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Getting your church Christmas-ready

by Dean Eaton

How do you get ready to welcome newcomers into your congregation during the Christmas season ?

When visitors decide to attend your church, how will they know where you are and what days and times you will be holding services or events?

What kind of welcome will they receive, and how will they feel as they go away after attending your Christmas service(s)? Here are six tips to improve your welcome, and ideas to maximise this opportunity for sowing the gospel this Christmas.

Advertising

Invest in a good-sized, attractive advertisement in the ‘Christmas services’ section of your local newspaper. If you have a website or Facebook page, place your address and service times clearly on the front pages. Within council limitations, hang some Christmas lights and signs advertising your services and events at least two weeks prior to Christmas Day.

Prepare your church buildings

Ensure the cleanliness of your buildings and grounds. If you are having multiple Chris Ensure sufficient parking for the services. Request that regular members leave the best car parks for visitors. Ensure your toilets and baby facilities are well signposted inside the building, and consider including them in a building map in any handouts and/or on a pre-service PowerPoint slide.

Prepare your welcome team

Roster on extra ushers and welcomers for your Christmas services. Train the team to smile. The body language of those they meet is what visitors will observe first and remember. Hand out breath mints to all welcome team members. Have the welcome team wear a special t-shirt or welcome badge.

Seating

Ask your members to sit up front, leaving the back rows for visitors, who are likely to arrive late and may even leave if the only seats available for them are in the front rows. You’ll still need to bear in mind, however, that visitors need to be able to see what’s going on, for example, parents like to see their children in a Christmas play.

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Where love comes to life

… in the water

Baptism—the sacrament that brings us God’s grace, that washes us clean of our sin and that brings us as Christians into God’s family. It’s where it all begins for us, so it was fitting that Convention began with our remembering it in a special way. At the opening service (and also at the closing service) the bishops were accompanied in procession by children. They gathered together around the baptismal font, where the bishops dipped their fingers into the water, blessed the children with the sign of the cross, and then the children did the same to bless the bishops.

It was a powerful reminder that we are brought into Christ’s family, not by our natural birth, but by being born again in baptism, and that we come together in need of God’s grace and forgiveness.

… in bread and wine

Every morning delegates, visitors and volunteers came together in worship and at the Lord’s table. Every morning the bishops were there to serve us.

Day by day, it became increasingly evident that there was more than simple goodwill holding us together as Synod. God was working in us, too, through this daily meal with Christ himself and all the saints.

The daily celebration of holy communion may have, at first, appeared to some to be an indulgence we could not afford in a tightly scheduled convention, but half way through the week nobody was complaining. In fact, many were asking, ‘Can we make this a regular feature of Convention? Can we have Eucharistic worship every day?’ Feedback from delegates and visitors is consistently rating ‘daily communion services’ as a soaring highlight of Convention.

… in the word

Over the six days of Convention, we travelled through the six chapters of Ephesians. Each day one of our bishops used a chapter as the foundation of his sermon. Full texts of the six sermons were published daily (and are still available) at www.lcasynod.org.au/sermons. In addition, an innovation at this convention was a daily devotion booklet, presented to delegates and available for everyone to read or download from the convention website. We were invited to read one chapter of Ephesians each day and to reflect prayerfully on the notes provided by the bishop preaching that day. The notes were accompanied by striking black-and-white photographs by Geoff Schirmer, which were also projected during worship in the chapel each day.

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ORDINATION We listened

Thursday

It was about half an hour into the session before we realised something in the room had changed. There was a constant low buzz of voices, punctuated by soft, polite laughter. There was concentration on delegates’ faces as they leaned across the circular tables to better hear speakers. There were smiles, and soft hand gestures.

Ordination Dialogue Group (ODG) co-chair Pastor James Haak was smiling. ‘We’ve done about five dialogues now, and this part is always the same’, he said.

If you couldn’t be at Convention, it’s possible that all you heard was the ballot result. But delegates, who had listened deeply to each other and prayed together, heard something else … the pain, the fear, the grief, of a brother or sister.

‘First, delegates pair up, and each gets to describe their own journey with the ordination question. Then they share their partner’s story with the rest of the people at their table.

‘This session is empowering. To share tell the story of someone whom they may not agree with, but have been asked to understand … it means that delegates can no longer view the other as the enemy. Instead, they come to see each other as a brother or a sister in Christ.’

At the end of the day, as delegates gathered again in the light of the Christ candle, we prayed once more that the his light would shine in this place, that his love would come to life here, where 420-plus delegates are tackling a difficult conversation, in his name.

