LCNZ Update - 30th January 2013

Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua

願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在

Grace and peace to you from God

TO PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR Happy New Year everyone! I hope that 2013 has started really well for you and that over the last few weeks since Christmas, you’ve had some time to relax with family and friends … at the beach or the bach (pronounced batch; meaning holiday house for the non-Kiwis reading this), at the cricket (didn’t the Black Caps do well … eventually!!), bush walking, or just spending some lazy days at home. 

Just 4 weeks ago our God became flesh and made his dwelling among us in the person of his Son Jesus. Why? So that God through his Son might proclaim good news to the poor (you, me, everyone!) … release, freedom, sight … his favour and kindness (Luke 4).

My prayer is that just as you welcomed and received his love again at Christmas you will open your hearts to welcome and receive it all year through. And one more thing … why not tell someone else this good news of Jesus … especially someone who needs to hear it?

The Spirit of the Lord who is upon you (Luke 4) assures you of his support.

And there my friends is the simple and exciting mission for you, for us, for the Lutheran Church of New Zealand (LCNZ) for the rest of 2013 and beyond … through to eternity. Together, let’s proclaim the very best good news there is!

SERVANT OF CHRIST AWARD As mentioned in a previous LCNZ Update, Buster Kells of Palmerston North was chosen to receive a Servant of Christ award at the end of last year. However, for health reasons at the time, Buster and his wife Joan were unable to travel to Adelaide to receive the award.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of preaching at St Lukes in Palmerston North and presenting Buster with his award. I invite you all to thank God for Buster’s servant-heart and his contribution to life and ministry in the LCNZ.

It’s an ideal opportunity for you to identify others who serve in loving and humble ways in your own congregations and to say thanks … to them, and to God!

I also had the pleasure of opening an extension to the Community Room at the Lutheran Homes in Palmerston North on Sunday afternoon.

LUTHERAN SUPPORT MINISTRIES – WORKSHOP WITH SHANNON HOOD Last Saturday your Lutheran Support Ministries (LSM) team spent the day in a workshop directed by Shannon Hood.  Shannon helped lead the LCNZ through its Summit in mid-2010, and if any of you remember that day, you’ll remember that it was a day charged with high energy, great ideas, passion for the Lord’s church, and a desire to see the LCNZ grow in understanding its role in bringing about the Kingdom of God in Aotearoa-New Zealand and throughout the world.

Shannon has now come back to help us work through a process of engagement with you – the church – so that the Spirit-inspired initiatives that came out of the Summit aren’t lost or forgotten, but rather that they might be engaged with, put into action and become a rich blessing to us and the Lord’s mission.

NAU MAI; HAERE MAI  We welcome two servants of the Lord back to ministry in the LCNZ – welcome Pastor Norm Bergen and Kay.  Norm and Kay have arrived for a second stint of ministry with the people of St Pauls Wellington and St Francis Wairarapa.  They will be with us until early April.  Norm and Kay – the Spirit of the Lord is upon you also; thank you for coming back to proclaim the good news of Christ in our midst.

At the same time we say thanks to God for his gift to us of Pastor Brian Schwarz and Janet, who served in Wellington over the Advent-Christmas-New Year period.

CHILDSAFE TRAINING DATES

• Team Member training:
• Manawatu (St. Luke’s Lutheran Church) - Monday 4th and 11th February, 7.30pm-9.30pm.
• Auckland (Mountainside Lutheran Church) - Saturday February 16th. 9.00am start. Lunch and morning tea provided.  Safe Place training provided from 2.30pm-5.00pm.

• Team Leader Training:
• Manawatu (St. Luke’s Lutheran Church) - Sunday March 3rd,12:30-5.00pm. Lunch and afternoon tea provided.  Please RSVP to Anna Kroehn – lsm@lutheran.org.nz 

• Team leader and coordinator training (combined):
• Prelude to Church Workers Conference, with an emphasis on the training of pastors.  Lay people welcome.  Monday March 4th, 1.00pm-5.00pm. Combined training concluding Tuesday, 5th March, 10.00am-12.00pm.

