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41

Eight months to go!

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Ordination way forward
One church, two practices

Way Forward home page: www.lca.org.au/wayforward

Frequently asked questions: www.lca.org.au/wayforward/questions

General feedback: wayforward2024@lca.org.au

In October 2024, General Synod delegates will be voting on a proposal to allow for the LCANZ to function as ‘one church with two different practices of ordination’. This move was resolved by General Synod in February 2023, which instructed the General Church Board and the College of Bishops to ‘work through the theological, constitutional, and governance requirements’ for such a move. The resulting project, known as the Way Forward, began in March 2023.

The General Church Board and College of Bishops are the steering committee for the Way Forward project. Overseeing the deliverables and day-to-day operations and reporting to the steering committee is the project management team of Stella Thredgold (part-time), Tim Niewand (full-time) and Tony Vong (part-time). Supporting them is a three-member reference team and eight working groups comprising experts in their respective fields.

The entire church was invited to submit models for the Way Forward that aligned with the intent of the General Synod resolution. The more than 50 framework proposals and further general responses received underwent an extensive evaluation process and three frameworks were shortlisted for further consideration and development. These are: Confessional Communities, Congregations Decide and District Alignment.

You can learn more about the project by listening to the What is the Way Forward? Podcast at www.lca.org.au/what-is-the-way-forward

Ask your pastor, congregation chair or General Synod delegate for more information about the frameworks and for ways to get involved.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION…

www.lca.org.au/wayforward

Sign up to Way Forward eNews www.lca.org.au/wf-signmeup

Submit your feedback on the three shortlisted frameworks by Tuesday 13 February 2024.

You can comment via the online form on each of the framework pages below or by email to wayforward2024@lca.org.au

Or you can add your comments via the survey link below. Meanwhile, we are reading and answering every question and comment about the three frameworks or forwarding them to the working groups for consideration. Your input is guiding us towards the preferred framework, which will be submitted as a proposal to this year’s General Synod.

If you need a recap on the three frameworks, you might want to watch the webinar.

www.lca.org.au/wayforward/resources/#webinar

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

We’d like to know what you are thinking and how you are feeling about the Way Forward; in particular the three frameworks. Please let us know, by taking the short survey. It’s anonymous (unless you choose to tell us your name.)

www.lca.org.au/wayforward/resources/#survey

NEW RESOURCES

The Way Forward team has been hard at work producing new church bulletin inserts, PowerPoint slides for your church service announcements, and more. You can find them on our Resources page www.lca.org.au/wayforward/resources/#promotions

Please ask your pastor or chairperson to use these resources to keep your members informed, and don’t forget to share the Resources link with others in your community.

WORKING GROUPS

A number of you have requested the terms of reference for the eight Way Forward working groups. We have added the terms of reference to the website, and you can find them at www.lca.org.au/wayforward/#wg-tor

TALK ABOUT IT

We want every member of the church to know what is happening so they can consider the options and contribute to the Way Forward. Please share the webinar recording with your congregations and communities. Synod delegates, in your responsible role, we are looking to you especially to engage your parish members in this conversation. We’ve prepared some talking points to help get the conversations started, and we welcome your congregation’s feedback on the three frameworks via the frameworks webpages.

www.lca.org.au/wayforward/resources/#talking-points

DON’T FORGET TO PRAY

You are encouraged to pray for the unity of our church, during congregational worship, in your family and private devotion time, and whenever you meet with each other about the Way Forward project. For petitions especially written for this time in our church’s life: https://yourlca.com/wf-prayer-petitions

WHAT’S NEXT?

The three shortlisted frameworks are being further enhanced to meet the requirements of the General Synod resolution. After Easter, there will be a move from three frameworks to one preferred option.

WAY FORWARD MAJOR MILESTONES

MARCH 2023

Make appointments: The project management team and eight working groups were appointed. The working groups are comprised of people from across the church who are experts in their respective subject areas.

