God is a Farmer (Part 1) Open with a short prayer. William Shakespeare once wrote: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. And one [person] in [their] time plays many parts.” Metaphors, such as this, are more than literary devices: they carry meaning and reveal truth, they help us to understand and know. Metaphors are usually written: Thing A is Thing B. …
Devotion – October 2020
Recently, a friend of mine described to me her theory that we all have buckets: a bucket for fun, one for freedom, one for intimacy, one for growth, for service, for solitude, for vulnerability, maybe one for chaos or significance, or heartache and hurt. Our buckets are labelled differently. And our buckets aren’t all the same size. In the past, I would pride myself on the size of my ‘uncertainty bucket’. I felt agile, I …
Caring for others during the hard times
This year the committee of the Ladies Fellowship at Concordia Lutheran Church, Duncraig, Western Australia decided to make up care packs to support people who may be going through difficult times. Little did we know that the Corona virus would precipitate the need so quickly! But God did! The groundwork had already been laid and, with the cooperation of the greater church community, assorted items ranging through lovely, practical, edible, cute, and quirky were soon …
Brinkworth – Snowtown – Blyth Women’s Guild
It is unusual to be writing a report under the circumstances that Australia now finds itself in. Praise God we still have the freedom to be able to encourage each other by phone, internet, and prayer. Having lost our President, Esma Krieg, in May 2019, our numbers have reduced. But we gained four members from the Blyth congregation, when their Guild closed. Our attendance is now an average of four to eight per meeting. We …
Adelaide Bethlehem Sanctuary Guild
It has been a privilege and joy to meet regularly for Bible study, fellowship and service activities. We are particularly grateful to Pastors Fraser Pearce and Joshua Pfeiffer who faithfully led our Bible studies each month. Vicar Peter Noble also led three studies and shared both his spiritual journey and his excitement about his call to study for the pastoral ministry at ALC. A number of guest speakers gave us food for thought and broadened …
As I see it … by Fiona Weckert
I can’t remember a time in my adult life when I wasn’t involved, in some way, in how young people engage with their faith and church life. Working and volunteering with this age group (the ‘first third’, 0–30 years) doesn’t make me an expert by any stretch, but it does make me quite passionate about the subject! Even before I had children of my own, my work allowed me opportunities to create a space and …
Southern Zone Rally – NSW
The theme for the 2019 Southern Zone Rally was Who Am I? hosted by St Stephen’s Church Women’s Fellowship, Culcairn, in the Uniting Church, 56 participants attending. President Betty Scheetz opened proceedings and introduced Pastor Kees Sturm, who based his devotion on the theme. Our identity in Christ is set out in St Peter’s letter to the churches in 1 Peter 1:1–25. Pastor Kees opened his message with the worldly, earthly names that describe us, …
Devotion – September 2020
Giver God Journal Entry 3/05/2020 Of all the days spent in isolation, Sundays are the hardest. They’re the loneliest and they are the days I am most aware of what this season has cost us. To preface, I’m in a bad mood today. I’m sad. The kind of sad that has me waking up with a headache but doesn’t see me cry. I miss my friends, I miss my church, I miss café breakfasts, I …
Bible Study – September 2020
Let Your Light Shine Read Matthew 5:14-16. Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray that you would enlighten our hearts and minds today. Amen. This is the greatest compliment from Jesus, who commands us to be what he is: his light into this dark world. Never before do we need his light, in our world, as we do now. The abundance of the many self-help books is not what people really need. Furthermore, Jesus’ light is FREE. …
Let us not grow weary in doing good … The story of a humble servant
Myrtle had a real servant heart and was always quick to be there for those who needed help. Among many interests she had a passion for sewing and used this to help people of all ages, shapes and sizes. She always wanted her sewing (in fact whatever she did) to somehow bring honour and glory to God. After completing her primary school years Myrtle left school and started to sew. Once she had a family …
Life in Retirement
My husband Gil, and I, had a wonderful life living in Loxton, in South Australia’s Riverland, where we raised our three children. Eventually, Gil had a transfer to Adelaide, so we made the move to the city. We settled into our lovely home in Valley View, with beautiful gardens and entertainment areas. We missed our country lifestyle but enjoyed the family benefits the move created. As I write, I contemplate the thankfulness that overwhelms me, …
In everything give thanks – for Ministry with the Ageing
When the Committee for Ministry with the Ageing was being developed, it was initially to be called the Committee for Ministry to the Ageing. However, due to a lightbulb moment, and the realisation that ministry is a two-way process, the current name was selected. We know that we are an ageing church. The latest Australian census told us that nearly one in every six people is aged 65 years and older. The average age of …