Cultivating Prayer

This Sunday at Good Shepherd we continue our new worship series, ‘Prayer: Growing Deeper with God’.  Last Sunday Pr Noel built a great foundation with his message on knowing God as our Father in heaven.  If you missed it, I urge you to catch up:  http://paravista.org.au/resources/weekly-message/

The heartbeat of a God-centred life and a healthy ministry is the heartbeat of prayer.  We see Jesus living it out.  Jesus keeps making it clear that our Father in heaven loves us, watches over us, and wants the best for us. 

Yet when it comes to prayer, I confess that I am sporadic, undisciplined, and easily distracted.  I often turn to God as a last desperate resort rather than as first first priority. 

How is it with you? 

How would you describe your prayer life over the last three months?

For you personally, what tends to crowd out prayer in your life? 

What 1-2 things would be most helpful for you to grow into a person of prayer?  

The focus for this Sunday is Cultivating Prayer.  My prayer is that our heavenly Father would draw you to his heart, convince you of his love, and release in you a hunger for deeper intimacy with Him.   

Bible Readings: Luke 11:5–13; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–17
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au

Kingdom Kids
Kingdom Kids is on again this Sunday at our 10.30am service.  We would love for you to join us!
Activity folders will be available for the children and Personal Journals available for the older children for use during this service.

There will also be activity folders, personal journals and a range of kid’s bibles to use during the services.

Faith at Home
May Faith at Home booklet out now! Grab your copy from the Kingdom Kids sign-in desk or the parenting room, OR you can access it via the Good Shepherd phone app.

New resources OUT NOW in the church library!! Pop in and borrow something!

Playgroup
Please join us for Little Lambs Playgroup next Wednesday 9:15am in the church hall. Anyone is welcome and we would love to see you!

Youth Ministry
Youth is on this Friday night 7pm-9.30pm.  We will be looking at making a stance and standing up for God and what we believe in. Our theme for the term is “God’s Not Dead”, based on the hit movie of the same name. Come along for fellowship, food and fun. The cost is $2 to help cover the cost of supper.
Further details contact Margot Mertin 0401 850814

Metro CLW
Camp for students in years 7-12 in July school holidays
July 11-15    Years   7-9
July 18-22   Years 10-12
Details: www.blueprintministires.org.au/metroclw

Blueprint Ministries Appeal Dinner
Saturday 25th June 2016 at the Marche Club in Paradise
Fundraising to support the ministry to children & families, youth & young adults in our district
Guest Speaker is Matt Cowdrey, our greatest ever Olympian
Tickets and more info available from www.blueprintappeal.org

Prayer Requests:
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.


PVLW Fellowship
On Tuesday, June 7th at 1pm we have our regular meeting and DOROTHY BUSCUMB, a member of our executive committee, will be sharing her story. She is a member of Good Shepherd and this may be an excellent opportunity for congregation members to get to know her. So you are all most welcome to join us as we hear Dorothy give us her personal profile. Pastor Noel starts with a short Bible Study at 1pm.

Fund Raising Luncheon
On Tuesday, JULY 5th at 12 noon, our Fellowship invites you to attend our annual luncheon here in Good Shepherd Hall. Invitations have gone out to other Northern Zone Fellowships, too, but we would really like congregation members to attend as well. We will cater for 80 people with wine, two courses, an excellent guest speaker and a few lucky door prizes. We also hope to have a trading table with many goodies for sale. Note the date of July not June. Men are most welcome, friends, partners, spouses. We look forward to seeing you there. Wish to book? Please contact RUTH OSTER on 8265 0221 or Email kroster@senet.com.au

Maranatha Health - Stall and Soup Sunday
Soup weather is here, and Maranatha Health is always ready to serve!
Join us in the hall on 29 May after services for a warming mug of soup and cheese toastie lunch. Browse at our stall of homemade and home grown goods, with items donated by our generous Good Shepherd community. Any donated items are welcome before services on the day. All proceeds of sales go towards the work of Maranatha Health www.maranathahealth.org
Thank you for your continued support in prayer, giving and serving! We look forward to catching up with you over a cup of steamy soup soon.

