“My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is
the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26
We
are going to face things in this life that overwhelm us. There are going to be
things that God calls us to do that are beyond our power. But our failure is
not the end of His plans for us. Our failure is the beginning.
When
we fail all we can do is turn to God and let Him work through us. When we fail
we are actually putting ourselves in the best position to come humbly before
God. Because it is when we fail, that we have to admit that our human efforts
are not enough.
It
is when we stop trying to accomplish things in our own strength that the good
stuff begins. We need to stop worrying about failing as we walk with God. We
need to admit that because we are flawed human beings we are going to fail. As
followers of Christ our failures are not the end but the beginning.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
Let’s
stop thinking that God needs us to pretend to be perfect and start realising
that He is strong and perfect and wonderful and awesome all by Himself. God
will achieve His will no matter what. He can use us wherever we are. He can use
us in our failures, our imperfections and our weaknesses.
May
we strive not for perfection but for a closer relationship with God.
I
pray that today you may accept the love and grace of God and step out knowing
that He is with you and He can work through you.
Emma K.
This week we start a new series “Life
in the Word” This week’s
message is “Transformation through the Word” “Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will
lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23, 24)
Bible Reading: 2 Timothy
3:14-17; Matthew 4:1-11
Podcasts available at www.paravista.org.au
This term we are continuing to work our way through the
bible and will be studying the following this Sunday:
Baby Zone – We launch our 5-week worship program
with Matt Huckel (more info below). Last week we finished our program for
the month of May ‘People at church help me’
Kindy Zone – Promises, from Genesis 11-17
(Last
week we studied the life of Noah)
Kids Zone – God
makes promises to Abram, from Genesis 12 and 15 (Last week we studied Noah and
the great rescue)
Kool Zone – Faith tested, from Genesis
18, 21 and 22 (Last week we studied ‘failing to
trust’ from Genesis 15 & 16)
Please have a chat to your children, grandchildren, friends
or those you see around the church to find out more about the awesome work God
is doing in the lives of our Kingdom Kids.
URGENT NOTICE: We are finding that less and less parents
(particularly within Kids Zone and Kool Zone) are signing their kids out on
Sundays. This is not safe. Please make this a priority so that we can ensure
everyone is safe and accounted for and so that our records can be accurate.
Thank you.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: The sign in sheets
are for parents and carers only!! Please DO NOT let your child sign themself in
or out. Sign in sheets are important safety records and must be easy to read
and accurate. Children will have plenty of opportunities to write and draw
their names and other things through the kingdom kids program. Thank you.
Kindy Zone helpers: We have been blessed with
a new teacher and a new helper in Kids zone, but are still in need
of 2 or 3 more helpers in Kindy Zone (for ages 3-5 + reception) urgently! No
preparation is required and you would only be rostered on once or twice a term.
Please contact Laura ASAP if you are interested. It would be great to have some
Dads. We are also in need for more help in general. The more hands the better.
Please consider taking on a ‘helpers’ role. No preparation is required
(childsafe requirements will need to be met, but I will happily sit with you to
work through this process).
Baby Zone: The countdown is over!! Matt Huckel, who is
currently studying at Sem to be a Pastor, will be running a 5 week worship
program for Baby Zone kids and their families during the month of June. This
will be an incredible time of teaching, music, movement and worship as Matt
shows us ways we can worship together in our homes. If you have a child(ren) in
Baby Zone, please book aside this time to come along and worship with us. We
ask that at least one parent attends with their child so that the whole family
can benefit from the experience.
Playgroup: If you were at church last Sunday, you would have seen our 2013 Children
and Family Ministry presentation. During the video we outlined our challenges
within playgroup, mainly due to a growing number of families being supported by
such a small number of team members. We praise God for the growth we have seen
but urgently need more help and support from our church community. Without more
support, the team will soon burn out and the ministry will start going
backwards. The main areas in need of support are:*
1.
Set up and pack up - Could you spare half an hour to come along and help
out with one of these tasks? Each week the hall is transformed into a play area
for the kids, and this is a BIG JOB. More hands to help with this process would
be appreciated.
2.
Group time leaders - Do you
love to read or tell stories, sing, dance and worship in creative ways? Then
this could be a role for you. Each week I look for someone to run ‘group time’
for 10 minutes, where we explicitly teach the families about God’s love through
stories, music, dance, etc. If you have skills and an interest in this area,
I’d love to hear from you. I am only looking for people to commit once a term.
3.
A coordinator. Playgroup is
currently running without a coordinator, which puts a strain on the team who
have to pick up all the roles a coordinator would normally take on. If you are
interested in a leadership role that aims to nurture and give direction to the
playgroup team, then this could be for you. The coordinator does not have to be
at playgroup every week nor do they have to run playgroup on their own. We have
embraced a team approach, which works well; we just need someone to pull it all
together.
*You do not need to have any previous
involvement in playgroup, or children/grandchildren in playgroup to get
involved.
Our theme for this week is ‘things that move’.
9:30am -11:30am in the Church Hall. $2 per child per each week or $3 for a
family. We hope to see you there.
