Friday, May 31, 2013

2nd June 2013



 “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.



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 “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!

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."

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.

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

Friday, May 24, 2013

26th May 2013


Punching above your weight
We have a saying that we use to describe situations where people achieve or receive something that is far greater than their ability or resources to make it happen and that saying is ‘Punching above your weight’. It comes from the sport of boxing and describes boxers who have ability to punch harder than is normally expected of someone in their weight range.

I’ve heard people say that a man of average looks and personality ‘punched above his weight’ when he was able to attract a beautiful wife with a charming personality. This probably describes me! Likewise a sporting team with no recognised stars that continues to beat teams who are better than them can also be described as ‘punching above their weight’.

The reality is that in life there are limitations that we find hard to break through. In the sporting arena where winning is everything it is not surprising that people are tempted to push these limits by using performance enhancing drugs. In a sense they are trying to ‘punch above their weight’ through the use of illegal drugs. They are looking for an unfair advantage.

When it comes to life and being the people we want to be and feel called to be by God, it can often feel like we are pushing up against certain limiting factors that hold us back. We may feel limited by our own gifts and abilities. We may feel that we are being held back by our circumstances or by the hurts we have experienced in our lives. We may feel stuck by our inability to change those thoughts, attitudes and behaviours that pull us down instead of lifting us up. Is there any way we can in a sense ‘punch above our weight’ when it comes to living the life God calls us to?

The answer is an emphatic “Yes!” We can’t do it in our own strength but God gives us his power to work in us and through us to be the people he calls us to be and this power is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us that we are being transformed to be more and more like Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Holy Spirit works in us to chip off the rough edges and sand down the rough bits so that we reflect more and more of Jesus in our lives. This work of the Holy Spirit in us is not always easy or pleasant, but the results are life changing.

How do we receive the power of the Holy Spirit? We ask God for it. God’s first movement towards us is always one of love and of blessing. God wants to give us the Holy Spirit to bring blessing in our lives. We just need to ask. Why not take the time today to ask God to fill you afresh with his Holy Spirit so that you can be filled with a power to ‘punch above your weight’ and grow into the person God declares you to be in Jesus?

Pastor Noel Kluge



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’s message is “Having Maximum Impact”Jesus says, ‘You are the salt of the earth. … You are the light of the world. … Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.’ (Matthew 5:13, 14, 16)

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

Podcasts available at www.paravista.org.au

Thanks - We would like to thank you for your on-going prayers for Helen. Also thank you for your love and prayers on the loss of my brother, Bob.
Jo Voigt

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, School and Homes
AGM 12.30pm 26th May, 2013
Sausage Sizzle Day after both morning services.  There will also be Steak Sandwiches available after 2nd service. Sausages are $2 and Steak Sandwiches are $4 each.  Also be available on this day, Sue's Card Stall, Kathy's Scarf Stall and the handmade Ringpull bags and jewellery from Cebu.

Our Cebu Fundraising Project this year is to help purchase Bethlehem Day Care Centre in Cebu, which is currently operating as a child care centre and school up to level 2.
Thank you for your support.
Joan McCarthy 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  or email:  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!

Those who previously attended Discovery commented on their experience
“Discovery was twofold for me. Firstly it gave me an introduction and an understanding of Good Shepherd. Secondly it gave my wife and I the opportunity to meet others also coming into the church – like an ice-breaker situation,
very positive”.

“I enjoyed ‘A Journey of Discovery’ because it gave me an opportunity to meet and fellowship with others who were also seeking a new place in God’s family. It provided insight into basic Lutheran teaching which in turn strengthened the building blocks of my faith in God and affirmed His love for me.  The course also provided an overview of Para Vista’s purpose and strategy and helped me identify with the church family of which I am now a member.  I completed the course with a greater sense of acceptance and belonging, and a rekindled desire to seek a deeper worship experience with God”.

·         Want to know more about how you can find Christian friendships?
·         Growing in a relationship with the God who loves you?
·         How this church family can serve you?
·         How you can make a difference to others?
·         The core beliefs and purpose of Good Shepherd?
·         How a large church can provide intimacy?

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 & tea
Enrolment is simple
Ring the church office (8263 5087);
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.


Notice Board

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea
May 1993 saw the launch of one of Australia’s favourite and most iconic fundraising events, Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. A small and simple concept – getting together over a cuppa – has since grown to something much bigger with over a million Australians getting together in living rooms, community centres, schools and workplaces to put the kettle on for a cause each year.

YOU ARE INVITED
The school and church community have joined together to invite you to
Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea
Good Shepherd Church Hall
Friday 31st May, 9:15 am (after chapel)
Come along and make your cup count in the fight against cancer!!
(Men, toddlers and babies welcome!)
You are welcome to attend chapel at 8.45am then stay for the morning tea,
or just join us for the morning tea from 9.15am.

Guest Speaker – Thelma Eckert

Make a donation in exchange for coffee/tea and nibbles, and help raise funds for the Cancer Council SA. In 20 years Cancer Council’s Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea has raised over $110million with breakthrough advancements in treatment, successful screening programs and major improvements in survival rates for many cancers - just some of the reasons to celebrate.
For any enquiries please contact Lenna Uebergang or Tina Pfeiffer on 8263 8545

'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; Email: magill@lccare.org.au

Community Food SA
Volunteers Needed to help with a Customer Survey. The Community Food Store located at Shop 5, 580 Main North Road, Gepps Cross will be conducting a survey of their customers over the two weeks beginning Tuesday May 28 & Tuesday June 4. If you have a few hours to spare and can assist, talk to Maurice Clark phone 8269 3396.

 


It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
 


Church Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9.00am – 3.45pm
Church Web site: www.paravista.org.au