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

NOTE FOR LCNZ PASTORS, PARISH/CONGREGATIONAL SECRETARIES

Please cut and paste as much of this update into your regular weekly bulletins, newsletters, and parish magazines, and regularly invite people to subscribe to regular LCNZ UPDATES / Bishop’s Page by going to www.enews.lca.org.au

LET’S SEE HOW THEY’RE DOING – THE ACTS 15:36 TOUR

The weather’s warming up. In fact, we’re hearing that we’ve had the warmest winter on record here in Wellington. So last Monday I got out into the garden, mowed lawns, weeded, checked the pruned roses and generally tidied things up … because I’m getting ready to plant some new things this spring and to watch new growth on the plants that have been there for a while.

One of the great joys for me in planting new things is going back every day or so to check on them to see how they’re going. Have the seeds popped through the surface of the soil? How are the new shoots growing on the pruned roses? What are the signs of new life, and what might I need to do in order to encourage better growth?

I’m a gardener who loves to see how they’re doing!

And I’m a pastor who loves to see how God’s church is doing too! That’s why I’m coming to your place sometime in the next 2-3 weeks, along with Shannon Hood, to visit you … to see how you’re doing.

It doesn’t matter to me that the words, “let us go … and see how they are doing” (Acts 15:36) resulted in something of a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas (v.39). The important thing here is that Paul wanted to do all he could to strengthen the churches (v.41).

Just over three years ago the members of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand (LCNZ) met at a Summit facilitated by Shannon Hood. You (the LCNZ) expressed a desire to see the church become as effective as it could in being the means by which God’s love could come to life in our congregations and in our communities.

You said:

• We want to be strengthened spiritually
• We want to have appropriate and skilled leadership in the church
• We want to have good communication throughout the church
• We want to develop a pro-active mission culture
• We want to look at what God has given us – location, facilities, people resources and opportunities – in a God-pleasing way, and if necessary ‘rationalise’ in order to reach as many people as we can with the love of God in Jesus Christ.

In recent weeks you’ve been invited to complete the Vital Signs survey, and to consider some questions –

1. Looking to God: what convictions about the future of our ministry is God placing on our hearts as we hear His word preached?
2. Looking Around: what is going on in society around us?
3. Looking Back: what have been the 10-20 ‘defining moments’ in the history of our ministry leading up till now?
4. Looking In: what is the unique gifts/role that our ministry brings to the kingdom of God?

My prayer is that this process has allowed you as the LCNZ to do something of a health check in your own congregation and location. It is also my prayer that as the tour unfolds it will offer an opportunity for every LCNZ congregation to realise the Spirit empowered functioning of church life as God intended it to be – alive, dynamic and fruitful.

Just as the Word of the Lord in Acts 15 had been preached and had opportunity to take root and to produce fruits of love and service, so too, the Word has made its home in the hearts and lives of the members of the LCNZ.

How’s it growing? How’s it going? How do you believe God is equipping and calling you to share Jesus with the community in which you live?

In the spirit of the Acts 15:36-41, Shannon and I are delighted to be coming to your place to (1) see how you’re doing, and (2) to encourage and strengthen God’s church.

By now, I hope you’ve got the dates marked in your calendar, but just in case you haven’t, here they are again. This way you’ll also know which congregation to be praying for specifically during the next 2-3 weeks –

• September 2, Marton
• September 2, Whanganui
• September 3, Manawatu
• September 5, Botany & Mountainside
• September 6, Hamilton
• September 7, Tauranga
• September 8, Whakatane
• September 8, Kawerau
• September 10, Wellington
• September 14/15, Hawkes Bay
• September 18, Upper Moutere
• September 20, Christchurch

Lord God, Lord of your Church, we pray for the Acts 15:36 Tour throughout the LCNZ. We pray Holy Spirit: open our hearts to discern and to hear the will of God; his plans and his purposes for us. We pray for Shannon and Mark as they visit each congregation, as they listen and speak, as they offer encouragement and as they ask questions that invite us to consider your call to your ministry in our locations. Give safe travel to Shannon and Mark and watch over their families who remain at home while they tour. Almighty and gracious God, you want all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Increase the power of the gospel in the hearts of the faithful members of the LCNZ, that your Church may spread the good news of your salvation. As we proclaim the saving cross of Christ, may he draw all people to himself, in whose name we pray. Amen.

