Eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus!
Sometimes Christians are
labelled as “gullible” or “foolish” by sceptics and atheists who regard Jesus’
resurrection as “utter nonsense”.
Yet the death and
resurrection of Jesus are recorded as historical events experienced by many
eye-witnesses. In about AD 55, Paul reminds his Christian friends at Corinth of
the gospel he had preached to them:
For what I received I passed on to you
as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. (1 Corinthians
15:3-5 NIV)
In Jewish culture, the
words “received” and “passed on” refer to a fixed oral tradition. It is not to be changed, but passed on
verbatim. So Paul didn’t make this up,
but received this “creed” from others - perhaps in AD 33/34 when he spent a
fortnight in Jerusalem with Peter and James (the brother of Jesus); or two
years earlier in AD 31/32 at the time of his conversion in Damascus (cf Acts 9,
Galatians 1:18-20).
Right from the
beginning, Jesus’ death and its significance for our sins, his burial, and his resurrection are the
key elements of the gospel. As John
Dickson writes:
“Already by the mid-30s AD this story was
sufficiently well known to become part of a formal teaching summary memorised
by disciples far and wide. The notion sometimes put forward that Jesus’ role as
Christ and Saviour was only developed much latter (some even suggest by
fourth-century Emperor Constantine) is untenable from a historian’s
perspective.” (John
Dickson, Life of Jesus – Who he is and
why it matters, 143.)
Paul goes on to cite
more eyewitnesses:
After that, he appeared to more than
five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:6
NIV)
This would be a stupid
thing to claim if such eye witnesses did not exist. Paul asserts that most of
the crowd who witnessed the risen Jesus were still alive – so they could be
questioned about it.
But wait, there are
more:
Then he appeared to James, then to all
the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (1 Corinthians
15:7-8 NIV)
Peter and the Twelve,
James and Paul spent the rest of their lives telling others the same message of
Jesus. They were so certain it was true that they were even prepared to die for
sharing it with others. It was too important to keep to themselves.
Sceptics still have to
come up with a plausible alternative explanation of what happened in light of
the historical evidence. Looking into the evidence, many have been convinced by
it – and ended up trusting in Jesus!
God give you hope and joy in Jesus!
Pr Rolly Stahl
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 reach the conclusion of our series
“Soul Encounters on the Way to the Cross”
“Soul Encounters on the Way to the Cross”
Maundy
Thursday 28th March, 7:30pm
Surrendered to
Serve
John 13:1-15, Luke 22:24-27
Good Friday 29th
March, 8:45am, 10:30am
Love that sets us
free
John 8:36
Resurrection
Sunday 31st March, 8:45am, 10:30am
Free to Live
Luke 24:1-12
Podcasts available at www.paravista.org.au
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!
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 had an amazing time celebrating Palm Sunday last week where they went on
an adventure to find the true meaning of Easter! All zones joined together
(including Baby Zone) and enjoyed a drama, different making stations, a hunt
for clues and a celebration! It was amazing morning of fun, faith, adventure
and celebration. Easter Bunny made a special appearance and Pastor Rolly found
some much enjoyed Easter eggs and prayed with the children! We have a display
in the church with some photos and info about the day so please take a look!
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!
Please
note that there will be no Baby Zone on Easter Sunday to enable families to
celebrate and worship together.
Playgroup
This
Wednesday, Little Lambs Playgroup celebrated Easter with a special visit from
Mrs Kluge and her class from the school! As well as a special Easter egg hunt!
We are now looking forward to our end of term celebration in two weeks’ time!
More information to come soon and we hope to see you then!
Beth Einthal
(Relief Children and Family
Ministry)
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 21st 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 2pm on Sunday,
21st 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.
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)
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
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.
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:
Holy Communion.
Our planned dates are:
Sunday May 5th – 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).
