Reaching for God in the difficult times
Sometimes things happen in our lives and we think
why me? Why did this have to happen to me? And why now? What did I do wrong?
Some of these questions have crossed my mind recently as I had to undergo a
knee reconstruction from a serious injury playing netball. If I'm completely
honest with you (which is hard to do), I will admit that some days have been
very difficult and I start to wonder how I can keep going.....but then I reach for my bible and no matter what I
read, it always changes my day for the better!
"When I said, ‘My foot is slipping’, your love, O LORD supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94: 18-19.
Through his word, God has given me and my family such strength to get through this difficult time, hope to look forward to better times, wisdom to look for the small achievements I make each day and gratefulness that my injury happened when my family could be on holidays to help out, and that help out they did! God has helped me to be grateful that I have access to doctors, physios and surgeons who could find out what was wrong and treat my injury, and to be grateful for a leg that will heal in time and that I will still be able to walk and maybe even play sport again in 12 months time. Many years ago I'm not sure that I would have been able to see those things to be grateful for, but through my relationship with Christ, I have someone to lean on and who can support me through the hard times as well as the good!
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13.
I am really growing in my understanding of the importance of reading my bible because without it I can lose hope, joy and strength. When I reach for God's word, and spend as little as five minutes reading it, I gain strength, hope, love for life and a gratefulness that is inexplicable.
Through reading God's word, sometimes I get answers to prayers, sometimes I read an inspiring story and sometimes I'm not sure exactly what I got out of it but I ALWAYS feel better about life and more hopeful. Perhaps it reminds me that He has my life in his hands and He only wants what is good for me and to help me.
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19.
So now I want to ask you, how are you travelling in your relationship with Christ? Do you read his word? Is it regularly? I invite you to give it a go, it WILL make a difference to your life!
"For I know the plans I have for you....plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
"When I said, ‘My foot is slipping’, your love, O LORD supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94: 18-19.
Through his word, God has given me and my family such strength to get through this difficult time, hope to look forward to better times, wisdom to look for the small achievements I make each day and gratefulness that my injury happened when my family could be on holidays to help out, and that help out they did! God has helped me to be grateful that I have access to doctors, physios and surgeons who could find out what was wrong and treat my injury, and to be grateful for a leg that will heal in time and that I will still be able to walk and maybe even play sport again in 12 months time. Many years ago I'm not sure that I would have been able to see those things to be grateful for, but through my relationship with Christ, I have someone to lean on and who can support me through the hard times as well as the good!
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13.
I am really growing in my understanding of the importance of reading my bible because without it I can lose hope, joy and strength. When I reach for God's word, and spend as little as five minutes reading it, I gain strength, hope, love for life and a gratefulness that is inexplicable.
Through reading God's word, sometimes I get answers to prayers, sometimes I read an inspiring story and sometimes I'm not sure exactly what I got out of it but I ALWAYS feel better about life and more hopeful. Perhaps it reminds me that He has my life in his hands and He only wants what is good for me and to help me.
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19.
So now I want to ask you, how are you travelling in your relationship with Christ? Do you read his word? Is it regularly? I invite you to give it a go, it WILL make a difference to your life!
"For I know the plans I have for you....plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Beth Einthal
This week we continue the series
“Conviction in the face of compromise”. This
week’s message is “Having courage when you really need it”. “Lord, listen to their threats! We are your servants. So make us brave enough
to speak your message...After they had prayed, the meeting place shook. They
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and bravely spoke God’s message.” (Acts
4:29, 31)
Bible Reading: Daniel
5:1-30
Podcasts available at www.paravista.org.au
I am really excited about Children's and Family Ministry in 2013 at Good
Shepherd! The number of kids attending our Sunday ministries and Little Lambs
Playgroup has risen with around 60-100 kids attending each Sunday and 10-20
kids with their mums/dads/grandparents/carers attending playgroup each week.
We are kicking off Little Lambs Playgroup on Wednesday 6th February and
Kingdom Kids Sunday Ministry from 10th February 2013. We now need more people
to help these ministries to continue!