From the office

Improvements around the church
Manse fence - the fence between the manse and the neighbour at 48 collapsed due to age.  It has been replaced with a good neighbour fence.

Office closure on 2nd June for Staff meeting
Office will be closed for a short period on 2nd June 2015 from 9.00am to 9.30am for a staff meeting.

Name Badges
Do not have a name badge?  Badges can be ordered through the front office or by indicating name badge on your connect card.  Please ensure you have your name written legibly to receive a correct badge.

Support for LCC at Ingle Farm
9 members from Para Vista have attending information sessions at LCC Ingle Farm. Once they have completed the necessary paper work many of these folk will commence volunteering in various roles. Others have indicated that they will be interested in getting involved.

Already several members are helping with the afternoon tea for students and a BBQ at the Saturday morning dad’s play group. The afternoon teas are important as this is the only food some receive for the day.

We have assisted by donating a freezer to replace the broken one and also Eric Hofmanis has been able to access a BBQ that has been donated. The congregation has also given over $1750 in cash to assist with running the programmes.

Jan and John Dolling give the thumbs up for the freezer donated by the congregation.

Congregational survey
Thank you to everyone who completed the pre-call meeting survey. The results have been correlated thanks to many hours work by Yolande Elliott and Liz Zanker. The results have been forwarded to Brain Schwarz who will conduct the pre-call meeting on June 5th at 12:30pm.

Altar survey
Thank you to all who completed the survey re the possibility of upgrading the furniture at the front of the church. Thank you also for the oral feedback. We had 120 written replies. The results of the survey will be discussed by the 50th Anniversary Team and the Board. The congregation will then be informed of the outcome.

Reminder of meetings
Sunday May 29th AGM’s of congregation and school at 12:30
Soup lunch will be provided by Maranatha Health.
Sunday June 5th Pre- call meeting at 12:30
Lunch will be available before the meeting.

Noticeboard

Biggest Morning Tea
Come and join us for a cuppa and raise money for the Cancer Council.
The Biggest Morning Tea will be held Thursday 16th June 9.30am in the church hall.
Toddlers and babies are welcome.  Gold coin donation appreciated!

For further info contact Tina Pfeiffer 8263 8545 or Lenna Uebergang

Lutheran Community Care
Loaves & Fishes – for May, we invite you to replenish our Emergency Relief shelves with:
Hard Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Sanitary Pads and Tuna
Thank you for helping us help others.
Your LCC representative will ensure we receive your donation.

“A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.”

Proverbs 17:17

Why Pray?

This Sunday at Good Shepherd we start a new sermon series called ‘Prayer: Growing Deeper with God’.

While prayer can be an instinctive response for believers and non-believers alike, when we are faced with overwhelming circumstances, the regular practice of prayer doesn’t come as easy. Prayer can be a struggle for all of us. In this series we will take a closer look at what the Bible says about prayer and how this can help us grow in our own prayer life.

We begin the series by exploring the question, “Why Pray?” Is prayer simply a means to access the almighty God in an attempt to get him to help us out? Or, is there more to prayer than just asking God for things?

If you struggle to pray; if you are confused about how to pray; or, have a desire to grow in your prayer life, then this new series will help address these struggles and grow your prayer life and with it your relationship with our amazing God, who we address in prayer as “Our Father in heaven!” 

Bible Readings: Luke 11:1-4; Romans 8:14-17
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au

The AGM’s of church and school
The AGM’S of the congregation and school will be held on Sunday May 29th @ 12:30. Information will be available by Sunday May 22nd. There will be a meal available after the 10:30 service

 “Stand Firm” Bible study
What is spiritual attack? Are there evil powers working against me? How do I stand firm against such “powers”?

