Important dates

Lutheran Church of Australia VIC/TAS

Ph. (03) 9236 1200 Email admin@vic.lca.org.au

755 Station St Box Hill VIC 3128 website www.vic.lca.org.au

Date Event Location

30 April Lutheran Women of Victoria Convention Good Shepherd LC Hamilton

16-17 May Grassroots Training Equipping for Leadership

Tandara Lutheran Camp Halls Gap

18-19 May Grassroots Training Spiritual Resilience

Tandara Lutheran Camp Halls Gap

20-22 May Lutheran Women of Victoria Retreat 50th Anniversary of Lutheran Women of Vic.

Tandara Lutheran Camp Halls Gap

24-26 May Continuing Education Program for Pastors and Layworkers

Holy Cross Centre Templestowe

27-29 May 500 Card Camp Tandara Lutheran Camp Halls Gap

27 June—1 July Christian Life Week Camp CLW Blue

Tandara Lutheran Camp Halls Gap

28 June-03 July Luther 500 Conference http://www.luther500.com.au/

Catholic Leadership Centre, Melbourne

05-07 Oct District Pastors Conference Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Bendigo

07—09 Oct District Convention St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Shepparton

Introducing Stephen Mildred We are pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen

Mildred to the role of District Administrator of the LCA Vic

District (including Tas). Stephen has extensive commercial,

marketing and regulatory experience across various

corporate sectors including ANZ, Medibank and Commsec.

His experience and professionalism will be an asset to the

District team, and he looks forward to serving the District

Congregations, District Church Council and its Councils and

sub-committees. Please join us in welcoming Stephen.

District Voices News from the Vic/Tas District April 2016

Ten Years of Community Meals at Good Shepherd, Ringwood

In Feb 2006 the Good Shepherd Ringwood

Congregation served the first community

meals, a program initiated by their welfare

team in response to local needs. These days

a team of 50-60 volunteers prepare a

simple two course meal over a 12 week

roster. As of February 28th, we have served

12,025 meals over 515 evenings to an

average of 24 guests, ...we maintain that

the Lord has placed us in this position to

witness and be of practical help to anyone who attends our meals, and that we can offer

to everyone a safe and congenial venue in which to have a nourishing meal and to meet

with acquaintances for a social chat. Over the years, many of our volunteers have come

to know our guests very well, and it is a joy to see the trust and confidence in the

interaction between them all. We are truly appreciative of all our volunteers and

supporters do for this outreach programme in our church, and we pray and trust that,

God willing and if He so leads us, we will be able to continue to serve Him in this way for

many more years. We have been truly blessed by this meal; it has become a two-way

blessing for all concerned. From words provided by Jenny Lange

Forty Year Celebration for the Slovak Church On March 20 the Laverton Lutheran Slovak Church

participated in Australia wide celebrations of the

40th anniversary of the Slovak Lutheran church in

Australia.

Hospitality in the form of wonderful food was

provided and a tree planting ceremony took place.

500 Slovak churches intend to plant 500 churches

this and next year in order to commemorate the

nailing by Luther of the 95 theses and the beginning of the Reformation. The Bishop of

the Lutheran Church of Slovakia, Milos Klatik, pictured above with Rev Cecil Schmalkuche

attended

From words provided by Rev Cecil Schmalkuche

From our Assistant Bishop... God in Action

At St Paul’s we are preaching on the first readings from the Book of Acts over the Easter season. We’ve entitled the series: God in ACTion. As Jesus began to say and do in Luke’s gospel, he now continues to do and act through the church.

It was a big task, and one for which I’m sure that the disciples felt completely inadequate. But Jesus said to them: “Peace be with you…I am sending you…Receive the Holy Spirit.(John 20:21-22) You’re going to need my help. You’re going to need me, living in you, guiding you, speaking through you. Only then can you do what I’m asking: “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19-20)

The Holy Spirit got to work in them, and through their words and actions, so that God’s heart of love would be on display to the world. Their central message was repentance and the forgiveness of sins: a package deal that would turn peoples’ lives around and enable them to be everything God had created them to be in the first place. “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”(John 20:23)

As the first disciples did what Jesus did, so do we. We have everything they had:

the same presence of the Holy Spirit and Jesus alive and at work in and through us;

the same good news that turned the world upside down, and still today changes people’s

lives and challenges the beliefs and values of our secular culture;

the same oneness of heart and mind which is the gift of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual and

physical reality of what it means to be the body of Christ.

I love how this good news touches people personally. Look at all the names in Acts so far this Easter season: Theophilus, all the apostles, Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas from Antioch, Saul, Ananias, Aeneas, Tabitha, Simon the Tanner. Each person known by God, by name, and called by God to follow Jesus.

The good news is always personal. God working grace in us, in our person. Through us, our gifts, our abilities, our vocations, God brings his love and grace into the lives of others. I thank God for each one of you, and for the way you embody the presence of Jesus and his Spirit in your words and actions.

May God bless you as you continue to listen to the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and follow him faithfully.

Peace in Christ Pastor Andrew Brook

District News

Welcome Pastor Mike Steicke and family

Pastor Mike Steicke, his wife Leanne and their youngest son Harrison (12 years) have been in Hobart since around mid January, 2016. They also have four adult sons, two of whom are in the Adelaide area (one a mental health worker and the other a spray painter), one in Brisbane (a station master with Qld rail), and another, Nathan, who came to Hobart towards the end

of last year and who lives at Mount Nelson. Leanne, in conjunction with Nathan, are currently establishing a cleaning business. Pastor Mike’s interests include walking, AFL footy (he is an Adelaide Crow’s fan and has been a footy umpire), gardening, cooking and researching. He is passionate about applying the Christian faith thoughtfully to many of todays issues and questions. He delights in encouraging people as they journey and explore the majesty, mystery and truth of God as revealed in Christ. He is also committed to making the Church a safe place where people have the room to explore, discover and grow in the love, grace, forgiveness and providence of God and to be gently challenged and directed to walk in his ways, ways which bring life and blessing From words provided by Mike Steicke Pictured above Rev Mike, Leanne and Harrison

Welcome Peter Janetzki and Julie I was born and bred in the garden city of

Toowoomba, Queensland. After working in

Woolies as a casual during the final few years of

my secondary schooling (I still have my

“Welcome to Woolies Name Badge”), I

attended Luther Seminary from 1978. The most

significant events of my stint at the Sem

happened in 1983: I was married to Julie in January of that year and later began a year

of vicarage at Glenelg, SA, under the wise tutorship of Pastor Lionel Otto. Upon

graduation I was assigned to the Hopetoun Parish in Victoria (yes, I’ve lived here

before), where I soon learnt to appreciate VFL (as it then was) because it was the only

thing broadcast on weekend radio.

Since then I have served in Strathalbyn, Wagga Wagga and Warnbro, and Peregian in

congregational and school pastorates. After serving the Hopetoun Parish for just over 4

years I accepted the call to serve the Strathalbyn Parish in SA for the next five years. as

empty nesters, Julie and I have returned to the state of my pastoral beginnings where I

serve as college pastor of Good News Lutheran College, Tarneit. From words provided by Rev Peter Janezki Pictured above Peter and Julie