LCNZ Update 26 September 2013

Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God

Words With Friends
I have to admit to currently being reasonably hooked on a game that I play on my iPhone. It’s a game’s called Words with Friends, and it’s really ‘on-line’ scrabble that can be played with anyone, anywhere, and at any time with someone who also has a smartphone or an iPhone or a tablet. Leanne and I play against each other … even when I’m far away from home. If you can get ‘QIS’, yes even without a ‘U’ with a triple word score, you’ve done well!

At the face of it the name of the game suggests that one has conversation with friends. Well, you don’t; it’s scrabble and it’s about winning, and there’s very little conversation apart from saying things like, “blow, you’ve won again!”

I really like the phrase Words with Friends though.

Last Saturday (21st September) was the commemoration of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, and the gospel reading for the day tells us about Jesus having words with friends –

• And as Jesus sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples.

As you know, the Pharisees – the ones who really considered themselves worthy of the title friends of God, got a bit upset and wanted to know why Jesus would be eating with such unfriendly-to-God people … tax collectors and sinners … disreputable characters, crooks and riff-raff.

Remember Jesus’ answer? It goes like this –

• But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13)

God was where he was supposed to be; where he intended to be, where he wanted to be, where his heart was … with sinners, and tax collectors, with crooks and riff-raff … having conversation with the likes of us, poor miserable sinners.

Here is God having words with friends. And not just any word(s) either, but a word of love and life, a word of forgiveness and acceptance; a word of restoration and ‘be well.’

• Thank you Lord God for being friendly with us folk who need your friendship, because without it we would die. Thank you for bending down from heaven; for coming down from heaven in the person of your Son so that you could have words with your friends … with us. Thank you that there was no greater love than the love you showed for us by laying down your life for us … your friends. Amen.

Words With Friends – the Acts 15:36 Tour
Some facts –

• 19 days of tour, with a bit of a break in the middle.
• Close to 2500 kilometres of driving in the car.
• A few thousand kilometres of air travel between the two of us.
• 12 locations, 12 conversations, approximately 36 hours of talking.
• Over 180 participants in these conversations from around the LCNZ (more than a third of all regularly worshipping Lutherans on an average Sunday).
• 9500 words of notes taken.
• The same jokes used by Shannon each time; fresh laughter from Mark each time.
• Many, many words of reflection and debrief between Shannon and Mark as they drove between places.
• A moment of prayer on the Auckland motorway where Mark (driver) did what his Mum taught him as a boy, and closed his eyes to pray.
• An emerging sense of the health of the LCNZ and its congregations.
• An emerging sense of how seriously we need to address the health of the church.

The Acts 15:36 tour was a wonderful opportunity for me as your Bishop and pastor, together with Shannon as facilitator, to come and have words with friends … to come and see how you were doing.

Thank you for your incredibly warm and friendly welcomes; the meals, the hospitality, the conversations, the wonderful consideration of and wrestling with the issues of God’s ministry in and through you, at your place.

Last Saturday the Council of Synod (COS) and the Lutheran Support Ministries (LSM) group met in Wellington to hear Shannon and I debrief on the tour and to hear my vision for the future of the Lord’s church in New Zealand in light of the conversations with his friends and mine over the last 3 weeks.

More debriefing and conversation needs to take place at a national leadership level in order for us to fully get our heads, our hearts and minds around what it is that we believe God is calling us as a church to do.

1. One thing I will say is this – and this was also what came out of the LCNZ Summit in 2010 which gave foundation to this tour: We are a church that has been in decline – numerically, and maybe also in understanding our place and God’s call to mission – for some decades now.
2. The stats (the data), your own health analysis (Alex to Finn), and the comments you made during our words with friends time, confirm that our general health as a church is not good.
3. More of the same is not an option, if we want to see the church live and grow and become a means by which more are invited to be friends of God.
4. Things have to change.

