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601

Lutheran study centre opens in Indonesia

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A long-held hope of the Lutheran churches of Indonesia was realised late last year with the opening of the Luther Study Centre (LSC) in Pemetangsiantar in North Sumatra.

The centre was opened on 1 December with members of the Indonesian churches joined online by friends and partners from around the world. While COVID robbed participants of the chance to celebrate this milestone in person, the LCA/NZ’s Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission, Pastor Matt Anker, said it didn’t hinder the sense of enthusiasm and joy for what the new centre represents.

‘In recent years there has been an awakening among the churches we partner within Indonesia’, he said. ‘Key leaders have come to realise that, despite their historic connections to the Lutheran confession, their church bodies have often strayed from distinctive Lutheran teachings on sin and grace.

‘Recognising that this has the potential to rob people of the comfort of the gospel and the certainty of salvation through faith in Christ, they called out for help and LCA International Mission is privileged to be one of the partners who has been able to respond. The LSC is primarily about strengthening their understanding and practice of theology that rightly distinguishes law and gospel, and that points people to the completed work of Christ on the cross.’

Rev Basa Hutabarat, the executive secretary of the National Committee of LWF churches in Indonesia said, ‘Our expectation is that the LSC will offer a program in Lutheran doctrine that will be compulsory for all theological students. Even teachers in Lutheran schools should take this program. From this doctrine we understand and know the relevance of Lutheran theology for our Christian life.’

In addition to providing financial support for the LSC, LCA International Mission is partnering with Australian Lutheran College (ALC) to provide both in-person and online seminars led by ALC faculty which will be offered through the LSC.

602

Get to know our new shepherds

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These Australian Lutheran College pastoral ministry graduates come from a wide range of backgrounds but will all be stepping out in faith to begin their first assignments as General Ministry Pastors in 2021. Read on to discover more about their ministry journeys.

PHILIP BENTLEY

AGE: 57

FAMILY: Wife Narelle

HOME CONGREGATION: St Paul’s Mount Isa Qld

ASSIGNED TO: Greenock Parish SA

Who were the most influential people in your life as you were growing up? Too numerous to mention, but Jesus has been the most influential.

Who are the most influential people for you now? Jesus.

Before ALC? I have had numerous occupations along my life’s journey. The most significant would be 20 years’ service as a design and technology teacher.

Who or what encouraged you towards pastoral studies? The Holy Spirit.

What is your most relied upon Bible verse and why? ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ (Matthew 11:28–29 – NLT). I find it most comforting.

The most important thing people need to know about God is … your Father loves you! You can know him and have a relationship with him through Jesus. You can trust his Spirit to teach and guide you. You can believe that he is who he says he is. You can count on him to keep his promises.

Which privilege of being a pastor are you most looking forward to? Serving our living God. Being able to bring others to an encounter with our God who is revealed as a God of love; also being able to administer God’s gifts through the sacraments and the preaching and teaching of the gospel through God’s word.

What is your favourite leisure activity? I like to run and play the guitar.

 

JAMES LUK

AGE: 56

FAMILY: Wife Sarah, seven children and five grandchildren

HOME CONGREGATION: St Peter’s Frankston Vic

ASSIGNED TO: Bethlehem Morley WA

Who were the most influential people in your life as you were growing up? I was

born in South Sudan. God called me through my older brother Philip. Then I was catechised by Peter Kay, who was the evangelist in the evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sudan.

Who are the most influential people for you now? Dr Ken Bartel and Dr Greg Lockwood – both have supported me in one way or another during my studies at ALC and even when I was doing my Diploma of Theology 10 years ago.

Before ALC? I was serving the Sudanese community for six years as Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) at St Peter’s Frankston in Victoria.

What is your most relied upon Bible verse and why? One of my favourite Bible verses is: ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 – ESV).

Which privilege of being a pastor are you most looking forward to? I look forward to serving the people of God for years to come in my new role as General Ministry Pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Morley, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

What is your favourite leisure activity? I enjoy reading stories in my leisure time. I also like to take a nice walk.

If you could chat with any famous person, living or dead, who would it be and why? I would chat with Martin Luther if he was still alive because he rediscovered the truth of the gospel in the Scriptures, that we are justified through faith and not by our good works.