Laura
Carson – Children and Family Team Leader
Getting more out of the Bible
A workshop for anyone who wants to
get more out of the Bible
Facilitator: Pr Rolly Stahl. Place: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 388 Montague
Road, Para Vista. Aim: Help people develop skills to
unpack the Word and apply it to their lives. After explaining a framework
(observation, interpretation, application), we will practice by working through
Jonah. Please bring your Bible and a
biro. When: Four Wednesday evenings: June 5, 12, 19, 26 -
7:30pm – 9pm
Register: By writing your name/s and “Wed Bible workshop” on a Sunday Welcome Card
and place in offering bowl or contact the Para Vista Church Office: 8263
5087, E: churchenquiries@paravista.org.au
MEMBERSHIP
AT GOOD SHEPHERD
Why become a
member of this or any church family?
Well membership says many things. A few are:
- I belong here (Hebrews 10:23-25)
- We share the same ministry goals (Ephesians 4:16)
- I accept responsibility for fellow believers in the family of God. (Galatians 1-6, 10)
- I am accountable to others for my walk with God. (Hebrews 13:17, Matthew 18:15-20)
- I accept responsibility for how things are done. (1 Corinthians 12:20-27)
- I respect the policies. (1 Timothy 3:2; 1 Peter 2:13-17)
Discovery is the vehicle by which membership
is attained – it is the “Road to Relationship and Growth”.
If you have been attending Good Shepherd for
some time and have not attended Discovery,
or are new at Para Vista – Discovery is for you!
or are new at Para Vista – Discovery is for you!
Discovery runs over two Tuesday
evenings: 25th
June 2013 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Come and meet the staff over a complimentary dinner
with tea, coffee and dessert
2nd July 2013 6:50pm – 9:00pm Complimentary
coffee and tea
Enrolment is simple: Ring the church office (8263
5087); Email, churchenquiries@paravista.org.au or write ‘Discovery’ on your
welcome card in a worship service
Women’s Fellowship
PVLWF has their next meeting on 4th June at Trinity Lutheran
Church, Hope Valley at 1pm. Our
Guest speaker is Megan De Vries who will lead us through a tour of the Aged
Care Facility Unit of The Vines, McLaren
Apartments, Barossa, Coonawarra and Zinnbauer
Hall. All are very welcome. There will be a devotion, Bible
study, short business meeting and afternoon tea after the tour. No trading
table. Would all PVLWF members
please bring their June copy of the Lutheran Women magazine and the copy
previous to that when attending the June 4th Meeting at Hope Valley.
AGM
Report
The audited Financial Report for 2012
as circulated and presented at the AGM was accepted by the meeting.
The following motion was passed by the
meeting: “That this meeting authorises the Board to further investigate the
cost of the Connect Project and report to the congregation as soon as
practicable but no later than the Half Yearly meeting in November”.
As a consequence of this motion being
passed a meeting has been arranged this Tuesday with a Quantity Surveyor to
start the process of getting the project costed.
In Your Good Shepherd Church Library
DVD: Four sessions around 20 minutes
each; and book with same title.
"Without
a hint of exaggeration," says Bill Hybels, "the ability to discern
divine direction has saved me from a life of sure boredom and self-destruction.
God's
well-timed words have redirected my path, rescued me from temptation and re-energized me during some of my deepest moments of despair."
well-timed words have redirected my path, rescued me from temptation and re-energized me during some of my deepest moments of despair."
The Power
of a Whisper casts a
vision of what life can look like when God's followers hear from heaven as they
navigate life on earth. Whispers that arbitrate key decisions, nudges that
rescue from dark nights of the soul, promptings that spur on growth, urgings
that come by way of another person, inspiration that opens
once-glazed-over eyes to the terrible plight people face in this world.
once-glazed-over eyes to the terrible plight people face in this world.
Pr Rolly
has prepared notes of 4 sessions inside the DVD case (can
be photocopied for individuals or groups). Book and DVD are listed in Church Library: 248/HYB
DVD. When Lois met the man of her
dreams, Bill Wilson, she believed he would achieve greatness. She couldn't have
been happier - they were wealthy, had a beautiful home and Bill was an instant success
on Wall St.
Yet Lois's world was also marred by
Bill’s increasing reliance on alcohol. When Wall St. crashed, everything was
gone. For years they struggled. She lost count of his broken promises to stop
drinking. Finally, she left him. Bill was left a broken man who couldn't exist
without Lois's love, even committing himself to experimental electric shock
treatment as a possible cure. Lois came back to the man she had always loved.
In 1951 they founded Alcoholics Anonymous an organisation that has saved and
changed the lives of millions around the world. This is their incredible,
inspiring true story. Church Library: 248/BOR
HOT SOUP
SUNDAY
Sunday 16th
June 2013
Immediately after the 10:30am Service
Enjoy a
variety of fresh homemade soups with bread rolls and
‘Hexagon’
party pies & cocktail frankfurts!
Sunday
Hospitality:
·
Building
love for one other
·
Building
community
·
Uplifting
the name of Jesus
Notice Board
'Preparing for Marriage'
Courses
Saturday 15th
[9am-5pm] and Sunday 16th June
2013 [1pm-5pm] Venue: Good Shepherd Lutheran School, 388 Montague Road, Para
Vista. Cost: $160/couple if both employed; $85 if one employed; $65 if
neither employed/students. For
registrations or more information: Tel: 8331 3111; E: magill@lccare.org.au
Where there is love there is life.
Church Web site: www.paravista.org.au
