Archive for category: 2021

by Jodi Brook

A big part of the work of Grow Ministries is to develop resources that support families and congregations in their ministry to children and young people.

As the end of the year approaches and we look forward to a new one, we would like to share with you two of our updated resources. These aim to equip congregations as they develop partnerships with parents and carers, and together nurture faith.

UPDATED – FAITH TRAIL BEGINNING SCHOOL MARKER

Designed to encourage conversation with parents and children about starting school, this resource provides an opportunity to share the excitement and fears around beginning school, as well as empowering families to integrate sharing of highs and lows and prayer into their daily routine. This trail marker is intended for children who are starting school or who are in their first year of primary school.

Pastor Andrew Brook from St John’s Lutheran Church Unley in suburban Adelaide explains the impact that a trail marker event has had on a family in the community.

‘Each year St John’s holds the Faith Trail event ‘Blessing of the Backpacks’ at the beginning of the school year. We invite school families from the nearby Concordia-St John’s Campus to join us.

‘Last year a new school family came. Their five-year-old son proudly came forward to be blessed with his parents. This was not just the beginning of his school journey, but also their faith journey. They started coming to worship regularly and got to know us and the God we worship. The mother said she felt a sense of peace when gathered with us. COVID-19 hit, and we didn’t hold public worship for four months. But when we returned to face-to-face gathering, so did they, and then they attended an Alpha course.

‘This September the family was baptised – mum, dad and two boys. It all started with an invitation to a blessing, asking God to be a part of their son’s life as he started school.

‘From a little thing God was able to grow the big thing of faith in him and a new community of love and support. And with that St John’s has received all the blessings that this family have to give. Praise God!’

UPDATED – CHILDREN’S ADDRESSES 

This resource offers all you need to provide an engaging children’s address during your worship time. There are Bible readings, visual ideas and other helpful tips to ensure the gospel message is shared.

‘I’m loving the Grow Ministries Children’s Addresses and use them as a base for my children’s talks from time to time. We are encouraging others to be involved in this ministry and I’m looking forward to sharing this resource with our volunteers.’
– Sharon Green, Child, Youth and Family Ministry Director, St Petri Lutheran Church, Nuriootpa SA

Jodi Brook is Director of Grow Ministries.

by Tania Nelson

Seemingly out of the blue a few months ago, the LCANZ was contacted by Genie Hudkins. Genie is a member of the La Jolla Lutheran Church in California USA and the church runs a ‘Bibles for the Nations’ project, with Genie as their coordinator.

At the same time, Craig Heidenreich and I became aware of a developing ministry with people of Tamil background in Geelong. What do the La Jolla Lutheran Church and Lutheran outreach in the Geelong area have in common? They share the desire to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ and to pray that ‘all peoples on earth will be blessed’ (Gen 12:3).

Thanks to Genie and her wonderful community, Cross-Cultural Ministry received $500 to provide Bibles to several ethnic communities so that God’s word can be read in the heart language of the recipient. One of the communities supported through this gift is the Tamil people of Geelong.

WHY IS A SMALL USA CHURCH SENDING MONEY FOR BIBLES?

Genie Hudkins explains the gift from La Jolla Lutheran Church in the USA to the LCANZ:
‘La Jolla Lutheran Church is a small “community” church in California with an average attendance of about 50 people. Small in size, but large in its desire to spread the good news of Jesus Christ!

‘Eleven years ago, God inspired our pastor to begin a campaign of ‘Praying for the nations’ – one nation per month. We pray for each nation the entire month … individually, during our Sunday worship service, and on our prayer team. Three years later, one of our members heard an interview of a missionary to China who said that three villages had to share one Bible. That inspired us to begin sending Bibles to each nation in addition to our prayers!

‘To date, we have prayed for 98 nations and have sent $US24,987 for Bibles. Our only request is that the funds be used for Bibles; the specific use is between our contact within the nation and God. It can be for hardcopy Bibles, Bibles on tape, or any other need related to Bibles. For example, in one nation where it was impossible to safely possess Bibles, our gift paid for radio communications directed into the nation. In other cases, the funds were used to help complete a native-language translation of the Bible and even a sign-language version! We have found that God has very creative ways of spreading the gospel.

‘Australia was nation 98! We had the privilege of praying for Australia the entire month of September 2021 and wired $380 (USD) to the Lutheran Church of Australia.

‘We have been so blessed to serve God and spread his word through this project! We plan to continue this ministry until we have reached every nation in the world – as long as it remains in God’s plan for our church.’

MEANING BEHIND UNEXPECTED CONNECTION

So, was this contact from La Jolla Lutheran Church an out-of-the-blue coincidence? I prefer to think of this unexpected connection as a God-incidence.

God is good. All the time.

Tania Nelson is the LCANZ Executive Officer – Local Mission.