RETIREMENT OF REV TREV Pastor Trevor Jurgens (Hawkes Bay) has announced his retirement, effective from the end of April this year.  I met recently with Trevor to thank him and to thank God for his ministry over many years.  We also discussed the date when Trevor would preach and administer the sacrament for the last time in the Hawkes Bay.  That service will be held on Sunday 7th April in the late afternoon, and we would love as many people to come to that service to thank Trevor and Jeanette, and to honour God for allowing his Spirit to anoint Trevor to proclaim Christ. (More details to follow)

THERE’S A LOT MORE TO UPPER MOUTERE THAN JUST THE PECKHAMS CIDER I really en-joy the Peckhams Cider on tap at the Moutere Inn in Upper Moutere, but that joy is nothing compared to the joy I had of visiting the Spirit-anointed people of Upper Moutere and Hope, together with their Pastor, Chris Janetzki, this last weekend.

The main purpose of my visit was to conduct a review with Pastor Chris – a recent graduate from Australian Lutheran College (the seminary) – as he completed the first two years of ordained ministry.  Six members of the parish were invited to reflect on various aspects of the ministry they share with Pastor Chris and especially to focus on affirming his strengths in ministry and identifying ‘growth areas.’  We met for 3 hours on Saturday morning and were filled with gratitude to God for the way he has established and blessed this pastor-people relationship.

Things are going well – there is a beautiful church-community connection, there are young families an kids involved in worship and the life of the church, there is a real desire to reach others with the love of Jesus   … and what a privilege for me to announce to the people of this parish on Sunday morning that Pastor Chris’ call could be regularised – i.e. changed from the status of graduate pastor to regularly called pastor.

BUSHFIRE UPDATE – AUSTRALIA (from the LCA President’s Page) Bushfires are always a concern in the summer months across Australia.  This year has already seen some dreadful fires, particularly in NSW and VIC.

The Victoria District Office reports that the Gippsland area is slowly getting under control, with several LCA members in the area among those who have had extensive damage to properties, although there haven’t been fatalities.  The Sale and Traralgon townships have respite centres set up, which Pastor Stephen van der Hoek has been visiting.

In the NSW District the District Office reports that so far there has only been one member who has suffered property damage in the Wagga Wagga area.  The fires did come within 5kms of St Paul’s at Henty.  Specific Ministry Pastor Melvin Salzke (Cooma NSW), who is also Senior Deputy Captain of his local CFS brigade and has been on the front line fighting the fires reports ‘In recent weeks we have seen on-going extreme fire weather and an extraordinary number of destructive bushfires across Australia, with a significant number very large and causing massive damage and loss.  Demand on volunteers has been very high and the usual availability of outside help has not been there.  Fire fighters have been stretched to the exhausting limit, and suffered financial loss away from their work and businesses.  In our local area we have had one of those major fires, covering an area of over 120 sq km straddling the Kybeyan range with areas of the North and South perimeters inaccessible steep terrain.‘

Please keep in your prayers not only those who have lost property and livelihoods from the fires, but also fire-fighters and emergency workers who continue to battle the blazes and support those affected.

MISSION DIRECTORS TO MEET On Thursday 31st and Friday 1st I will be attending my first Mission Directors meeting together with Mission Directors from other Districts.  I’m excited to be attending this meeting in Melbourne, and I hope that my future engagement with the other Directors will only seek to inspire and equip me for leading and encouraging you in the mission that God has given to us all   … to go and make disciples of Jesus   … to proclaim good news to the poor   … you know the story don’t you; the Spirit is upon you after all.

IN YOUR PRAYERS

• The Manawatu Parish (Feilding and Palmerston North) as they prepare to call a new pastor.  I met with their leadership group on Tuesday to begin the call process.
• For Pastor Lee, Anna, Jonah, Imogen and Jonah, as they conclude their ministry and time in the Manawatu and prepare to shift to Adelaide.
• The Marton parish as we continue to work towards an Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) arrangement for them.
• The outcomes of the LSM workshop with Shannon Hood this Saturday.
• For teachers and students as they go back to school in coming days and weeks.
• For those affected by fires, both here and in Australia.
• Pray for the ChildSafe training taking place in coming weeks.
• For all servants of Christ.
• Thank God for his Spirit that draws you to Christ and that empowers you for sharing the Christ story with others.  
• Pray that the LCNZ will continue to grow in its passion for proclaiming the good news.

Me te aroha nui ki a koutou katoa; lots of love to you all.

+MARK