DURING THE TOUR

If you need to contact me during the Tour, please call Robert Hagen at the National Office first (04 3852540) or call Assistant Bishop John Davison (07 8395768). They will track me down if it’s urgent and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

KOGUDUS – GROWING IN DISCIPLSEHIP

• You are warmly invited to Kogudus Retreat IV on Discipleship: Developing as a Functioning Follower of Christ on 6-8 September 2013 at Foxton Bible Camp, Foxton Beach.
• The retreat seeks to deepen your walk with the Lord through worship, teaching, discussion and prayer ministry.
• Kogudus is an Estonian word that means Christian fellowship. The retreat format provides an environment of encouragement in which you can ask and discuss questions, share what you have already learned and just simply grow in exercising your faith.
• The retreat begins meeting by 6pm on the Friday evening to start with a meal and conclude at 2pm on the Sunday. In between there is a mixture of teaching, prayer, good food, laughter, opportunity for a walk, fun, and fellowship.
• Download the brochure at http://www.lutheran.org.nz/siteadmin/uploaded/Kogudus%20IV%20Retreat%20-%20Growing%20in%20Discipleship%20September%202013.pdf

ANOTHER EUTHANASIA BILL

ANOTHER EUTHANASIA BILL

Last year Maryan Street drafted a private member’s bill entitled: End of Life Choice Bill. This bill, if it became law, would legalise euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. The bill provides that a person making the request to die must be mentally competent, as attested by two medical practitioners. The person concerned must suffer from a terminal illness which is likely to cause death within 12 months, or from an irreversible physical or mental condition that, in the person’s view, renders his or her life unbearable.

Experts agree that the bill is flawed and confusing and that it would have unintended consequences for terminally-ill patients and their families. For example, when is somebody ‘mentally competent’? How sure can doctors be that somebody will die within 12 months? Doctors are not known for getting their predictions right as to when a patient would die. What exactly is an irreversible physical or mental condition?

The bill is opposed by the NZ Medical Association, the Society of Palliative Medical Physicians, The Palliative Care Nurses of New Zealand Society and Hospice New Zealand.

CARE ALLIANCE

Last year a Care Alliance Trust was set up with the purpose of fighting this bill. Its website is: www.carealliance.org.nz Among its members are MPs opposed to the Bill and the Nathaniel Centre (bio-ethics centre of the Roman Catholic Church) and many medical organisations.

THE TIME TO OPPOSE THIS BILL IS NOW

A private member’s bill goes into a ballot box. Currently, there are 78 bills in the box. On a regular basis a bill is drawn at random from the box. This means that Maryan Street’s bill might come before parliament any time.

As things stand there would be a majority of MPs in favour of the Bill, including all the Green Party MPs.

Maryan Street has been touring the country to drum up support for her bill.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

The Care Alliance is looking for testimonials and stories re end of life situations. For example, if a loved one was helped to die without major suffering as a result of good palliative care, then, such a story could be published on the web-site. New Zealand offers palliative care of a very high professional standard. Naturally, they would be edited before being put on the web-site. They should be based on evidence.

Let us keep reminding ourselves and the people we come into contact with that life is a precious gift from God. Let us pray for doctors and nurses. They are called to heal, comfort and support all who are suffering in body and mind. They are not called to kill people.

