14th July 2013

Too busy not to pray

 

Working in children's ministry has been amazing! It has really strengthened my faith and grown my relationship with God. He constantly amazes me at what he can do and how long he has been planning things for. He knows exactly what is needed and always provides. He always answers my prayers; I know it shouldn't surprise me and yet it usually does!

The faith of the kids at Good Shepherd has also blown me away; they have the most amazing belief and certainty in God. Sometimes I pray to be more like them as I believe we can learn so much from them. Sometimes I find it difficult to believe like my three year old. We prayed together recently to share a request with God and once finished I was immediately told that "God said ok"! I wish that my lines of communication were so in tune that I could hear as clearly as my little girl does!

Jesus said "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these". Matthew 19: 14

It doesn't matter what happens in life whether it be busy, stressful, exciting or challenging. I have learnt about the importance of talking to God. The more I pray, the more my relationship with God is strengthened and the better I can hear his voice speaking into my life and discern things that are not of God.

Praying helps me feel less anxious and more courageous as I continually hand my worries and fears over to God and trust that he will get me through. He fills me with hope and peace. It also helps me to be more connected to God and better able to hear his voice in the busyness of my life. Praying helps me listen to that gut feeling I have about something. The more I talk with God, the clearer his voice becomes and the more I feel led by him to do the things he wants me to. Sometimes it is so hard to follow and trust but taking that leap of faith can be so amazing (and usually is!).

Sometimes I think life is getting too busy and then that is when I realise that I really need to stop, pray and spend five minutes with God. He brings a peace and joy to my life that can only come from him.

How is your relationship with God travelling? Have you been talking with God lately? I encourage you to stop now and take five minutes to share your thoughts with God!

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving; present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7: 7-8

Beth

 

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 “Getting a grip on life” This week’s message is “Surviving my schedule” ‘Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.’ (Proverbs 10:4)   

 

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:5-10; Matthew 11:28-30

Podcasts available at www.paravista.org.au

 

 

Kingdom Kids:

Kingdom Kids is now on holidays and will kick off again on the 28^th July.

 

Volunteers URGENTLY needed:

In order to keep Kingdom Kids Ministry running in term 3 and beyond, we need the following people:

• 1 Team Members in Baby Zone, ages 0-3 (minimal prep required)
• 1-2 helpers in Kindy Zone, ages 3-5+ reception (no prep required) 
• 1-2 helpers in Kids Zone, year levels 1-3 (no prep required)
• 1 Team Leader and 1 helper in Kool Zone, year levels 4+ 

 

Child Safe screening will need to be completed. Please contact Laura Carson for more information on how to get involved or how to complete the Child Safe screening process.

 

Playgroup

Playgroup is now on holidays and will kick off again on Wednesday 24^th July.

 

In term 3 we will looking for the following support from our church:

1. Help with set up and pack up
2. Story time (telling stories and singing songs)
3. Leadership: Playgroup needs a new coordinator. Interested?

You do not need to have any previous involvement in playgroup or children/grandchildren in playgroup to get involved.

 

Child Safe Team Member Training

To help everyone meet their Child Safe requirements, we will be hosting a Child Safe Team Member training session here at Good Shepherd on the 10^th August from 12-6pm. Tea, coffee and afternoon tea will be provided! It will be held in the Education Centre (up the stairs at the back of the church hall).

 

Child supervision will be provided by Beth and Laura for those that need to bring their children.

If you have completed Mandatory Notification Training in the last 3 years then you will only need to complete the first 3 hour session of the training (you will need to present your original certificate on the day).

 

We need ALL volunteers in Children, Family and Youth ministry to complete this training ASAP so that we can continue to run safe programs for our kids. Please contact the church office on 8263 5087 to register. Payment will be covered. Beth Einthal.

Laura Carson – Children and Family Team Leader

 

Quiz Night Come to the Maranatha Health quiz night this year with an African theme. Come dressed as a tribal chief, African village lady or a giraffe or elephant and enjoy a fun Saturday night of games and socialising!

Saturday 3 August, 6:30pm for a 7pm start. Endeavour College, Mawson Lakes.

$15 per person, tables of 10. BYO food and drinks (tea and coffee available)

Trading table of Ugandan goods

Please RSVP by Saturday 27 July: contact@maranathahealth.org

 

 

From the Office

!!Two way radios!!

Kids and Baby Zone utilise two way radios to maintain safety for your children on a Sunday. Over recent weeks a number of these have gone missing. If you know of the whereabouts of these items please return them to their chargers or the front office.

 

Tables in the Hall

Some of you may have noticed new light weight tables being used in the hall. These have been purchased to replace the heavy wooden trestle tables that have exceeded their life span. This will also aid the ministry groups in setting up and packing away. Your assistance in caring for this furniture to prolong its life is appreciated.

 

Hall Floor

The hall floor is to be polished on Tuesday 16^th July. The hall will be unavailable for use until close of business on Wednesday 17^th.

