LSM Vision And Strategic Planning Workshop
Tomorrow (Saturday 5th) the Lutheran Support Ministries (LSM) committee will meet in Palmerston North to be led in a visioning and strategic planning workshop by Katharina Borszik. As Katharina has written to the LSM committee in preparation for this workshop – this is about having a shared understanding of where we are going as LCNZ so that the LSM can continue to assist our congregations in their mission and ministry.
International Disaster Response Conference for Lutherans
Past President, Rob Erickson recently attended this conference in the USA. He showed a 4 minute clip of Christchurch City Centre produced by the Christchurch City Council and then spoke on the earthquake and how Pastor David Lipsys and the members of St Paul's Lutheran Church in Christchurch had responded. He also thanked the LC-MS (Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod) for their donation.
Investment Opportunity In Whakatane
The manse in Whakatane is currently on the market. We wanted to let the wider church know in case anyone was looking for an investment opportunity in this area. The manse is newly refurbished and has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths and the price is negotiable.
Safe Place
Pastor Lee Kroehn ran Safe Place training at Upper Moutere after the conclusion of ChildSafe Team Member training. The LCNZ’s Safe Place policy aims to ensure that all paid employees and volunteers within the LCNZ are protected from sexual abuse and harassment. 9 members of Upper Moutere attended the training.
Childsafe Team Leader Training
Andy and Abbey Bensemann, Amy Brinkman, Anna and Pastor Lee Kroehn attended an online ChildSafe Team Leader training session on the 2nd of Nov. This training highlighted the need for our churches to continue to work towards complying with this risk assessment and management system.
Anna Kroehn also writes:
On Saturday 29th Oct I trained 8 volunteers from Upper Moutere in the ChildSafe Team Member material. They are now all fully certified and trained to volunteer in children and youth ministry in their parish. They were all very receptive to the training and showed high levels of concern for the safety of children in their programs by asking intelligent and thoughtful questions and applying the material to their local situation. Their feedback will also be used as we continue to work on implementing the ChildSafe Policy across our district, where the mandatory reporting and legal requirements for ChildSafe environments are significantly less than in Australia. We are excited to be leading the way in terms of implementing this policy without legal compulsion and hope that the Lutheran Church in NZ will be leading the way amongst its fellow Christian communities when the legislation will no doubt catch up to us. Upper Moutere now has 10 team members fully trained, 3 people trained at team leader level and a coordinator. Abbey and Andy Benesmann completed the Team Leader training via an online "Go to Meeting" conducted by James Zeirsch, of the SA/NT District of the LCA. We are linking into their Team Leader and Coordinator training sessions that occur over the internet with voice connection, so that people can train from anywhere in the world so long as they have access to a computer, broadband internet connection and a microphone and speakers (such as are connected to a webcam).
The 6 hour training session will also inform any Team Leader training that I (Anna Kroehn) deliver in person in NZ. Pastor Lee Kroehn and Amy Brinkman (layworker of Manawatu Parish) also attended the online "Go to Meeting".If anyone would like training delivered in their region, please contact Anna Kroehn to arrange a training date.
All congregations are reminded that Council of Synod made a decision that in 2012 congregations are not to be engaging in Child and Youth ministries unless they are compliant with the ChildSafe policy. The first step towards this compliance is getting all your children and youth ministry volunteers police checked through the National Office, and trained in the Team Member training delivered by Anna.
All Pastors need to be trained in all 3 levels of ChildSafe, beginning with the Team Member training and working upwards through Team Leader and Coordinator so that they can effectively help any layworkers and laypeople as they serve in these roles.
Call Information
St Paul's Wellington will hold a pre-call meeting on Sunday 6th November, and Mountainside is planning for a call meeting on Sunday 27th November.
Prayer at the National Office
Every Friday morning at 9.30am, the staff of the LCNZ National Office (Wayne Drogemuller and Yours Truly) takes time to read God’s Word together and to pray. Anyone is welcome to submit prayer requests to the email below, and if you’re in the neighbourhood, please feel free to pop in and join us.
Jean King Books
There are a few copies of Jean King’s book, The Lutheran Story – a Brief History of the Lutheran Church in New Zealand 1843-1993 available at the National Office. If you’re interested in getting a copy, please contact the National Office.
Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou / the Lord be with you!
+MARK
President Elect – Lutheran Church of New Zealand