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team@work

It’s impossible to tally the hours that national, district and local planning teams contributed in order to create the best convention experience possible for delegates and visitors.

The national team consisted of some old hands (this was Linda Macqueen’s sixth General Convention), but there were some new faces, too. This was the first time Bishop John Henderson had chaired General Convention, and he received much commendation for his professionalism and even-handedness. In a break with tradition, the chair was assisted, officially, by a consultant with experience and expertise in constitutions and meeting procedures. The onthe- spot advice of Fred Kleinschmidt (pictured centre right), a lawyer, allowed Bishop Henderson to pay attention not only to the business, but also to the people and the spirit of Convention.

Also supporting Synod, out of the limelight, was Geraldine Hawkes (top right), Executive Officer of South Australian Council of Churches. Prior to Convention and during it, Geraldine offered insightful guidance to the church’s leaders and the ordination dialogue team for the conduct of the dialogue and debate sessions. For example, the daily journey of the Christ candle from the chapel into the business sessions was Geraldine’s idea, as were some of the symbolic candle-lighting and extinguishing rituals.

The planning team is indebted to Geraldine and Fred for their fresh approach and innovative contributions.

Working hard behind the scenes—for two years prior to Convention, and during it—was LCA Business Manager Debbie Venz (above) and her support crew, including the ever-attentive minute secretaries. Debbie played the leading role in operational and logistics management across all of Convention, including the agenda of the business sessions.

 

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Change is not death

Extracts from the report of LCA Bishop John Henderson

The church

The Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) exists so that the body of Christ may be recognisable in human society. As the inward association of faith, we remain steadfastly committed to the pure teaching of the gospel and the sacraments.

The ‘big topic’

Women and the Call to the Office of the Public Ministry We have been debating this topic for at least 15 years. In 2013 the General Convention asked for further study. A ‘moratorium’ on speaking and writing on the matter was lifted, and the ‘Ordination: We’re Listening’ website set up (owl.lca.org.au), providing core materials and a place to hold a conversation. (See pages 15-19.)

Lifestyle of reconciliation

Over the last two synodical terms the LCA has been establishing a Professional Standards Unit (www.lca.org.au/professionalstandards. html), (and) a Reconciliation Ministry (www.lca.org.au/ reconciliation-ministry.html) to promote a biblical lifestyle of reconciliation. We are attempting to ensure greater transparency and procedural fairness.

Marriage

In response to the Irish referendum, I released a statement on Marriage, (affirming) the LCA’s position. If samesex marriage does become law in Australia, the rites of the LCA will not allow a pastor to conduct such a marriage. (However) it is unlikely that the government will attempt to force churches to conduct marriages. (We have) begun to assemble a group to help steer the LCA’s contribution to the social debate and to provide resources for study.

Royal Commission

A hard-working group monitors the work of the Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse on your behalf and responds to requests to produce documentation. The LCA (insists) all people in the church working with children complete ChildSafe training and, as appropriate, have a police check or Working with Children check, or (in Queensland) hold a ‘blue card’. If the Commission recommends ways to improve systems and processes, the LCA will impleme

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New. Renewing.You.

by Steen Olsen

By the time Pastor Nathan and Yvette Hedt (pictured above) and their family arrived in Packenham in eastern Melbourne a year ago, there was already a small group of Christians keen to plant a vibrant, growing church on the campus of Lakeside Lutheran College. In partnership with the college and the LCA Board for Local Mission (BLMiss), the Victorian District had called Pastor Nathan to be a church planter.

Pastor Nathan writes, ‘Our new church is not about multiple programs or flashy worship services. Rather, we will be looking to build authentic community. We are doing that through implementing ‘missional communities’—local neighbourhood gatherings of Christians who meet for a meal each week, share Scripture and prayer, and intentionally engage in God’s mission to the people around them. We hope and pray that as new people come to know Jesus, these missional communities will multiply so that eventually there’s one in each of the housing estates in Pakenham.’

The interim Board for Local Mission was established by the 2103 General Synod to promote, resource and coordinate the growth of mission culture in all the diverse ministries of our church in Australia and New Zealand. In adopting the tagline, ‘new and renewing churches’, BLMiss is saying that its focus is on both new mission initiatives and revitalising existing congregations and other ministries.

NEW CHURCHES

Dean Eaton is the BLMiss church planting mentor and mission facilitator. He works with our ten sending churches preparing them to appoint and support church-planting teams, assisting with leadership formation and evangelism training. Dean has provided training in each of the six districts of our church. Some training is specific to the sending churches but the six-part evangelism training is open to all. So far, over 600 people have taken up this opportunity.