JUNE 2023

Call for models/frameworks: The entire church was invited to submit models for the Way Forward that aligned with the intent of the General Synod resolution.

JULY-SEPTEMBER 2023 

Evaluate frameworks: During this phase, the frameworks were evaluated and shortlisted for further consideration and development.

OCTOBER 2023-JULY 2024

Enhance frameworks: The shortlisted frameworks are being further enhanced to meet the requirements of the General Synod resolution.

AFTER EASTER 2024 

Move from three frameworks to one preferred option

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024

Preparation and prayer: There will be opportunities for the wider church to prayerfully prepare for the proposal to go before General Synod.

OCTOBER 2024 

General Pastors Conference and General Synod: General Pastors Conference will review the proposal, which Synod delegates will debate and vote on.

42

New life in old stamps

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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 LCANZ, 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.

by Helen Brinkman

There’s special symbolism in a small wooden Christmas tree sitting in the local Lutheran church in the regional Victorian town of Nhill.

Not only does it remind us of the birth of Jesus Christ, but this tree’s peculiar decorations also remind us of the new life Jesus brings. This is because the adornments completely covering the tree’s trunk and boughs are damaged, used postage stamps.

These stamps have been given a new life on the tree lovingly decorated by 80-year-old Fay Sanders and built decades ago by her late husband Alf, both members of St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Nhill.

Each stamp on the tree is damaged, so it can’t be included in the bundles of 103 stamps Fay sends off to raise funds for the LCANZ’s Stamps for Mission program. These stamps are among tens of thousands collected by Fay since she was 15 years old.

For more than 60 years, Fay has collected, cleaned and bundled stamps from Australia and overseas which have been donated by individuals and businesses to support the church’s mission work. The program has raised more than $500,000 through the sale of stamps to collectors.

Fay started cleaning stamps to lend a helping hand to St Paul’s ladies’ guild while she was in high school. When she left school at 15 to help her bedridden mother manage her rheumatoid arthritis, stamp cleaning became a great hobby to suit her lifestyle.

‘It’s something I could do at home while looking after Mum and now it’s something I can do inside when the weather’s hot’, Fay says.

It wasn’t long before Fay asked her mum and two younger brothers on her family’s farm at Lorquon, north of Nhill, to help clean and bundle the stamps.

Fay recalls that her stamp recycling efforts also helped Nhill clinch a Tidy Town award during her high school days as her unique recycling endeavours gave the town extra points!

And the hobby continued after Fay’s marriage to Alf in 1967, and while raising their three boys. The family has since expanded to include a granddaughter and two grandsons.

Fay’s favourite stamps are brightly coloured ones depicting animals, birds and exotic scenery from neighbouring regions such as Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Christmas Island. Her preference will always be stamps that aren’t peel-and-stick, ‘I like the ones where you used to lick them and stick them on’, she says.

She would soak the stamps, drip-dry them, then lay them on a tea towel. The cat has been known to walk off with stamps stuck to its paws.

Fay has come close to discovering the odd stamp rarity. She once found a Christmas stamp that was missing its red printing, but alas, a ripped corner rendered it worthless.

Even to this day, she’s still collecting, despite a drop in the quantity of stamps – and the quality, she says, not being a fan of self-sticking stamps. She even wrote a letter to Australia Post: ‘I told them I wasn’t impressed. They wrote back saying they were working on ways to improve them.’

In support of the program, several local Nhill shopkeepers still save stamps, which are collected by one of Fay’s sons for her to clean and sort, with the help of Fay’s cousin Bev Hobbs, a fellow St Paul’s parishioner. This included one surprisingly large box full of old stamps donated anonymously that took a month to sort – ‘I was going morning to night, cleaning’, Fay says.

Fay also keeps up with the philatelic news of the day through Australia Post’s stamp bulletin, to find out what kind of stamps are coming out.

She remains living independently with family help, supported by a walking frame and regular home care.

