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Learning beyond the classroom

by Lisa McIntosh

The devastating bushfires that razed parts of the Adelaide Hills in December 2019 not only claimed a life, killed livestock, destroyed homes and charred the landscape – they also left painful emotional scars for some locals.

So, to help restore the confidence of children from the area and encourage their connection with the surrounding countryside after the tragedy, Lobethal Lutheran School has teamed up with the nearby Trinity Lutheran congregation at Spring Head to establish a forest learning program on church land.

From this year students from the Foundation to Year 6 school have been going by bus one day each week to a forest glen haven at Spring Head church, to engage in ‘Beyond’, an ‘innovative, rich outdoor learning program’, says school Principal Steph Kriewaldt.

Students are given challenging but achievable tasks, linked to the Australian Curriculum, which are aimed at building their confidence, skills and independence. They are also allowed time to explore their thoughts, feelings and relationships. The day begins with a summit fire, to ground learners with the environment. This time and reflective practice develop inter and intra-personal skills, which are well documented as being directly linked to learning skills and wellbeing, Steph says.

‘All of our learners from five years old onwards light fires without matches, learn how to cut trees and wood, build shelter, tie knots and identify local flora and fauna – all learning experiences carefully designed by our facilitators to support student agency but also cover key literacy, numeracy and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) outcomes’, she says.

‘It’s been intentionally planned to develop confidence and resilience through challenge and risk in a range of nature play and discovery experiences. Beyond encourages the children’s emotional and physical development through exploration in a bushland environment.’

Originally a concept developed in Denmark, research has shown that ‘forest schools’ had students who were found to have developed strong social skills, an ability to work effectively in groups, and generally had high self-esteem and confidence.

The program at Lobethal Lutheran School, which involves all year levels and staff, has led to the school recently being recognised by The Educator national magazine as a 5-Star Innovative School for 2021.

‘This award is a fabulous acknowledgment of the outstanding hard work of staff, our awesome learners and special community, and a fabulous partnership between Lobethal Lutheran School and Spring Head church’, Steph says.

‘Beyond was initially developed after the devastating [Adelaide Hills] bushfires, as we were searching for a way to reconnect students with nature and nurture a positive relationship with the outdoors.

‘As we dug deeper into the amazing research around improved wellbeing, resilience, creativity and independence associated with forest learning, we knew that it was a must for our learners. We met with Nature Play SA and local bush experts to devise the program.

‘We knew that Spring Head church had the most beautiful site that would nurture authentic engagement with nature. The congregation supported us with ideas and material which are a big part of the success of the program. Pastor Tim Castle-Schmidt is a huge advocate for outdoor learning and was very supportive as we developed the program, and he pops along when we are on site. It has been great to have fellowship with the congregation as they share their unique space with our school.’

Established by the Lobethal Lutheran congregation in 1842, Lobethal Lutheran School today has just 52 students, making it one of the smaller schools in the Lutheran Education Australia community of 80 schools and approximately 40,000 learners – and this makes its recent recognition even more noteworthy.

Steph says Lobethal Lutheran was also the first primary school in Australia to offer a STEM-AG program. ‘Students work across traditional school levels finding and solving real problems within agriculture. STEM-AG begins with students, supported by teachers, identifying what they believe needs to be addressed within our local agricultural community.’

And she says feedback to the Beyond program has been ‘100 per cent positive’. ‘Parents are thrilled that their children are experiencing learning that develops resilience and have been surprised at how quickly the skills have been displayed – with little five-year-olds tying hitch knots and lighting fires.’

One parent, Nicky, says of daughter Amber: ‘I love that (she) can be pushed to challenge herself, it has been great to see her confidence and knowledge grow because of Beyond.’ While another parent, Nick, believes there have been benefits across the student body. ‘After the bushfires, it was really important that we watch out for the wellbeing of the kids’, he says. ‘This program has helped their wellbeing, their resilience has improved, and they feel okay to be in nature again.’

After each session at Beyond, the students write in a journal about their experiences, which Steph says also brings educational benefits. ‘A delightful surprise for our teachers has been the improved literacy outcomes as our learners are so engaged in journalling the learning of Beyond’, she says.

Teacher Meredith says: ‘The learning is authentic and there’s agency for the learners to drive the experiences. Engagement is a key factor of Beyond, everyone wants to learn, to work together. It’s a peaceful, joyful classroom.’

