28 August 2013

Prayer points
• Those who face persecution and war in their homeland
• Sound judgement as we listen to the policies of the political parties leading up to the Federal election
• Thanksgiving for writers, composers, and artists who enrich our lives
• Thanksgiving for Lutheran School Principals

CELEBRATING LCA HISTORY
The current edition of Lutheran Theological Journal contains a number of articles celebrating the history of the LCA including: Celebrating 175 years of Lutheran theology in Australia (presented by Dean Zweck, Erich Renner, Vic Pfitzner and Jeff Silcock at the recent General Pastors Conference); Location, location, location: a short history of 104 Jeffcott St (the 2013 ALC opening lecture presented by Bishop John Henderson);  Kavel and the missionaries by Lois Zweck; and Scripture, the divine and the human in the negotiations leading to the Theses on Principles Governing Church Fellowship and Theses on Scripture and Inspiration by Geoff Lienert.
Copies of this issue are available for $10 each (including postage) from the National Office on 08 8267 7300 or admin@lca.org.au. Or why not subscribe to Lutheran Theological Journal for $35.00 a year by contacting ltj.subs@lca.org.au or 08 8360 7270.

WORKING TOGETHER IN INDONESIA
Last week LCA Mission International Program Officer Glenice Hartwich returned from a visit to some of our partner churches in Indonesia. This included Nias Island, where she visited the BNKP (Lutheran Church on Nias Island) Senior High School in the town of Gunungsitoli. Last year on Easter Sunday, 16 classrooms at the school were destroyed by fire. Glenice reports ‘What a privilege it was for me to be able to give them the gift of $1,800 which the students and staff of Yirara College (Alice Springs) had shared from their chapel offerings, to help with the rebuilding of the classrooms. The students and teachers of the Nias Lutheran High School were so encouraged and inspired by this most generous gift, and by the fact that even though the students of Yirara hadn’t met them before, they showed the love of Jesus to them through this gift’. To find out ways in which you or your congregation can support our partner churches in mission please contact LCA Mission International on 08 8267 7334 or bfm@lca.org.au

ALL TOGETHER SONGBOOKS AVAILABLE
A number of the All Together word edition series of songbooks have been given to the LCA National Office to pass along to any congregation who may want to use them.
There are 31 All Together Now (Green); 28 All Together Again (Blue) and 29 All Together Everybody (Orange). These are available on a first-in-best-dressed system, so please contact the National Office on 08 8267 7300 or admin@lca.org.au. We ask that you cover any postage costs associated with getting the books to you.

ROYAL COMMISSION: CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will inquire into how institutions with a responsibility to children have managed and responded to allegations and instances of child sexual abuse. It will investigate where systems have failed to protect children and make recommendations on how to improve laws, policies and practices to prevent and better respond to the child abuse in institutions. The Commissioners have been asked to deliver their interim report by 30 June next year, and they are expected to hand over its final report by 31 December 2015. An LCA Working Group has been formed to coordinate the LCA's engagement with the Royal Commission. The working group has prepared an information pack for the benefit of people within the LCA, especially those in responsible positions. It aims to address some basic questions and issues that you need to know about. A copy of the Kit will be sent to all congregations in the next couple of weeks. You can also download a copy of the kit from the LCA website at  http://www.lca.org.au/royal-commission-child-sexual-abuse.html

NEW LCA LOGO
Following General Synod’s endorsement of the LCA Strategic Plan under the banner Where Love Comes to Life, four versions of the new LCA logo, including the tagline, are now available on the LCA website for download at www.lca.org.au/lca-logo.html  Note that EPS and Illustrator files are designer files and can’t generally be viewed without designer software, eg Adobe. If the file format you require is not on the webpage, please contact our LCA chief designer Comissa Fischer missfisch@optusnet.com.au  As your signage requires updating and your stationery runs out, please substitute these new logos. For email and web applications, please start using the new logos as soon as you can.

LCA STATIONERY
At the same time as releasing our new LCA logo, we’re also starting to develop our LCA stationery set. Templates for letterheads and business cards will be available online very soon. In the meantime, if you need stationery printed, please contact our LCA-preferred printer and long-time friend, Openbook Howden 08 8124000 art@openbook.howden.com.au  Openbook Howden is the only printer who has all our stationery templates on file. Ask for Mark.

MIDDLE EAST ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS
The Bishops and Representatives of the Eastern Churches in NSW have issued a statement, through the NCCA, condemning attacks on Christians and Christian organisations in the Middle East which have risen to unprecedented levels in recent times. The Bishops ‘condemn these actions which stand against the basic notions of freedom of religion, morals, and human rights. We support our people in our Motherlands in their aspirations for a prosperous and peaceful future for their countries. We ask our fellow Australians, as well as the Australian government to stand with our nations of origin; to speak out against these atrocities and do all what is in their means to stop these acts of violence immediately’.
The full statement is available on the NCCA website at www.ncca.org.au.

CALL INFORMATION

EXTENDED
Tim Stringer Melbourne Outer Eastern VIC to Greensborough VIC
Ray Pace Ballarat VIC to Moorabbin/Dandenong VIC
Mark Vainikka Concordia College Toowoomba QLD to Redcliffe QLD
Mike Neldner Bethania QLD to Burrumbuttock NSW

ACCEPTED
Jim Strelan Murrumba Downs QLD to Grace Lutheran College Rothwell QLD

DECLINED
Peter Janetzki Good Shepherd College Noosa QLD to Warrnambool VIC
Adam Eime Henty NSW to Mount Barker SA
Paul Smith Pacific College Caloundra QLD to Caloundra QLD
Paul Smith Pacific College Caloundra QLD to Sutherland NSW

PARISHES IN THE CALL PROCESS
New South Wales: Albury; Burrumbuttock; Griffith/Leeton; Sutherland;
New Zealand:
Queensland: Middle Park; Redcliffe
South Australia/Northern Territory: Birdwood; Ceduna, Eudunda, Morphett Vale, Mount Barker - St Marks, Salisbury, Woodville; Wudinna
Victoria: Greensborough; Moorabbin/Dandenong; North West Regional, Wodonga
Western Australia:

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN LAY MINISTRY
Internships – Warrambui Retreat & Conference Centre, NSW – 12months
Internships – Tandara Lutheran Camp, Vic
For more information please visit the LCA web site: http://www.lca.org.au/employment-opportunities.html