The stamp-laden Christmas tree continues to promote the work of Stamps for Mission projects in PNG, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Cambodia. It was originally created for the St Paul’s congregation’s annual Christmas Tree Festival, which started in 1999 and emulated a similar festival at the Lutheran congregation in Rainbow, Victoria (see Going Greyt, The Lutheran, September 2019).

‘My husband made the tree frame for me before he went on a four-wheel drive trip’, Fay recalls. She then set to work decorating it, using only the damaged stamps that didn’t have any monetary value. ‘In the kitchen, I had the whole table to myself – a week later when he returned it was done.’

The tree joined the ranks of 50 to 60 tree displays in the 1999 festival under the theme ‘Jesus is the reason for the season’ (no Santas allowed!). To this day, the beautiful tree bearing damaged stamps stands at the church as a reminder that God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5).

Helen Brinkman 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

STAMPS FOR MISSION

Key details

Stamps for Mission was established in 1938 through the efforts of Pastor Ted Koch and Mr Ern Unger. Ern became the first stamp receiver and did this for the next 65 years, encouraging many other participants. In 2008 LCA International Mission (formerly Board for Mission) took over the Stamps for Mission program from the Lutheran Youth of Australia.

For more information, contact Peter Nitschke, the national Stamps for Mission project director, on 0418 868 103 or at pmnitschke@bigpond.com

Supported in 2024

  • National Youth Conference, Myanmar
  • Cultivate Program, Australia and Malaysia
  • Ogelbeng seminary in Papua New Guinea
  • Immanuel Music School, Thailand
  • LCC Sports Ministry, Cambodia

For more project details, a list of local stamp receivers, the guidelines for preparing stamps and a promotional poster, visit https://lcamission.org.au/join-gods-mission/stamps-for-mission/

43

Can I come to church?

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by Rob Edwards

‘Can I come to church?’ You get a lot of different calls as a pastor, but this phone call was particularly unusual. It started quite normally, but the purpose was a bit surprising. The young lady on the other end of the line was asking if she could come to church.

I could have simply said ‘yes’, and hung up, but there seemed to be more to the question. After a few niceties, a few more questions and a bit of awkward silence, she asked, ‘How do I come? Can I just come in the front door? Do I have to be a member?’ The questions sounded strange, but it occurred to me that I don’t know how difficult it is to get into church because I’ve always been ‘in’.

Sure, I’ve visited churches where I am not a member, churches of other denominations with unfamiliar practices, but always with a basic working knowledge of churches.

In this case, I asked her if she wanted a ‘dry run’ – in other words, to visit the church. I could show her through, where she could sit, and how to ‘come in’. She loved that idea, and when she came, we talked for more than an hour.

How and why this all started is another story, but it made me realise that many people won’t just come to church. A lot needs to happen first, and most of it is in relationship-forming. Our plan to welcome new people into the church, therefore, may need to start potentially years before they sit in a pew.

We always need to ask the ‘new person’ question when we do anything in the church. How will this impact the new person? What will the new person think of this activity? Where will they sit? Will they be able to get a coffee afterwards? Do they know that they are allowed to?

Well, she did come to church and seemed to enjoy it. The following week, she brought her daughter and two grandkids. A little while later, two other daughters. A series of studies later, half a dozen baptisms ensued. While they will never be your ‘usual’ Lutheran members, and there will often be some unusual questions, lifestyle choices and more, they now know they can come to church.

Pastor Rob Edwards serves the congregation of Peace Lutheran Church Gatton in Queensland.

This story first appeared in LCA Queensland District eNews and on the district’s website at https://qld.lca.org.au/2023/10/10/can-i-come-to-church/  

44

Standing with neighbours across the world

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Australian Lutheran World Service Executive Director Michael Stolz recently visited a Ukrainian Refugee Community Centre at Miechowice Lutheran parish in Bytom, Poland, and shares his experiences.

When I walked into the hall of the Miechowice Lutheran church in Poland and discovered a group of women sewing, my first thought was, ‘This looks just like a ladies’ fellowship group in a church hall in Australia’.

