24th March 2013

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 21^st 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, 21^st 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!

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)

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.

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 5^th – 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: 14^th April to 7^th July; plus a day where we explore the Holy Spirit (Saturday 1^st 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.

The Board agreed it needed to refine its  policy on Sexual Abuse to include a section on the Sex Offender. This would be based on a policy developed by the SA District of the LCA.Position Descriptions for Children & Family Team Leader + Support Worker were presented and accepted. 

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.

Barry Klaer 
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 1^st 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 6^th 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 11^th 2013

Concordia College 45 Cheltenham Street, Highgate

Registrations:

Early bird Registration Until 11^th April $35

Group of four or more 12^th April – 4^th May $40

Concession: (Pensioners, Unemployed, Students) 12^th April – 11^th May $40

Standard Registration 12^th April – 11^th 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

Enrolling now for 2014 & 2015

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

Email: churchenquiries@paravista.org.au