And what do the children think? Hudson says, ‘I love going to Beyond. It’s so much fun, we get so dirty’. Fellow student, Jensen, adds, ‘I like learning about the animals – catching the frogs and finding out about their habitat’, while James says, ‘It’s not like real school. It’s hard but it’s fun-hard.’

Other Lutheran schools to be named 5-Star Innovative Schools this year are Faith Lutheran College Redlands in Queensland and Immanuel College at Novar Gardens in South Australia.

You can find out more about the Beyond program at Lobethal Lutheran School through an online video at: https://youtu.be/Odk3cHFvx5s

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Let’s not forget the suffering of others

by Lisa McIntosh

The COVID-19 pandemic has so dominated the lives of many Australians and New Zealanders at home for the past 18 months that it’s been easy to forget that around the world people are suffering who need our prayers.

But Peter Gerang Deng has not forgotten the troubles and tragedies of his homeland of South Sudan in north-eastern Africa. South Sudan is a diverse nation of more than 60 major ethnic groups, which has long been wracked by civil wars, violence, political instability and natural disasters, which have displaced millions of people and left many others living in poverty. Peter, who like his wife Rebecca Manyang is from South Sudan’s Denka ethnic group, is an educator and an elder at Immanuel Lutheran Church in North Adelaide. The couple has three children, who have all been born in Australia, and is expecting a fourth child.

Concerned that local people were no longer aware of needs beyond their own restrictions and borders, Peter raised the issue with Immanuel’s pastor, Rev Dr Mark Worthing. ‘He said, “Pastor, can we do something to encourage people to pray for South Sudan? With everything else going on in the last year, people have forgotten the needs there’, Pastor Mark explains.

‘So, the next week Peter made a presentation to the congregation about the needs in South Sudan. Afterwards, people said we should do more to focus on this. Someone else said it would be nice to get families involved and make it an intergenerational effort. That’s how the “November Family Prayer Challenge”, with its focus on South Sudan, came about.’

With the backing of the congregation’s Grow Team, Peter and Pastor Mark launched the month-long prayer challenge on 24 October, giving out laminated guides so that members, along with their families and friends, were ready to start the innovative program the following Sunday. The guides were also sent out via email and are available on the congregation’s website (www.immanuelnorthadelaide.org.au under ‘News and Resources’, ‘Other Resources’).

While prayer was pivotal to the program, there were three key elements of the challenge each week for four weeks for those taking part – learn, pray, act.

‘We wanted to encourage everyone to learn more about the current situation and needs in South Sudan, to pray for its people, and to explore ways to concretely help the situation there’, Pastor Mark says. ‘We also wanted to encourage people to do this as families, or with a friend or group of friends, either within or outside of our congregation.’

Each week a distinct focus was identified, built around the principles of learning, praying and doing.

‘It is important that we inform ourselves if we are to better pray for others. And when we pray for others, we need to ask whether there are ways in which God might use us to help with the needs for which we are praying.’

One or two concrete activities were suggested each week of the program that fit the learning and praying theme for that week. Families and individuals were also invited to share their experiences in worship from the previous week.

The prayer challenge linked in with Australian Lutheran World Service, which supports aid and development projects in South Sudan, and which provided Immanuel with a guest speaker to help raise awareness about its ongoing work and partnerships in Africa.

Peter, who became a teacher through Lutheran World Federation at Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where he met Rebecca, said the prayer challenge was helping to raise awareness locally of the ‘chaotic’ situation in South Sudan, even though the country was technically in ‘peacetime’ after multiple civil wars.

He says when people have a greater awareness of a situation, they then can pray and understand how best to do something to support people in need. ‘[We have a saying that] if you want to help somebody, don’t give them a fish, give them a hook or a net to go and feed themselves’, he says. ‘Give them something to do beyond war.

‘Despite having no war now, there’s something called negative and positive peace. There may be peace there – no guns going throughout the country – but there are pockets of instability going on.

‘I often speak to elders at North Adelaide who came from Germany after World War II. They share their stories of when they arrived here. They think they are no longer refugees but when people talk about refugees and what they face, it’s something they can relate to easily. Now they have a better picture of the people of South Sudan.’