Vicar Dan will be leading a Bible study over two nights (Wednesday night, 18th & 25th May, 7:30pm–8:30pm) in the church. The study will look at the role of prayer in standing firm against evil “powers.”

Prayer is a gift from God (Luke 11:1–13). One of the purposes of prayer is to strengthen God’s people to stand firm against attack from the evil powers that lead humanity to disobey God. These evil powers include the world, the devil, and the sinful nature (Ephesians 2:2–3). This struggle is real and encompasses all Christians in the present age.

Join us as we unpack the theme of “power” in the book of Ephesians, and how prayer is God’s gift for standing firm when attacked by evil powers.

Kingdom Kids
Kingdom Kids is on again this Sunday at our 10.30am service.  We would love for you to join us!
Activity folders will be available for the children and Personal Journals available for the older children for use during this service.

There will also be activity folders, personal journals and a range of kids bibles to use during the services.

Faith at Home
May Faith at Home booklet out now! Grab your copy from the Kingdom Kids sign-in desk or the parenting room, OR you can access it via the Good Shepherd phone app.

New resources OUT NOW in the church library!! Pop in and borrow something!

Playgroup
Please join us for Little Lambs Playgroup next Wednesday 9:15am in the church hall. Anyone is welcome and we would love to see you!

Youth Ministry
Youth is on this Friday night 7pm-9.30pm.  We will be looking at making a stance and standing up for God and what we believe in. Our theme for the term is “God’s Not Dead”, based on the hit movie of the same name. Come along for fellowship, food and fun. The cost is $2 to help cover the cost of supper.
Further details contact Margot Mertin 0401 850814

Metro CLW
Camp for students in years 7-12 in July school holidays
July 11-15    Years   7-9
July 18-22   Years 10-12
Details: www.blueprintministires.org.au/metroclw

Prayer Requests:
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.

PVLW Fellowship
On Tuesday, June 7th at 1pm we have our regular meeting and DOROTHY BUSCUMB, a member of our executive committee, will be sharing her story. She is a member of Good Shepherd and this may be an excellent opportunity for congregation members to get to know her. So you are all most welcome to join us as we hear Dorothy give us her personal profile. Pastor Noel starts with a short Bible Study at 1pm.

Fund Raising Luncheon
On Tuesday, JULY 5th at 12 noon, our Fellowship invites you to attend our annual luncheon here in Good Shepherd Hall. Invitations have gone out to other Northern Zone Fellowships, too, but we would really like congregation members to attend as well. We will cater for 80 people with wine, two courses, an excellent guest speaker and a few lucky door prizes. We also hope to have a trading table with many goodies for sale. Note the date of July not June. Men are most welcome, friends, partners, spouses. We look forward to seeing you there. Wish to book? Please contact RUTH OSTER on 8265 0221 or Email kroster@senet.com.au

May is MaranathaMONTH
This May is MaranathaMONTH and we invite you to run a fundraiser in honour of mothers in Uganda (and everywhere!)  We're making May a month of sharing stories of mums, children and families whose lives are impacted by the work of Maranatha Health, and who positively impact those around them.

Host an event and share stories from our work in Uganda. Download an event kit to make the planning simple or create your own MaranathaMONTH event. Let us know what you are planning to do because we love to share your story too! For more information: www.maranathahealth.org/month or contact keren.sutton@maranathahealth.org

Maranatha Health - Stall and Soup Sunday
Soup weather is here, and Maranatha Health is always ready to serve!
Join us in the hall on 29 May after services for a warming mug of soup and cheese toastie lunch. Browse at our stall of homemade and home grown goods, with items donated by our generous Good Shepherd community. Any donated items are welcome before services on the day. All proceeds of sales go towards the work of Maranatha Health. www.maranathahealth.org
Thank you for your continued support in prayer, giving and serving! We look forward to catching up with you over a cup of steamy soup soon.

