Archive for category: December–January

by Craig Heidenreich

It can sometimes feel like the core business of the church, sharing the gospel, is taking second place. And when I talk to Christians about sharing their faith with unbelievers, they usually agree this is important but, at the same time, find it difficult.

Jesus makes it clear in Scripture that a sign of our love for him is our ‘witness’, but it’s hard to turn conversations towards spiritual things with sceptical people. We can feel we are not doing enough to share our faith. This was my experience until I realised that I needed to approach things differently.

CHANGING HEARTS IS PRIMARILY THE LORD’S JOB, NOT YOURS

I was trying to be a witness for Jesus rather than with him. I needed to relax and let him take the lead.

He is the Lord of the harvest, actively drawing people to the Father. The Lord has won reconciliation and softens people’s hearts. I was relieved to realise he was inviting me to join him as a junior partner.

Now I listen for his prompting. He shows me who to spend time with and what to say, but the real change in others is the Holy Spirit’s work. I might be one of several Christians he is using to reveal himself in that person’s life.

FOCUS ON THE PROCESS, NOT THE OUTCOME

I used to focus on engaging people in a ‘God conversation’ without attending to the relationship. Talking to a stranger (or neighbour), I felt that if I didn’t say something ‘spiritual’, there was no value in the interaction.

I now focus on being the sort of person that others feel comfortable opening up to, trusting that I’ll know what to say about Jesus (and when).

If we hope to share our faith with others, it is more likely to happen when an unbeliever confides honestly about something that concerns them. This provides a context to speak into.

The measure of my personal ‘mission field’ is the openness of the unbelievers around me. There are ways we can significantly grow this mission field (with prayerful intention). What qualities encourage openness in others? Can we learn some new practices, like being a good listener?

As we prayerfully give attention to connecting well with people for their sake, the miracle of God’s love starts to flow into our hearts. With his perspective on someone, my sharing becomes more relevant and natural.

CULTIVATE A HEART TO BLESS STRANGERS

People respond when they sense you approach them with goodwill.

If you are familiar with the Luke 10 passage, Jesus gives the 70 several instructions as they interact with strangers. The first is to start by blessing people (declaring Shalom – peace be with you).

Normal human interaction is transactional. We weigh up whether a person deserves our attention. But Jesus calls us to show unconditional favour to others, as he shows us.

Sadly, part of our human condition is to critique others – often expressed in critical thoughts and words. And living with a critical (superior) posture limits our ability to pray for strangers or approach them but, with God’s help, we can think and speak blessings. People sense this before you even open your mouth.

PEOPLE RESPOND WHEN THEY FEEL VALUED

There are various ways we can signal that a person is valued.

Truly listen: When we take time to listen, it shows we think the person is valuable. A common trap I fall into is listening just long enough to express my own opinion. Often, this just shuts the conversation down. What we are aiming for is ‘curious’ listening to draw forth honesty about life’s real issues. Take a curious posture and ask questions that encourage a person to talk.

Remember: A sign that we value what we have heard is to remember important bits, such as people’s names and other details. This can be very impactful the next time we see them and helps the transition from strangers to friends.

If you habitually say, ‘I’m not good with names’, ask for God’s help. I also write things down immediately after the conversation, and carry a small, indexed book for this. Another solution could be using the notes function on your phone.

Noting things reinforces my sense that the Lord is working in hearts and that each person is valuable. It helps me remember, enhances my empathy, and increases the likelihood that I will pray for them.

Resist your urge to correct: A common instinct among Christians is to quickly correct the opinion of an unbeliever before they know you care for them. Honest expression can be messy, but we can rest knowing the Holy Spirit brings people to conviction.

SHARE YOUR STRUGGLES

Many unbelievers think Christians are self-righteous and judgemental. We can dispel the notion that we ‘have it all together’ by sharing our struggles when appropriate. This invites the other person to share.

DON’T USE OVERTLY RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE

Often groups of people use specialised terms only meaningful for group members. If our goal is to connect, we will use terminology that unbelievers can understand. This is becoming more necessary with greater numbers of people who have little exposure to Christian talk.

KEEP THE THINGS PEOPLE SHARE CONFIDENTIAL

People will withdraw if they don’t feel safe. Be prayerful about what to share and what to tuck away in your heart.

SPOT SITUATIONS WHERE YOU CAN INTERACT MORE THAN ONCE

Building trust is not usually achieved in a single conversation. This means we look for situations and contexts that allow relationships to build. Most of us are already in contact with unbelievers at work or in our neighbourhoods. And we all visit supermarkets, petrol stations, restaurants, hairdressers, doctors, etc. Why not make someone’s day by showing an interest in their life?

SPEND TIME WITH PEOPLE WHO HUNGER FOR RELATIONSHIPS

Our Australian and New Zealander culture can promote the idea that we are successful when we don’t need anyone. Then if we do have a need, we ‘pay for service’ and control the interaction. This has a certain appeal but is a lonely existence.

Not everyone will be ready for honest interaction, but the Lord is often ‘using’ the difficulties people experience to soften their hearts. He will direct us to people who are ‘ripe’.

I’m not just suggesting we try to be likeable and kind. Our aim is far richer and relates to the whole purpose of our existence. We each have a part to play in God’s big plan for humanity, and getting into step with him gives our lives meaning.

While we are being kind and prayerful, other important things will happen. We start to hear the prompt of the Holy Spirit and experience divine appointments. He leads us into situations matching our personalities. God’s love germinates in our hearts, taking us beyond our human limitations.

When I sense the Lord’s presence, I am less concerned about myself and what people might think of me. It is then I am more likely to share my faith.