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LCA pastor commissioned for mission service in PNG

Even though COVID-related travel restrictions make deploying a missionary overseas a far more drawn out and challenging prospect than it was just two years ago, Pastor Murray and Tracy Smith are now a step closer to their move to serve in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Pastor Murray has been called to serve as a lecturer at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG’s (ELC-PNG) Senior Flierl Seminary at Logaweng, near Finschhafen from next year. The Smiths, who plan to move to PNG later this year, were joined by family and friends at St Martin’s Lutheran Church at Mannum on the River Murray in South Australia on 17 October for Pastor Murray’s commissioning as an LCA missionary.

Having grown up in the nearby Bowhill congregation, the choice of Mannum for the service was significant for Pastor Murray, as those who nurtured him in the faith were able to come together to praise God and encourage the couple as they set out on this new adventure of faith and service. LCA Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission Pastor Matt Anker officiated at the service and acknowledged that the Smiths are following a long line of LCA missionaries who have served in PNG and, in particular, at the seminary in Logaweng.

Pastor Matt said that, while the Smiths go to serve, they can look forward to being richly blessed by the community there.

Rev Dr Jack Urame, head bishop of the ELC-PNG, greeted Pastor Murray saying, ‘We wish you and Tracy all the best in your preparations for this great task ahead of you and look forward with excitement to seeing you soon. The peace of the Lord be with you! Lukim yu long PNG’.

Pastor Murray’s call to PNG is being financially supported in partnership with Mission Eine Welt of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.

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Church child safety standards approved

The LCA’s new Child Safety Standards for Congregations have been approved by the General Church Board (GCB).

These standards were developed to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations across all LCA congregations in Australia. Endorsed by members of COAG (the Council of Australian Governments), the national principles reflect 10 child safe standards recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The approval of the LCA standards is ‘an important development for the church and an example of its long-standing child safety leadership and commitment’, says Child Protection Project Officer Mary-Ann Carver.

‘The LCA’s Child Safety Standards reflect the national principles in their content and aspiration but are tailored to the faith-based, congregational context’, Mary-Ann says. ‘The intent of the standards is to provide congregations with clear guidance regarding child safety expectations and to help congregational leaders maintain effective oversight of congregational safety and wellbeing.

‘The standards are also a reflection of God’s abounding love for children and his expectation that we will dearly and lovingly do our very best to keep them safe as they grow in their faith.’

Implementation of the standards will assist the LCA to meet its mandatory child safety responsibilities. This is particularly important given that robust regulatory systems are already in place in New South Wales and Victoria, with similar systems likely to be introduced across remaining states and territories.

The standards have been trialled in congregations and their feedback has helped make the documents as user-friendly as possible. The standards come with two implementation tools – a simple self-assessment by which congregations can measure their child safety status and a child safety planning template for congregational leaders to document and monitor priorities and initiatives. It is expected that from 2022 all congregations will do child safety self-assessments and prepare child safety plans annually. They will be supported through this process by the LCA.

GCB has also approved the LCA’s Statement of Commitment to Child Safety. This statement represents a public demonstration of the LCA’s commitment to keeping children safe. In part, it says: ‘The LCA is committed to providing a safe church environment for children and young people. The LCA also affirms that it has no tolerance for child abuse … The way we care for children is a reflection of our genuineness of faith. It is also a reflection of God’s love and his divine protection.’

To read the full statement and for more information about the standards, go to www.lca.org.au/css

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Added support for pastors and ministry candidates

As part of the LCANZ’s commitment to pastors and the communities they serve, the General Church Board (GCB) has approved a policy designed to strengthen the church’s support in the formation and equipping of pastoral ministry candidates.

To be overseen by the Church Worker Support (CWS) Manager on behalf of the Office of the Bishop, the initiative involves candidates for the office of the ministry taking part in a comprehensive psychological assessment. It has the backing of the Pastoral Studies Stream at Australian Lutheran College.

CWS Manager Dr Chris Materne said the move was designed to improve care for those wanting to serve in pastoral ministry and increase their understanding of their own mental health. Dr Materne added that the Psychological Assessment of Candidates for the Office of Ministry Policy would also ultimately benefit congregations, other calling bodies and the wider church.

‘I believe the outcome of this policy will be beneficial for the candidates for the office of ministry and to the church in the longer term, as we strive to improve our understanding of, and support for, psychological health and wellbeing across the church’, she said.