And friends, this is the challenge and the opportunity we have … to submit to the Lord of the Church and to hear his heart for us … and to be prepared to be bold and courageous and trusting in Him, so that if changes in the way we’ve done things for years need to be made, we’ll make them for the sake of the gospel.

We need to work with what we’ve found out from the tour; please pray for your leadership and work with us as we desire to become what he desires us to be –

• He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing (Ephesians 2:10, The Message).  

• We pray Holy Spirit: open our hearts to discern and to hear the will of God; his plans and his purposes for us. Almighty and gracious God, you want all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Increase the power of the gospel in the hearts of the faithful members of the LCNZ, that your Church may spread the good news of your salvation. As we proclaim the saving cross of Christ, may he draw all people to himself, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Words With Friends – Anglicans and Lutherans in the Hawkes Bay
During the Acts 15:36 Tour visit to our sisters and brothers at Redeemer Lutheran in Hawkes Bay, we discussed the possibility of meeting with and having words with our Anglican friends with a view to exploring how we might share worship, ministry and life more closely together.

As you know, the Anglican Church in Aotearoa-New Zealand and the Lutheran Church of New Zealand have reached an agreement called Common Ground, which enables both denominations to explore the possibilities of working more closely together, especially in locations where one or the other group is quite small.

On Tuesday evening I returned to the Hawkes Bay to attend a meal and meeting – some words with friends – as we Lutherans were the guests of the members of St Francis in Clive. As we met we shared our respective histories, our dreams as to what a closer relationship might look like, our fears and concerns, but most importantly we shared a desire to explore what life more closely together might look like.

We are doing this carefully. While we are exploring the possibilities of working more closely together with friends from other traditions, it is also our desire to retain something of our Lutheran identity, by still being able to meet regularly together as Redeemer Lutheran for Home Group ministry and worship. In a spirit of real Christian love, such as is found between friends, the members of St Francis indicated that they would be only too happy for us to do this.

We’re in the early stages of conversation and planning, so I ask you to keep this in your prayers. Pray especially for two important events coming up –

• 6th October We have invited members of St Francis to attend a Lutheran worship service
• 3rd November The members of St Francis have invited us to lead a Lutheran liturgy / worship service in place of their regular worship on that day.

• Father God, how good it is when our lives point to you and when brothers and sisters live together in unity. It is like an oil of blessing pouring down; spilling out and running over. Father, Spirit, Son, Three-in-One, pour out a blessing on your church in the Hawkes Bay as we explore the possibilities of sharing more closely in worship, life and ministry together. Draw us together, under the banner of Christ; unite us in purpose, and fill us with love. Amen.

A Word From a Friend – Pastor Tat Announces His Resignation From Botany
Last Sunday (22nd) the announcement of Pastor Tat Ming Tsui’s resignation as Pastor at Botany Lutheran Church was made.

Tat’s final service will be on Sunday 29th December.

Pastor Brian Shek, Asian Ministry Coordinator for the LCA, came over from Brisbane to assist with the announcement and to read a pastoral letter from me to the congregation in Mandarin and Cantonese. Part of my letter read as follows –

• I am sure that for many of you this announcement brings great sadness and a sense of wondering what God has in store for your future ministry here at Botany, so let me first offer you a Word of Godly promise as written in Jeremiah the prophet – For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
• Be assured, that even though a season of ministry at Botany is about to conclude, the Lord will provide all that is needful so that you may continue to be a blessing to many.
• The journey to this announcement has been one that Pastor Tat has shared closely with me as his Bishop. From the time before Tat’s ordination, we have maintained a close Bishop-Pastor relationship, where we have shared the joys and challenges, and the disappointments and the blessings of ministry. There have been wonderful occasions where we have talked together, prayed together and shared in worship together; all the time aware of the Lord’s almighty provision and grace.
• Throughout Tat’s ministry, he and I have cultivated a good and collegial relationship whereby we have been able to regularly reflect on aspects of the Lord’s ministry at Botany Lutheran Church. At the same, I have also had a very warm and positive relationship with the leadership and the members of the congregation. Through many hours of conversation and meeting over recent months, and through prayer, Tat believes that God had led him to a decision to resign from ministry at Botany Lutheran Church.
• In the same way that I have offered my love and care for Tat and for you through your leadership, I commit to continuing to love and care for you as we work together to discern God’s future for this congregation.
• I invite you to pray for Tat and Irene as they have made this important decision, that the Lord will bless the decision they have made and lead them to further opportunities for ministry and service in his name. And please give thanks also for the blessing that Tat and Irene have been among you over the last 2+ years.

