WELCOME

Welcome to the August edition of our eNews.  You may have noticed that an eNews didn't go out in July. Jodi and Vicki were in Cambodia investigating opportunities for the GROW Leadership program. Read about the trip and the program and if you know a young person who may be suitable, be sure you tell them about it!

If you would like more people to know about Grow Minstries, please forward this email to your friends and congregation members and help us to spread the word.

In this month's edition:

• Guiding Principle #10
• GROW Leadership - applications open!
• Faith at Home
• GROW together Term 2
• What's new on Pinterest

GUIDING PRINCIPLE #10

Ministry practices and approaches have a strong missional focus and dimension, reaching out in Christ’s name to children, young people and families in the wider community.

Reaching out in Christ’s name reflects Jesus’ command to his disciples in Matthew 28:20: Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

These verses show a way of life that is the responsibility of all of us, not just for the attention of a few on the evangelism or outreach committee. It suggests a way to live in this present age - we are Jesus’ disciples in today’s world. It is up to us to reach out with the love of Jesus in our culture and in our time.

READ MORE

What’s involved?

• A part-time commitment for a period of 11 months (2017)
• Two face-to-face intensive weeks 
• Intensive 1 18-25 Jan, 2017
• Intensive 2  4-10 Dec, 2017
• Participation in a ‘Stretch and Grow’ experience to Cambodia  | 29 June - 10 July, 2017 
• Regular one-on-one mentoring
• Minimum of 18 hours of local congregational leadership

Our goals for participants

• To experience a mentored and reflective faith adventure.
• To grow and be renewed in the gospel (head, heart and hands).
• Be empowered as a leader, being equipped with skills to allow contribution to the church and the wider community.
• An opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of Lutheran theology and how it can contribute to identity and make sense of life and the world.
• Experience the ministries of the LCA and how they complement the ministry of Districts. 
• To develop a sense of pride in our Church.
• Discover and understand Christian vocation in the world.
• To grow relationships across the generations.
• To connect deeply with their local faith community.

Cost | $2000

Due to considerable funding and support from the wider LCA, this program is heavily subsidised. All travel and accomodation expenses are included. 

We encourage you to seek support via sponsorship and fundraising through your congregation and personal networks.

APPLICATIONS | Spaces are limited!
Applications close Monday 31 October, 2016.

To register your interest and to receive a registration pack please contact Vicki Rochow - GROW Leadership Coordinator.
e: vicki.rochow@lca.org.au.

The Israelites didn’t have Christian teachers or schools or even Sunday school. They shared life and faith together as a family.  Households continue to be the most powerful influence of the faith formation of children and teenagers.  As parents are the natural first educators of their children, they provide the nurture and foundation for spiritual life. 

READ MORE

Vicki and I recently spent a week in Cambodia as part of a group led by LCA International Mission. We were based in the capital city of Phnom Penh.

Our first impression was one of chaos: people everywhere, scooters, Tuk-tuks, trucks, a few cars, shops, restaurants and food stalls, unfinished buildings and dusty streets, a life lived outdoors because of the climate.

Visiting a country like Cambodia paints in stark relief how awash with greed Australian culture is. And not just our culture, but my life too. I think of all the petty things about which I whinge - driving a car almost ten years old, not owning a house. Many Cambodian’s don’t have much but the ones we met through the Lutheran Church of Cambodia have the riches of the Gospel. 

We saw the transforming love of God in and through the people of Cambodia by how they serve their community and by the way they served us. We felt extremely humbled.

We look forward to sharing an experience like we had with the participants of Grow Leadership in 2017.

Jodi Brook | Grow Ministries Director

MENTORING

Grow Ministries is excited to share with you their brand new Mentoring Resource to assist congregations in ministry to young people. It is filled with frameworks, how to sheets, fact sheets, training power points and videos. We hope you find this resource will provide a comprehensive resource to implement a mentoring ministry into your congregation’s DNA.

This is a FREE resource, all we ask is that you can cover the postage. The resource will be sent out as a hard copy and also a USB for easy distribution.

Order your copy today!

Grow Together, is a quarterly printed (hard-copy) newsletter and resource aimed to help equip parents and families with inspiration to take up their spiritual role as parents, grandparents and carers, as they parent with eternity in mind.

To find out how to subscribe - CLICK HERE.

The Winter OYHS is out now! Download your copy here.

In this edition you wil find:

• Guiding Principle #9 | Acts of Service
• Equipping fact sheets to support the camping journey and faith conversations
• A sample of GIFT Martin Luther

Who is Martin Luther and why is he so important to Lutherans?

This GIFT event will help all generations learn more about Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation in an interactive way.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW! It will be delivered in plenty of time for your Reformation Sunday GIFT event.

ONLINE JOURNAL

Did you know that Grow Ministries has an online journal? We have a couple of articles in this eNews that are linked to it. We hope to continue to build it into a useful place for you to visit regularly for encouragement and information.

CLICK HERE to visit now.

GROW PINTEREST

NEW PINS ADDED WEEKLY! Head to our Pinterest page for ideas and articles!

WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

The team at Grow Ministries is here to support and serve you!

We provide congregational support, training and resources to help you with child, youth and family ministry in your congregation. If you have any area of need or you would like to share your stories, we would love to hear from you.

e: growministries@lca.org.au 

p: 08 8267 7300

a: 197 Archer Street | North Adelaide SA 5006

Grow Ministries also works closely with the state LCA Child, Youth and Family departments to nurture and grow congregations.

Blessings,

Jodi, Leah, Rachel and Vicki