Repent and believe the Good News

If you were working in a hum-drum job that you did not enjoy, and were offered the job of your dreams, would you think twice about leaving the old one behind to pursue the new? 

If you were living in constant fear of death, and someone came along who could offer your security and life forever, would you remain in slavery to fear? Or would you leave that behind to walk in newness of life?

At the start of his ministry, Jesus announces new possibilities: “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)  

Jesus is the Messiah-King who establishes the Kingdom of God. He invites all people to enter his kingdom. How? Repent and believe the good news.

Some say that repentance comes first and believing comes next. I think they are two sides of the same coin. 

Jesus is good news. In Jesus, God comes to do all people good, offering us something better than we can ever manage on our own.  When we believe the good news of Jesus, then we can turn away from all the stuff that is messing us up, and enjoy the kingdom life he promises: life to the full.

Come along this Sunday as we unpack Jesus’ call and invitation: “Repent and believe the good news!”

Pr Rolly Stahl

Bible Readings: Mark 1:14-20, Mark 10:13-16.
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au 

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.

Vacancy - Young Families Coordinator
The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Para Vista is seeking someone with a passion for seeing young people and their families progress their faith journeys, to join their ministry team in a new, exciting position – ‘Young Families Coordinator’ on either a 0.8 or 1.0 basis.

In conjunction with the congregational Lead Pastor, this position will be the primary connection between the congregation and the onsite Good Shepherd Lutheran Primary School.

In addition, with the support of other teams, this role also includes the leadership and oversight for the care and spiritual development of people in 12 – 23 years age groups.

This is a leadership role that includes developing ministry vision, preparing, nurturing and equipping teams, and intentional ministry planning.

The successful applicant will be driven by a passion for ministry involving children, young families and schools. They will also bring a natural ability to develop meaningful personal connections for ministry using good communication skills.

The ability to work in a team and with other teams is essential.

For more information please contact the office or via the net at http://www.lca.org.au/departments/ministry-support/church-worker-support/calls-employment-volunteering/  under Young Families Coordinator.

Ladies Fellowship
Meeting 6th February – early start @12pm. Bring your own Lunch. Fruit platter provided
Bible study: Pastor Reid

From the Office

Air-conditioning
Air conditioning has been installed in all the new areas and is in the completion stages in the hall.  PLEASE turn the units on and off using only the on/off button.    The units have been pre-set for the most economical use and effectiveness and adjusting the settings may render the unit ineffective.  For any issues relating to the units please advise the Admin Manager or speak with office staff.

Parking lot safety – One Way Traffic
Remember traffic flow is one way entering from Montague road and exiting through the rear gate AT ALL TIMES.  Please do not ‘sneak out’ onto Montague road after hours.  As this is a shared area speed is restricted to 10KPH.

Notice Board

Get the latest news from LCA www.lca.org.au
Subscribe to the LCA Notice Board
http://www.lca.org.au/departments/ministry-support/communications/lca-notice-board/
To receive Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) Notice Board in your inbox on Wednesday
every week, sign up to LCA Notice Board eNews. It's free, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please visit www.lca.org.au for more details.

Australian Lutheran College (ALC) – preparing tomorrow’s teachers
Do you know someone who is currently studying or is about to commence studying a teaching degree? No matter where they are in Australia, ALC offers students the opportunity to complete many of the requirements to be eligible for accreditation as a teacher in a Lutheran school, while concurrently studying a teaching degree at another university.

The Lutheran Strand is a program which helps to prepare teachers to teach Christian Studies.  It adds a Christian Studies minor to initial teaching studies and is highly regarded by those who employ teachers in Lutheran and other Christian schools.  Many Bachelor of Education programs have elective spaces where Lutheran Strand units can be studied and cross credited. 

For more information visit www.alc.edu.au or contact the college on free call 1800 625 193
or email set@alc.edu.au

Dried apricots
For sale in the church office at $12 per 500gm pack which will help support ministries in Cambodia and Tonga.

Craft Group
We are a group of ladies who meet together most weeks to craft and also support, encourage, affirm and celebrate one another. We each bring our own craft to do: knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidery, quilting/applique, just to name a few of the crafts that we do regularly.  Sometimes, not much craft gets done; we just sit and talk for 2 hours!

When: Thursday evenings @ the GSPV Lutheran Church
Time: 7.30 – 9.30pm

“I consider that our present sufferings

are not worth comparing

with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Romans 8:18 NIV

The King's Campaign Commences

While generations of Australians may hold Queen Elizabeth II in high regard, I suspect many today perceive the monarchy as outdated and irrelevant. 

Yet way back in 1954, millions of Australians turned out to catch a glimpse of their new queen! In Sydney, more than a million people lined the streets and the harbour to welcome Her Majesty and the Sydney Morning Herald described their welcome as 'tumultuous'. http://www.abc.net.au/archives/80days/stories/2012/01/19/3411411.htm

Back in biblical times, we find kings and queens, Pharaohs, emperors and Caesars as part of the historical record.  Even among Israel’s rulers and kings, we find a mixture of good, bad, and ugly! 