 

STEPHEN NOBLETT

AGE: 48

FAMILY: Single

HOME CONGREGATION: Calvary Glandore SA

ASSIGNED TO: Southern Flinders Parish SA

Who were the most influential people in your life as you were growing up? From a spiritual perspective my mother Dawn – she made sure that I was at church and Sunday school each week – which in turn allowed my pastor and teachers to have their influence on me.

Before ALC? I worked in the finance industry writing financial plans.

Who or what encouraged you towards pastoral studies? Until a few years ago I never thought that it would be a path that I would take. However, various things happened that led me to realise that God was wanting me to make a change in direction.

What is your most relied upon Bible verse and why? My most relied on Bible verse is John 3:16, there you have the gospel summed up in a single verse.

The most important thing people need to know about God is … Jesus died for you, he took on your sins and through his work you are restored into a right relationship with God. That is how much God loves you.

Which privilege of being a pastor are you most looking forward to? Sharing the message of Christ and what he has done for us with all people.

What is your favourite leisure activity? I enjoy a game of golf, but most of the time I am happy tending my fruit trees.

What is your favourite movie? If I had to select one as a representative of the movies I prefer perhaps The Titchfield Thunderbolt.

If you could chat with any famous person, living or dead, who would it be and why? I would like to have a chat with Archimedes – he was a great problem solver who could come up with very innovative solutions to problems.

 

CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON

AGE: 34

FAMILY: Wife Melissa and daughter Phoebe

HOME CONGREGATION: St John’s Southgate Vic

ASSIGNED TO: Nazareth Woolloongabba Qld

Who were the most influential people in your life as you were growing up? My family, my minister and my third-grade teacher. I learned a lot from Pastor Jarvis’s gentle and caring manner, and Mr Bussink challenged me to think critically and hear all the sides of a story.

Before ALC? I travelled a fair bit. I’ve done a number of labouring jobs, from warehouses to picking fruit. My last major occupation before study was managing a tea shop.

Who or what encouraged you towards pastoral studies? God put a retired pastor, [the late] Neil Hampel, in my path. Neil encouraged me to consider studying for ordination.

What is your most relied upon Bible verse and why? I rely daily on the Psalms. For one specific verse, Jeremiah 29:11. This verse and the context around it are a constant reminder that God does have a plan for his creation, me included.

The most important thing people need to know about God is … who God is: the creator of heaven and earth, the all-powerful being who sustains all life and creation. But far from being distantly high above, God condescends to us. God formed Adam with his hands. God knit us together in the womb. God humbled himself to become flesh and blood. God is all powerful, and yet he would and did die to bring us back into relationship with him.

Which privilege of being a pastor are you most looking forward to? The special ways the pastoral office proclaims the gospel; absolving the sins of the congregation; proclaiming God’s grace and peace in sermons; serving fellow Christians the meal of Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins.

What is your favourite leisure activity? I love to ride my pushbike.

What is your favourite movie? The Princess Bride

 

JOSEPH THEODORSEN

AGE: 38

FAMILY: Wife Maricel, and children Aaron, Elijah and Abigail.

HOME CONGREGATION: Hope Geraldton WA

ASSIGNED TO: Top End Parish NT

Who were the most influential people in your life as you were growing up? My family, particularly my mother. She has been a solid Christian inspiration throughout my life.

Who are the most influential people for you now? My mother is still such a great example of the faith. Also, many of the lecturers [at ALC], and congregational members and pastors that I have encountered.

Before ALC? I was a taxi driver; prior to that a recruitment consultant, an accounts clerk, general clerk, and a service station attendant and manager.

Who or what encouraged you towards pastoral studies? The congregation in Geraldton, as well as Pastor Dieter Dell’Antonio and his wife Monica.

What is your most relied upon Bible verse and why? The whole of 1 Corinthians 13. Everything I want to do and be as a Christian and a minister in God’s church is centred around love.

The most important thing people need to know about God is … that he loves you – so much that he gave his only Son to die for you.

Which privilege of being a pastor are you most looking forward to? To minister to the sick and dying is something that I have found very humbling and honoured to be a part of.

