25 November 2025

LCANZ Churchwide Office (CWO) staff moved into the new Church House in Adelaide’s CBD yesterday and will be ready to welcome visitors to the 139 Frome Street premises as of next Monday (1 December).

The five-story building is designed not only as office space for staff from the CWO, Australian Lutheran College, Lutheran Media, LCA International Mission, Australian Lutheran World Service, Lutheran Education Australia, and Finke River Mission, but also as a purpose-built hub to support mission, ministry and collaboration across the wider church.

While the building’s design offers modern workspaces and flexible meeting areas, the vision for Church House goes far beyond infrastructure. Space will also be available for visitors and other Lutheran ministry partners, which the LCA’s Executive Director of Church Operations, Brett Hausler, said ‘reinforces Church House’s role as a shared resource for the wider church community’.

A standout feature of Level 3 is a reconfigurable meeting and event space designed to host workshops, training sessions and gatherings – all supporting the church’s mission to grow, serve and reach out in Christ’s name. The space will also be available for use by other Lutheran entities.

On the ground floor, a welcoming reception and new exhibition and events space will offer opportunities for community engagement and education. Featuring displays that reflect both Lutheran heritage and future direction, this area is intended to invite learning and connection within the church and the broader community and will be launched in early 2026.

Located near Bethlehem and St Stephen’s Lutheran churches in Adelaide, the new Church House was purchased following the sale of the LCANZ’s properties in North Adelaide last year.

Read more about the Frome Street move and stories about some of the legacies of the former Churchwide Office at 197 Archer Street, North Adelaide, on the LCA website here.

Reasons why the LCA Child Safety Standards (CSS) are important:

- When we care for children and keep them safe, we are following Christ’s mandate. We must always remember that children bring their own unique vulnerabilities, and they rely on safe adults and protective cultures to keep them safe. Keeping safe is not something that children can reliably do on their own.

- We have a synodical responsibility to protect and care for our children. Our LCA Synod has acknowledged that children are a precious gift from God; they are to be nourished and nurtured in their spiritual life within the church; their needs must be considered by all boards, councils and committees; and they are to be cared for and protected by maintaining and promoting a culture of safety in all areas of the church, congregation and its activities. In addition, the objects of the constitution of the church include a requirement that children are to be protected from all physical, psychological, sexual and spiritual abuse.

- We also have multiple legal responsibilities relating to child safety. We have a duty of care to keep children safe, and this duty of care sits with our church councils and leadership teams. We are also required to abide by various laws in each jurisdiction that relate to mandatory reporting, failure to report, failure to protect, reportable conduct and working with children type checks.

- And finally, we have important regulatory responsibilities in relation to compliance with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations across each of our Australian jurisdictions.

As we form one congregation, we need a new name that represents our united community and vision statement.

You are invited to share your name ideas, with a short reason for your choice.

A shortlist will be prepared by the Governance Council and Ministry Team for members to choose from and use after amalgamation.

Submit written or emailed suggestions by January 16th, 2026, to the Hub

E: cchubtan@gmail.com

83 Murray Street, Tanunda 5352