(I am grateful to Petrus Simons for preparing this information on the Euthanasia Bill)

RADIO NEW ZEALAND INTERVIEW WITH CANTOR RICK ERICKSON

During his visit to Wellington in May this year, Cantor Rick Erickson from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (New York) recorded an interview with David Morriss on Radio New Zealand Concert. This was broadcast a week or so back, but is still available to listen to on-line at http://www.radionz.co.nz/concert/programmes/appointment/audio/2565075/rick-erickson,-cantor

FACE TO FACE MINI MOVIE

Check out the latest Face To Face Mini Movie titled "A Second Chance". A real life story of reconciliation between a father and his son. Please select the following links to download and play the movie clip –

https://s3.amazonaws.com/lmmvideos/a+Second+Chance+1.4.wmv (WMV 23MB file size)

https://s3.amazonaws.com/lmmvideos/a+Second+Chance+1.4.mp4 (MP4 23MB file size) After selecting the link, select to save the file.

Once downloaded, open the folder and file to play the video. There are other Mini Movies and resources available on www.facetoface.org.au and www.youtube.com/luthmedia

SIGNING OF COVENANT OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE METHODISTS AND THE LUTHERANS IN KAWERAU

Since 2006 the Methodists and the Lutherans in Kawerau have been worshipping and “working together in ministry and mission.” On Sunday 8th September I will have the pleasure of signing the renewed covenant of cooperation in Kawerau.

The covenant, amongst other things, says the following –

• With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, we desire to manifest and maintain together, in the bond of peace, this unity which has been given to us in Christ.
• Together we agree to work together in ministry and mission, and continue to seek ways of manifesting the unity that is ours in Christ.

Please pray for Pastor John Davison and the members of this Methodist-Lutheran cooperating congregation.

SAFE AT CHURCH

Pastor Keith Stiller (Professional Standards Office, LCA – Queensland District, and one-time pastor of St Pauls, Christchurch) has recently conducted two Safe at Church workshops in the LCNZ … one at Mountainside (24th August) and one at St Pauls Wellington (25th August). He was supported in his presentations by the LCNZ’s Professional Standards Officer (PSO), Jill Hagen.

GROW MINISTRIES

Marjon Gerson (Mountainside) and Fiona Burmeister (Manawatu) are heading off to the Board of Child, Youth and Family Conference being held in Brisbane next week. Please remember Marjon and Fiona and their families in your prayers. Both Mums have young children and this involves others helping out for these Mums to attend this conference.

Jesus gave his church the commission, ‘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’ (Matthew 28:19-20). This command undergirds the new structure of the Lutheran Church of Australia’s (LCA) Board for Child Youth and Family Ministry (BCYFM). The board aims to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for resources, programs, training and support that grow children and young people into mature adults of faith.

FROM THE RECENT COUNCIL OF SYNOD MEETING

The Council of Synod (COS) and Gateway Gift Trust Board (GGTB) met at Botany on the 23rd and 24th August. Points of interest from the meeting included, amongst many other things –

• Report from the Bishop / Mission Director
• A conversation led by the Bishop on how we maintain focused on the Mission of God through his Church, while taking care of “admin & business”
• The need to do a review of the Administrators hours, expectations and salary
• Consideration is being given to bringing Pastor Bruce Zagel (LCA Director of Reconciliation Ministry) to the LCNZ early in 2014 to conduct Reconciliation coaching throughout the church
• The establishment of a COS Executive which will meet in-between regular COS meetings (often by teleconference)
• The GGTB spent some time looking at the major grant applications for next year

LONGEST LUTHERAN LUNCH

IT’S TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE 2013 L O N G E S T LUTHERAN LUNCH – PLEASE DO SO BY 30 AUGUST! This year’s Longest Lutheran Lunch is on Sunday 27th October … or not. (It can be whenever it suits your congregation best).

Register your event at www.longestlutheranlunch.org

NEWS FROM THE LCA

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 from the LCA National Office at admin@lca.org.au. Or why not subscribe to Lutheran Theological Journal for $35.00 a year by contacting ltj.subs@lca.org.au.

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

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.