What is your favourite leisure activity? My family and I are avid campers, we love to get out and about in God’s wonderful creation.

What is your favourite movie? The Matrix or Die Hard.

If you could chat with any famous person, living or dead, who would it be and why? The Apostle Paul. He has been an inspirational character for me. To chew the fat with him about his experiences would be something else!

 

ROLAND ADAMS

AGE: 34

FAMILY: Single

HOME CONGREGATION: St Luke’s Parkwood WA

ASSIGNED TO: St John’s Trinity Renmark and Holy Cross Paringa SA

Who were the most influential people in your life as you were growing up? My family has had a massive influence on me, along with teachers, sports coaches, and many other people that I have looked up to over the years.

Who are the most influential people for you now? There are many people – from other pastors to people that I have interacted with, to some more famous people who serve as an example for me.

Before ALC? I worked on the docks at Henderson in Western Australia in naval construction for BAE Systems.

Who or what encouraged you towards pastoral studies? St Luke’s Parkwood congregation were among the most supportive, along with leaders of Lutheran Youth of WA, several pastors, and my family and friends.

What is your most relied upon Bible verse and why? Romans 8:35 is a reminder that no matter what happens in the world, God’s love is all-encompassing.

The most important thing people need to know about God is … God loves you, to the extent that Christ died for you.

What privilege of being a pastor are you most looking forward to? Bringing people the forgiveness of God, along with the body and blood of Jesus in holy communion.

What is your favourite leisure activity? This depends on how I am feeling, from spending time with friends or with a book to gardening, or computer games.

If you could chat with any famous person, living or dead who would it be and why? If I had the opportunity and language was not an issue, Jesus would be a good option.

603

Dwelling in God’s word – Giving in a way that pleases God

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by Matt Anker 

In recent years I have witnessed the generosity of God’s people again and again. I’ve been blessed to see the LLL forgive a $75,000 loan to a congregation; humbled by a child sending the contents of her piggy bank to help build a much-needed church, along with an older couple donating more than $1 million to the same cause.

I’ve been astonished to see churches built in Africa with money that was donated with joy and seen the long-term blessings of gifts that fund theological education in Papua New Guinea and across South-East Asia. This all reminds me of a very generous widow in Luke’s gospel.

Read Luke 21:1-4.

What is your response to such generosity?

While I’m certain we would all give thanks to God for the generosity of his saints, how does this make you feel deep down? As you search your heart is there any sense of guilt or shame that you haven’t acted similarly? Or does it encourage a sense of pride in how generous you have been? Do you despair because you feel unable to respond with such generosity due to life’s circumstances?

Talk of giving inevitably raises all these reactions and more. So I want to say that your sins of pride, of stinginess toward the Lord, of trusting in yourself and not in the Lord, and of begrudgingly trying to please God through your giving – all these sins are forgiven and you are free because God did not hold back his only Son, but generously gave him up for us all.

I proclaim this good news to you because it is intimately connected with faithful giving, and unless you receive the forgiveness Christ won for you, it is impossible to give in a way that pleases the Lord.

Read Philippians 4:14–19.

What motivated the Philippians to support Paul and his ministry? (Chapter 1 gives you more insights.)

Paul is also acutely aware of their physical needs – how does he encourage them to continue in their generosity even in the face of such realities (v19)? How did God use their gifts to multiply the blessing they received?

Read 2 Corinthians 9:6–15.

What keywords does Paul use to describe Christian giving – both what it is and what it is not?

What makes a Christian giver cheerful?

According to verse 10, who is the ultimate owner of things we give?

We are but stewards of God’s resources, tasked with the responsibility of managing what we have to bring glory to God and his mercy to our neighbour. As we give, God blesses us by drawing us deeper into his mission to forgive and save.

Giving also helps us prioritise what is truly important and discourages us from laying up treasures on earth (See Matthew 6:19–20).

The impressive thing about the gifts I mentioned at the beginning is not their magnitude, but rather that they were given so that others could receive God’s grace through the ministry of the gospel. The gifts were inspired by the act of a generous God who did not hold back his own Son but willingly gave him up that we might have life in his name.