Craig Heidenreich is the LCANZ’s Cross-Cultural Ministry Facilitator.

This story first appeared in the LCANZ’s Equipping You for Mission eNews. Find it in full at www.lca.org.au/what-is-your-personal-mission-field/  

by Lisa McIntosh

Our Lutheran Church is made up of people who don’t just worship within the four walls of a church. They also live, work, play – and, most importantly, love – outside those walls, within the broader community.

And how they love and serve in response to the question the law expert asked Jesus 2000 years ago (‘Who is my neighbour?’), as recorded in Luke’s Gospel, is a constant source of inspiration. There are meals, care packages and help with repairs after the devastation of fires or floods. There is financial and practical support during droughts. And there are always prayers. But beyond those expressions of love, congregations of the LCANZ are coming up with innovative ways to connect, befriend, build relationships with and welcome their neighbours.

With Christmas coming up, some churches get involved with or host carols events for their local areas. Bethlehem Lutheran Church Woongoolba brings the Jacobs Well Community Carols to its community south of Brisbane. This month’s candlelight event will feature singers from LORDS K-12 college (Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School).

Members of St Pauls Box Hill in suburban Melbourne recently held an open day that welcomed hundreds of people to their church. The event aimed to provide hospitality to the community and included morning tea, free beverages from a coffee van, face painting, games, music, a garden stall, sausage sizzle, and arts and crafts. Members of St Pauls partner, the Chinese Lutheran Church of Victoria, also had a stand to promote their activities and services.

Another partnership between churches of different backgrounds resulted in an iftar dinner being hosted in suburban Adelaide earlier this year. Breaking down barriers through breaking bread together was the goal for The Ark Lutheran Church, Salisbury, which partnered with Hope Arabic Church to reach the local Arabic-speaking community. An iftar dinner is a fast-breaking meal held every evening during Ramadan for Muslim people. Organisers said: ‘We wanted to plan an event that created community, where the Arabic speakers could get to know the people within the church and to show them how much followers of Jesus love all people.’ The team received an LLL Mission Resource Grant to help fund the dinner. Read the full story at www.sant.lca.org.au/2023/07/11/partnership-reaches-arabic-community/

Another grant, this time from the LCANZ’s Cross-Cultural Ministry, recently funded a Harmony Feast, which brought together 60 participants, including members of Nazareth Lutheran Church Woolloongabba’s Brisbane-based congregation, and local Fijian, Ethiopian and Finnish congregations, who worship in the Nazareth complex. The event connected members of all four congregations, as well as a member of a new ‘Mums and Bubs Playgroup’, which aims to bring together local asylum seekers. Read the full story at https://qld.lca.org.au/2023/10/10/cross-cultural-grant-funds-successful-harmony-feast-at-nazareth/

Meanwhile, in Parkes, in Central West New South Wales, locals and members of the Lutheran church there are getting ready for next month’s Elvis Gospel Service, which will be presented by the Parkes Ministers’ Association as part of the town’s annual Elvis Festival.

by Elsa Matthias

Many members of the LCANZ may think of our church’s associate membership of a global Lutheran body, such as the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), as just a ‘fun fact’. For me, it means much more.

For the past four years, I have been the Australian youth representative in the LWF’s Global Young Reformers Network. This group provides opportunities for networking, worshipping, building leadership and taking collaborative action.

I have taken part in yearly online global worship sessions and Asian regional projects, as well as participating in Asian Church Leader Conferences.

I have grown as a leader and in my Lutheran identity from these gatherings. I have also made friendships and connections with my worldwide Lutheran family, which allows me to better support my community’s gospel outreach.

This year’s 13th LWF Assembly was held in Krakow, Poland, with the theme ‘One body, one spirit, one hope’. At each assembly, young people from around the world serve as volunteer stewards for the meeting and help represent the voice of youth.  I was chosen as one of 25 youth stewards and met online with this group each month this year in preparation for our roles at the assembly.

In June I attended the Asian Region Preassembly in Malaysia and connected with youth delegates and stewards from the region. We discussed our joys and struggles as leaders and developed priorities we hope will be acted on by our local and regional churches. These priorities were ‘Intergenerational Understanding’, ‘Youth Engagement’ and ‘Church in Public’.

On 7 September, I travelled to Wisła Malinka, Poland, for the LWF Youth Preassembly. More than 90 youth gathered for four days to worship, pray, network and work together to prepare a message to take to the main assembly. This asked for a greater focus on the topics of ‘Inclusive Churches’, ‘Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Justice’, and ‘Sustainable Churches and Entrepreneurship’.

As a steward at the assembly, I was part of the plenary team. In this role I facilitated the set-up and voting within governance sessions at the 13-19 September event. I was also asked to lead workshops on youth leadership and my role in the Global Young Reformers Network.

It was amazing to be a part of the running of the assembly! I feel so privileged to be among people working towards a better future for the worldwide Lutheran church.

I have learnt many things from my experience. As well as having the chance to share my time and talents, I now understand how a global business meeting is convened. I have met many inspiring people working to support faith in their communities and better know the required focus for strategic planning.

I am excited to see how the LCANZ can work together across our districts, support the training and leadership of young people, create meaningful intergenerational collaboration in governance structures, and build inclusivity as a core nature of our churches, so that our communities feel God’s love from each of us.

My work as a steward may be done, but my work as a member of my local, regional and global church continues. As I work with the Global Young Reformer Network and share stories of hope and joy from around the world, I hope that you, too, can feel a part of the global Lutheran church. The church is people, and we are the church. Now that is a fun fact!