Young Life Barossa Update

wyldlife: Years 5-7, 1st of April from 6pm, for more information contact Tiffany on 0466039463 or email tiffanyvoigt@younglife.org.au.

Club: years 8-12, 8th of April from 6pm. To find out more contact Sophie on sophie@younglife.org.au

Young Life Cans & Bottles Run

The Young Life Barossa team will be rallying together on April 16th to collect local Can & Bottle donations to raise funds that support us in taking local Barossa young people on the annual Young Life Australia national Summer Camp.

We are calling out to anyone who has a stash of cans and bottles that they haven’t had the chance to take to the recycling plant. We would love to take these off your hands.

If you are keen to support us in this venture of supporting young people in our local community, then please get in contact with Tiffany Voigt at tiffanyvoigt@younglife.org.au to organise a collection of your donations on the morning of April 16th.

We have the video up and running again for now so apologies for the lack of services posted.

Read: Luke 7:11-17 “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and said, ‘Don’t cry.’” Luke 7:13 (NIV) A mother’s and father’s hearts have to be strong when dealing with little ones who get hurt, otherwise their hearts would break. I recently read the saddest and shortest story ever. It was by Ernest Hemingway: For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. Just reading this causes my heart to break on behalf of these poor parents. I am sure we have all experienced times of heartbreak, heartache and when it seems that we have no more tears to cry.

Yet, we know that there is a loving God who has experienced losing a child in the most horrific way. I wonder if God cried when Jesus died! Jesus has the heart of God: loving, caring, compassionate and wanting all to come home to Him. When He was on earth, He tried to show His love of people and demonstrate that He understood their hurts and concerns. Jesus was walking around, teaching, preaching and healing when He came across a funeral procession. A widow’s only son had died. She had already lost her husband and now her son and she was destitute and without anyone to care for her. She was heartbroken and obviously filled with extreme grief. Jesus’ heart went out to her and just touching the bier (the platform holding the coffin), He told the young man to get up.

The widow’s son was now no longer dead and so he got up and started talking – makes me wonder what he said to everyone around him! With joy, Jesus gave the young man back to his mother. There were no more tears of sadness, rather tears of joy. The people praised God for His care for all His people. When we have our sorrows, bring them to one who understands and knows what it is to lose someone. Someone who knows your grief and heartache. Our God is a God of compassion and love! “God has come to help his people.” (Luke 7:16b)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you know grief. You know what it is to have a child hurt and killed. Help me to bring my tears and grief to you, knowing you hear, understand and hold me in your loving arms. Amen.