We currently need 6 new volunteers for Baby Zone (0-2 yrs). The number
of kids attending this ministry is rapidly growing but we are really struggling
with volunteers to help run it. Could you please say a prayer and consider if
you would like to be a volunteer. It will involve being rostered on once a
month from February to November. New resources are being used so there will be
very little planning involved for you! You would need to come at about 10am to
set up the room and activities on the day you are rostered.
We also need a Team Leader for Baby Zone. This person will help to
oversee this ministry, come to monthly Team Leader meetings and oversee the
roster and planning (February to November).
We need at least 2 more volunteers to help run Little Lambs Playgroup
(0-5yrs). I coordinated the playgroup last year and won't be able to commit as
much time this year so we are looking for anyone to help out in any regard;
particularly with newsletters, cutting up fruit and washing dishes, being the
contact person/coordinator, setting up/packing up, craft activities and/or
rostering any or all of these!
We need at least 6 more volunteers (helpers) for Kindy Zone/Kids
Zone/Kool Zone (3-12yrs). You would be rostered on with a Team Leader on
Sundays and all of the planning will have been done by them. You would need to
come at about 10am on the Sunday you are rostered on and enjoy spending time
with the kids and learning about God (often from them!).
If you would like some more info, please give me a call or send me an
email. All volunteers need a current police check (free for a volunteer). There
is Team Member training coming up on 9th February from 12noon to 6pm, so if you
want to be involved, it would be great to book you in for this! The church
covers the cost of this training. I will walk you through this process and it
is quite easy.
We would love to see more Grandparents and families (Mum and Dad) get
involved where you can be rostered on together and enjoy kids church together!
If we work together and have a larger number of volunteers, the ministry can
run efficiently, the responsibility can be shared and the kids get so much more
out of these ministries!
May God bless you as you consider how you can be involved!
Beth Einthal
Relief Children and Family Ministry
Team Leader Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
From the Administration Manager
Volunteers
make it happen
Hall Floor
You may have noticed
the hall floor is looking in pristine condition. It has been resurfaced to keep its appearance
and add to the welcoming environment of our complex. If you hadn’t noticed, invite a guest into
the hall this Sunday for a free coffee and check it out as you do so.
To keep the floor
looking great and prevent damage to the floor, I wish to ask for your
assistance please:
- lift any furniture when moving it
- remove any spills straight away (use cloth and water only).
Volunteers make it happen.
Carpets
I heard a few comments
from Sunday that “the chair I normally sit in has been moved”.
During the previous
week a large percentage of the complex carpets were cleaned and to allow for
ease of cleaning, all the chairs were moved within the church.
The volunteers made it happen.
Christmas Whirlwind
On Christmas Eve morning there was a
localised dust storm as a whirlwind blew through the church grounds. There were grown men seen to be hanging onto
machines sounding like overgrown bees chasing leaves and anything that would
move from the car park and paved areas of the complex as they cleaned, dusted
and cobwebbed from one end of the grounds to the other. Did you notice how clean and tidy the grounds
and church surrounds were when you attended service?
Volunteers made it happen.
Thank you
Thanks to all who make
the complex presentable every week for our community to enjoy. Please consider how you could assist is some
small way. Contact the office, write on your welcome card or send an email to
‘churchenquires@paravista.org.au’ with your availability and the gifts you
would like to share. If you don’t know
what your gifts are, contact us anyway.
You never know who you may meet and what fun you may have.
Volunteers do make it happen.
Cebu Mission Fundraising Team
Pancake Day - Sunday 10th February after
both morning services. Pancakes are $1ea with Maple Syrup or Lemon Juice
and sugar. All proceeds to CMF in the Philippines.
From the Pastoral Paddock:
FAT
FEBRUARY
February
2013 is already chockers with a trilogy of events.
The first event:
Beginning
with the Back to School celebration
lunch after the 10:30am service on 3rd February, as a church
family we have the opportunity to show hospitality and the genuine love of
Jesus as we meet and greet new and longstanding school families not associated with
Good Shepherd.
The
second event:
"Disability 101 – Foundations for enabling the church"
Lutheran Disability
Services (formerly Amandus) invites you to this workshop
which gives practical information to assist your church to grow as a place
of acceptance for people with disabilities. This workshop has been
produced by CBM and is one of a range of materials available for that
purpose.