RENEWING CHURCHES

Early in 2016, BLMiss will be launching its support for the revitalising of our congregations and other communities. We are not just asking ourselves what we should believe—as important as that question is—but also how we should live. In doing so we are not seeking to identify a set of rules that must be obeyed. Rather we are asking what practices we need to embed in the fabric of our lives together, so that the things we believe may truly shape who we are.

We want to support all LCA communities in their journey toward better health. Therefore, the approaches and resources being used in our ten sending churches will now be made available to all congregations, schools and other communities in the LCA, to assist them on their journey to

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Pastoral letter on the Unity of Synod

from Pastor John Henderson LCA Bishop

Soon our church will gather in a General Convention of Synod. No matter who you are or where you worship, the decisions made at the convention will affect you.

They’ll affect all of us—and our children and our grandchildren. Even if you won’t be attending as a delegate or visitor, you have been asked to pray for the delegates, for the convention and for the church herself.

The question of Women and the Call to the Office of the Public Ministry will not be the only issue on the agenda, but it promises to be the most controversial one.

It might not be the single most important issue in the kingdom of God, but right now it offers us a practical opportunity to get to the heart of some stuff that really matters: how we hear God speaking in the Bible, who we are as Lutheran Christians and what we hold most dear. If you wonder why we are still having this conversation, it’s because, after many years of study of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, and two Synod votes, the question has not been satisfactorily resolved. Nearly 50 years after the union that brought the LCA together, God continues to test our faithfulness. Are we ready to listen?

As the convention gathers in worship, hears God’s promises and celebrates the gospel, God is preparing our church for the even bigger questions to come. The world is rapidly changing. Current global events threaten to make the pace of change increase even more. Now is the time to learn once more what it is to entrust our future to God, believe in his gospel, use his good gifts wisely and well, and follow the guidance of the Spirit who motivates us.

Understandably, there are those who feel anxious about what General Synod will decide. Others just want to move on. To face the future together, we need to confess our fears, identify our hopes and accept the challenges that we are called to face. If we can handle this difficult discussion with integrity, honesty and peaceful hearts, submitting to the inspired word of God as the ‘only true source, norm and rule, and standard of all teaching and practice in the Christian Church’, we will learn some important things that will help us with the issues that lie ahead of us. With God’s help we will continue to proclaim the gospel to a world so much in need of it.

Yes, there is a risk to the church. After Convention, feelings could run high. Some people are saying that whichever way Synod votes on the ordination question, some people—or even entire congregations or groups within congregations—will leave on the grounds of conscience. However, as we work through this issue, shouldn’t we be confident of God’s blessing as we allow the love of Christ to guide our actions?

If you are anxious about all this, please don’t rush into anything that is aimed to harm others or their reputations. Let’s stay away from deeds that we might regret or that might bring the gospel of Christ into disrepute. Division is a sadness that brings no joy or satisfaction. Every other possibility must be explored first, and we must give time for that.

In these weeks leading up to Convention, I encourage you to prayerfully reflect on Paul’s encouragement to the Ephesians (4:2,3): ‘Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’

Therefore, before we do anything after this convention, as a whole church we will need to stop, reflect and breathe deeply.

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Ordination two journeys

by Tom Pietsch and John Strelan

At the recent General Pastors Conference, Pastor John Strelan and Pastor Thomas Pietsch (members of the Ordination Dialogue group) were asked to share their personal journeys on the ordination of women.

This was done to foster a context of honesty and openness for all pastors to share their own journeys with each other. John and Tom’s edited stories are printed here in the hope that a similar spirit may be fostered in the church leading up to the General Convention, and that delegates might be prepared to answer similar questions in small groups. They are published in The Lutheran to help you to reflect on your own journey.

JOHN: I first encountered a woman in the pulpit when I worshipped in a village church in Germany as a teenager. My recollection of that first experience is that she was a pretty boring preacher! But then, I was a 14-year-old boy who didn’t understand a word of German, so perhaps my judgement was a little skewed.

I was raised within a traditional family structure and my parents had fairly defined roles. Mum was a housewife who looked after the children, while Dad was the bread-winner. I don’t think I’ve been scarred by that experience. I am the son, grandson and great-grandson of Lutheran pastors, but it was only after I entered seminary training in my mid-twenties that I began to think seriously about the issue of women’s ordination. I can’t recall having any definite feelings on the topic before then, one way or the other. I guess I trusted the church would know best. That is a position I still hold.

