February Archives - Page 3 of 3 - The Lutheran Magazine

2021, Digital Edition, February, Go and Grow

Guide for devotion and prayer

LCA International Mission’s 2021 Lenten prayer guide and devotional invites members of the LCA/NZ to join our mission partners, as together we pray for God’s global mission. The ‘40 Days’ guide is available in printed and electronic forms. You can download an electronic copy at the LCA International Mission website at www.lcamission.org.au/pray or request a printed copy by emailing lcaim@lca.org.au or phoning 08 8267 7330.

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31/01/2021/by elise

2021, Digital Edition, February, Go and Grow

Resources that equip us to serve

Grow Ministries offers resources including Equipping Sheets, which are based on its guiding principles for intergenerational ministry and have been designed to encourage and inspire.

They provide practical information and ideas to assist in creating a culture that nurtures faith for life.

One of Grow’s equipping sheets is ‘Encouraging acts of service’. As we are told in the gospels, including in John 13 when Jesus washes his disciples’ feet, our Lord calls us to show love and serve one another. We grow in faith and discipleship by engaging in acts of service. These acts require us to focus on the needs of others.

Serving together builds connections

Family life provides a foundational setting for developing a life of service. Children and adults are more likely to have a strong growing faith when their family serves others together.

Congregations which nurture young people and allow them to be involved in serving opportunities find that they stay engaged in the church. When we serve together it develops community. Acts of service are a great way to create and develop intergenerational relationships.

‘Encouraging acts of service’ is at www.growministries.org.au/grow-resources/equipping-sheets-2Ways to serve in all settings

Grow also has a GIFT (Growing in Faith Together) Serving Together resource which features ideas for ways to serve in different settings.

Ways to serve our church family

Help lead worship, read the Bible, lead prayers or be in the band.
Volunteer for a church spring clean or working bee.
Make encouraging cards for those who are sick or sad.
Help an older member of the congregation with gardening.
Bake some biscuits for a homebound member.

Ways to serve our community

Donate unused clothes to a community op shop.
Invite a friend and their family over for a meal.
Visit residents in your local care home to sing or play games.
Support special projects and teachers at your school.

Ways to serve our world

Donate to Australian Lutheran World Service for their ongoing aid work overseas at alws.org.au
Encourage and support those who carry out mission work overseas through LCA International Mission – contact lca.org.au/international-mission
Write to your sponsor child or consider getting a sponsor child as a family and church community.

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31/01/2021/by elise

2021, Digital Edition, February, Go and Grow

You can’t cancel kindness

When COVID-19 forced ALWS to cancel Walk My Way in the Barossa Valley, Albury/Bonegilla, Melbourne and Gold Coast in 2020, there were fears children in refugee camps might miss out on Australian support to go to school. Yet our Lutheran family managed to find ways to overcome the COVID challenge.

Walk My Way became Walk your Way and enthusiastic young people like Huon Stelzer from Rochedale in Queensland led the way. ‘I always feel bad that so many children don’t have anything, so I want to give back to them’, Huon said. He did a 10-kilometre walk and raised funds to support six refugee children to go to school.

Schools step out for the cause

Across Australia, more than 2000 students from Lutheran schools such as Tatachilla Lutheran College in South Australia (pictured) and LORDS in Queensland stepped out in 2020 for Walk your Way to make sure young people in refugee camps could receive a Lutheran-supported education too.

Peter keeps up the pace

More ‘mature’ folk stepped out too. ALWS Board member Peter Renner began his Walk your Way in March 2020 – and is still walking! Peter walks 15 to 20 kilometres every day. By 15 December, Peter had clocked up 4328 km! Peter plans to keep walking, ‘reaching’ Darwin by May 2021!

Back on track in 2021

ALWS is looking forward to the first public Walk My Way for 2021, COVID-19 permitting, on Saturday 1 May in South Australia’s Barossa Valley.

Community Action Manager Jonathan Krause says: ‘We have set a target of supporting 10,000 children for Walk My Way in 2021, to follow on from 10,000 children in our 100 day “Back to School” Christmas Action campaign.’ It costs just $26 to support a refugee child in school for one year.

Everybody can be part of Walk My Way in 2021 – walking on the day, doing it in stages, walking where you live when it suits, doing a Woof my Way with a four-legged friend, Wheel my Way with wheelchair, walker or pram … there’s even talk of a (Sleep) Walk my Way???

Despite COVID-19 cancellations in 2020, our Lutheran family has proven we can find ALWayS find ways to step out together to bring love to life.

When: Saturday 1 May

Where: Barossa Valley, SA

Register: www.walkmyway.org.au 1300 763 407

Supported by: LLL

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31/01/2021/by elise