: Debbie and Cees Wesselingh, Merv and Ros Thiele, Lindsay Freund.
Monday Night
Soup Kitchen Farewells Saki Okuyama:
Next Sunday
Saki Okuyama is flying home to Japan.
She has just spent 5 weeks as an English Learning Student at Adelaide
Uni. You may have seen her at church
with her Aussie hostess, Coral Laube. While learning a little about Australian
culture and seeing some flora, fauna and wildlife, Saki has tasted Aussie
cuisine at the Monday Night Soup Kitchen and at Coral’s home. She reciprocated
with a banquet of Japanese cuisine for Coral and her son Ben and other family
members. (Saki with Ben and Coral Laube at the Monday Night Soup Kitchen)
This charming
young 19 year old has made an impression on the Monday Night Soup Kitchen team.
She came with team member Coral to the Monday Night Soup Kitchen when she first
arrived and was always keen to return. She pitched in and helped where she
could, not being hindered by her lack of understanding of the quick speaking
Australians. When Coral was unable to attend, she came with Ben. She especially
bonded with Anthea Courtney, who has been to Japan, Lucy Paech and family and many
others who demonstrated the genuine love of Jesus to her.
So Monday night, being her last week in Australia, a
tearful Saki wanted to say goodbye to the team and regulars who have welcomed
and loved her. She has captured the team and regulars on a group photo (above) as a reminder of her time with
us. I know she will be missed by all of us as well.
Barry Klaer
Pastoral Care
& Fellowship
(Hospitality)
From the Board
Some of the issues discussed at the March meeting of the Board: The board supported the investigation into:
- The development of a style guide for the congregation. This would mean that all publications from the congregation would have a standard congregation insignia and would easily be recognised as from Good Shepherd.
- The congregation broadening its use of Social Media –Facebook, Twitter, Instagram- to support the ministry of the congregation.
Convention Delegates
Our delegates for the LCA Convention will be Joey Pietsch and Jim Materne. We thank them for volunteering to attend and represent the congregation
YOUR NAME IS A
GIFT
Warmth, friendliness, openness, welcome, cordiality, generosity are all
synonyms of hospitality.
Christian ethics are described in scripture Romans 12:9-21. Great words
of wisdom, all do-able! However I refer particularly to verse 13(b) “pursue
hospitality”.
One minor way which has high impact, in which you can show hospitality
is by wearing your name badge. It is truly a gift to those who are visitors or
new worshippers. For me and the other members of the Pastoral Ministry Team, to
be able to correctly call you by name
is a gift!
If you do not have a name badge, you can order one through the front
office or by writing ‘name badge’ on your welcome card. Please nominate your choice of magnetic, clip
or pin backing.
Cost: $9:50 per name badge.
Pastoral Care & Fellowship Team Leader (Hospitality)
Vacancies
Good Shepherd
Lutheran Church Para Vista
has an opportunity for someone to
join its Pastoral Ministry Team as
Children and Family Support Worker
This 8
hour per week position (on an initial one year contract) is to provide
administrative and practical support to the Children and Family Team Leader
serving children (0-12) and their families. Our Children and Family ministries
seek to disciple children and their families and help equip families as the
primary place of faith nurture and development.
This position requires someone with organisational and administrative
skills with the ability to work in a team. The role also requires proficiency
in using a computer for record keeping, rosters, and communication. The
successful applicant will be accountable to the Children and Family Team
Leader.
Remuneration will be according to the Lay Workers Salary Scale Level 1.4
A Position Description is available on
request from the church office- churchenquiries@paravista.org.au or by phoning 8263 5087.
Applications in writing, by 1st
April 2013, are to be submitted to the:
Senior Pastor
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Para Vista
PO Box 306
Modbury North SA 5092
Notice Board
Barmera Parish
Dried Apricots Missions Fund Raising
Each 500gm bag is
sold for $10.50. The apricots are grown without any sprays, but do have Sulphur
preservative. They come straight from the grower so have not been
rehydrated as have those which are commercially available
in Supermarkets. MORE apricot, LESS water for your money, so good
value
Except for a quite
small amount retained for maintenance, the Funds raised this year will be
forwarded through the Lutheran Board for Missions to Projects we have already
supported in Cambodia and to the Mango Tree Rehabilitation Centre for the
Disabled in Tonga, via NazCare Australia Inc.
Place your order
now at the front office on 8263 5087 or via email: churchenquiries@paravista.org.au
Men@ParaVista
Come to breakfast
and learn about “TYPE 2 DIABETES and OTHER DISTRACTIONS” from our own Peter Weckert. Saturday 6th
April, 7.30am @ the Para Vista Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 388 Montague Road. Peter will speak on his part in a two year study with the
CSIRO investigating how diet and exercise affect type 2 diabetes. Donation of $5 is appreciated. Contact Jim 0438 899 629 or Email men@paravista.org.au
MEN ONLY!!
ADELAIDE MEN’S CONVENTION 2013
LOVE, SEX,
MARRIAGE & RELATIONSHIPS
Saturday May 11th 2013
Concordia College 45 Cheltenham Street, Highgate
Registrations:
Early bird Registration Until 11th April $35
Group of four or more 12th April – 4th May $40
Concession: (Pensioners, Unemployed, Students) 12th April –
11th May $40
Standard Registration 12th April – 11th May $45
Registration
includes
Lunch, morning & afternoon
refreshments & your convention booklet…& ample parking!
Brochures and registration forms in
information rack in narthex.
Barry Klaer - Pastoral Care & Fellowship Team Leader (Shepherding
& Care)
Open Day
Sunday 24 March 2013, 1.30pm - 4.00pm
A
co-educational secondary school where the learning experience develops
abilities for Life:
•
Tours conducted by staff and students
•
Meet and hear from our Principal
•
See our expansion plans to accommodate Year 7s from
2016
•
Subject displays and demonstrations from a diverse
and engaging curriculum
•
Hear about our caring Christian community
•
Learn about our extensive co-curricular
opportunities
•
Easily accessible via public transport routes
Friends of Lutheran Archives meeting. Apology: change due to unavailability of speaker. Topic: Lutheran missionaries and SA Aboriginal languages. Speaker: Clara Stockigt. Clara is researching this topic for her PhD thesis. At Bethlehem House, Sudholz Place, Adelaide, on Monday 25 March at 7.30 pm. Supper. Gold coin donation.
Life always offers you a second chance.
It’s called TOMORROW.
Church Web site: www.paravista.org.au