The objectives of the policy include understanding and supporting the psychological wellbeing of candidates for pastoral ministry, ordinands and pastors; improving the church’s capacity to identify suitable candidates for ordained ministry; providing better support to calling bodies; improving the church’s ability to support people with diverse mental health needs; and increasing awareness of mental health and wellbeing needs more broadly.

You can read the full policy at www.lca.org.au/policies/

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Call for Lutheran nurses award nominations

Nominations are open for the Lutheran Nurse of the Year award for 2022. Launched in 2020 to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is recognised as the founder of modern nursing, the award recognises faithful and outstanding service during the preceding calendar year by a registered or enrolled nurse who is an active member of a Lutheran congregation in Australia or New Zealand. The inaugural award winner in 2020 was Angela Uhrhane, of Albury-Wodonga, New South Wales-Victoria. Last year’s recipient was Wayne Kroker, of Nundah, Queensland. Nominations may be submitted by congregations, schools, aged-care facilities or other bodies or agencies within the LCANZ. Nominations must be lodged with Lutheran Nurses Association of Australia secretary Mrs Rose Howard, with supporting documentation, by no later than 31 March 2022. More information and nomination forms are at www.lca.org.au/ministry-groups/lutheran-nurses/

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Church@Home December 2021

CHURCH@HOME www.lca.org.au/churchhome

Encouragement in our daily faith walk

Regular devotions can help nurture our faith and even that of our families, as they strengthen our relationship with Jesus, increase our trust in God and our openness to the call of his Spirit. We pray that you will receive encouragement and blessings from the devotional materials here and in the Church@Home resources collection collated and shared on the special webpage at www.lca.org.au/churchhome

If you have internet access and a printer, why not print some and mail or deliver them to those who may otherwise miss out?

–Lisa

1 Chronicles 16:11

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

DEVOTIONS FOR HOME WORSHIP

These reflections are adapted from a collection of devotions written for our LCANZ family and friends to help us keep our eyes on Jesus. You can find the full versions of these and others on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion

Save us, O Lord by Tom Brennen

‘But surely, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life’ (Psalm 54:5).

Read Psalm 54.

Friends, look at the psalms for a reminder that God’s people before us have wrestled with their faith and their fear. We are not the first to cry out as this psalmist does, ‘Save me, O God, by your name’.

As a commentator writes of this psalm:

‘God may seem absent from the world, but those who invoke his name with faith and courage will discover the reality of his awesome presence … The message of the psalm is clear enough: the name of God will not fail the supplicant in a time of crisis. The enemies will not prevail. Yahweh will make a necessary connection between act and consequence, and the power of ruthless foes will be turned back against themselves.’

In this time of trouble and suffering, the psalmist seeks God in prayer, honours his holy and precious name, acknowledges him as the creator and sustainer of life, and proclaims that only he can save them. Verse 7 is so clear: ‘God has delivered them from every trouble’.

Throughout Scripture, we are encouraged to look to our mothers and fathers of faith for examples. This psalm, once again, shows the rich heritage we can draw upon for such examples.

God has indeed delivered us from evil. We have the gift of eternal life and the intimacy of knowing our Lord now. This doesn’t remove suffering from our lives nor the pain of suffering.

To be a Christian is to enter into suffering. To be a Christian is also to enter into the joy of knowing our Lord. When we are in trouble and amid suffering, let us cry, ‘Save me O God, by your name’, for this prayer has already been answered with eternal hope.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, save us by your holy name. May you rescue us from our strife and empower us to do your will on earth. You are the upholder of our lives. Amen.

I have confidence by Sue Westhorp

‘Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward’ (Hebrews 10:35).

Read Hebrews 10:32–39.

One of my favourite movies is The Sound of Music. I’ve always loved the scene where Maria leaves the confines of the abbey to begin her work as a governess to the Von Trapp family. She begins the journey tentatively, wondering what the future holds and feeling apprehensive and worried. A couple of minutes later, Maria is dancing down the streets singing about all of the things she has confidence in, finishing with ‘I have confidence in me’.

There is something stirring and inspirational about how Maria faces her fears, recounting what she knows about the world and herself.

What or who do you have confidence in? What happens when life experiences shake or damage this confidence? The writer to the Hebrews addresses these questions to the early church. The writer appeals to them to remember how they felt at the time of their conversion to the faith and that the light they experienced then also shone into the dark times that followed as they suffered for their faith.