A young woman called out to me in Polish: ‘Jesteś uchodźcą?’, which in English means, ‘Are you a refugee?’ When I explained that I represented Lutheran people from Australia and New Zealand who provide support through ALWS, I was warmly welcomed by Katarzyna Kukucz and Pastor Jan Kurko.

Katarzyna coordinates the centre and initially had 20 staff to handle the overwhelming numbers of refugees it serves. The team is smaller now, and 90 per cent are Ukrainian. This Lutheran ministry has served 8,000 war refugees in the past 18 months!

Food packages. Emergency shelter. Ongoing accommodation. Language classes. Psychological counselling. Child care. Education. Yoga classes. Parenting classes. Youth camps. Craft-based fellowship. All with the philosophy that these people aren’t refugees, they’re guests. What also struck me as I was introduced to a dozen women sewing was that there were no men. There is still a war to be won and most men are in the army, fighting.

Some of the women shared their stories with me. Inna is from Kharkiv. She and her daughter hid in a basement for 10 days, then travelled by train for two days to escape, lights off to avoid detection and bombing. Tamara escaped Donetsk, an area gripped by conflict since 2014, with her daughter and granddaughter. Tatiana and her husband have lost their car dealership, and she now serves as a social worker here. Anzhela admired the work of the Lutherans in Ukraine, which led her to seek out a Lutheran church in Poland.

Olga did not speak; she has had two sons in the army, one of whom has tragically lost his life, while Kseniia, a teenager, yearns for her 23-year-old brother who serves in the army. Lubov expressed deep gratitude for the support that comes from Australia.

Inna summed up the feelings of many of the women: ‘It is very good here in Poland, but it is not home. When the war is over, we will go home.’

The ladies sang a Ukrainian folk song that they all knew from weddings, birthdays, and farewells. The minor key was haunting, but they found solace in singing together. When I looked up the translation of the lyrics of ‘Oyu, luzi chervona kalyna’, the chorus line resonates deeply: ‘Oh, my sweetheart, my dearest. Why did you leave me alone?’

I take heart that through ALWS, we as a Lutheran Church in Australia and New Zealand are working with our sisters and brothers in Lutheran churches in Poland, to make sure these refugees are not ‘left alone’.

Through ALWS, you can support the ministry of Lutheran churches in places like Poland and Ukraine, welcoming as guests people escaping the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Simply call 1300 763 407 or go to www.alws.org.au

On 11 May 2024, in Brisbane, ALWS will host Walk My Way Ukraine. Register or find out more at www.walkmyway.org.au  

45

Never too old to be baptised

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by Neville Beelitz

At 97, Michael Haas is living proof that you’re never too old for baptism!

I first met Michael in mid-2022. He had moved to our community of Waikerie in South Australia’s Riverland to live in a local aged-care facility that is visited regularly by our pastoral assistants.

Because he had previously attended Lutheran churches and knowing my connection with the parish, a family member of Michael’s contacted me, asking for assistance with getting him to church. Despite his age – then 96 – he was an active person and keen to walk the 450 metres to church on a fine day if he was accompanied. So, church members established a roster of helpers to pick him up or walk with him to worship.

It is always a treat to sit and chat with Michael about his life. He will proudly tell you he was born in the same year as the late Queen Elizabeth II. Born in Romania but having moved to Germany in his teens, he lived through much conflict in Europe, including fighting and being a prisoner of war during the Second World War.

Michael and his family migrated to Australia in 1966. Despite all that he has gone through, he has continued to display his faith in Jesus and cherishes the gift of grace and eternal life.

However, after discussions with Michael and some research, we realised that, due to various life circumstances, he’d never been baptised. Well, this didn’t seem right! Could we do something about it? Yes, we could and would!

So, on 1 October 2023, Michael was baptised, aged 97, at Waikerie Lutheran Church by Pastor Julian Bayha. My wife Sue and I were honoured to be Michael’s sponsors and celebrated this joyful occasion with him and our whole congregation. All praise be to God!