After this letter was read, Pastor Shek led in a rite of prayer and blessing for Pastor Tat and Irene. Please pray with us –

• Gracious God, you have called us in our baptism to be your servants. You have enabled us to respond to your call as a community of believers. Thank you for the partnership in the gospel that has been enjoyed with Pastor Tat and his wife Irene. As we receive news of Tat’s resignation, strengthen them both for the mission you still have placed before them, and when the time comes, may they go from here knowing our love and our continuing partnership. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Another Friend Arrives – Haere Mai Pastor Rodger Russ
The Manawatu Parish (St Lukes Palmerston North and Trinity Feilding) are getting excited. It’s only a matter of days / weeks until Pastor Rodger Russ arrives to be their new pastoral friend.

You may also wish to share in their excitement and joy by being present at Pastor Rodger’s installation service on Sunday 27th October, 10.30am at St Lukes Lutheran Church, Church Street, Palmerston North.

• Lord Jesus, we pray that you would watch over Rodger and provide travelling mercies as he prepares to leave friends and family and a familiar place to come us here in New Zealand to begin ministry amongst your people in the Manawatu. Amen.

A Friend Goes Home to Be With Jesus – Death of Pastor Don Baron
News of the death of Pastor Don Baron only filtered through to me about a week after he’d died. I have informed LCNZ congregations of Don’s death, but have waited until this update to include the following information.

Former LCNZ President, Steen Olsen writes –

• We had been aware that he had been on the final stages of earthly pilgrimage for a while. Don and Ia-Mei responded to the Lord’s call in retirement and faithfully served Tauranga and surrounds for a number of years. Such was their commitment that they even bought their own house. They will be remembered and loved by our congregation there. I am also grateful for his friendship and thoughtfulness. It was also a please to visit and stay with them.

Don’s son, Chris writes –

• Warm Aloha - love & friendship - to our dear Family & Friends,
• Donald Baron, Ia-Mei's husband of 46 years, serenely took Jesus' hand and never let go as he was drawn homeward to Heaven just after 9 pm Honolulu time, Wednesday 9/11, 2013. Don had been born May 6, 1931. His transfer Home with the Lord was painless, peace-filled and fulfilled – with God's Word of steadfast assurance in his soul, and Christ's loving, peace-giving Spirit indwelling his.
• Don transited from his temporary 'earthly tent' (see Bible quote, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 1 to 8, also written out toward end of this email, along with other Scripture quotes he asked to be conveyed on this occasion) painlessly, while asleep here at home, where he had received hospice care with us since returning from major intestinal bypass surgery and hospitalization in late May (end-stage [4] colon and abdominal cancer was discovered in April). In Don's own words he wrote aforehand to pass to you, he "went Home to be with Jesus my Lord to await the resurrection of the body at His return."
• Don invested quite a lot of thought and heart, during the seasons beforehand, into leaving written instructions about what he requested be conveyed to all family & friends. He wanted a service celebrating God's goodness and gift of Life and Heaven through Christ.
• Memorial Service: Saturday, September 28, 10am at Chinese Lutheran Church of Honolulu.

