IM FREE -
INDEED!!
Paul in his letter to the
Roman Christians wrote, “You have
been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” [in Christ]. He went on to write, “When you were slaves to sin you were free from the control of
righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are
now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set
free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to
holiness and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:18, 20-23 NIV)
Our Lord the Almighty God
is the One who cares, guides, delivers and opposes oppression. God does not
want to control people but to set them free. Abraham Lincoln* once said, “True freedom is not the right to do what we
want but the power to do what we ought”. We are never truly free until we
submit to the purposes of God. Jesus said, “If
you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the
truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31, 32 NIV)
*Abraham
Lincoln (February
12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th
President of the United States serving from March 1861 until his
assassination in April 1865.
Lincoln led the United States through its greatest constitutional, military,
and moral crisis—the American Civil War—preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, strengthening the
national government and modernizing the economy. Reared in a poor family on the
western frontier, Lincoln was self-educated and became a
country lawyer.
Barry Klaer
Pastoral Care &
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 continue the series “Getting a grip on life” This week’s
message is “How to earn the respect of others” ‘A good name is more desirable than great
riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.’ (Proverbs 22:1)
Bible Reading: Proverbs
22:1 and Matthew 20:20-28
Kingdom Kids:
Kingdom Kids is back on
this Sunday. Baby, Kindy and Kids Zone will head out for their usual lessons,
but Kool Zone will be staying in for the Aliki performance. Stay tuned for more
info on what is happening in Kingdom Kids this term.
Playgroup
Playgroup has started again and we have had
the privilege of welcoming several new families from our local community into
our playgroup family. All welcome. 9:30am-11:30am on Wednesdays in the church
hall. $2 a child or $3 per family. Please bring a piece of fruit to share. This
term we are celebrating the theme ‘God makes growing things’. Come along next
Wednesday to celebrate God’s creation of animals.
Child Safe Team Member Training
To help everyone meet
their Child Safe requirements, we will be hosting a Child Safe Team Member
training session here at Good Shepherd on the 10th August from
12-6pm. Tea, coffee and afternoon tea will be provided! It will be held in the
Education Centre (up the stairs at the back of the church hall).
Child supervision will be
provided by Beth and Laura for those who need to bring their children.
If you have completed
Mandatory Notification Training in the last 3 years then you will only need to
complete the first 3 hour session of the training (you will need to present
your original certificate on the day).
We need ALL volunteers in
Children, Family and Youth ministry to complete this training ASAP so that we
can continue to run safe programs for our kids. Please contact the church
office on 8263 5087 to register. Payment will be covered.
Laura Carson – Children and Family Team Leader
Women’s Fellowship
Next Meeting: Tuesday 6th August at
1.00pm in Para Vista Church Hall
Guess Speaker: Ken Semmler
Topic: Tsunami Disaster Recover ALWS Aid Program
Reminder: LWSA Northern Zone Convention Thursday August 15th
at Albert Park Church
Special guest Aliki at our 10.30 am service this Sunday
One
of Australia’s top selling Christian performers, Aliki will be our special
guest at our 10.30 am service this Sunday 28th July. Aliki is gifted
in bringing spiritual truths to our lives through captivating stories and
songs. We know you will be blessed by what she has to share. Why not bring a
friend along to this special service? To show our thanks for Aliki’s time with
us, we will be taking up a retiring offering to support her in her ministry.
From the Office
Hall Floor: The hall floor has been resurfaced. I thank you for
your assistance in removing any spills straight away and lifting the furniture
to prevent damage and keep the floor looking great.
Village luncheon: On Sunday the 7th July, the Para Vista Village
board provided a luncheon in the hall for the residents to mix with them. This
is the second time this year an event like this has been held. This is a board initiative
to allow the residents to discuss issues and get to know who the board members
are. Another BBQ is organised for later in the year.
Welding skills: Got the skills and a passion for creating with
steel? I am looking for a volunteer with a welder and the skills to weld square
tubing. One of the trollies under the hall stage requires some modification.
The trolley can be removed for the work to be completed. Please contact Stephen
or mark your welcome card.
!!Two way radios!! Kids and Baby Zone utilise two way radios to
maintain safety for your children on a Sunday. Over recent weeks a number of
these have gone missing. If you know the whereabouts of these items please
return them to their chargers or the front office.
For sale: Large wooden trestle tables $50.00 ONO. Please contact
Stephen szanker@paravista.org.au or the
front office on 8263 5087 for further information.
2013 Budget
Notes:
·
Income was lower than budgeted with Offerings in
May $5,600 under budget.
·
Expenditure is slightly above budget in May and
caused by a couple of areas. Ministries and staffing were both around $1,000
below budget. However Admin was $1,700 over budget as Audit fees were paid. Plant
was also $1,700 over budget.
·
Projected deficit is based on Offerings as per
budget for the remainder of the year and not based on current trends.
The Bible's Big Story - Our Story
For many Christians, the Old
Testament (OT) remains a closed book. We
may know some stories: David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale, or Moses leading
the Israelites out of Egypt. But without
a framework to hang these stories on, we miss the unfolding drama of God's
action in history… as well as our place in God's story. The OT is the Scriptures that Jesus and his
apostles used. If we ignore the OT, we ignore the very source of the things
Jesus talks about. In this course, you'll get an overview that will help you
make sense of the OT - as well as Jesus.
Time: Six Wednesday evenings –14th August to 18th September,
7:30 – 9pm
Facilitator: Pr Rolly Stahl
Place: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 388 Montague
Rd, Para Vista 5093.
Format: Teaching with pictures. Readings from the Old Testament. Q&A
Cost: $20 for the course book and
timeline, $10 Concession To be paid on
the first night.
What to
bring? Enthusiasm, your Bible and a biro.
Lutheran Media Ministries
RADIO - Listen to
FACE TO FACE
MOBILE - Access the
Face to Face mobile website through your mobile device.
TELEVISION - ON
MAIN STREET, a half hour talk show tackling socially relevant issues
11:30pm Saturday (AEST) on the Australian Christian Channel AUSTAR
DIGITAL 182, FOXTEL DIGITAL 182, OPTUS 49 / Digital 182, TRANSACT (Canberra)
FREE WORSHIP SERVICE
DVDs And/Or CDs - If circumstances should prevent you or someone you know from attending
church, please order FREE LCA Worship Service DVDs /CDs by contacting Lutheran
Media. FREECALL 1800 353 350 or luthmedia@lca.org.au
When God is your partner, you can make your plans
large!