Neville Beelitz is a member of Waikerie Lutheran Church in SA.

46

LCANZ Convention of General Synod 2024

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ELECTION OF DELEGATES

Parishes have been advised that they must elect their delegate/s for the 2024–27 synodical period and return the appointment form to the Secretary of the Church by 31 March 2024. Parishes must elect a delegate for the synodical period even if that person is unable to attend Convention of General Synod in October 2024. It is strongly recommended that parishes appoint an alternate delegate at the same parish meeting that the delegate is elected. It is important to note that delegates serve the LCANZ for the full three-year synodical period, commencing at the 2024 Convention through to the commencement of the 2027 Convention. Parish members and those people nominated for the important role of delegate should be familiar with the responsibilities of delegates.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF DELEGATES

www.lca.org.au/convention-general-synod-2024/delegates

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

The following LCANZ entities may submit proposals to General Synod: congregations, parishes, LCANZ boards (provided the matter is within their terms of reference), General Pastors Conference, General Church Board or its Executive, the Synod of any District, the Church Council of any District or the Pastors Conference of any District. Proposals must be submitted no later than 31 March 2024 using the proposal template.

PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

www.lca.org.au/convention-general-synod-2024

Nominations for people to serve on the LCANZ’s boards, commissions and committees will be called for in early 2024.

47

Time with God December 2023 – January 2024

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Resources for your time with God

Introduced during a time of COVID-related church closures and restrictions, our devotional pages under the Church@home banner have been very popular with many readers. But spending time with God throughout the week isn’t only a blessing when we can’t get to church on a Sunday. It’s an important boost for our faith every week. Therefore, you’ll continue to find support for your devotional life on these pages – and the LCANZ has plenty of other resources which we’ll highlight for your information, too.

–Lisa

DEVOTIONS

A kingdom of followers by Neil Bergmann

Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over (Mark 3:7).

Read Mark 3:7–19.

How good are you at sharing responsibility and delegating tasks? I admit that I’m not very good at this. I prefer to do things myself rather than trust others to do a job the way I like it. Surprisingly, when a task is just too big to do alone, and I have to rely on others, they always do a much better job than I would have! Also, when we do stuff as a team, it is much more enjoyable.

Imagine then what it was like for Jesus during his earthly ministry. Everywhere he went, crowds appeared and were hungry for his message of forgiveness and the physical and spiritual healing he offered.

But Jesus’ time was short, and he needed helpers to spread the word and continue his work after he had gone.

How could Jesus trust his disciples to continue his work when they continually seemed to miss the point of his preaching? Yet, it is what Jesus did and continues to do.

As children of the light and followers of the risen Christ, we are called to join in proclaiming the good news – the coming of the kingdom of God, here and now, on earth as in heaven. Jesus knows that we need help, and so the Holy Spirit comes to guide our words and our actions.

Jesus knows that we won’t do a perfect job, maybe not even a good job, but he still invites us, over and over again, to join his mission to proclaim his kingdom through word and action.

In today’s reading, Jesus ‘called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him’ (verse 13). He wants us and calls us today. Will you come to him?

Lord, fill me with your Spirit so that I may answer your call, come to you, and help to proclaim the good news through word and action. Amen.

An invitation you can’t refuse by Pastor Reid Matthias

For many are invited, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14).

Read Matthew 22:1–14.

Let’s face it – weddings can be a drag.

The fact that, in Jesus’ parable, the invitees to the prince’s wedding don’t want to come to the banquet resonates deeply in the 21st century. Be honest, like me, you’ve been to a wedding that is entirely about the photos. Or there is the professionally created video montage of a beautifully decorated bridal party placed in awkward poses with just the perfect lighting. The rest of the invitees engage in multiple hours of polite, if not painful, conversation with long-lost relatives or semi-inebriated friends of the bridal party.

I might be sounding curmudgeon-ish, but to me, that’s the way the invited guests sound in Jesus’ parable.