Yet in spite of this patchy record of royalty, God kept making a promise that a descendant of King David would establish a kingdom that would never crumble.

The angel Gabriel reiterates this promise to Mary: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:31-33 NLT)

For 30 odd years, Jesus remained in obscurity, living in a small village and working with Joseph as an everyday carpenter.  But following his baptism and time in the wilderness, Jesus one day declared: “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15 NIV) 

“The kingdom of God has come near.”  The King’s campaign has officially commenced. What sort of King do we encounter in Jesus?  How do you understand “the kingdom of God”?  How would you explain it to a young person today?  And what is your response to God’s Son, King Jesus?   

Pr Rolly Stahl

Bible Readings: Psalm 145:8-13,  Isaiah 9:6-7,  Mark 1:14-15.
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au 

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.

Vacancy - Young Families Coordinator
The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Para Vista is seeking someone with a passion for seeing young people and their families progress their faith journeys, to join their ministry team in a new, exciting position – ‘Young Families Coordinator’ on either a 0.8 or 1.0 basis.

In conjunction with the congregational Lead Pastor, this position will be the primary connection between the congregation and the onsite Good Shepherd Lutheran Primary School.

In addition, with the support of other teams, this role also includes the leadership and oversight for the care and spiritual development of people in 12 – 23 years age groups.

This is a leadership role that includes developing ministry vision, preparing, nurturing and equipping teams, and intentional ministry planning.

The successful applicant will be driven by a passion for ministry involving children, young families and schools. They will also bring a natural ability to develop meaningful personal connections for ministry using good communication skills.

The ability to work in a team and with other teams is essential.

For more information please contact the office or via the net at http://www.lca.org.au/departments/ministry-support/church-worker-support/calls-employment-volunteering/  under Young Families Coordinator.

From the Office

Ignite the Future building update
Thank you for your patience while we settle into our remarkable area.  Our morning tea hosts did a fantastic job last week of adjusting to the new facility.  Due to Work Health and Safety there will be some changes to the way morning tea will be served and this will be explained over the next few weeks.

Remember if you have not been trained on kitchen equipment please refrain from using it until you have.

Air-conditioning
Air conditioning has been installed in all the new areas and is in the completion stages in the hall.  PLEASE turn the units on and off using only the on/off button.    The units have been pre-set for the most economical use and effectiveness and adjusting the settings may render the unit ineffective.  For any issues relating to the units please advise the Admin Manager or speak with office staff.

Communications book
The communications book has been temporarily placed back into the café area for members to communicate with staff.  Out of office hours, please use the folder to communicate issues rather than disturbing staff from worship or other activities.

Parking lot safety – One Way Traffic
Remember traffic flow is one way entering from Montague road and exiting through the rear gate AT ALL TIMES.  Please do not ‘sneak out’ onto Montague road after hours.  As this is a shared area speed is restricted to 10KPH.

Found
A fitbit was found in the carpark on Christmas Day.  Please contact the office if this belongs to you.

Notice Board

Get the latest news from LCA www.lca.org.au 
Subscribe to the LCA Notice Board
http://www.lca.org.au/departments/ministry-support/communications/lca-notice-board/
To receive Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) Notice Board in your inbox on Wednesday
every week, sign up to LCA Notice Board eNews. It's free, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please visit www.lca.org.au for more details.

Australian Lutheran College (ALC) – preparing tomorrow’s teachers
Do you know someone who is currently studying or is about to commence studying a teaching degree? No matter where they are in Australia, ALC offers students the opportunity to complete many of the requirements to be eligible for accreditation as a teacher in a Lutheran school, while concurrently studying a teaching degree at another university.

The Lutheran Strand is a program which helps to prepare teachers to teach Christian Studies.  It adds a Christian Studies minor to initial teaching studies and is highly regarded by those who employ teachers in Lutheran and other Christian schools.  Many Bachelor of Education programs have elective spaces where Lutheran Strand units can be studied and cross credited. 

For more information visit www.alc.edu.au or contact the college on free call 1800 625 193 or email set@alc.edu.au

Dried apricots 
For sale in the church office at $12 per 500gm pack which will help support ministries in Cambodia and Tonga.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,

Bearing with one another in love”

Ephesians 4:2-3

All in God's good time

Don’t we love to be in control!

As my calendar ticks over from one year to the next, I realise that my desire to be in control even extends to controlling time.  Perhaps this is why time travel has always been the subject of so much fascination in human thinking.  Whether it be H.G. Wells’ classic “The Time Machine”, the adventures of Marty McFly in “Back to the Future”, or the escapades of Dr Who and the TARDIS, time travel has sparked the imagination of humanity for centuries.