 

Budget 2013

• Offerings in June were $1,900 below budget, with REG offerings $590 below budget and Sunday offerings $1,310 below budget.
• Offerings for the 6 months ending 30 June are currently $10,750 below budget.  
• Actual offerings received $238,850 against the budget of $249,600.

 

Please note office closed for staff meeting and lunch

On Thursday 18^th July 2013 from 11.30am to 1.30pm

 

The Bible's Big Story

         Our Story

 

For many Christians, the Old Testament (OT) remains a closed book.  We may know some stories: David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale, or Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.  But without a framework to hang these stories on, we miss the unfolding drama of God's action in history… as well as our place in God's story. 

 

The OT is the Scriptures that Jesus and his apostles used. If we ignore the OT, we ignore the very source of the things Jesus talks about. In this course, you'll get an overview that will help you make sense of the OT - as well as Jesus.

 

Time:  Six Wednesday evenings – Aug 14 - Sept 18, 7:30 – 9pm

Facilitator: Pr Rolly Stahl

Place: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 388 Montague Rd, Para Vista 5093.

Format: Teaching with pictures. Readings from the Old Testament. Q&A 

Cost: $20 for the course book and timeline (one book can be shared by a couple)

$10 Concession              To be paid on the first night. 

 

What to bring? 

Enthusiasm, your Bible and a biro.

 

Register by Mon Aug 12^th   

P: 8263 5087  

E: churchenquiries@paravista.org.au

 

 

 

Notice Board

Musical Treat

The Glynde Lutheran Church, 15 Glyndburn Road is hosting a Sunday afternoon Musical Treat on Sunday July 14th at 2.00pm featuring the Metropolitan Male Choir. The conductor is Evan Patton in a concert of light music and spiritual songs including hymns sung in Welsh appealing to all ages and musical tastes. Special artist includes Andrew Georg from Christ Church North Adelaide who is the choir’s scholarship winner. Tickets at the door are $15 Adults, $10 Concession and children are free. Any enquiries to the church office - 8365 3033 or email joymildren@hotmail.com

 

Friends of Lutheran Archives meeting

Topic: Culture and conversion – the Indian caste dispute in the 19^th century. Speaker: Rev Volker Dally, Director of Leipzig Mission. The talk explores the different positions in the dispute. As a result Pastors Appelt and Meischel came to South Australia. The Dalit Theology today is a related issue. At Bethlehem House, Sudholz Place, Adelaide, on Monday 22 July at 7.30 pm. Supper. Gold coin donation.

 

Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

 

 

7th July 2013

The Golden Rule

As I was growing up I was taught the golden rule of ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ It wasn’t until I was older that I realised Jesus had taught this. He said “Treat others as you want them to treat you.” (Matthew 7:12) This teaching was not unique to Jesus. Many others held to this including Ghandi. Any group of people that can embody this teaching and live it out will enjoy a harmonious life together.

 

The problem is that we all struggle to treat others as we would want them to treat us. This struggle is caused by the reality that none of us are perfect and sooner or later we are going to hurt each other with our words and actions. Our natural instinct when we are hurt is to hurt back and usually to a greater degree and this begins a cycle that is not easy to break. Only forgiveness can break the cycle of retaliation and get us back on the track of treating others as we would want them to treat us.

 

When you think about it, how many of us would like to be forgiven when we mess up? We all do! That means to forgive others is to also treat them as we would want to be treated in that situation. Forgiveness is a very unnatural thing to do. It goes against our sense of justice. Yet forgiveness is vital for us to break the cycle of retaliation and replace it with the cycle of love.

 

While Jesus was not alone in his teaching to treat others as you would want to be treated, he is the only one that has made it possible for us to be forgiven by God. It is in God’s forgiveness that we find the capacity to forgive those who hurt us. It is from our experience of God’s full and complete forgiveness that we can treat others as we would want to be treated when we have failed and that is to forgive.

 

If you are caught up in a cycle of retaliation that you seem powerless to break because you just can’t find it in yourself to forgive, focus on God’s love for you and the forgiveness he gives you in Jesus. God will never ask you to forgive anyone more that he has already forgiven you. Let God’s forgiveness transform you today so that you too can forgive others as you have been forgiven by God.

 

Pastor Noel Kluge

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 “Getting a grip on life” This week’s message is “Taming my temper” Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. (Proverbs 16:32 NIV)

 

Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:26-32 and James 1:19-22

Podcasts available at www.paravista.org.au

 

Kingdom Kids:

This Sunday is buddy week! Baby and Kindy Zone (ages 0-5) will be meeting in the Education Centre for a worship workshop with Matt Huckel. Kids and Kool Zone (year levels 1-6) will be meeting in the School Hall for fun and games with the Ignite Youth and young adult team. All welcome. Kingdom Kids will then be on holidays for 2 weeks and will kick off again on the 28^th July.

