Special LWQ Executive meeting held Friday 12 March 2021 at St Pauls Toowoomba

Due to Covid in 2020 and again in 2021 The Retreat/Convention was cancelled. As a change in office bearers was needed, it was decided to go ahead with paper ballots from the Fellowships so this could be achieved. Retiring President, Karen Bryce, opened the meeting welcoming everyone with a special welcome to new Extra member Colette Mangan. Karen dedicated 19 years to LWQ as a Zone President, LWQ Vice President and President. Nominations Committee Lois Schultz announced the results from the ‘Postal’ Ballot, conducted via LWQ December 2020 Newsletter: 345 …

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Reaching out via Media

Thanks to your support and partnership, people are responding to your Messages of Hope every day. More than 52,000 people responded in 2020 – more than 1000 a week. Messages of Hope shares real stories of the hope Jesus Christ offers us all. These stories reach out, engage, and nurture people, including daughters Sonya and Ripley who are caring for their mum and dad: Sonya: Good on you, my dad is doing the same with my mum. To love somebody makes you strong. Don’t let go ❤ Ripley: I know …

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St John’s Women’s Fellowship, Naracoorte

Last year we were able to meet in person for eight meetings. About ten ladies join in along with Pastor Shaun Manning. Each February several of us attend the South East Zone retreat in Robe. For over thirty years, St John’s has been the venue for a unique concept – a One Day Retreat, held at the end of May. It is a zone event focussing on a theme with zone pastors presenting Bible studies and opportunities for discussion. In winter, one of our members has often hosted us for …

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LWQ Central Queensland (CQ) Zone Annual Rally/Retreat

Praise God! The ladies of LWQ CQ were permitted to gather around the Word of God and for fellowship at Calvary Lutheran Church in North Rockhampton, hosted by Calvary/Living Waters Ladies Fellowship on the weekend of 27 and 28 March 2021. 32 ladies attended from Mackay, Brisbane South Gold Coast, and places in between. Under the theme Apron Strings and Other Things, we were literally taken back in time to when some of us, and many of our mothers/grandmothers regularly wore aprons. Aprons adorned the worship centre walls and were …

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The Midnight Library by Matthew Haig

At the age of 35, Nora feels she is a complete failure. In her younger days she showed great promise, but she has allowed fear, anxiety, poor decisions, and the unrealistic expectations of others to squash her true potential. As a result, she has achieved little of real significance in terms of a career or personal relationships. When her cat dies and she loses her job, it is the last straw. Overcome by regrets and depression she decides to end it all. Instead, she finds herself in limbo, suspended between …

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LWSA-NT Convention, 6 May 2021 held at Mannum

There was an atmosphere of anticipation and celebration as Lutheran Women of South Australia and Northern Territory arrived for their 54th Convention. The outdoor area at St Martin’s Lutheran Church, Mannum began the time of God’s gentle embrace of welcome. There is strength in gentleness, the kind of strength needed in the times we are living through uncertainty, stress, and hard decisions to be made in the face of COVID-19. To stay gentle in such circumstances takes more than our human resources can muster, so we seek our gentleness in …

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Saudi Sojourn (Part One)

My introduction to life in a Muslim country My husband, Robert, is involved in medical research and had made two shorter visits to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I had not previously accompanied him, but as this was to be a three month stay with the possibility of ongoing collaborations, we decided I should accompany Robert. Since our visit, Saudi Arabia has opened for tourism, and from 2019 people from 49 countries have been encouraged to visit and compromises have been made – meaning that female tourists no longer have …

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The Bible - the word of God

Bible Study – November 2021

Proverbs 31 Part 2: “Influencer”! Go back over the “qualities list” you made in our last study on Proverbs 31, or if you did not complete last month’s study, read Proverbs 31 and note down a list of qualities that stand out to you, or underline words in the chapter in your Bible. Ask the Lord to speak to you to highlight gently any qualities you are lacking or may have lost, as these current …

The open bible for devotion

Devotion – November 2021

Isaiah 30:15b: In quietness and trust is your strength. (NIV) Those who know me well know I am not a fan of quiet. I don’t like being by myself, and if I ever find myself in a situation where I have to be, you will hear music, background television, or simply my voice singing, so there is no silence. I have often wondered what it is I don’t like about silence, and I have never …

Hamilton Women’s Guild – 80th anniversary celebrations

On 13 July 2021 the Hamilton Ladies Guild celebrated their 80th Anniversary. A total of 44 ladies including those from neighbouring Guilds/Fellowships, that were able to come, enjoyed a lovely afternoon. We began with a devotion and then sang: What a friend we have in Jesus. Pastor Dave led us in a very interesting Bible study called “Who are YOU?” Do other people define who you are or does God make you who you are? You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who …

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Abundant Blessings

LWWA CONVENTION, 1 May 2021 held at Kalgoorlie This being our 51st convention, and rescheduled due to COVID-19 last year, it was nearly cancelled again but, praise God, it has happened. This was the first time that St Pauls Lutheran Church Kalgoorlie-Boulder had ever hosted an LWWA convention. Each lady was presented with a pink design origami bird to attach, as a brooch, and larger ones in various shades of floral and pink, hanging like a mobile from above, were displayed around the church and in pot plants placed around …

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The Strength of Gentleness

Closing Devotion at LWSA-NT Convention, May 2021 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. John 7:37-39 (NIV) As I reflect on the theme of The Strength of Gentleness, I can’t go past our location for today in …

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