Welcome to the
March edition of
Cross-Cultural Ministry eNews

Hello everyone,

Greetings from the Cross-Cultural Ministry desk!

From time to time, I reflect on a crucial moment in Old Testament history when God wanted his people to enter their promised land.

When spies were sent to check things out, they found the land occupied by giants and fortified cities and most of them gave way to fear.

Perhaps our Lutheran family in Australia and New Zealand is facing a similar challenge today when our Lord calls us to walk into the land and bring his kingdom.

Craig Heidenreich
Cross-Cultural Ministry Facilitator

Let’s encourage one another to be bold and expect God to do great things. The promise to Joshua is ours as well, ‘I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread’ (Joshua 1:3).

For this March eNews edition, we will take an in-depth look at Muslim people who have arrived Down Under in the past few decades.

Is this something to worry about, or is it an opportunity for the church?

Click the button below if you are interested in who they are, where they come from, what they believe, and how we can respond.

Tamil asylum seekers opening up to the Lord in Geelong

We rejoice with the team in Geelong at the successful launch of a Tamil fellowship. The response from among the Tamil arrivals has been great, with several new declarations of faith. Please pray for the Geelong Lutheran community. Especially Michelle, Pastor Boyd, the Our Redeemer leaders and two wonderful Tamil leaders, Tharshi and John.

Shepparton St Pauls

The St Pauls congregation has been showing for quite some time how the nations can come together in a rich tapestry of love. We praise God that recently LCA congregations from Western Victoria and South Australia have answered the call to become mission partners to help bring in this harvest. On 7 May, St Pauls hosts the annual ‘Taste of Africa’ gala event, which is well worth a visit if you can make it. Please pray for Gracia Musafiri as she steps into more of a leadership role.

The Ark Salisbury Lutheran

The LCA has sometimes been referred to as a sleeping giant, but something is definitely stirring out the Salisbury SA way. Members are starting to head out into the neighbourhood, and plans are afoot to impact new arrivals from the Middle East and Indonesia. One member (who still prefers to sail under the radar) was recently a guest of honour at a local Bhutanese event after she had the chance to assist this group of new arrivals. The love of Christ has a big impact on thirsty hearts.

Refugees in detention

In the past few weeks, more than 3 million Ukrainians have poured into neighbouring countries and tested the compassion of Europeans who appear to be responding well. Australians have struggled with our ‘compassion test’ over the last 10 years when (much lower) numbers of asylum-seekers have come to our shores. Instead of showing kindness, we have locked them up, and some have languished for more than nine years in detention centres.

The LCANZ has been a long-term member of the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce and joined other church groups in calling on the government for the release of these people. I can report that this is slowly but steadily happening, but let’s pray for an end to this policy.

Welcoming some new arrivals to Adelaide

On 5 March, we were invited to join hundreds of new arrivals to Adelaide’s northern suburbs as they gathered in a park. At the end of a happy day together, there was a chance to officially welcome and bless them in Jesus’ name. We assured them that local Christians are praying for them. (Jesus has given his church authority over the land – let’s not forfeit the opportunity we have to be welcoming.)

A blessing when I least expected it!

by Barb Mattiske

This is a story about what happened to us a couple of years ago in China. After completing breast cancer surgery (six months of chemo and three months of radiotherapy), we celebrated with a trip to China. First time without a wig… first time venturing out of the safety of doctors.

Minor grants

The Cross-Cultural Ministry department offers Minor grants (up to $1000) to support congregations to engage new arrivals. Applications can be made throughout the year, and guidelines can be found on the Cross-Cultural Ministry webpage.

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Welcome to the March edition of Cross-Cultural Ministry eNews