Blueprint Ministries Appeal Dinner
June 25, 2016 18:30
Blueprint Ministries Appeal Dinner will be an evening of the choicest company, engaging entertainment & fabulous food.  Most importantly, celebrate with us what God has been doing through our ministries, and invest in the future of our children & families, youth & young adults.
**TICKETS AVALIABLE VERY SOON**
Evening Highlights:
•    Matt Cowdrey sharing his story and how his strength and courage helped him reach incredible heights in the world of swimming.
•    Live Music
•    Silent Auction (we will keep you posted with items!)
•    Stories from those involved in the ministry of Blueprint Ministries
•    Wine Wall
•    Cost:     $85/head
$765/table of 10
Bring a table of friends and get the 10th ticket free!
Contact us with any questions dinner@blueprintministries.org.au 8267 5211

From the office

Important dates
Sunday May 22nd – pre-call meeting survey to be completed
Sunday May 29th AGM’S of congregation and school @12:30
Sunday June 5th – pre-call congregational meeting @12.30 in the church

Call Team
After lengthy deliberation the Board has nominated the following to form the Call Team to meet with the Bishop on Wednesday June 22nd.  In forming the Team the Board endeavoured to ensure all aspects of our large and diverse congregation was represented.

The Team is: John Dolling, Keith Kemp, Keren Sutton, Ian Pfeiffer, Deb Wesselingh, David Wilksch, Ben McAleer and Aaron Einthal

If you have suggestions on pastors who should be considered please give their name to one of the Team.

Altar furniture
This Sunday the options for upgrading the altar will be on display in the hall. A representative from the 50th Anniversary Team will be available to answer questions and you can lodge a vote (as long as you did not vote last week)

Notes from May Board meeting
•    The Call Team was discussed and  selected
•    Motions for the AGM were finalised
•    24 x 7 one way traffic flow through the complex was discussed. It was decided to support on way from Monday thru  Friday but not on weekends
•    Board Chair for 2017 was  discussed without resolution

Noticeboard

Lutheran Community Care
Loaves & Fishes – for May, we invite you to replenish our Emergency Relief shelves with:
Hard Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Sanitary Pads and Tuna
Thank you for helping us help others.
Your LCC representative will ensure we receive your donation.

Jesus did not let him

[the man from whom he had cast out demons] 

come with him, but said, 

"Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you,

and how he has had mercy on you."

Msrk 5:19

Pentecost Sunday - But wait, there’s more…

How do you cope when things don’t turn out the way you expected?  Like when cherished dreams and plans turn into something much different?  

This Sunday we’re going to trace the first disciples’ expectations of how things would work out with Jesus; and compare that with Jesus’ restoration plan.

Through his death Jesus had taken the punishment for the sin of the world.  Through his resurrection Jesus had won the victory over death for ALL people.  Now it was time to share this Good News throughout the world.  

Jesus commissions his disciples to be his witnesses – to the ends of the earth.  For parochial Jewish chaps, this would have been the last thing on their minds.

In effect Jesus tells them: “But wait, there’s more for you to do in my restoration plans for my world.  But wait, there’s more my Father wants to give you so you can do it: the presence and power of the Holy Spirit! 

Pentecost was a harvest thanksgiving festival, drawing people of Jewish faith from around the world to Jerusalem.  It was the perfect time and place for God’s great opening act: sharing the Good News of Jesus with ALL people.

Bible Readings: Acts 1:1-8    Acts 2:1-41
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au

To celebrate Pentecost and the passion of the Holy Spirit, you might like to wear red, orange, or yellow to worship this Sunday.

How to become a member at Good Shepherd
If you are interested in becoming a member of Good Shepherd we invite you to attend our next Discovery course. This is held over two evenings, Tuesday 17th and Tuesday 24th May. The first evening begins with a meal at 6.30pm in the church hall and finishes at 9pm. The second evening is from 7pm – 9pm in the Education Centre at the rear of the hall.