Don himself wrote –

• Dear friend,
• Each one of us has a Day - it's the Day that Jesus Christ, my God and Savior, calls me across the bridge of time to eternity with Him. My Day has already come, and I am with Him. There is now a joy utterly beyond my imagination, to be with my Savior and await with Him the resurrection of the body, which He purchased at such high price for me. I am a justified ("just-as-if-I'd never sinned") person, declared innocent by Jesus and dressed in His own robe of righteousness.
• My 'Life-Verse' from the Bible is: 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 15, 17-21
• And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be a sin offering on behalf of us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
• Please give God thanks with me, and pray that my life work may continue on deeply fruitful for eternal life in the lives of people I got to know (and those they get to know) on earth.
• With love, your friend, and brother through Christ, Don Baron.

I’ll never forget Don introducing me to the phrase – the church exists for its non-members. Don was a passionate pastor; deeply committed to God’s friendship with sinners … a child of God who always had a word of love for the friends of God.

Words With Friends – Given and Shed for You
This Sunday, our 8-year daughter Charlotte, together with a number of other young people at St Pauls Wellington, will receive Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper for the first time … and they will hear the words of love and friendship, given and shed for you.

As you hold your hand out … your heart even, this Sunday and each time you have opportunity to receive the body and blood of Christ in bread and wine, and to hear God’s words with his friends – given and shed for you, be assured of God’s deep love for you.

These words, “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” show us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation (Small Catechism, Martin Luther).

Words With Friends – a Reunion of the Lutheran Women of New Zealand
One last chance to see if there is sufficient interest in holding a Reunion of Lutheran Women of New Zealand.

We have envisioned a one day event held in Palmerston North with the invitation for participants to stay over and worship the next morning.

If interest is sufficient, we plan to hold this reunion early 2014, possibly March/April.

Please can you express your interest by replying to Vicki at manawatulutheran@inspire.net.nz or at PO Box 47, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North 4440 before 30th September 2013.

Leave
I will be taking two weeks leave from Sunday 29th September to Sunday 13th October. During my leave you can contact the Assistant Bishop, John Davison (07 8395768) or the LCNZ Administrator, Robert Hagen (04 3852540).

On my return on Sunday 13th, I immediately head to Adelaide for a College of Bishops meeting, graduate interviews, and a meeting of the Mission Directors.

Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou; the Lord be with you.

+MARK
Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM
Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pihopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa

LCNZ Update 1 September 2013

Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God

Let’s See How They’re Doing – the Acts 15:36 Tour
The weather’s warming up. In fact, we’re hearing that we’ve had the warmest winter on record here in Wellington. So last Monday I got out into the garden, mowed lawns, weeded, checked the pruned roses and generally tidied things up … because I’m getting ready to plant some new things this spring and to watch new growth on the plants that have been there for a while.

One of the great joys for me in planting new things is going back every day or so to check on them to see how they’re going. Have the seeds popped through the surface of the soil? How are the new shoots growing on the pruned roses? What are the signs of new life, and what might I need to do in order to encourage better growth?

I’m a gardener who loves to see how they’re doing!

And I’m a pastor who loves to see how God’s church is doing too! That’s why I’m coming to your place sometime in the next 2-3 weeks, along with Shannon Hood, to visit you … to see how you’re doing.

It doesn’t matter to me that the words, “let us go … and see how they are doing” (Acts 15:36) resulted in something of a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas (v.39). The important thing here is that Paul wanted to do all he could to strengthen the churches (v.41).

Just over three years ago the members of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand (LCNZ) met at a Summit facilitated by Shannon Hood. You (the LCNZ) expressed a desire to see the church become as effective as it could in being the means by which God’s love could come to life in our congregations and in our communities.

You said:

• We want to be strengthened spiritually
• We want to have appropriate and skilled leadership in the church
• We want to have good communication throughout the church
• We want to develop a pro-active mission culture
• We want to look at what God has given us – location, facilities, people resources and opportunities – in a God-pleasing way, and if necessary ‘rationalise’ in order to reach as many people as we can with the love of God in Jesus Christ.

