10 April 2013

Prayer points
• Safe travel for all who are travelling at home and abroad during the school holidays
• Safe travel for all who are visiting Adelaide to participate in the Pastors Conference, General Convention of Synod, Lutheran Women and Lutheran Men’s Conventions and the Novo Camp
• Delegates preparation for the Convention of Synod
• Thanksgiving for the work of Lutheran Media, its staff and volunteers

NATIONAL OFFICE ACCESSABILITY OVER SYNOD
The majority of National Office will be helping with the running of the General Convention of Synod from Sunday 21 April to Friday 26 April. Please be patient during this time as our ability to respond to requests will be severely limited. Things should be back to normal from Monday 29 April.

REGISTRATIONS NOW DUE

For those who have not already done so, registrations for Pastors Conference and General Convention at due NOW. To ensure that meals, delegate and visitor packs are ready for you please register immediately at https://events.lca.org.au/main.html?key=adfefc89407b3fd258cc7df990ef996f

SYNOD SUNDAY LAY READING SERMON AVAILABLE
A sermon for use on Sunday 21 April has been forwarded to pastors. If you would like a copy of the sermon please contact Larissa Helbig at 08 8267 7300 or larissa.helbig@lca.org.au.

BOOK OF REPORTS
The Book of Reports for the General Convention of Synod have now been mailed out to all delegates and pastors. An electronic copy of the documents is also available at http://www.lcasynod.org.au/index.php/the-business-of-synod/.

It has been noted that a draft proposal for Synod agenda item 2.4 Report from the Consensus on Women’s Ordination Dialogue Group was incorrectly printed on pg 28 of the Book of Reports. Please replace this with the correct proposal as follows:
BE IT RESOLVED that the Church:
- receive the progress report of the Ordination Dialogue Group;
- supports continued study of the matter of hermeneutics (the interpretation of scripture) arising from the October 2011 symposium on this topic;
- supports study of what consensus means, for the sake of unity in the LCA as a confessional church
- request GCC to ensure that a report with recommendations be presented to both GPC and the next Synod and that GPC gives recommendations to Synod.
This correction will also be added to the papers on the LCA synod site, and included in delegate’s bags.

ONLY 11 DAYS UNTIL ALIVE!175

Thousands of Lutherans across Australia and New Zealand have indicated they will be attending the LCA’s 175th anniversary celebration, ALIVE!175, an all-day event at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday, 21 April. It will commence with a worship service (10.00 am), followed by a packed lunch (12.30 pm) and the afternoon program (2.00-4.30 pm), which will be a combination of live performances and multi-media presentations.

General Church Council have resolved that the offering from the Alive!175 service will be shared between:
o support for post graduate theological training in the LCA;
o the LCA Board for Mission 2013 African Ministry Appeal;
o help to defray some of the costs of the Convention and Alive!175.

Rehearsals for those involved in the service will take place at the Entertainment Centre on Saturday 20 April. Please make sure you are aware of what time you need to be there – contact the National Office if you are unsure. A reminder to those who have agreed to loan communion ware for the service to please bring it to Pastors Conference or to the Saturday rehearsal.

If you are attending Alive!175 and would be able to assist with the distribution of lunches please contact Debbie Venz via email at Debbie.venz@lca.org.au. A notice for your congregational notice board regarding this will be coming later in the week.

Don’t forget you can also keep up to date on events (including ALIVE!175) before, during and after General Convention. Since you already receive the President's Page eNews, you should click the ‘Manage your LCA eNews Subscriptions’ link on the email, select the ‘LCA General Convention News’ list and click ‘Submit’.