 

Volunteers URGENTLY needed:

In order to keep Kingdom Kids Ministry running in term 3 and beyond, we need the following people:

• 1 Team Members in Baby Zone, ages 0-3 (minimal prep required – Child Safe screening will need to be completed)
• 1-2 helpers in Kindy Zone, ages 3-5+ reception (no prep required – Child Safe screening will need to be completed) 
• 1-2 helpers in Kids Zone, year levels 1-3 (no prep required – Child Safe screening will need to be completed)
• 1 Team Leader and 1 helper in Kool Zone, year levels 4+  (Child Safe screening will need to be completed)

Please contact Laura Carson for more information on how to get involved or how to complete the Child Safe screening process.

 

Playgroup

We would like to thank the staff from Endeavour College who cleaned out and sorted all of the playgroup resources under the stage. What a blessing!! Playgroup will now be on holidays for two weeks and will kick off again on Wednesday 24th July.

 

In term 3 we will looking for the following support from our church:

1. Help with set up and pack up
2. Story time (telling stories and singing songs)
3. Leadership: Playgroup needs a new coordinator. Interested?

You do not need to have any previous involvement in playgroup or children/grandchildren in playgroup to get involved.

 

Child Safe Team Member Training

To help everyone meet their Child Safe requirements, we will be hosting a Child Safe Team Member training session here at Good Shepherd on the 10^th August from 12-6pm. Tea, coffee and afternoon tea will be provided! It will be held in the Education Centre (up the stairs at the back of the church hall).

 

Child supervision will be provided by Beth and Laura for those that need to bring their children. If you have completed Mandatory Notification Training in the last 3 years then you will only need to complete the first 3 hour session of the training (you will need to present your original certificate on the day).

 

We need ALL volunteers in Children, Family and Youth ministry to complete this training ASAP so that we can continue to run safe programs for our kids. Please contact the church office on 8263 5087 to register. Payment will be covered. Beth Einthal.

 

Kid’s Activity Sheets

Once again we are in need of someone to help put together the weekly kid’s activity sheets and folders. If you could volunteer an hour once a week to make this happen, we would greatly appreciate it. Please contact Beth Einthal at the office for more info or to express your interest.

Laura Carson – Children and Family Team Leader

 

Maranatha Health Quiz Night

Sat 3 August, 6:30 pm at Endeavour College. Get a table together (up to 10). Tickets are $15 each.

Book now at contact@maranathahealth.org.au. Please contact Julie Freund or Jackson Jaensch for more details.

 

GOD’S HOUSE ROCKS - REGULARLY

The midnight oil often burns on the church premises on many a night and through the day.  Alpha, Discovery, Praise Raisers, Youth & Young Adults, Baptism classes, Craft, Monday soup kitchen, band practice, Women @ PV, neighbourhood watch, worship workshops and other different ministry workshops – there are many activities happening in our facilities!   We praise and thank God for our church building and facilities which enables us to have the capacity to invite people to a broad range of events.

 

Opportunities for learning:

(left) Ps. Rolly recently facilitated the “Getting more out of the Bible” workshop held in the education centre.

 

 

Opportunities to Connect & serve:

(right) Beginning with a meal prepared by our own chefs extraordinaire, Stephen & Liz Zanker, Ps. Noel facilitated the Discovery Seminar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opportunities for fellowship:

(below) The Hot Soup Sunday was certainly a Souper Day for fun, food and fellowship!

 

 

(left) Ghanashyam & Yogesh Ghimire first visit at Para Vista and enjoying a cup of soup with Di Rolling (centre) The vivacious young adults (right) Maria, Petra Milan and Jakob ‘Czech’ing enjoy the tasty soups.

 

 

  

Barry Klaer

Pastoral Care & Fellowship

 

 

 

 

Notice Board

District Office Job Opportunity

Part Time Administration/Professional Standards Assistant

The Administration/Professional Standards Assistant provides a range of administrative functions to support the work of the LCA SA/NT District. Job and Person Specifications available by email: districtadministrator@sa.lca.org.au or phone Jayne Wardrop on

Ph. 8230 0904. Applications close Friday 12^th July, 2013.

 

LCC – three opportunities

Seeking experienced people committed to service excellence to join our passionate team.

TEAM LEADER LCC Level 5 - full time (1.0 FTE)

SUPPORT WORKER LCC Level 4 - full time or part time

OFFICE LIAISON WORKER LCC Level 3 - full time or part-time

For Job Descriptions and on-line Application Guide please visit: www.lccare.org.au. Enquiries to Robin Judd Tel: 0400 103 621. Please apply on-line by 9.00am Monday 15 July 2013

 

Friends of Lutheran Archives meeting

Topic: Culture and conversion – the Indian caste dispute in the 19^th century. Speaker: Rev Volker Dally, Director of Leipzig Mission. The talk explores the different positions in the dispute. As a result Pastors Appelt and Meischel came to South Australia. The Dalit Theology today is a related issue. At Bethlehem House, Sudholz Place, Adelaide, on Monday 22 July at 7.30 pm. Supper. Gold coin donation.

 

 Things do not change - We change