How are your gifts blessing others, so that they may know the hope to which you have been called?

The answer may be apparent to you, or perhaps not seen this side of eternity. But be encouraged that your giving, in response to Jesus’ gift to you, is being used by him for a work that will last for all eternity.

Pastor Matt Anker serves as Assistant to the Bishop – LCA International Mission.

604

ALC becomes a calling body

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The Australian Lutheran College (ALC) Board of Directors is now a calling body of the LCA/NZ.

The General Church Board (GCB) has approved the change, which is purely procedural, after a request by the ALC Board. Past practice has been for GCB, on the college’s behalf, to call all ALC teaching staff. This arrangement came from the time when the college council was a ‘committee’ of the church. More recently, as an incorporated entity, ALC has its own governance board, which requires a change to the calling arrangement to make it consistent with wider practice in the LCA/NZ.

Before making its decision, GCB conducted an extensive inquiry with ALC’s Board of Directors, satisfying itself that the request:

  • Aligns with the rules and practices of the LCA/NZ
  • Will assist ALC in fulfilling its charter to serve the church through the implementation of its Strategic Direction (2017–2022)
  • Will not adversely affect any ALC staff currently serving under a call.

In approving the request, GCB asked the ALC Board to reissue current GCB calls as ALC calls. The LCA/NZ will be advised of the calls using the normal church processes.

The call to the ALC principal continues unchanged as a call issued by GCB.

605

Stamps make a world of difference

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Going GREYT! 1 Peter 4:10

In Going GREYT! we feature stories of some of our ‘more experienced’ people within the LCA, who have been called to make a positive contribution in their retirement. We pray their examples of service will be an inspiration and encouragement to us all as we look to be Christ’s hands and feet wherever we are, with whatever gifts and opportunities we’ve been given.

by Helen Beringen

Who would have thought the once-popular children’s pastime of stamp collecting was still alive?

Well, not only is stamp collecting still going strong, but it continues to make a world of difference to communities around the globe through the Lutheran Church of Australia’s (LCA) Stamps for Mission program.

Since its inception more than 80 years ago, almost $446,000 has been raised for mission causes, says Peter Nitschke, Stamps for Mission national project director.

The process of collecting, cleaning and sorting stamps has been an activity in many Lutheran youth groups across the country for decades. Funnily enough, it is often still those same people who are helping to keep the program going today.

‘It was still a youth activity as late as 2006 and we realised the youth who were involved in stamps for mission were now in their 80s and 90s’, says Peter, a retired teacher.

‘There would have to have been literally hundreds of people involved from all around the country. Even the youth at Lameroo [in South Australia] are still cleaning stamps and there would be many more congregations still collecting them.’

Stamps for Mission, a fundraising arm of LCA International Mission, was established in 1938 through the efforts of Pastor Ted Koch and Mr Ern Unger, who spent 65 years collecting stamps and building a national team of helpers.

Peter began following Ern’s footsteps after a chance meeting in Parkes in 2003 when Peter and his wife Margaret were travelling back to South Australia after living in Queensland for 15 years.

Peter had been an avid stamp collector since the age of seven when his aunt gave him stamps and an album for his birthday. As a carer to Margaret, who was ill with multiple myeloma, it was a job with the flexible hours that Peter felt he could help with.

‘It was something I could do any time day or night while caring for my wife’, he recalls.

And so began almost two decades of support for an industrious team which gathers, cleans and sorts stamps.

‘I have one chap who is 96 and still sorting stamps’, says Peter. He is talking of Clarrie Schutz and his wife Marj from Campbelltown, South Australia. ‘Clarrie sorts the stamps and Marj groups them into bundles of 103.’

Why 103 stamps in each bundle? They always put in a few extra to ensure each bundle is never short of 100 good stamps.

‘I’ve only had one complaint, and that was someone who complained they were given too many in the bundle!’ he recalls.

While millions of stamps go through Peter’s hands each year, occasionally he finds a high-value gem, such as a post-marked envelope worth $2500.

‘Anything philatelic is saleable’, says Peter. ‘Whether it is mint stamps, used stamps, or stamps from overseas.’

Peter reminds us all not to forget about Stamps for Mission when you are having your next spring clean!