LCA Ordination Dialogue Group

Update Report to LCA General Synod 2013 – 10 April 2013

‘Five months have passed since the Ordination Dialogue Group submitted its report for the 2013 LCA General Synod. This is a brief update on the journey of the group since then.
Members of the LCA have been debating the issue of women’s ordination for decades, and the group has conducted a systematic review of this debate by examining each article published in the Lutheran Theological Journal which relates to the debate.  As a result we have created a document which summarises the arguments both for and against women’s ordination used by the authors of these articles, including the CTICR.
At our last meeting in March 2013 in Adelaide, we began to work through this document in order to draw out those arguments which the group regards as theologically significant for the future of the debate. We are seeking to listen to each other in openness and to dialogue in frankness and compassion. We are hoping to find common ground while also clarifying differences and assessing their importance. We are also intending to explore any issues that have not been adequately addressed in the debate thus far.
Ultimately, we are seeking to help the LCA find a God-pleasing way forward in this issue.’

LLL INTEREST RATE CHANGE
The LLL has sent out a notice to all of its depositors to inform them that as of 1 June 2013 the interest rate for all savings accounts will be 4.00% per annum. This interest rate applies to all LLL interest bearing Savings Accounts. The interest rate change has been made as part of a regular review by the LLL Board and is necessary due to reduced investment income as a result of continued lower interest rates in the current economic environment. This enables the LLL to continue to maximise support to the LCA, its congregations, schools, aged care facilities etc, while also returning a reasonable rate of interest to depositors. Loan interest rates remain unchanged, with the standard interest rate on loans of 5% per annum.

WORSHIP RESOURCES AVAILABLE
The LCA National Office has received a number of worship resource books that congregations may wish to take to supplement their own collections. Congregations are asked to cover postage costs to get the resources out to them, or organise someone to collect them from the National Office. Resources available are:
40 – Red Supplement to the Lutheran Hymnal
58 – Lutheran Hymnal – black cover
60 – The service alternative form pew edition setting one – blue cover first published 1986
50 – Worship Today - Mauve cover
15 – Sing to Jesus word edition
If you would like any of these resources please contact the National Office on 08 8267 7300 or email admin@lca.org.au.

TABLETALK
A new LCA web-based forum, called TableTalk, has been launched. Table Talk has been set up to with a view to encouraging hearty and respectful dialogue on theological, cultural, social and bioethical issues and current affairs. It is expected that contributors will be people who support the ethos of the Lutheran Church of Australia and who will listen respectfully to the discussion, so that they might learn from each other, encourage and support each other in their faith journeys, and grow together as the people of God.
To read posts you will need to register as a subscriber. To register, go to www.tabletalk.lca.org.au and click on Register. Once you have registered and logged in, don't forget to click on Subscribe forum under the forums you would like to follow. You will then be notified by email whenever new posts are added to these forums. TableTalk is moderated and subscribers are expected to adhere to the forum’s Terms of Use. Views expressed will not necessarily represent the official position of the LCA, its pastors, lay workers, officers, councils, boards, commissions or committees. If you have ideas for improving how TableTalk is being used, or for new forums please add a post to the TABLETALK Suggestions forum.

MEN’S SHED SPEAKER 1 MAY AT AUSTRALIAN LUTHERAN COLLEGE
Men from all walks of life are invited to come and hear inspirational speaker, Ian 'Watto' Watson, speak on the topic, ‘Blokes and God’ at 12pm on Wednesday, 1 May 2013 at Australian Lutheran College, 104 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide. Ian is a leader in men's shed ministry and author of ‘Every bloke’s a champion… even you’ (www.wattobooks.com). Following the session, you are welcome to stay on and chat to Ian over lunch. You don’t have to book, but for catering purposes please RSVP to Alice Lamnek on 8267 7400 by 24 April. Lunch cost: $6 a head – payable on the day. To learn more about Ian and ‘shed happens’, visit lca.org.au/shed-night or shednight.com

CALL INFORMATION

EXTENDED
Mark Vainikka Concordia College Toowoomba QLD to Moorabbin/Dandenong VIC
Rodney Witmitz Southern Flinders SA to Bunbury WA
Peter Ghalayini Ringwood/Knox VIC to Central Eyre Peninsula SA

ACCEPTED
Ben Hentschke Birdwood SA to Ipswich QLD

DECLINED

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

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN LAY MINISTRY
Hermannsburg Store – Finke River Mission - various
For more information please visit the LCA web site: http://www.lca.org.au/employment-opportunities.html