You can register for Discover in the following ways: by phoning the office on 8263 5087, emailing churchenquiries@parvista.org.au or, by writing ‘I would like to register for Discovery’ on your Connect Card at a Sunday service.

The AGM’s of church and school
The AGM’S of the congregation and school will be held on Sunday May 29th @ 12:30. Information will be available by Sunday May 22nd. There will be a meal available after the 10:30 service

“Stand Firm” Bible study
What is spiritual attack? Are there evil powers working against me? How do I stand firm against such “powers”?

Vicar Dan will be leading a Bible study over two nights (Wednesday night, 18th & 25th May, 7:30pm–8:30pm) in the church. The study will look at the role of prayer in standing firm against evil “powers.”

Prayer is a gift from God (Luke 11:1–13). One of the purposes of prayer is to strengthen God’s people to stand firm against attack from the evil powers that lead humanity to disobey God. These evil powers include the world, the devil, and the sinful nature (Ephesians 2:2–3). This struggle is real and encompasses all Christians in the present age.

Join us as we unpack the theme of “power” in the book of Ephesians, and how prayer is God’s gift for standing firm when attacked by evil powers.

Calling a Senior Pastor
We have commenced the process of calling a Senior Pastor.
•    The first step for those who call Good Shepherd their church home is to fill in a questionnaire. This can be done online or in hard copy. We encourage you to do it on line as this saves a lot of collation of data.
We encourage everyone to complete the survey as this information will form the basis of the pre-call meeting and will determine the gifts we are seeking in our new Senior Pastor
•    There will be a pre-call meeting on Sunday June 5th at 12:30. This will be led by Pastor Brain Schwarz representing the LCA. Information from this meeting will be passed onto Bishop David Altus so he can assess the gifts required by the new Senior Pastor.
•    A Call Team has been chosen by the Board from those who expressed an interest. The names of the Team will be included in the next weekly news
•    On Wednesday June 22nd   the Call Team meets with the Bishop to discuss Pastors who are available for call and have the gifts required to lead us in our Mission
If you have Pastors you think should be considered contact John Dolling 8367 5296 jdolling@bigpond.net.au

Kingdom Kids
Please join us this Sunday at 10:30am for a Pentecost service to remember! Kids and families will have a special activity and part in the service. We hope you can join us and we look forward to seeing you then!

There will also be activity folders, personal journals and a range of kids bibles to use during the services.

Faith at Home
May Faith at Home booklet out now! Grab your copy from the Kingdom Kids sign-in desk or the parenting room, OR you can access it via the Good Shepherd phone app.

New resources OUT NOW in the church library!! Pop in and borrow something!

Playgroup
Please join us for Little Lambs Playgroup next Wednesday 9:15am in the church hall. Anyone is welcome and we would love to see you!

Youth Ministry
Term 2 for youth commenced last Friday with a movie night screening God’s Not Dead. This term we are undertaking a Bible study based on the movie God’s Not Dead.  If you were unable to come and see the movie you will still be able to participate in the fortnightly studies as the relevant part of the movie to be studied will be viewed at each youth event.  Youth events run Friday fortnightly. The cost is $2 to help cover the cost of supper.

Metro CLW
Camp for students in years 7-12 in July school holidays.  Early bird registration closes today. (Friday May 13th)

Prayer Requests:
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.

PVLW Fellowship
On Tuesday, June 7th at 1pm we have our regular meeting and DOROTHY BUSCUMB, a member of our executive committee, will be sharing her story. She is a member of Good Shepherd and this may be an excellent opportunity for congregation members to get to know her. So you are all most welcome to join us as we hear Dorothy give us her personal profile. Pastor Noel starts with a short Bible Study at 1pm.