Maybe one invitee to the wedding asks another, ‘Are you going to the king’s banquet?’

The reply: ‘I thought about it, but the big game is on Saturday night. Oh, and I promised my spouse I would clean the boat this weekend. On Sunday, the kids have a birthday party to attend and …’

‘I know’, says the first. ‘It’s just one more thing … We’re just too busy.’

As the invitees do everything in their power to avoid attending the banquet (including killing the king’s servants), Jesus ends this parable with, ‘Many are invited, but few are chosen’.

In the 21st century, theologically, we might understand this parable is directed to the Jews who choose not to come to the king’s party and the Gentiles who are given the next go. In the 1st century, though, no one would turn down the invite. Thus, it’s a strange moral of the story. It feels like it should read, ‘Many are invited, but few accept’. Right? But chosen?

When someone is chosen, they are selected for a purpose or mission. Perhaps the invitation to the kingdom of heaven is an invitation to participate in God’s banquet celebrating Jesus’ love for the entire world. Perhaps Christians have been chosen to serve rather than simply attend.

What does your invitation look like? Are you too busy? What do you think you have been invited and chosen to do?.

King of the banquet, thank you for the invitation to celebrate and participate in Jesus’ work of bringing about the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

To receive the LCA daily devotion each morning in your inbox, go to www.lca.org.au/communications/enews and select Daily Devotions from the Churchwide list after entering your email address. These can also be printed off from the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion

LECTIONARY READINGS

Week Sunday readings
3–9 DEC Isaiah 64:1–9 Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19 1 Corinthians 1:3–9 Mark 13:24–37
10–16 DEC Isaiah 40:1–11 Psalm 85:1,2,8–13 2 Peter 3:8–15a Mark 1:1–8
17–23 DEC Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11 Psalm 126 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 John 1:6–8,19–28
24–30 DEC 2 Samuel 7:1-11,16 Psalm 89:1–4, 19–26 Romans 16:25–27 Luke 1:26–38
31 DEC–6 JAN Isaiah 61:10–62:3 Psalm 148 Galatians 4:4–7 Luke 2:22–40
7–13 JAN Genesis 1:1–5 Psalm 29 Acts 19:1–7 Mark 1:4–11
14–20 JAN 1 Samuel 3:1–10 (11–20) Psalm 139:1–6, 13–18 1 Corinthians 6:12–20 John 1:43–51
21–27 JAN Jonah 3:1–5,10 Psalm 62:5–12 1 Corinthians 7:29–31 Mark 1:14–20
28 JAN–3 FEB Deuteronomy 18:15–20 Psalm 111 1 Corinthians 8:1–13 Mark 1:21–28

For more prayer and devotional resources, including a listing of daily Bible readings for each day of the church year, go to www.lca.org.au/wpp/prayers-devotions

Lutheran Tract Mission also provides the readings in a booklet, which can be accessed electronically at www.ltm.org.au/tract/view/70579-daily-bible-readings-for-2023 or as a printed booklet through the LTM office (phone 08 8360 7222) for a donation of 20c per copy.  

PRAYER POINTS

3–9 Dec: The millions of Australians and New Zealanders living with disabilities on the International Day of People with Disability (3 Dec)

10–16 Dec: That the world’s leaders would act with respect for the wellbeing of all citizens on United Nations Human Rights Day (10 Dec)

17–23 Dec: Graduate General Ministry Pastors Jacob Fabich and Thomas Kitson, due to be ordained this month (3 and 17 Dec)

24–30 Dec: All people to know the Christ-child, whose birth we remember and celebrate at Christmas, as our Lord and Saviour

31 Dec–6 Jan: For a new year filled with hope and opportunities to share the joy of the gospel with those around us

7–13 Jan: Organisers, leaders and campers preparing for or enjoying youth gatherings across the LCANZ

14–20 Jan: All students, teachers and school staff in Australia and New Zealand, as they prepare for the new school year

21–27 Jan: Reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Aboriginal Australians on Australia Day (26 Jan)

28 Jan–3 Feb: Specific Ministry Pastors Jordan Bennett, Charlie Uebergang, Julian Mazzeo, Matthew Schubert, Timothy Chen and Malcolm Willcocks, who have been ordained in recent months

48

Incoming principal for ALC announced

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by Linda Macqueen

The LCANZ General Church Board and the Australian Lutheran College (ALC) Board last month announced the appointment of Rev Dr Tim Stringer BTh/BMin DMin as the next ALC principal. He will succeed Pastor James Winderlich, who is returning to parish ministry after nine years in the role.

Early last month Dr Stringer informed LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith, the General Church Board and ALC Board Chair Cheryl Bartel that he had accepted the call and on 5 November he advised his congregation, Calvary Lutheran Church Greensborough and Thomastown, in suburban Melbourne.

Dr Stringer is also currently assisting the Office of the Bishop in the Victoria–Tasmania District (0.2FTE) and is a sessional lecturer at ALC, teaching ‘Preaching the Word’.

‘I have a deep passion for ALC, where I studied to prepare for pastoral ministry in the church I am called to serve’, Dr Stringer said, adding that he is looking forward to working closely with the ALC Board and LCANZ leaders to continue to implement ALC’s strategic direction Towards 2028.

Dr Stringer completed his Doctor of Ministry in Biblical Preaching through Luther Seminary in St Paul Minnesota in the US, in 2020. His thesis was titled Reaching the Diaspora: Streamed Worship and Preaching in the Lutheran Church of Australia, Cultivating Koinonia and Ecclesia.

In welcoming Dr Stringer to this important church leadership role, LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith said: ‘I thank our gracious God that Rev Dr Tim Stringer has accepted the Lord’s call to serve as our ALC principal. Tim has had broad experience in our church, and he has shared with me his deep sense of call to this role as principal.’

As well as having strong practical and academic qualifications in theology and pastoral ministry, Dr Stringer brings high-level governance experience to the role. He has served on the LCANZ General Church Board since November 2018 and is a member of the LCANZ Standing Committee on Nominations and Church Worker Support Advisory Committee. Dr Stringer also serves on the Victoria-Tasmania District Church Council and People and Strategy Sub-Committee.

‘The ALC Board gives thanks to God that Tim has accepted this call’, Cheryl Bartel said. ‘He brings to the principalship a reflective, practical and adaptive approach; and understands through personal experience, the nature, benefits and challenges of building community in a distributed learning environment.

‘He has a deep understanding of the LCANZ and the position ALC holds in the life of the church. Tim has the necessary skills and scope of experience to continue to build the relationships and partnerships critical for ALC to flourish in a challenging environment. He is committed to ensuring that the college is a safe place for all to work, learn and engage with the issues facing the church.’

Cheryl also thanked Pastor Winderlich for his service. ‘He has fulfilled his responsibilities with the highest level of integrity, competency, and grace’, she said. ‘We will be deeply saddened to see him depart but know that God has a clear plan for the next stage in his journey of pastoral service.’

Dr Stringer grew up on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, where he completed an apprenticeship as an auto electrician. Moving to Roxby Downs, he worked in the underground diesel workshop for 10 years.

He studied at Luther Seminary/Australian Lutheran College from 2001 to 2005, where he completed his BTh/BMin. After ordination, he was assigned to Outer Eastern Lutheran Church in Melbourne, where he served from 2006 to 2013. He has been serving the Calvary congregation at Greensborough and Thomastown since 2014. He has a particular interest in digital ministry and preaching mentoring.

He is married to Terri, and they have three adult children.

‘People all over our church are waiting for labourers to step into ministry roles’, Dr Stringer said. ‘I pray that God will continue to call and raise up people to serve in myriad roles already existing and those opening up in our church. With God’s help, the preparation he has done in me throughout my life on the different roads I have travelled will stand me in good stead as we walk together into a bright and Christ-centred future.’

Dr Stringer will commence in the role of ALC principal in February 2024.

Bishop Smith encouraged the church to pray for Tim and his family, and ‘for our ALC community as they farewell one principal and welcome another’.

49

New era for deaf ministry

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by Jess Smith

Deaf Ministry in the LCANZ has entered a new era, with the ordination of Julian Mazzeo as a Specific Ministry Pastor of the Adelaide Deaf Community Church (ADCC).

Pastor Julian was ordained by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith in October and installed to his role by South Australia – Northern Territory District Bishop Andrew Brook. Pastor Julian’s ordination service was held at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Magill, the church where the ADCC is based.

Magill has both Deaf and hearing congregations who worship at different times, with Pastor Michael Prenzler ministering to both in a shared role since 2017. A hearing pastor with no prior experience of deafness, Pastor Michael spent several years learning Auslan before taking the call to serve at Magill. Now that Pastor Julian has been ordained, he will take over the lead ministry role for the Deaf congregation, with Pastor Michael’s support.

Earlier this year Pastor Julian, who is profoundly deaf, said he felt a strong call to the role to which he has now been installed.

‘I feel that God wants me to speak to the Deaf community and that he is showing me how to teach, how to help to fix relationships, how to understand the best fit for Deaf culture and how to create opportunities and be an encouragement’, he said.

Preaching in the richly expressive and visual language of Auslan is also something Pastor Julian finds rewarding. ‘Auslan is wonderful. It’s so creative, there’s so much storytelling and it’s clear and easy to understand.’

Pastor Michael echoed the sentiment. ‘I love the deaf approach to worship. All members are encouraged to participate in and contribute to the service,’ he said. ‘I also find it personally satisfying to worship in Auslan. There is something very profound about worshipping God with one’s whole body.’

Technology has become an important tool for the ADCC, and the congregation is thankful for a live-streaming system that was installed at Magill in 2020.

‘In some of my earlier travels I met some deaf Christians interstate who said they had no local church to attend, and I asked whether there was something the ADCC could do,’ said Pastor Michael.

‘We then applied for and received an LLL Mission Grant, and with contributions from both Pilgrim and the ADCC, we were able to install cameras in the church shortly after the COVID lockdowns began. We now have a few viewers from interstate who watch our service every Sunday. Without our videos, they would struggle to find somewhere to worship in Auslan, their heart-language.’

The church also has a video studio, funded through another grant, which is used for creating Auslan content. During the height of the pandemic, the studio played an important role in the creation of various worship-at-home resources, for both the hearing and Deaf congregations at Magill. The church plans to use the studio extensively in the future to produce more desperately needed Bible studies and resources for the Deaf community.

Deaf Ministry has been supported by the Lutheran Church since the 1970s and has evolved through many iterations to a current schedule of weekly Sunday services. Services are livestreamed so that viewers from afar can worship in Auslan, along with the Adelaide locals who attend in-person.

The South Australia – Northern Territory District has set up a fund that will go towards supporting Pastor Julian’s ministry, and his ongoing training, and to assist with providing interpreter services when he attends church events.

If you or your congregation feels led to contribute, the bank account details for donations are as follows:

Account name: LCA AGFund
BSB: 704 942
AC: 1009 69623

This content was first published on the SA – NT District’s website Online Together eNews and on the district website.

Jess Smith is SA – NT District Communications Officer.

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Nominations call for Lutheran nurses award

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Nominations are open for the Lutheran Nurse of the Year award for 2024.

The annual 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 award comprises a certificate and a $100 monetary gift.

Nominations may be submitted by congregations, schools, aged-care facilities or other bodies or agencies within the LCANZ. The award was launched in 2020 to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is recognised as the founder of modern nursing.

More information and nomination forms are available from Pastor Bob Wiebusch via email at revbob@ozemail.com.au or from the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/ministry-groups/lutheran-nurses/

Nominations close on 31 March 2024.