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Hello to all of you, both near and far, who are loved by the Lord.
Good news! Here in South Australia, with COVID19 restrictions easing, we may once again gather in large numbers. This is reason to rejoice and give thanks.
For the Church, the Body of Christ, it means we may get together to worship God in much larger groups than we’ve been doing for some months. A cause for celebration!
This message is especially for those who won’t be rushing to the church buildings on Sunday mornings. You can still be part of the church!
During the past months many of us experienced being church differently than we’ve ever known. We’ve explored resources on-line, in print and other media. Worshipped in pairs, families, with friends, neighbours, and in small groups. We’ve participated in worship with others in a diversity of ways.
It’s been a learning and growing time as we’ve faced fears and concerns for the world and also challenges presented by new experiences of being church in a radically different way. Discovering new aspects of technology and finding an abundance of resources to nurture our faith and facilitate our worship of God has been a steep learning curve.
In our need, we’ve turned our eyes to God and sought him for strength, comfort, guidance, and protection. We’ve leaned on Jesus, drawn closer to him, and prayed for the help of the Holy Spirit, only to find he was already there, drawing us into his embrace.
It’s been wonderful to hear of people feeling calm and peaceful, confident in God’s loving presence, and equipped to worship him and continue to grow in faith. We haven’t been separated from him or from one another. The Holy Spirit bonds us in unity and our sharing together in small units hasn’t diminished our belonging to Jesus or our being part of his Body, the Church.
We’ve still been Church, we’re still part of God’s Kingdom. If it seems good to you and the Holy Spirit, then there’s no reason why you can’t continue being Church in this way.
If you’ve been worshipping at home with your neighbour who wouldn’t attend the church building for a formal service but is thriving in your worship at home - or if you haven’t been in a church building for some time but are keen to keep worshipping on-line - or if you’ve been involved in church life but are feeling called to keep worshipping as part of a network of small churches scattered through the community - the great news is the Body of Christ, the Church, is beautiful and richly diverse. How wonderful!
Jesus never prescribed a one size fits all church. The last months do count. It wasn’t “pretend worship” while we waited for the “real thing” to resume. God’s been at work in us, with us, and for us, and continues to bless us.
We’d like to bless what God’s doing in your life. You’re part of the Kingdom of God and can also be part of the church in this place. We’d like to encourage and support you!
Our on-line and print resources will still be available, as will the wealth of material provided by our brothers and sisters in many other churches.
If you’d like to let us know who you are, we can stay in touch, pray for you, support you, and hear stories of what Jesus is doing in your life. You’re always welcome to come to a larger gathering to celebrate and worship from time to time, as seems good.
If you’d like to email, phone or meet up with us, we’d love to hear from you. Then we can explore how we might keep in touch and support you and your group in an on-going relationship with this church community.
The grace and peace of Jesus is with you.
KYB 2026 INTRODUCTORY TOUR Tuesday 3rd February, 9:30 Commencing with Morning Tea.
The Christian Community Hub, 83 Murray Street, Tanunda.
Speaker: Val Zerna
RSVP Contact Dianne
Mob: 0417 819 722
Val has led mission trips in a number of countries, and her greatest joy is sharing the truth of God’s Word and encouraging people in their walk with God.
Topic: Selected Psalms (Part 1). All Welcome
MOCULTA LUTHERAN COMMUNITY LIVE NATIVITY
Monday 22nd December. 8.00pm for 8.30pm start, 798 Moculta Road, Moculta.
BYO chairs and torch. Supper of kuchen & port will be provided after the nativity.
Do you ever feel awkward, unqualified or unprepared to discuss your faith? Do you know someone who’s curious about Jesus, but you’re not sure what to say next? If you answered ‘yes’ to either question, the Gospel Fluency series could be a great blessing for you and your congregation. The series is a five-part video resource with discussion guides designed to help you build confidence and discover the joy of sharing the good news of Jesus in everyday life.
Pastor Nathan Hedt, one of the presenters and creators of the series, says that ‘like learning a new language, becoming fluent in the gospel takes vocabulary, context and practice’. ‘These sessions help you develop all three – step by step, with simple tools and encouragement along the way.’
Building on the popular Gospel Fluency workshops, which have already helped more than 500 people across the LCANZ, the video series provides practical tools and encouragement for sharing faith naturally. Joanne Chamberlain, a presenter in the video series who has facilitated many of these workshops, says, ‘People are often surprised by how easy it is to share their story – and how God’s story, ours and other people’s stories intertwine.’
She says that one of the most meaningful parts of facilitating the workshops has been watching people take time to pray intentionally for others. Joanne reports that feedback from the workshops has been consistently positive, with one participant describing the course as ‘a real encouragement to step out of [their] comfort zone and not to be frightened to share the gospel of Jesus with others’.
Congregation members from Wodonga Lutheran Parish in Victoria have also felt blessed by the workshops. Lisa Enever says, ‘The workshop reminded me that I’m not alone when I share the good news of Jesus; God is with me every step of the way. I don’t have to do it in my own strength, and it starts with simply loving and sharing with the people already in my life.’
Andy Enever reflects, ‘The workshop gave our group confidence, useful strategies and shared language to talk about Jesus naturally in everyday life.’
Now, those same insights and tools are available to every congregation, small group or ministry team through a set of five videos, accompanying discussion guides, and resources for further reading and training. Each of the five sessions includes a short video (15–20 minutes), a discussion guide and practical exercises designed to help you grow in confidence as you speak about Jesus in your everyday relationships.
‘The goal isn’t to turn you into an expert evangelist,’ Pastor Nathan says, ‘but to help you become fluent in the everyday language of grace and truth, so that talking about Jesus feels natural and life-giving.’
Over five sessions, participants explore the foundations of gospel fluency, including prayer, biblical foundations, mapping relationships and attentive listening as part of gospel sharing. They also learn practical tools for introducing Jesus in everyday life and practise sharing in community with confidence.
‘When people begin to unpack the “why”, “who”, “what”, “when” and “how” of gospel fluency, the concept of sharing the gospel becomes considerably clearer – and somewhat easier,’ Joanne says.
You don’t need to be a leader, pastor or gifted evangelist to put gospel fluency into practice. The series is for all of God’s people in workplaces, families, congregations and communities. Jesus said, ‘You will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8), and this resource reminds us that Jesus has already equipped us for that calling, right where we are.
‘My prayer is that through this Gospel Fluency series, more members of our church will discover new joy in the gospel, new confidence in God’s calling and new eyes to see how he is already at work in your relationships and community,’ Pastor Nathan says. ‘May these sessions equip those who take part to share the good news freely, faithfully and fluently, so that others, too, might encounter the life-changing love of Jesus.’
Find out more and access the Gospel Fluency series at www.lca.org.au/gospel-fluency