Jul2016
Led by the Lord
by Alice Lamnek
‘I’m simply following Jesus, to reveal the person God made me to be.’ These are the inspirational words of Kathy Matuschka, Graduate Diploma in Theology student at Australian Lutheran College (ALC) and the 2016 recipient of the Margaret Pech Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded annually to a female theology student at ALC, with the… Read more
Jul2016
Worship Q&A
by Adrian Kitson and Tim Klein
Church worship can be a hot potato for us in the LCA/NZ, as it is in many other denominations. No congregation or pastor is exactly alike in the way they conduct and participate in services. We asked two pastors from the Commission on Worship for their personal responses to some burning questions on the subject…. Read more
Jun2016
Catholics and Luther – a new perspective
by Denis Edwards
As part of the lead-up to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017, an ecumenical working party of Lutherans and Catholics has been planning a program of projects and events to jointly commemorate the occasion. One project is a series of articles about the significance of the Reformation, written by Lutheran and Catholic authors… Read more
Jun2016
Women’s mission secret unearthed
by Janette Lange
It doesn’t look like much, the little memo book pictured above. And yet it’s kept a secret for 150 years – a secret that changes our church’s history! Unearthed a few months ago by Lutheran Archives volunteer Lois Zweck, it re-writes the story of women’s guilds and mission in our church. Until recently, it was… Read more
Jun2016
Music key to heart of service
by Alan Collyer
In Lutheran circles, dating back even to Luther’s time, there is a strong music tradition. Our denomination is known for its love of singing. And yet we could put even more emphasis on this tradition, and more effort into reinvigorating this history, says one of the LCA’s longest-serving and most-qualified musicians. It is 6.30 am… Read more
Jun2016
Helping away from home
by Jen Pfitzner
Moving your whole life from Nairobi in Kenya to Albury in New South Wales is a pretty big step. Yet it’s one that Leah Odongo, Australian Lutheran World Service’s (ALWS) program officer for Kenya, South Sudan and Emergencies, believes she was called to make. ‘I asked God for a sign – and that’s when I… Read more
Jun2016
NZ Lutherans first to greet 500th anniversary
by LCA Communications
As the sun rises on 1 January 2017, a group of New Zealand and Australian Lutherans and international guests will be the first in the world to greet the 500th anniversary year of the Reformation. The dawn service will be held at the location of the first Lutheran mission in New Zealand, at the north-eastern… Read more
Jun2016
Changing face of Church work
by Glenn Schultz
Being a lay worker in the LCA was very different more than three decades ago. In those days they were few in number, but many were full-time. Their roles often were wide-ranging, covering youth, small groups, evangelism, pastoral care, Bible study and leading worship. Today there are many more lay workers, most of whom are… Read more
Jun2016
Paws for thought
by LCA Communications
It seems no-one at Tatachilla Lutheran College, south of Adelaide, is in any doubt who the school’s most popular staff member is. It’s Odie. Odie is a 14-year-old golden retriever. Next to his name on his official staff photo, the description of his role at Tatachilla is simply ‘Dog’. But college pastor Jon Goessling, Odie’s… Read more
Jun2016
God’s great GIFT
by Paul Kerber
Have you ever had someone say to you, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone’? Perhaps this statement can awaken our interest in a wonderful gift that God has given each and every one of his children. God gave us this gift so that we grow as his children. He also gave us… Read more
