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Welcome to the July edition of
Cross-Cultural Ministry eNews
Greetings from the Cross-Cultural Ministry desk
You have probably noticed in the last few weeks news reports relating to the 2021 Australian census and how elements of the media have highlighted changes to religious adherence data. In five years (since 2016), the number of people who select Christianity has dropped from 52.1% to 43.9%, while those stating ‘no religion’ has risen to 39%. I suspect this confirms that people who were raised Christian in Australia are questioning the relevance of their faith, and it is no longer ‘fashionable’ to choose Christianity.
Craig Heidenreich
Cross-Cultural Ministry Facilitator
At face value, these numbers can seem discouraging, but I would like to suggest another interpretation.
On census night, 11,311,539 people in this nation joined you and declared they follow Christ. This is more than the combined population of Melbourne and Sydney! What a wonderful multitude to be part of, and imagine what a diverse bunch we would be if we all got together in one place.
Jesus uses a different type of maths when he refers to the kingdom of heaven. He states that when ‘even two or three agree in my name, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven’.
Let us take our place in this new harvest field and see our Lord glorified!
Our Local Mission teams are keen to generate conversation about how we can all live missional lives. Please email me at craig.heidenreich@lca.org.au if you have something to contribute or questions we can help you with.
Highlight: Glynde Zion
The team at Glynde Lutheran Church in the inner northeast of Adelaide have found the recipe to get people together. They are now open for business almost every day of the week, demonstrating what a truly multicultural group can look like.
Keep praying for Geelong Tamil ministry
Some of you will have been praying for the team at Our Redeemer in Geelong as they reach out to the local Tamil community. Michelle Filipovic had the joy of leading a Hindu-background woman to the Lord in recent days. Please pray for Hema and for continued boldness for Pastor Boyd and Michelle.
The Ark Salisbury Lutheran Church joins local community fun day
What started as a simple idea of having a small stall at a community fun day in May 2022 has been a catalyst to enthuse church members from The Ark Salisbury Lutheran Church to engage in more outreach.
Outreach happening in Murray Bridge SA
Great things are happening in Murray Bridge, South Australia, of late, including the decision of three local congregations to unite to present a night of music and outreach for locals.
Heart Talk – a handbook of greetings
These booklets are now available hot off the printing press. Greeting a newcomer to Australia or New Zealand in their first or ‘heart’ language is a wonderful way to make them feel respected and valued. If you would like to welcome a stranger with a friendly phrase in their language and begin to build friendships with people of other cultures, Heart Talk can help. This new 90-page booklet from LCA Cross-Cultural Ministry features greetings in more than 40 languages, along with tips on how to use them, plus helpful
information about the countries behind the languages. To obtain your copy, email crosscultural@lca.org.au,
and we will post you a copy. We offer the books without a formal charge, but donation details will be included if you would like to help with the cost.
Recommended reading
Missional thinkers are grappling with the fact that we probably cannot reach our society by ‘doing more of the same’ and that it is not feasible to return the church to the place in the centre of civic life (that it once held).
Two great books worth reading are:
> Canoeing the Mountains – Christian Leadership in uncharted territory by Tod Bolsinger
> Joining God, Remaking Church, Changing the World by Alan Roxburgh
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