Fund  Raising Luncheon
On Tuesday, JULY 5th at 12 noon, our Fellowship invites you to attend our annual luncheon here in Good Shepherd Hall. Invitations have gone out to other Northern Zone Fellowships, too, but we would really like congregation members to attend as well. We will cater for 80 people with wine, two courses, an excellent guest speaker and a few lucky door prizes. We also hope to have a trading table with many goodies for sale. Note the date of July not June. Men are most welcome, friends, partners, spouses. We look forward to seeing you there. Wish to book? Please contact RUTH OSTER on 8265 0221 or Email kroster@senet.com.au

May is MaranathaMONTH
This May is MaranathaMONTH and we invite you to run a fundraiser in honour of mothers in Uganda (and everywhere!)  We're making May a month of sharing stories of mums, children and families whose lives are impacted by the work of Maranatha Health, and who positively impact those around them.

Host an event and share stories from our work in Uganda. Download an event kit to make the planning simple or create your own MaranathaMONTH event. Let us know what you are planning to do because we love to share your story too! For more information: www.maranathahealth.org/month or contact keren.sutton@maranathahealth.org

Maranatha Health - Stall and Soup Sunday
Soup weather is here, and Maranatha Health is always ready to serve!
Join us in the hall on 29 May after services for a warming mug of soup and cheese toastie lunch. Browse at our stall of homemade and homegrown goods, with items donated by our generous Good Shepherd community. Any donated items are welcome before services on the day. All proceeds of sales go towards the work of Maranatha Health. www.maranathahealth.org
Thank you for your continued support in prayer, giving and serving! We look forward to catching up with you over a cup of steamy soup soon.

From the office

Budget 2016
January – April 2016
Total Offerings – Budget $169,250    Actual $165,241 UNDER $4,009
Budget Summary
January – March 2016
Total Income – Budget $130,348        Actual $128,340    UNDER $2,008
Total Expenses – Budget $111,741    Actual $108,934    UNDER $2,807

Notes:
•    REG continues to be over budget in 2016 with the highest amount for the year in April and $1,500 per month more than 2015. 
•    April was the first month plate offerings each Sunday were below $4,000 for over 10 years.
•    Although offerings are $4,009 below budget to end of April the total amount is $2,400 more than end of April 2015.
•    Expenses are below budget to date due to staffing positions not being filled. All positions have now been filled.
•    Expenses are below budget by more than income is below budget to date. 

Heating our facility
To assist all users of our facility in keeping warm the following actions will help to heat the areas in an economical way.  When heaters are turned on, ensure the ceiling fans are turned on to a low speed. For the auditorium the switches are located in the rear corridor and speed setting 5 or 4 will suffice.  In the hall and the rear right of the auditorium the fans are in the dark boxes on the ceiling. The switches for these are located along the northern brick wall in line with the fans. Select speed setting medium.

Vacancy Painting volunteers
To ensure our complex is kept in a presentable state some areas require a fresh coat of paint. There are a number of areas requiring refreshing especially for the 50th anniversary. Please contact Stephen, the office on 8263 5087 or mark painting on your connect card to be actively involved in improving the presentation of our facility.  All materials and paint will be supplied.
Noticeboard

Lutheran Community Care
Loaves & Fishes – for May, we invite you to replenish our Emergency Relief shelves with:
Hard Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Sanitary Pads and Tuna
Thank you for helping us help others.
Your LCC representative will ensure we receive your donation.

Boomerang BACK to Hermannsburg and Neuendettelsau in Germany. At the Friends of Lutheran Archives (FoLA) meeting on Monday May 23rd, Pastor Rob Borgas of Finke River Mission in Central Australia will tell us about the 2015 concert tour to Germany & why it was so important for the Aboriginal people of Central Australia. Bethlehem House, Flinders St. city, 7.30 pm, supper & gold coin donation.

Lutheran Nurses
Monday the 23rd of May at 7.30pm in the SA District Office at 137 Archer St, North Adelaide Guest speaker is Dr. Chris Hahn on “GENETIC ENGINEERING [the Genome of Cancer]".
All are welcome not just nurses. CPD evidence is available if needed.