In recent weeks you’ve been invited to complete the Vital Signs survey, and to consider some questions –

1. Looking to God: what convictions about the future of our ministry is God placing on our hearts as we hear His word preached?
2. Looking Around: what is going on in society around us?
3. Looking Back: what have been the 10-20 ‘defining moments’ in the history of our ministry leading up till now?
4. Looking In: what is the unique gifts/role that our ministry brings to the kingdom of God?

My prayer is that this process has allowed you as the LCNZ to do something of a health check in your own congregation and location. It is also my prayer that as the tour unfolds it will offer an opportunity for every LCNZ congregation to realise the Spirit empowered functioning of church life as God intended it to be – alive, dynamic and fruitful.

Just as the Word of the Lord in Acts 15 had been preached and had opportunity to take root and to produce fruits of love and service, so too, the Word has made its home in the hearts and lives of the members of the LCNZ.

How’s it growing? How’s it going? How do you believe God is equipping and calling you to share Jesus with the community in which you live?

In the spirit of the Acts 15:36-41, Shannon and I are delighted to be coming to your place to (1) see how you’re doing, and (2) to encourage and strengthen God’s church.

By now, I hope you’ve got the dates marked in your calendar, but just in case you haven’t, here they are again. This way you’ll also know which congregation to be praying for specifically during the next 2-3 weeks –

• September 2, Marton
• September 2, Whanganui
• September 3, Manawatu
• September 5, Botany & Mountainside
• September 6, Hamilton
• September 7, Tauranga
• September 8, Whakatane
• September 8, Kawerau
• September 10, Wellington
• September 14/15, Hawkes Bay
• September 18, Upper Moutere
• September 20, Christchurch

Lord God, Lord of your Church, we pray for the Acts 15:36 Tour throughout the LCNZ. We pray Holy Spirit: open our hearts to discern and to hear the will of God; his plans and his purposes for us. We pray for Shannon and Mark as they visit each congregation, as they listen and speak, as they offer encouragement and as they ask questions that invite us to consider your call to your ministry in our locations. Give safe travel to Shannon and Mark and watch over their families who remain at home while they tour. Almighty and gracious God, you want all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Increase the power of the gospel in the hearts of the faithful members of the LCNZ, that your Church may spread the good news of your salvation. As we proclaim the saving cross of Christ, may he draw all people to himself, in whose name we pray. Amen.

During the Tour
If you need to contact me during the Tour, please call Robert Hagen at the National Office first (04 3852540) or call Assistant Bishop John Davison (07 8395768). They will track me down if it’s urgent and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Kogudus – Growing in Discipleship
You are warmly invited to Kogudus Retreat IV on Discipleship: Developing as a Functioning Follower of Christ on 6-8 September 2013 at Foxton Bible Camp, Foxton Beach.

The retreat seeks to deepen your walk with the Lord through worship, teaching, discussion and prayer ministry.

Kogudus is an Estonian word that means Christian fellowship. The retreat format provides an environment of encouragement in which you can ask and discuss questions, share what you have already learned and just simply grow in exercising your faith.

The retreat begins meeting by 6pm on the Friday evening to start with a meal and conclude at 2pm on the Sunday. In between there is a mixture of teaching, prayer, good food, laughter, opportunity for a walk, fun, and fellowship.

Download the brochure from the LCNZ website.

Another Euthanasia Bill
Last year Maryan Street drafted a private member’s bill entitled: End of Life Choice Bill. This bill, if it became law, would legalise euthanasia and physician assisted suicide. The bill provides that a person making the request to die must be mentally competent, as attested by two medical practitioners. The person concerned must suffer from a terminal illness which is likely to cause death within 12 months, or from an irreversible physical or mental condition that, in the person’s view, renders his or her life unbearable.

Experts agree that the bill is flawed and confusing and that it would have unintended consequences for terminally-ill patients and their families. For example, when is somebody ‘mentally competent’? How sure can doctors be that somebody will die within 12 months? Doctors are not known for getting their predictions right as to when a patient would die. What exactly is an irreversible physical or mental condition?