Date: Saturday, 9th February 2013
Time: 9.00am – 1.00pm (be ready for a 9.00am start)
Venue: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 388 Montague Road, Para
Vista
Cost: $15, which includes materials and morning tea
To register
The
Third Event:
African Gathering:
Saturday 23rd February 2013
11:00am (Australian time) for worship and
lunch
Concluding
at 4:00pm (Australian time)
This
gathering is open to all who wish to participate as well as for African people
who are part of the ministry and mission of the Lutheran Church and for others
who work with them or are interested in this ministry
This gathering
is open to all. As Pastoral Care and Fellowship Team leader I strongly
encourage you to attend and participate. We want to empower our African sisters
and brothers, so for the rest of us the emphasis is on listening and learning
rather than telling. Our cultural diversity brings richness to the fabric of
our Church and is part of God’s blessing to us in the 21st Century.
We have much to learn from the faith in Jesus Christ many of our African
sisters and brothers live today. A faith that has often been tested by hardship
and tragedy that the rest of us may struggle to comprehend. A faith that is
naturally shared with others and celebrated with vigour and enthusiasm. Like
all relationships this is two-way. We all have much to contribute and much to
receive.
Barry Klaer
Pastoral Care
Vacancies
Lay Worker/Ministry Worker Required 6 – 8 hours per Week Albert
Park, SA
We are
seeking a motivated Lay Worker to develop ministry with children and families
in our local community and reinvigorate our current Kids Club program. Experience working with migrant children and
families, especially African cultures, would be an advantage. The
position has an initial time frame of 3 years with flexible working hours of 6-8
hours per week.
For more
information and a position description, please contact Pastor Rodger Russ, Phone
8345 3780 or Email: woodpars@chariot.net.au
Postal
Address: 64 Botting Street,
ALBERT PARK SA 5014
Applications close 30th
January, 2013 to be forwarded to Pastor Rodger Russ.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
OFFICER LCA - SA/NT District
Up to 37.5 hours per week
Contact
Judy Gilbertson on 0400208184
Applications
close Friday 1st of February 2013
ST STEPHEN’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, ADELAIDE - PART TIME YOUTH WORKER
(0.2 FTE)
At St Stephen’s we value our young people. We want a
person to work with us and share our passion to support and care for young
people. If you want to find out more about this important ministry check our
website: www.ststephensadelaide.org.au or call/email James on p: 08 8223 5491
e: jameswin@tpg.com.au
Applications close
on Friday 1st of February 2013
Ministry Support Officer
Immanuel
Lutheran Church
(Office
Administrator/Secretary)
For
a more detailed job description please contact, ILC chairperson David Schutz on
Applications
close 5pm Wednesday 20th February 2013.
Congregational Life Director (0.5) and Adult Education Director
(0.4)
St
John’s Lutheran Church, Unley
While
these positions have separate roles, there is the possibility of combining them
into a 0.9 position for the right candidate. Position Descriptions and further
enquiries to Pastor Rob Schubert rob.schubert@lca.org.au
(08)
8271 9556 or mob 0412 184 803
Applications
for this position close on 8th February
Notice Board
Please see Notice Board for more Information
Renew summer camp
Just under a
month out, and Renew Summer is shaping up to be fantastic!
Super cool
location by the beach? Check. Fantastic
group of young people? Check.
Great
elective leaders talking about relevant topics? Check!
And as
special bonus, we've thrown in a whole bunch more free time over the course of
the weekend in the name of building community and fully enjoying the outdoor
environment God has created and blessed us with!
Hope you're
all getting ready to register too, as early-bird prices close on the 4th
February! Looking forward to seeing you all there! Register for Renew Summer – 15-18
February - by 4th February and save $50!
Grassroots Training Workshops
Toolkit for
Ministry
Workshop Day
1: Monday 11th February 2013
Workshop Day
2: Tuesday 12th February 2013
Building Healthy
Relationships
Workshop Day
1: Wednesday 13th February 2013
Workshop Day
2: Thursday 14th February 2013
Spiritual
Resilience
Workshop:
Friday 15th February 2013
Times: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Venue: Australian Lutheran College
Entry
via 200 Ward St, North Adelaide SA
REGISTER ONLINE NOW AT www.grassroots.edu.au
Please see Notice Board for more Information
Don't take yourself so seriously. No one
else does.
Church Web site: www.paravista.org.au