‘I am now starting to get collections from families clearing out their cupboards or from deceased estates’, he says.

The stamps are boxed up and sold to local collectors and larger philatelic businesses. An A4 paper box of stamps can be worth between $300 and $1100, depending on the stamps.

With all this work, you’d think Peter would be dreaming of stamps. He doesn’t – but knows clearly what good they can do.

Peter has seen firsthand the world of difference the funds raised from Stamps for Mission have made through a 10-day trip to Papua New Guinea in 2018. The trip included a visit to the Lutheran Highlands Seminary at Ogelbeng, near Mount Hagen, where seminary students grow food to support themselves while studying.

‘When you see the limited resources these people have and yet you see their love for Christ and wanting to serve him, it is mind-blowing’, Peter says.

‘We saw where they live, and their commitment, and boy it made me determined to continue our work … it’s made a lasting impression on me. If we can support them in small ways, they can do great things with it.’

The seminary is one of six $2000 projects Stamps for Missions provides to each year.

‘When I think what an Australian dollar does in places like these, we get eight to 10 times the value’, he says. ‘To me, these people have very little but they still have a real heart for the Lord, and that’s what motivates me. It’s about God’s love for us and what he has done for us.’

That is reflected in one of Peter’s favourite Bible verses, John 1:14: ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.’

Thankfully, Peter says there are no signs of stamp collecting dying out, with annual fundraising levels remaining consistent. And finding helpers became even easier during a year of COVID lockdowns!

‘When COVID first hit, I had three people come and ask for stamps as they didn’t know what they were going to do during lockdown’, he says. ‘I think we’ll be going for a long time yet, and while the post office keeps issuing more stamps year by year, we’ll carry on.’

Helen Beringen is a Brisbane-based writer who is inspired by the many GREYT people who serve tirelessly and humbly in our community. By sharing stories of how God shines his light through his people, she hopes others are encouraged to explore how they can use their gifts to share his light in the world.

Know of any other GREYT stories in your local community? Email the editor lisa.mcintosh@lca.org.au

606

LCA farewells pastoral nursing pioneer

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Mrs Lynette Wiebusch, the founding president of the Lutheran Nurses Association of Australia (LNAA), has died, aged 79.

The president of LNAA for 10 years after it was founded in 1991, Lynette was responsible for introducing the concept of what is now known as pastoral care nursing to the LCA. She was the Church’s first pastoral care nurse from 1996, serving at both Mount Barker and Dernancourt in South Australia.

She was a founding board member of the ecumenical Australian Faith Community Nurses Association and chaired the board for several years. She was also a founding board member for the global network, Lutheran Parish Nurses International. In 2001 she received the National Health and Medical Research Council’s International Year of Volunteers SA Award for health education and promotion.

Lynette was one of the first three graduates of Luther Seminary’s Graduate Diploma in Theology (Faith Community Nursing) and co-wrote LNAA’s Introduction to Pastoral Care Nursing course. The course was adopted by the Parish Nursing Council of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in the United States as its Distance Education program.

The editor of the LNAA newsletter IN TOUCH from 1992 to 2018, Lynette was named an honorary LNAA Life Member in the LNAA’s awards on International Nurses Day in May this year. The wife of Pastor Robert (Bob) Wiebusch, Lynette died suddenly on 30 November 2020 of a stroke. Her funeral was held on 11 December 2020 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Hope Valley, South Australia.

607

Reaching out – together

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by Richard Fox

Bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to people is not a solo exercise. As a church, we have opportunities to partner together to make a big difference in many lives.

Your support enables the mission of Lutheran Media. This work shares Jesus’ message of hope through many resources – from radio spots, videos, booklets and online children’s ministry, to live-streamed church services, worship life CDs and DVDs, study guides, Scripture calendars and cards. Together we reach many more people than we could do on our own. Partnering with you through your prayers, encouragement and donations helps bring the gospel to millions of people. Some whose lives have been changed are now supporting Lutheran Media so that more people can hear this life-giving news. God calls us to give generously to the mission of his kingdom.

Support Lutheran Media and access life-changing resources at www.lutheranmedia.org.au or by calling 1800 353 350.