The bill is opposed by the NZ Medical Association, the Society of Palliative Medical Physicians, The Palliative Care Nurses of New Zealand Society and Hospice New Zealand.

Care Alliance
Last year a Care Alliance Trust was set up with the purpose of fighting this bill. Its website is: www.carealliance.org.nz Among its members are MPs opposed to the Bill and the Nathaniel Centre (bio-ethics centre of the Roman Catholic Church) and many medical organisations.

The Time to Oppose This Bill Is Now
A private member’s bill goes into a ballot box. Currently, there are 78 bills in the box. On a regular basis a bill is drawn at random from the box. This means that Maryan Street’s bill might come before parliament any time.

As things stand there would be a majority of MPs in favour of the Bill, including all the Green Party MPs.

Maryan Street has been touring the country to drum up support for her bill.

What Can We Do?
The Care Alliance is looking for testimonials and stories re end of life situations. For example, if a loved one was helped to die without major suffering as a result of good palliative care, then, such a story could be published on the web-site. New Zealand offers palliative care of a very high professional standard. Naturally, they would be edited before being put on the web-site. They should be based on evidence.

Let us keep reminding ourselves and the people we come into contact with that life is a precious gift from God. Let us pray for doctors and nurses. They are called to heal, comfort and support all who are suffering in body and mind. They are not called to kill people.

(I am grateful to Petrus Simons for preparing this information on the Euthanasia Bill)

Radio New Zealand Interview With Cantor Rick Erickson
During his visit to Wellington in May this year, Cantor Rick Erickson from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (New York) recorded an interview with David Morriss on Radio New Zealand Concert. This was broadcast a week or so back, but is still available to listen to on-line.

Face to Face Mini Movie
Check out the latest Face To Face Mini Movie titled "A Second Chance". A real life story of reconciliation between a father and his son. Please select the following links to download and play the movie clip –

A Second Chance (WMV 23MB file size)
A Second Chance (MP4 23MB file size) After selecting the link, select to save the file.

Once downloaded, open the folder and file to play the video. There are other Mini Movies and resources available on www.facetoface.org.au and www.youtube.com/luthmedia.

Signing of Covenant of Cooperation Between the Methodists and the Lutherans in Kawerau
Since 2006 the Methodists and the Lutherans in Kawerau have been worshipping and “working together in ministry and mission.” On Sunday 8th September I will have the pleasure of signing the renewed covenant of cooperation in Kawerau.

The covenant, amongst other things, says the following –

• With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, we desire to manifest and maintain together, in the bond of peace, this unity which has been given to us in Christ.
• Together we agree to work together in ministry and mission, and continue to seek ways of manifesting the unity that is ours in Christ.

Please pray for Pastor John Davison and the members of this Methodist-Lutheran cooperating congregation.

Safe at Church
Pastor Keith Stiller (Professional Standards Office, LCA – Queensland District, and one-time pastor of St Pauls, Christchurch) has recently conducted two Safe at Church workshops in the LCNZ … one at Mountainside (24th August) and one at St Pauls Wellington (25th August). He was supported in his presentations by the LCNZ’s Professional Standards Officer (PSO), Jill Hagen.

Grow Ministries
Marjon Gerson (Mountainside) and Fiona Burmeister (Manawatu) are heading off to the Board of Child, Youth and Family Conference being held in Brisbane next week. Please remember Marjon and Fiona and their families in your prayers. Both Mums have young children and this involves others helping out for these Mums to attend this conference.

Jesus gave his church the commission, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (Matthew 28:19-20). This command undergirds the new structure of the Lutheran Church of Australia’s (LCA) Board for Child Youth and Family Ministry (BCYFM). The board aims to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for resources, programs, training and support that grow children and young people into mature adults of faith.