“And my God will meet all your needs

according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

From head to heart

Have there been moments or events in your faith journey where what you knew about Jesus felt like it moved from your head to your heart? What you knew about Jesus moved from information you believed at an intellectual level to someone you knew and trusted in at a heart level?

God’s wants everyone to experience Jesus personally at a heart level. God actively works in our lives through the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to the message and person of Jesus to create, refresh and sustain our faith.

This Sunday we look at how God opened the heart of Lydia so that she could have a heart encounter with the person of Jesus and receive in faith all he did for her on the cross. As we look at this event the question I will be asking is “Can we learn anything from Lydia’s conversion that will help us be more open and responsive to the message of Jesus at a heart level?”

Why does God want us to experience Jesus at a heart level? The reason is that only our hearts can take hold of God’s incredible love for us in Jesus. Paul says in Ephesians 3 that God’s love for us in Christ ‘surpasses knowledge’ (Ephesians 3:19). There is something about God’s love that can only be grasped by a heart that has been opened up by the Holy Spirit. When this happens the transformation of God’s love for us in Christ is amazing as we will see in the story of Lydia.

I pray you can join us this Sunday, which is also Mother’s Day, as we look at how God opened the heart of Lydia and what we can learn from her story.

Bible Readings: Acts 16:9-15; Ephesians 3:14-19
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au

How to become a member at Good Shepherd
If you are interested in becoming a member of Good Shepherd we invite you to attend our next Discovery course in May. When you take the step to become a member of a local church you are making a commitment to God’s mission through that church. Discovery will provide you with the opportunity to hear about the exciting mission God has called Good Shepherd to and how you can be part of it.

Discovery is also a great way to get to know other people new to Good Shepherd who are considering membership.

Our next Discovery course will be held over two evenings, Tuesday 17th and Tuesday 24th May. The first evening begins with a meal at 6.30pm in the church hall and finishes at 9pm. The second evening is from 7pm – 9pm in the Education Centre at the rear of the hall.

You can register for Discover in the following ways: by phoning the office on 8263 5087, emailing churchenquiries@parvista.org.au or, by writing ‘I would like to register for Discovery’ on your Connect Card at a Sunday service.

“Stand Firm” Bible study
What is spiritual attack? Are there evil powers working against me? How do I stand firm against such “powers”?

Vicar Dan will be leading a Bible study over two nights (Wednesday night, 18th & 25th May, 7:30pm–8:30pm) in the church. The study will look at the role of prayer in standing firm against evil “powers.”

Prayer is a gift from God (Luke 11:1–13). One of the purposes of prayer is to strengthen God’s people to stand firm against attack from the evil powers that lead humanity to disobey God. These evil powers include the world, the devil, and the sinful nature (Ephesians 2:2–3). This struggle is real and encompasses all Christians in the present age.

Join us as we unpack the theme of “power” in the book of Ephesians, and how prayer is God’s gift for standing firm when attacked by evil powers.

Pre call meeting questionnaire
This week all who call Good Shepherd their church home should have received a copy of a questionnaire in preparation for a pre-call meeting in June (date yet to be finalised). These can be completed on line, via email or hard copy. They are to be returned no later Sunday May 22nd. This will give time to correlate results before the pre-call meeting.

The AGM’s of church and school
The AGM’S of the congregation and school will be held on Sunday May 29th @ 12:30. Information will be available by Sunday May 22nd. There will be a meal available after the 10:30 service

Kingdom Kids
There will be no Kingdom Kids this Sunday to enable families to worship our amazing God together for Mother's Day. There will be a special activity for families in the hall following the 10:30am service so stick around to make something to take home!

Faith at Home
Pick up a copy of the May Faith at Home booklet from the Kingdom Kids Sign-in desk or the parenting room. Use the booklet via the Good Shepherd phone app!