PALM SUNDAY PIX
I praise God
for all of those who contributed to another rewarding day of food, fun and
fellowship. I’m sure that everyone is with me to propose a colossal “thank you”
to those who set up the hall, prepared the salads and fish, and then BBQ’ed and
cooked the fish! “Fantastic job team!”
(Above) The labourers of love! Eric & Frank; Trevor & Stephen; Graham; Sue;
Tyler; Bron; Liz, Sue & Helen. (Workers not in photos) Don &
Betty Schwarz (Luke 10:38-41 applies)
(Left) Is it ready yet?
(Right) Sure is!
(left)
Laverty family loving lunch
(Left) Days end! Along with
the Sunday Hospitality team, I sincerely thank Liz and Stephen for their
assistance to us. So with the final sweep and mopping of the floor we toasted
Liz and Stephen as last Sunday was their 29th wedding anniversary.
Barry Klaer
Pastoral Care & Fellowship Team leader
(Hospitality)
Students Endeavouring to be Champions
Well actually they do not have to endeavour to be champions, they
already are!
Year 11 Students from Endeavour College are assisting at the Monday
Night Soup Kitchen as a part of their Christian Living class. 22 students have selected the Social Justice
module and are required to do a practical activity for assessment.
Teacher, Josh Champion said, “Helping out at
the Monday night soup kitchen at Para Vista makes a perfect fit for the Social
Justice students. I wanted an authentic service opportunity and this just
presented itself at the right time. My hope is that they will gain an understanding
that Social Justice is about the way that we treat each other. It’s about
connecting into those numerous verses in the gospels in which Jesus says that
we need to love one another. It’s such a prevalent and important theme in his
teachings. My prayer is that at the end of the course the students will
recognise the problems with our society but also be equipped with the tools to
make a difference which starts with the way we treat each other”.
Wow! That’s something we could all take a refresher course in Josh!
(left) Endeavour
students with their teacher enjoying being involved in the “tea towel
ministry”.
Barry Klaer
Pastoral Care and Fellowship
(Shepherding and Care)
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: 14th April to 7th July; plus a
day where we explore the Holy Spirit (Saturday 1st 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.
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)
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.
Apricots are now available from the church office. Call in during
office hours 9am – 3.45pm Monday to Friday. Orders: phone 8263 5087 or via email: churchenquiries@paravista.org.au
BSF (BIBLE STUDY FELLOWSHIP) is an interdenominational
women’s bible study happening weekly at Good Shepherd.
Each Tuesday morning from 9:30-11:30
between 50-60 women of all ages are meeting to study God’s word. Babies and children up to school age are
wonderfully cared for and taught in their own age-specific classes. Turn up on any Tuesday morning to join an
introductory class, or contact Sonia Hulme on 7122 2903 for more information.
SHEPPARTON
AFRICAN CHOIR
Accommodation
required for about 50 members of this choir who will singing at the Opening
service of General Synod on Sunday April 21, and in the afternoon.
We require
billets for the Friday and Saturday nights (19 and 20 April)
A great
opportunity to get to know members of our church family.
Can you
please help?
Men@ParaVista
Come to breakfast
and learn about “TYPE 2 DIABETES and OTHER DISTRACTIONS” from our own Peter Weckert. Saturday 6th
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 11th 2013
Concordia College 45 Cheltenham Street, Highgate
Registrations:
Early bird Registration Until 11th April $35
Group of four or more 12th April – 4th May $40
Concession: (Pensioners, Unemployed, Students) 12th April –
11th May $40
Standard Registration 12th April – 11th 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)
Easter
service times
Maundy Thursday 7.30pm with
Holy Communion
Good Friday 8.45am
and 10.30am
Easter Sunday 8.45am
and 10.30am with Holy Communion.
If Easter says anything to us today, it says this:
You can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there.
You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets
and shut it up in a tomb, but it will rise! Clarence W. Hall
You can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there.
You can nail it to a cross, wrap it in winding sheets
and shut it up in a tomb, but it will rise! Clarence W. Hall
Church Web site: www.paravista.org.au