From the Recent Council of Synod Meeting
The Council of Synod (COS) and Gateway Gift Trust Board (GGTB) met at Botany on the 23rd and 24th August. Points of interest from the meeting included, amongst many other things –

• Report from the Bishop / Mission Director
• A conversation led by the Bishop on how we maintain focused on the Mission of God through his Church, while taking care of “admin & business”
• The need to do a review of the Administrators hours, expectations and salary
• Consideration is being given to bringing Pastor Bruce Zagel (LCA Director of Reconciliation Ministry) to the LCNZ early in 2014 to conduct Reconciliation coaching throughout the church
• The establishment of a COS Executive which will meet in-between regular COS meetings (often by teleconference)
• The GGTB spent some time looking at the major grant applications for next year

Longest Lutheran Lunch
IT’S TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE 2013 L O N G E S T LUTHERAN LUNCH – PLEASE DO SO BY 30 AUGUST! This year’s Longest Lutheran Lunch is on Sunday 27th October … or not. (It can be whenever it suits your congregation best).

Register your event at www.longestlutheranlunch.org.

Lutheran Women of New Zealand Reunion
We’re trying to find out if there is sufficient interest in holding a Reunion of Lutheran Women of New Zealand. We have envisioned a one day event held in Palmerston North with the invitation for participants to stay over and worship the next morning. If interest is sufficient, we plan to hold this reunion early 2014, possibly March/April.

Can you please express your interest by replying to Vicki at manawatulutheran@inspire.net.nz or at PO Box 47, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North 4440 before 30th September 2013?

News From the LCA
Celebrating LCA History
The current edition of Lutheran Theological Journal contains a number of articles celebrating the history of the LCA including: Celebrating 175 years of Lutheran theology in Australia (presented by Dean Zweck, Erich Renner, Vic Pfitzner and Jeff Silcock at the recent General Pastors Conference); Location, location, location: a short history of 104 Jeffcott St (the 2013 ALC opening lecture presented by Bishop John Henderson); Kavel and the missionaries by Lois Zweck; and Scripture, the divine and the human in the negotiations leading to the Theses on Principles Governing Church Fellowship and Theses on Scripture and Inspiration by Geoff Lienert.

Copies of this issue are available from the LCA National Office at admin@lca.org.au. Or why not subscribe to Lutheran Theological Journal for $35.00 a year by contacting ltj.subs@lca.org.au.

Working Together in Indonesia
Last week LCA Mission International Program Officer Glenice Hartwich returned from a visit to some of our partner churches in Indonesia. This included Nias Island, where she visited the BNKP (Lutheran Church on Nias Island) Senior High School in the town of Gunungsitoli. Last year on Easter Sunday, 16 classrooms at the school were destroyed by fire. Glenice reports ‘What a privilege it was for me to be able to give them the gift of $1,800 which the students and staff of Yirara College (Alice Springs) had shared from their chapel offerings, to help with the rebuilding of the classrooms. The students and teachers of the Nias Lutheran High School were so encouraged and inspired by this most generous gift, and by the fact that even though the students of Yirara hadn’t met them before, they showed the love of Jesus to them through this gift’. To find out ways in which you or your congregation can support our partner churches in mission please contact LCA Mission International on 08 8267 7334 or bfm@lca.org.au.

Middle East Attacks on Christians
The Bishops and Representatives of the Eastern Churches in NSW have issued a statement, through the NCCA, condemning attacks on Christians and Christian organisations in the Middle East which have risen to unprecedented levels in recent times. The Bishops ‘condemn these actions which stand against the basic notions of freedom of religion, morals, and human rights. We support our people in our Motherlands in their aspirations for a prosperous and peaceful future for their countries. We ask our fellow Australians, as well as the Australian government to stand with our nations of origin; to speak out against these atrocities and do all what is in their means to stop these acts of violence immediately’. The full statement is available on the NCCA website at www.ncca.org.au.

Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou; the Lord be with you.

+MARK
Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM
Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pihopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa