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7 February, 2014

2014

The new year starts with many new Lay Workers beginning a new ministry for the first time. Whether you are starting afresh, continuing on in the same role or have shifted to a new role...I know the God who placed the call to follow Him and serve Him has you in His hands.

It took me quite a few years as a Principal to realise that caring for and helping people with their needs didn't always result in happy pats on the back! Sometimes the people I helped most, thanked the least...at times even complained. Know that you are called to be the feet and hands of Christ in your community to people God loves desperately. Not evey one thanked Jesus for His ministry!

May your work and heart and love for Jesus reflected in the way you walk beside people and may you experience the joy of others as they taste God's grace and love....just as you have... and do...each day.

Thanks to Barry, Joanne, Sarah, Steve and Keren for their contributions to the Lay Workers article in the Lutheran!

May you be mission and ministry encouragers where God has placed you.

New section to enews

The right hand column contains a new section called Lay Workers available to help your congregation. Listed will be Lay Workers and the gifts they have to offer. The people listed are prepared to help as either consultants or may be available for employment. Simply click on the link to email them.....Very handy for congregations who are looking to develop skills or who are exploring giftings.

If you'd like to be added to the list, let me know your name and gifting.

Wendy Begg.. Aged Care Chaplain, Buderim

If you had asked me many years ago if this would ever be my calling … it wasn’t then, and I wouldn’t have seen it coming!
As I look back on my life’s experiences and who I am, God was always preparing me for such a vocation, one step at a time. 
Older people have added a richness to my life from as far back as I can remember, and stories testify to even earlier, be they family, friends or from within church communities.
I have always seen myself as a compassionate person and others have confirmed it within me over time. 
One of my seminary placements was visiting single seniors.  I enjoyed that very much and was often surprised by the blessings!
After some struggles around death in the first half of my life, I have had the privilege of sharing the end times of some close friends and family. I still find it hard to find the words which describe this journey to one’s last breath, giving it justice - maybe ‘sacred’ would be a starting point?  Maybe the end point?  ..or the only point!

I think of myself as God’s vessel, through whom He comes to His precious ones, whether they are Christian or not. They are all His creatures and so loved by Him. 
There are always things to learn, but I have a desire to do that.  I always want to look to do things better – not for me, but for those who sit or lie before me. 
I am becoming more aware of the importance of staying closer to God so that He can equip, strengthen and renew me.
It is a special privilege and honour to be a part of the larger caring team for our residents – Independent Living, Hostel and Nursing Home.  Our chaplaincy team is also available for families and staff. 
As a part-timer in a larger retirement village I am in the very happy position of working alongside a full-time chaplain who gives me such great support and encouragement. I thank God for Heidi! 

May God continue to bless us with the assurance of His salvation, thus giving us true hope, so that we may live in His peace and joy to do His work.

"The key to keeping your team aligned in the midst of change or chaos is communication" Michael Hyatt

..food for thought as Lay Ministry leaders...

The key to keeping your team aligned in the midst of change or chaos is communication. Unfortunately, most leaders are not intentional about this. They either don’t communicate or don’t have a plan for rolling their message out. The result is that people are left to create their own narrative about what is happening.If you are going to be an effective leader, you must be deliberate in keeping your team informed. If you don’t, you will create a tremendous amount of “sideways energy” as people speculate and come to the wrong conclusion. 

2015 Conference

We have booked Nunyara Conference Centre in Belair, Adelaide for our next Lay Workers Conference to be held on May 18-22, 2015. We are after feedback as to what you would like to see in the conference:

speakers, length, activities, cluster groups, themes etc.

We value your feedback and want to continue to make these events uplifting, relevant and supportive of you in your role.

If you would like to be on the planning team, let us know  yes please!

Keep the date free.....

Big Day Out in SA

A Big Day Out is planned for SA Lay Workers for September 24th.... as SA doesn't have a Church Worker Conference. Venue and details to follow.

What's new...

(From L: Darren Linke, Camp Manager, Interns Nadia Bunge, Tiarna Hahn and Shinae Colville, Kerry Linke, Assistant Camp Manager)

 


On Sunday 12 January 2014, Tandara Lutheran Camp, situated in the beautiful Grampian mountain range in south western Victoria, installed their first ever camping interns - Nadia Bunge, Tiarna Hahn and Shinae Colville.  While internships have been a regular ministry opportunity at other Lutheran campsites such as Warrambui, this is a first for Tandara!  Camp manager, Darren Linke and Kerry, his wife and assistant manager, believe this to be the beginning of an exciting new vision and opportunity for camping ministry at Tandara. 
Over the year of the internship, the goal for the interns is to achieve their Certificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology, complete a course in outdoor education and live and learn the life of camping ministry.  It has been a baptism of fire, quite literally, with the Grampians experiencing severe bushfires soon after, forcing them to evacuate the camp and local township of Halls Gap for the neighbouring town of Stawell!  A number of camps were cancelled due to the fear of being caught up in the fires. 
With camps and routines now back on track, we pray that God will bless you and make your year a memorable, enjoyable and spiritually growing time as the first Interns at Tandara.

2014 staff movements

As well as planned visits to catch up with LayWorkers across Australia and New Zealand, the BLM staff will be at the following Conferences and events and available to catch up and have a chat/caffeine fix:

WA Mission and Ministry Conference 14-16 March (Nevin) 

SA District Convention 2-4 May (Verena, Glenn, Nevin) 

QLD District Convention 30 May -1 June (Nevin)

VIC Church Worker Conference 17 - 20 June (Verena)

VIC SYNOD 3-5 October (Nevin)

QLD Church Worker Conference -Oct 20-22 (Verena, Glenn) 

NZ Church Worker Conference 21-23 October (Glenn)

We look forward to catching up!

A message from our Conference speaker last year..

The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:2-5


Temptation questions God’s love for you!
Satan told Eve that God didn’t want her to eat the fruit because God wanted to keep wonderful knowledge for Himself. He was trying to get Eve to doubt God’s motives and His love for her.
When you find yourself questioning God’s love for you, picture a huge warning sign flashing: “YOU ARE BEING TEMPTED!”
If Eve had taken a moment to ponder all of God’s love, care and attention, she’d have instantly rejected such a thought. But she was focused on the temptation, not on God, so that thought became believable.
“Why is God keeping that from me? Why is God allowing this bad thing to happen to me? He mustn’t love me!” If these kinds of thoughts creep at you today, stop and focus, not on what prompted those thoughts, but on all that God has done for you in your life.   

Looking for photos (aka mugshots/selfies)....

We are using the walls in the coridoors by our office to display Photos and stories of our Lay Workers. I have about 50 displayed and am scratching far and wide to try and get photos of the rest of you. If you would like a "nice" photo of you used, please email me a photo! I'll gladly accept Lay Worker photos from others...as in dob in a mate.

We want to acknowledge your work and celebrate your roles in Lay Ministry...we'd love your help with a current photo.

How can we help you?

We know Lay Ministry can be extremely rewarding and we also know it can be demanding and lonely at times.

Do you need help in your ministry with any of the following areas....?


• working as a team
• developing an effective ministry plan
• gaining a support team, pray team, mentor
• understanding study options
• clarifying working conditions
• connecting with others in similar ministries
• someone to be a listening ear

as well as finishing a position well and review options......

We can and do help....contact the Lay Ministry Office

Accredited Lay Workers in the LCA

While there are a number of people in the process of accreditation, following is a list of currently accredited Lay Workers in the LCA...

Dania Ahern                                   Valdis Andersons
Wendy Begg                                   Lyn Benger
Judy Bowman                                 Jodi Brook
Joanne Chamberlain                      Sean Conry
Rosemary Davidson                       Peter Eckermann
Kane Fulwood                                Sophie Gerrie
Aaron Glover                                  Kerry J Holdsworth Groch
Glenice Hartwich                            Chris Heinrich
Tim Hensel                                     Amanda Huf
Barbara Jacobson                          Verena Johnson
Jo Jones                                         Jennie Jones
Barry Klaer                                     Sarah Kubenk
Kellie Lenger                                  Monty Lysne
Jeanette Mann                               Mandy Mayer
Margaret Mickan                            Adam Morris
Kirsten Munchenberg                     Tim Oestmann
Ruth Olsen                                     Colin Palmer
Annie Pfeffer                                  Janice Pukallus
Cheryl Reif                                     Joanne Schache
Cherie Schubert                             Glenn Schultz
Shannon Schuster                          Elizabeth Schwartz
Margy Seidel                                   Susan Seng
David P Spanagel                           Rachael Stelzer
Monika Tropiano                             Angela Uhrhane
Fiona Weckert                                Lynette Wiebusch
Bronwyn Wilkinson                         James Ziersch

If you name is not here and it should be...contact us!