I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things of old – things we have heard and known, things our ancestors told us. We will not hide them from our descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.
Psalm 78:2-4
My grandfather is an amazing person. As he is nearing the last stage of his life, he speaks about things that he rarely did when he was younger, not that he couldn’t, but, like many of the ‘Great Generation,’ he is loath to talk about himself.
Last July, I had the opportunity to go to lunch with my grandma and grandpa, and on the journey to the restaurant, my grandpa, his eyes hidden behind thick glasses staring out the windscreen, began to tell me about some of his experiences during World War II. His voice, although gravelly, was thick with emotion, but he smiled and laughed at the memories which brought so much meaning to his life. Then, he spoke of his recollections of his grandparents and even great grandparents and while he spoke, I was mentally computing the age of his direct link with people of the past.
His great-great aunt lived until she was 97. This means, that he is still a direct link to someone born in the 1850’s.
The stories he told about her are priceless and connect me with a true sense of awe and wonder.
So it is with our Psalmist who proclaims that all people, as they age, should connect the next generations with the past – the power and majesty of God as he brought the Israelites through the wilderness. And despite humanity’s faithlessness, God always remained faithful. In sharing these stories of God’s faithfulness, we experience a community that grows in faith, love, speech and conduct. We experience God, as Jesus told us, with the faith of a child who hears with drop-jawed wonder that the world is so much bigger and better than we ever imagined.
What does it mean to be a growing community? What does it mean to be growing young? What does this community need in order to grow?
Come and join the discussion!
Pr Reid Matthias
Bible Reading: Psalm 78:1-8
Podcasts of weekly messages are available at
www.paravista.org.au
Prayer Request
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.
Having Your Child Baptised is a short course to help parents and families prepare for their first baptism at Good Shepherd.
Our next course commences
Tuesday February 19th at 7:30pm at Good Shepherd, continuing the next two Tuesday evenings (Feb 26, Mar 5).
For more info and how to register:
https://paravista.org.au/contact-us/baptism/
Café Name
It’s hard to believe that the café has been up and running for a year now. It seems like it has been part of who we are for so long that we’ve forgotten what the kitchen/café area used to look like. It has been a true blessing to use the facilities and we thank God for the way we can gather as community.
But I think it’s time, like after the birth of any baby, to find a name.
Beginning in these next weeks, we’ll be gathering ideas for names from both congregation and the school for the café, the education room (library) and the baby room. Feel free to be creative and to think of names that could connect our mission and ministry with the name. In choosing a name, we can then think of new ways to decorate and make the space even more aesthetically pleasing.
Join in the creativity!
There will be a box outside the sanctuary where you can deposit your ideas, or else Chelsea will be creating a form on-line to do so.
Ladies Fellowship Meeting
Welcome to our March meeting, 5th March 2019 @ 1pm.
Bring along your olfactory senses (sense of smell) as we have a new challenge for you. Milla and Lorraine have a spice game where we have to name the spices and their usage.
So come along and enjoy the fun!
February Men's Breakfast
Last Saturday 60 men enjoyed a great cooked breakfast at Good Shepherd. They came from far and wide, from Port Adelaide to Glenelg. Gluten free and vegetarian food was available as well as the traditional full cooked breakfast.
Good Shepherd member, David Jock, was the guest speaker and told of his journey from one of “The Lost Children of Sudan” to his coming to Australia as a refugee in 2003. We were amazed at the distances he and his brothers walked to escape war and danger. While he was in a refugee camp his mother found him. Later she died there and David took on the responsibility for his younger brothers.
The main sentiment I heard from attendees afterwards was ‘I don’t know how I would have coped in that situation. Thank God I was never asked to do something like that”.
Thank you, David, you are a glorious son of the King.
Next breakfast is on
16th March. The speaker will be Paul Madden AM, CEO of The Wyatt Trust. What is the Wyatt trust? It has distributed $50,000,000 in grants to South Australians in need. Come and hear the full story.
Blessings
Jim Molloy
YOU’RE INVITED – GSPV Welcome Party
Food, fun & fellowship on the school oval
BYO picnic, and pre-order food to supplement the evening
RSVPs required no later than Friday 15 February forms available on the pinup board in the Church or from the School Office. Payment accepted via CASH or EFTPOS at the SCHOOL OFFICE.
Family Hub Ingle Farm
Planning has commenced to continue our support for the Family Hub in 2019.
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food collections will recommence in March.
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practical assistance would be greatly appreciated at the Hub e.g. renewing garden, sorting out donations, cooking for the breakfast programme, secretarial work.
If you want more details on how you could practically assist or would like to work on the Family Hub team to coordinate our support contact John Dolling.
Full details of the 2019 programme will be supplied in an email early next month.
Cafe
The Cafe Team is continuing to work towards making the Cafe area a multi functional area that meets the needs of the many user groups and possible future uses.
Recent additions include the installation of a screen to screen off the toilet corridor (thanks to Chris Hampel for installing the screen) and a lounge obtained at an exceptional price.
Over the next month there will be additional furniture added which will add to the flexibility of the area.
This is being funded through a small amount of money remaining from the donations by the congregation. Thank you to the Cafe Team for all their work and planning.
From the Office
From Administration
Please note that the GSLC Staff have a staff meeting every Thursday morning.
Please accept our apology if we do not answer the phone, or the office appears empty.
Feel free to leave a message on the answering machine, or come to café area where the staff meet.
AED Device
A Defibrillator (AED) has been installed in the rear school alcove next to the Café playground. A key can be located on the café entrance door next to the keypad. All members holding keys to the complex are to add to their security procedure the visibility of this key and if it is not hanging on the hook to advise either the church or school office as soon as possible of its absence.
First Aiders Please note where the unit is located in case of emergency.
Invitation from Australian Lutheran College (ALC)
ALC invites you to attend events marking the beginning of the new academic year.
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Monday 25 February 2019
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9.00am: Worship
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9.30am: Opening Lecture, presented by the ALC Dean, Rev Dr Stephen Haar, entitled,
‘Learning, Formation, and Community: Challenges facing a distributed model of theological education.’
Please park off campus and enter via the entrance at 200 Ward Street, North Adelaide. All enquiries / RSVP to: Alice on (08) 7120 8212 or
alc@alc.edu.au. The lecture will be recorded and made available via the ALC website:
alc.edu.au.
Notice Board
Para Vista Lutheran Cricket Club
40th Anniversary 1979/80 - 2018/19
Past Players Day Saturday 16 March 2019 from 1pm Edward Smith Reserve, The Shed
A Grade Home Semi-Final
Bar Open BBQ
Reserve is next to Yatala Prison and behind the “Grand North” on Grand Junction Road.
“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does not wrong, upright and just is he.’’
Deuteronomy 32:4
