Trust, Love, Listen … Wisdom This year has certainly been a long journey for many! We have experienced in our different States, degrees of enforced isolation. Through this time many have been challenged in our trust of governments, sometimes we have failed to listen to the right messages! We have certainly had time to reflect, rest in the quiet ‘forced’ periods of 2020. I have ‘over done’ – glued to different forms of digital media …
God is a Farmer (Part 2) Open with a short prayer. During October and November, we are exploring the Biblical metaphor “God is a farmer.” As a farmer, God has planted you in his field (i.e. the world). He provides everything you need to grow and mature in faith, particularly his Word and Spirit. God employs farmhands — like you! — to work in his field to produce good fruit for his harvest. Read Isaiah …
Young people are amazing! This is my very biased opinion based on lived experience, and about a decade of working in youth ministries and programs. This is my opinion based on my daily interactions with children and families in hardship. This is my opinion as I watch my friends’ babies learn, but also teach. This is my opinion based on the brave responses of a generation to the injustices of the world they’re inheriting. Young …
Above: Some of the Hensley children enjoying a treat – a day out at a wildlife park. In 2020, family life with young children can be summarised in one word: interruptions. I don’t mean the kind of interruptions where someone speaks while you are speaking or something happens that makes you lose your train of thought. I mean the kind of interruptions where you had plans – good ones! – which simply cannot go forward, and …
Each year the Lutheran Women of Australia (LWA) contribute funds for the provision of solar power to health centres across Papua New Guinea (PNG). In Australia, we take for granted that our hospitals and health centres have reliable power to function and that the flick of a switch will light up the rooms. Not so in PNG where blackouts are a common occurrence, disrupting the functioning of essential equipment and medical interventions. When the Yaguam …
Thank you for the heart you have and God bless. Lupsy The Birthing Kit project is one of the ways that LCA International Mission provides practical support for women at the grassroots, in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Having responsibility for this project is one of the joys of being a program officer for this country partnership. In the recent shutdown, I have missed the regular deliveries of birthing kits, which come to the LCA Churchwide …
Lutheran Community Care SA/NT (LCC) is a South Australian out-of-home care (OOHC) service provider. OOHC is a broad term for different types of care for children who are unable to live with their birth parents and who are under the Guardianship of the Minister for Child Protection. OOHC includes Foster Care, Kinship Care, Adoptions, Residential Care and Specific Child Only (SCO) Care. The foster care program provided by LCC in South Australia has over 240 …
Did I speak to soon? If you live in Victoria that certainly was the case! I’m speaking about COVID-19. We are not out of the woods yet, in these uncertain times. Yet I am reassured every day in my devotions and through online Morning Prayer on YouTube. Yet through all of this, certain daily routines are still happening, these are reminders of what we should do – IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS. Filling in my time, …
At Grow Ministries, we are often encouraging congregations to rethink their ministry to children, young people and their families. What are we rethinking? We will frequently begin a training day with a question. Who or what has influenced your life of faith? Think about this for a moment. How would you answer? We often get responses like; parents, grandparents, pastor, Sunday school teacher, mentor, friend, Bible study, Christian camp. What this list says to us …
Books to encourage and assist you with printed material for you and gift suggestions for the younger generation. Many thanks to Mark and Elysia from Australian Christian Resources (ACR) who have supplied us with the following book suggestions.Exploding Stars, Dead Dinosaurs, and Zombies Youth Ministry in the Age of Science – By Andrew Root Root, a renowned expert on adolescent spirituality, shows how science overstates its claims on truth, while faith often understates its own claims. …
Jesus continually showed his special love for the young while on this earth. He also especially reminded Peter to take care of his lambs. What better privilege can we have than to teach the young the way of the Lord, leading them by our example as children of God loved and saved by him. Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a real blessing. Psalm 127:3 (GNT) See that you don’t despise any …
Our objective: To help people in the north come to know Jesus A Simple Croton Leading by example is often the way, both in the spiritual and secular realm, but how long does it take to make a difference? Eight years ago, a group of young boys between the ages of eight and ten sat on the footpath in front of our house in Hope Vale, as they often do, just for a talk. On …