TOM: My dad was the first person to bring up the issue of women’s ordination with me. I was 16 or 17 at the time and not particularly interested in the debate, which seemed more of my parents’ issue than mine. But I took up the position natural to me, which was to support the ordination of women. The idea that women were somehow not equal to men was, and is, abhorrent to me. It seemed to be a no-brainer.

In my last years of school and first years of university, I spent some time thinking about sex, funnily enough. There was a lot of wonder, but also a lot of confusion. I began to come to grips with how sexualised our culture has become, and how demeaning and degrading this can be. But I also began to see the joy of the Christian vision of sexuality, which shone a beautiful light into the gloominess of what was around me at university and on TV.

It was at this time that I began to grow cautious of claims that our generation had reached clarity on issues of sexuality that the previous 2000 years had been blind to. It seemed to me much more plausible that our culture’s vision on sex and gender had been distorted rather than clarified.

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The last bastion

by Sam Paior

Inclusion—it’s a basic concept. One that Jesus was mighty good at. Tax collectors, prostitutes, people who couldn’t walk, children—you name them, he loved them.

But he didn’t just love them, he also included them. They were an integral part of Jesus’ world. Of our world. When a baby is born, parents hold a level of hope and expectation for their child: child care, kindy, primary school, high school or college, university or TAFE, a job, move out, find a partner, buy a home, have a family of their own—and so it goes.

When a family finds out that their child has a disability, that trajectory looks somewhat different: special kindy, special school, special high school, a job with an Australian Disability Enterprise (formerly known as sheltered workshops), move into a group home with strangers. A partner and children? Much less likely.

How can we change that? How can we include children and adults with disability in all areas of our spiritual and educational lives?

My 15-year-old son Ben has Down syndrome. But his life has been different from many others who share the same genetic enhancement. I have always expected him to be a fully included, valued member of my family and his community—and that includes his faith community. This hasn’t always been easy. One church wouldn’t allow him in Sunday school without my supervision (without asking even the most basic questions about how he might need to be supported). One Lutheran college never returned my calls when I inquired about enrolling him, while another told me that they received no funding to support ‘children like him’.

Leaving aside their magnificent grounds (which should surely be less important than welcoming and educating all of God’s children into our faith), these places of faith continue to shun our children and adults with disability. Whether the blocks are financial or are simply barriers of ignorance and prejudice doesn’t matter: we must do better.

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Angel of hope

by Rebecka Colldunberg

I wish I didn’t have to write this story. I wish stories like this didn’t exist.

I’m not alone. In her final months of life, our story’s protagonist put her heart and soul into a cause that she hoped would one day end the need for anyone to write a story like this.

At the beginning of 2013 Julie Schrodter was in the Royal Brisbane Hospital undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Eager for any distraction she gathered a handful of pamphlets and casually meandered through them. Some she kept, most she put back. But one in particular caught her attention: Weekend to end Women’s Cancer. It detailed a weekend event where participants— both women and men—entered as teams and undertook a 60-kilometre walk together. Funds raised by the teams supported ground-breaking and critical cancer research at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

‘She asked me one little question’, Lois Kube recalls: ‘“Will you walk with me?”’

 

Despite being seriously ill, Julie couldn’t shake the idea of forming a team for the event. The moment she arrived home she picked up her phone and called her dearest friend. ‘She asked me one little question’, Lois Kube recalls: ‘“Will you walk with me?”’

Up until the moment Julie called her, Lois had no idea what the Weekend to end Women’s Cancer was, but her answer was an immediate and enthusiastic yes. ‘I just knew that if Julie thought she could do this as sick she was, then I had to join her’, she says.

From that point on, their combined passion for the weekend became infectious. ‘Things began to snowball’, Neil Kube, Lois’s husband and fellow team member, remembers. ‘As the two ladies encouraged family and friends to join them, the team grew to 28 members. Almost all of them were Lutherans, from all over Queensland.’

Julie’s husband David says she‘was proud of the support she received from her team. It gave her the strength and drive to get herself through the bad days and make the most of every opportunity. Our team was named Legs of Hope.’

Hope was not just a word for Julie; it was an ethos she lived by. ‘Hope is what Julie hung onto’, Lois says, explaining the team name. ‘Hope that the pain would go away, hope for a cure and, mostly, the hope that God already provided for her with eternal life.’ Not only did Julie’s fellow team members carry her hope in their

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