Children and Family Ministry Team
Beth Einthal & Kathy Liebig

Prayer Requests:
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au with your request.

May is MaranathaMONTH
This May is MaranathaMONTH and we invite you to run a fundraiser in honour of mothers in Uganda (and everywhere!)  We're making May a month of sharing stories of mums, children and families whose lives are impacted by the work of Maranatha Health, and who positively impact those around them.

Host an event and share stories from our work in Uganda. Download an event kit to make the planning simple or create your own MaranathaMONTH event. Let us know what you are planning to do because we love to share your story too! For more information: www.maranathahealth.org/month or contact keren.sutton@maranathahealth.org

Maranatha Health - Stall and Soup Sunday
Soup weather is here, and Maranatha Health is always ready to serve!
Join us in the hall on 29 May after services for a warming mug of soup and cheese toastie lunch. Browse at our stall of homemade and homegrown goods, with items donated by our generous Good Shepherd community. Any donated items are welcome before services on the day.

All proceeds of sales go towards the work of Maranatha Health. www.maranathahealth.org
Thank you for your continued support in prayer, giving and serving! We look forward to catching up with you over a cup of steamy soup soon.

From the office

Air conditioners
The evaporative coolers in the church have been closed down for the winter months.  To prevent accidental usage the remote controls have been removed and will be returned when the units are opened for summer.

Hall Floor
Just a reminder:  Please remove any spills from the floor straight away and lift the furniture to prevent damage to keep the hall looking great.

Heating our facility
To assist all users of our facility in keeping warm the following actions will help to heat the areas in an economical way.  When heaters are turned on, ensure the ceiling fans are turned on to a low speed. For the auditorium the switches are located in the rear corridor and speed setting 5 or 4 will suffice.  In the hall and the rear right of the auditorium the fans are in the dark boxes on the ceiling. The switches for these are located along the northern brick wall in line with the fans. Select speed setting medium.


Library
Note for all library users.  Please assist our volunteer librarian by not putting return items back onto the shelf but return them to the return box once you have finished borrowing.  This will prevent you from receiving an overdue notice.  Accordingly, if you remove items and then can’t remember where they belong please put them into the return box.  You can become a library user by contacting the front office or writing ‘Library Card’ on your connect card

First Aid
As part of providing child safe programs for our children we are required to have safety management systems in place.  To assist our leaders and teams, anyone with a current first aid certificate is requested to provide a copy to the office for recording.  Your services would only be required in the unlikely event that minor assistance is required.

Noticeboard

Lutheran Community Care
Loaves & Fishes – for May, we invite you to replenish our Emergency Relief shelves with:
Hard Pasta, Pasta Sauce, Sanitary Pads and Tuna
Thank you for helping us help others.
Your LCC representative will ensure we receive your donation.

Boomerang BACK to Hermannsburg and Neuendettelsau in Germany
At the Friends of Lutheran Archives (FoLA) meeting on Monday May 23rd, Pastor Rob Borgas of Finke River Mission in Central Australia will tell us about the 2015 concert tour to Germany & why it was so important for the Aboriginal people of central Australia. Bethlehem House, Flinders St. city, 7.30 pm, supper & gold coin donation.

Lutheran Nurses
Monday the 23rd of May at 7.30pm in the SA District Office at 137 Archer St, North Adelaide Guest speaker is Dr. Chris Hahn on “GENETIC ENGINEERING [the Genome of Cancer]".
All are welcome not just nurses. CPD evidence is available if needed.

Senior Manager, Alternative Care Services - Full-time position
If you are seeking a leadership role where you can make a significant difference, please forward your resume addressing the person specification in the Job Description to slane@lccare.org.au. For further information on the role please contact Susan Lane, Deputy Director on 08 8269 9333.
Applications close Tuesday, 17 May 2016 at 5.00pm.

“For if you forgive other people

when they sin against you,

your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

Matthew 6:14