Pastor Richard Fox is Director of Lutheran Media.

 

Ministries ‘encourage, challenge and bless’

‘We listened to Pastor Richard’s message broadcast by our local radio station and thank him for his encouraging and challenging words.’ – Ken and Danuta

‘Keep up the wonderful work in the digital space, providing confessional/biblical truths to a post-modern Australian society!’ – Nathan

‘We thank you for the [worship] service provided and pray that you can continue to reach many people for Christ.’ – Rodney

‘Thank you for the blessings you bring to so many every day … Would you kindly forward the Chronic Pain booklet to my daughter as I hope it will help her.’ – Kaye

‘Thank you for the CDs. I am not computer-literate. I pray this pandemic will turn the people to Jesus. Keep up the good work you are doing.’ – Joy

‘I really appreciated your newsletter, you are doing amazing work.’  – Peter

 

New video deals with grief and hope

When Annette’s daughter died tragically, she felt trapped and lost in her grief. ‘The first year after Elise died was bad enough, but the second year was worse. I was bitter and I was twisted. I knew that I needed to do something’, she says. Watch Annette’s story and her struggle to find hope and freedom in the new video ‘Healing the Jagged Edges’ at www.youtube.com/messagesofhope

For more about dealing with grief, go to www.messagesofhope.org.au/grief

608

Prayer the focus for Lent

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by Anne Hansen

Our Christmas season is now over – the Christ-child promised to us has been sent by God to save us. Now we move forward 33 years to this promise coming to fruition as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ journeys to the cross.

Lent begins on 17 February with Ash Wednesday. This begins the 40 days – excluding Sundays – of walking to the cross with Jesus. Lutheran Tract Mission has produced another Lenten devotional for this year focusing on prayer. Prayer was very important to Jesus. It was a time he could talk to his Father to receive strength for his ministry and for all that lay ahead of him. Jesus used prayer not only to seek his Father’s help for himself but also for his disciples, others touched by his ministry and even us!

The new Lenten devotional ‘Hear our prayer’ by Lutheran Tract Mission is downloadable at www.ltm.org.au to be read as a flipbook on your electronic device or can be printed in booklet form. We encourage congregations to print them off for their members and as an outreach, adding church service times to the back!

May your lives be blessed through this Lenten season – Lord, hear our prayer.

Anne Hansen is Lutheran Tract Mission Development Officer.

609

Conferences to capture God’s mission vision

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by Craig Heidenreich

If your heart longs to see Jesus honoured in our society, then the ‘New Horizons: bridging cultures with the gospel’ conference is for you.

Hosted by the New & Renewing Churches and Cross-Cultural Ministry departments of LCA/NZ Local Mission, the conference will be held as a series of state-based events over the next 18 months.

The first two are locked in, so if you are in South Australia or Queensland, save the following dates:

  • Adelaide – 13 and 14 Feb
  • Brisbane – 13 and 14 March.

Our Lord’s statement that ‘the harvest is ripe’ rings in our ears and if you hear it too, please pray about joining us to capture his vision for 2021. Our heart is to find practical ways we can reach out and express his love and his message of hope.

For more information, go to www.lca.org.au/new-horizons

Craig Heidenreich is LCA/NZ Cross-Cultural Ministry Facilitator.

610

Support for fundraising efforts

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by Tania Nelson

From cake stalls to quiz nights, from car boot sales to stamp cleaning, congregations across the LCA/NZ have raised millions of dollars for their communities. What a blessing fundraising can be, as awareness is raised for a cause, funds are generated for a community project and people come together to improve the lot of others.

The new New and Renewing Churches website features a fundraising toolkit, so please check it out. Perhaps your congregation will accept the challenge to raise funds so that the gospel can be shared across Australia and New Zealand through our church plants and sending churches.

Elsewhere on the website, we invite you to take a look at what else the New and Renewing Churches department of LCA/NZ Local Mission can offer your congregation. For example, you can browse our ‘store’ and see what Renew Mission Life is all about. May God bless your participation in the Spirit’s work a hundred-fold!

For more information go to www.newandrenewingchurches.org.au

Tania Nelson is the LCA/NZ’s Executive Officer – Local Mission.