Grace and peace to you from God.
Council of Synod Meeting
The Council of Synod (CoS) met on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th February. What follows is a brief summary of that meeting and I want to register my thanks to Dennis Mollet for preparing this summary (As soon as CoS was finished, I packed my bags and headed off to Adelaide for College of Presidents and General Church Council meetings; that is why it has taken until now to get around to sending this update)
CoS members installed
- Pastor John Davison (Vice President)
- Pastor Chris Janetzki (Pastor Representative)
- Katharina Borszik (Lay Representative)
- Simon Lieschke (Lutheran Support Ministries Representative)
- Reflections on the special event held on 12 February
- Workshop on Administration to be held on 17th and 18th March at the LCNZ Offices. This is an opportunity for those who are either currently or considering serving on congregation or parish leadership teams to gain valuable insight into the requirements.
- Review of the statement was undertaken. Ways in which this can be better utilized to support and encourage mission were considered. Exposure in the Olive Tree as a regular article, and as the theme for each publication, and regional or a national event are to be considered by LSM.
- The requirement of an administrator to provide the necessary support for the ministry to function appropriately
- Upgrading of the LCNZ website, including the updating by congregations/parishes of their pages
- Kogudus Retreats planned for April and September
- Child Safe compliance requirements
- The most recent was held in Palmerston North in February. The 3 gatherings per year will continue as these provide vital pastoral support.
- The requirements of the LCA will continue to be progressed by a task group. Pastor Mark will be seeking suitably skilled people for this.
- Opportunities provided by Australian Lutheran College (ALC) are to be pursued.
- To assist CoS with its leadership additional information is to be sought from congregations and parishes, including a copy of the Annual Reports and a separate report on the benefits gained from all grant funding provided, these are to be provided annually.
- Reconsideration given to the duties. A revised job description is to be prepared and the position is to be re-advertised.
- The current lease expires in October. A task force was established to gather options and submit proposals.
- Donations have been received from congregations/individuals of LCNZ, LCA and Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Peter Hentschel continues to administer the fund on behalf of CoS. Significant funds are still available and it is expected that requests will be made over the next 12 to 18 months.
- LCNZ for the year ended 31 Dec 2011 – deficit of $20,000, excluding the capital loss on sale of the Hawtrey Tce manse.
- Mission & Development for the year ended 31 Dec 2011 – deficit of $20,000 (grants in excess of income received during the year funded from prior year surpluses). With use of significant amounts of the capital funds for purchase of the President’s manse there will be considerably less income available for grants in the coming year.
- New trustees appointed; Pastor John Davison, Pastor Chris Janetzki and Gerhard Hoppe – now a full complement of trustees.
- Review to be undertaken in conjunction with congregations where the ongoing support grants are not directly mission focused.
- The annual grant to the PNG mission has been reviewed. Advice has been received from LCA Board for Mission of the ongoing need for support and the board has determined that this will continue.
- Reports are to be requested from all congregations which have received a grant in 2011 outlining the benefits from the funding.
- Financials for 2011 – surplus of $77,000. Grants for 2012 exceed projected income and there is considerable uncertainty of the interest that will be received from investments that mature during this year.
Installation
It’s now over two weeks since I was installed as President of the LCNZ. What a wonderful occasion it was too! About 150 people packed into St Pauls on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon and the karanga (call) to the Holy Spirit was made – Haere mai e te Wairua Tapu whakakīia ngā ngākau o āo tāngata whakapono whakaūria ki roto i a rātou te kāpura o tōu aroha – Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.
The installation was as much about the call of God to you, the people of the LCNZ as it was a call to me as your President … a call for us to journey together, partners in God’s love and in the ministry of that love to our nation. Thank you to you all for your presence, your greetings and prayers, and your love.
You might also like to check the story Anna Kroehn wrote on my installation at the LCA website.
Lay-out Editor Needed for the Olive Tree
If you have the skills needed for this job, or if you know of someone who might be able to help, please let us know – in the National Office or Olive Tree Editor Dan Carswell.
T20 Workshop: Administration
The National Office computer system is currently out of action. If you have indicated via the lcnz@clear.net.nz email address that you intend coming to the workshop, that message might not have got through to us yet. So could you please re-send your enrolment email to Wayne Drogemuller so that we can make sure we have all the names and registrations? Thanks.
Statistics
And this is just a gentle reminder that all congregational statistics for 2011 are due to be entered into the LAMP database by the end of this month (29th February). Thank you to the many congregations who have already completed, or are in the process of finishing entering the information. A downloadable workbook is available on LAMP to assist you collecting the appropriate data. If you need any assistance entering your statistics into LAMP please contact your District LAMP help person or email help@lca.org.au.
Bach Cantata Vespers
You are invited to the first Bach Cantata Vespers for 2012:
- Widerstehe doch der Sūnde (Stand firm against sin), BWV 54
- Saturday 10th March at 5.00pm
- St Pauls Lutheran Church, 12 King Street, Mt Cook, Wellington
- Music provided by Ensemble Abendmusik directed by Richard Apperley
- Cantor, Organist, and Preacher: Mark Whitfield
Let Us Pray
I encourage you to include in your prayers:
- Pastor Allan Heppner, Debra and their family, as we offer them to God for his protection during Allan’s illness
- Pastor Matthew Wilksch, Sandra and their family, as they continue to consider the call to Mountainside
- Preparation for the T20 Administration workshop in March
- That God would provide in his good time:
- A lay-out editor for the Olive Tree
- An administrator for the National Office
- A new pastor for St Pauls Wellington / St Francis Wairarapa
- A deep desire in the hearts of the faithful to return to the Lord during this Lenten season to receive his grace and mercy and compassion
Mā te Atua koe e tiaki
God be with you.
+MARK
President – Lutheran Church of New Zealand