Our desire to transcend time is a result of our brokenness.  Like Adam and Eve bought into the lie that they could be like God, we think that by controlling and managing time we become a bit more God-like.  We forget that only God holds all of time in his hands.

We fool ourselves into thinking that we can ‘make more time’ for things.  This is often part of our new year’s resolutions, ‘This year I’ll make more time for my family’ or maybe, ‘I want to make more time to read my Bible.’  Whatever it is, we always seem to think we can or should fit more in, or do more stuff, or make more time.  The reality is that the amount of time we have is limited to the amount of time that God gives us.

In Matthew 6:27 Jesus says, ‘can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?’
As the new year of 2018 gets underway I want to encourage you to stop worrying about making more time or fitting more in.  Instead of thinking about how to ‘make’ time, think about how you are going to ‘spend’ it.

Time can be spent just like money.  It can be wisely invested, or foolishly wasted.

As you consider your ‘time spending’ intentions for 2018, I would like to encourage you to spend some time asking God what he hopes you will achieve this year.  Consider allowing him to guide your plans because in all the uncertainty of a new year, one thing is certain; God’s plan is to draw you closer to himself and that’s a great place to be.

Vicar Mat von Stanke

Bible Readings:  Mark 1:14-15, Galatians 4:4-6
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at www.paravista.org.au

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.

Meet 'n' Eat Ministry
Blessings to all for a prosperous New Year filled with positive achievements for people in our community though our various church ministries.

2017 was a year in which the Meet 'n' Eat group moved to a temporary home in the school hall, while renovations were carried out on our building.  Although this move was necessary for the short term, building issues meant that this turned into twelve months.  Thanks to the experience of the team, issues faced were overcome quickly.

A big thank you to our school for allowing us to use their facilities for a year, and to Endeavour College for the loan of chairs.

This Monday 15th January, we will start the fresh year back in the hall, and along with our weekly guests, start to enjoy the new facilities which look terrific.

To volunteer your help to our Monday night group on either a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis please mark your connect card or contact the office.

Vacancy - Young Families Coordinator
The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Para Vista is seeking someone with a passion for seeing young people and their families progress their faith journeys, to join their ministry team in a new, exciting position – ‘Young Families Coordinator’ on either a 0.8 or 1.0 basis.

In conjunction with the congregational Lead Pastor, this position will be the primary connection between the congregation and the onsite Good Shepherd Lutheran Primary School.

In addition, with the support of other teams, this role also includes the leadership and oversight for the care and spiritual development of people in 12 – 30 years age groups .

This is a leadership role that includes developing ministry vision, preparing, nurturing and equipping teams, and intentional ministry planning.

For more information please contact the office or via the net at http://www.lca.org.au/departments/ministry-support/church-worker-support/calls-employment-volunteering/  under Young Families Coordinator.

From the Office
Thank you
Thank you to all the members who gave the gift of service to others over the Christmas break welcoming our visitors by:

• Parking in Mattiske’s car park or on the school oval
• Sitting in the middle of the isles for service
• Being involved in audio and visual presentation.
• Welcoming and providing steward service
• Directing traffic
• Cleaning and tidying after each service
• Welcoming visitors and sharing a cup of coffee with them
• Anyone else who assisted in any way shape or form to celebrate the “light” and passing on its radiance

Ignite the Future building update
We were fortunate enough to have access to the area by Christmas and have since been blessed with a group of volunteers who have already been busy washing all the equipment to go back into the new area.

This week we will have the pleasure of some china coffee cups to put our coffees into.  Remember to return them to the counter so they can be washed. 

Please do not use any of the equipment until you have been shown how to use it.   A number of training sessions will be conducted in the next few weeks to allow all volunteers the opportunity to be able to use the equipment.

Communications book
The communications book has been temporarily placed back into the café area for members to communicate with staff.  Please use the folder out of hours to communicate issues rather than disturb them from participating in service or other activities.

Parking lot safety – One Way Traffic
Remember traffic flow is one way entering from Montague road and exiting through the rear gate AT ALL TIMES.  Please do not ‘sneak out’ onto Montague road after hours.  As this is a shared area speed is restricted to 10KPH

Can you help?
Volunteers are required Tuesday morning (16th January) from 9:30am to help move Vicar Mat von Stanke into his new office.  Please mark your welcome card if you can help.

Notice Board
Get the latest news from LCA www.lca.org.au 
Subscribe to the LCA Notice Board
http://www.lca.org.au/departments/ministry-support/communications/lca-notice-board/
To receive Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) Notice Board in your inbox on Wednesday
every week, sign up to LCA Notice Board eNews. It's free, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please visit www.lca.org.au for more details.

Dried apricots 
For sale in the church office at $12 per 500gm pack which will help support ministries in Cambodia and Tonga.

“And he said to them, 

Why are you so fearful? 

How is it that you have no faith?”

Mark 4:40