When you are suffering or struggling, what is it that reminds you of God’s love for you? What is it that reminds you of who you have confidence in? Perhaps it is recalling times past when God has answered your prayers. Maybe it is remembering a time when you felt God was absent, but on reflection, you realised he was there with you in your suffering. For some of us, the journey of faith consists of days when we are confident of God’s goodness and presence in our lives, while on other days, well, we’re not so sure – the mystery of faith and doubt living side-by-side as we make sense of our existence as God’s beloved children.

So, what is this confidence that we hear about in this passage from Hebrews, and what is the reward? What we have confidence in is the reward! Our confidence is in the God who saves us through Christ. The God who is always with us in times of joy and in times of sorrow. When we feel less than confident about our ability to handle life’s challenges, we can have confidence in the one who loves and saves us, no matter what life brings. Go, live in that confidence!

Loving God, give me faith in you, confidence in your saving promises and endurance for the journey ahead. Amen.

PRAYER 

IN ADVENT WE WAIT

In Advent we wait for you,
God the maker,
Jesus the storyteller,
Holy Spirit of life.

In Advent we cry to you,
God of Justice,
Jesus of Bethlehem,
Holy Spirit of hope.

In Advent we long for you,
You, God, are our love,
Our warmth,
Our light.

– Ruth Burgess, from justprayer.org

Psalm 145:18,19

The Lord is near to all who call on him … he hears their cry and saves them.

In whom do I place my trust? by Pastor Glenn Crouch

‘Blessed are … those whose hope is in the Lord their God’ (Psalm 146:5).

Read Psalm 146.

In what – or in whom – do you place your trust? What are your hopes and dreams based on?

The psalmist addresses these questions as he proclaims how great is our Lord God! Our God is the creator of the universe – everything in heaven and on earth. He is reliable. God gives compassion to those in need. Those we forget, he remembers!

Why would we put our trust in other people? Why would we rely on political leaders or technology to save us? Given the events of recent times, we must see how fallible our leaders are. And we seem to find that our technology creates as many problems as it solves. Sometimes even bigger problems! The prophets of old laughed at those who took a lump of wood. They used part of it to cook their dinner, part to build some furniture and the rest to make an idol in which to trust. Are we really that much different? The psalmist proclaims we have this mighty God who wants a relationship with us – and this God not only has the power to save, he wants to save!

As we read this psalm, we are easily drawn to how our Lord Jesus fulfilled this Scripture. In his life, death and resurrection, he saved us all. He set us free; he gave us sight. We see that it is through Jesus all things were created. This Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, died for you. He wants a relationship with you. Put your trust in Jesus – he remains faithful forever.

Holy God, worthy are you to be praised. Help me to turn to you for help. Teach me to trust you more and more each and every day. Thank you for your dear Son, and that through him, I am forgiven. Amen.

What do you want? by Pastor Jim Strelan

‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked him. The blind man said, ‘Rabbi, I want to see’ (Mark 10:51).

Read Mark 10:46–52.

‘What do you want me to do for you?’ What a fantastic question coming from the mouth of Jesus – if only he would ask me that! And such a simple reply: ‘I want to see!’ No long stories about what a miserable life it is when you’re blind, how nobody cares, or how you have to beg for help just to survive. No promises about what he will do if Jesus heals him, how he will follow him and give his life to him.

This man has one need, one thing above everything else. Nothing else matters. He needs change in his life, and he says it straight out: ‘I want to see’.

From deep in his heart, he screams his need to Jesus, and, most likely in tears, he places his burden at Jesus’ feet and says, ‘You want to know what you can do for me? Here it is quite simply: I want to see’.

Can you hear Jesus asking the same question of you? What do you want? We know that we need change. We know there are areas of our lives that aren’t what they should be. We live with worry, confusion, uncertainty. We know that we need healing in our marriage, family and relationships with others. The blind man says it straight, and Jesus responds immediately. And on receiving his sight, the healed man follows Jesus.

Be daring like this blind man, and say it straight: ‘This is my biggest issue’. And hear Jesus offer you the word of healing.

Jesus, I bring to you that part of my life which most needs healing. Heal me, walk ahead of me, and I will follow. Amen.  

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Dwelling in God’s word – What is family?

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Prayer calendar – January dates

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Prayer calendar – February dates

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