A Surprising God

This week’s service is titled “A Surprising God”.  When we look back over our lives, we might find that God has prepared the way or guided us in surprising ways.

This is the second in a series of interviews with people who will share their faith journey and how God has guided and shaped their lives through people, events, and prayer.

Sometimes God is prompting us to “put a toe in the water” without us knowing what He has planned.  Are we in tune with God’s promptings and do we trust Him enough to step out in faith? Read Joshua 3: 14-17.

Bible Reading for this Week: Exodus 4:10-12 (NLT) and Matthew 14:22-33 (NLT)

Please check the website www.paravista.org.au for podcasts and video archives of weekly messages or head to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/goodshepherdparavista for regular updates and encouragement from our ministry team.

Prayer Requests

Please forward all prayer requests to the church office via churchenquiries@paravista.org.au or phone 8263 5087. If you know or have spoken to anyone who does not have access to a computer, please assist them to submit their request and offer to pray with them. Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news online. If you would like to view the current requests, please refer to the email that alerted you to this Weekly News.

Notice of Half Yearly General Meeting

Please mark your dairies for the upcoming half- yearly GM to be held on 20^th November 2022. Reports to follow.

Para Vista Call Meeting

A meeting to call a Pastor for our congregation will be held on 20^th November 2022 along with the Half- Yearly GM after the 10.30am service.

If you have any questions, please either ask a call committee member or email the church office churchenquiries@paravista.org.au

A Failure To Protect Children From Abuse

We are bringing to light and to your attention that multiple incidents of sexual abuse of children took place at Good Shepherd Para Vista in the 1990s.  The abuse was the subject of a recent application to the National Redress Scheme for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse.  A survivor has received redress through the National Redress Scheme and has also accepted our offer to publish a statement of our failure to protect.

The Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ) and our congregation abhor all forms of sexual abuse, and we take allegations of abuse very seriously. We encourage survivors of sexual abuse, regardless of where or when it occurred, to access avenues of support and redress that are appropriate for their circumstances. These include:

The National Redress Scheme

1800737377

www.nationalredress.gov.au/support

The Lutheran Church of Australia

• Communications Dept 08 8267 7300    lca.comms@lca.org.au
• Lutheran Church of Aust SA/NT District Bishop 08 8267 521 david.altus@lca.org.au
• Professional Standards Department 1800 644 628  www.lca.org.au/psd  (Pastoral care would be accessed if requested as part of assistance)

SA Police

13 14 44

Other avenues of support

• Bravehearts 1800 272 831    bravehearts.org.au
• Blue Knot Foundation 1300 657 380    www.blueknot.org.au
• In Good Faith Foundation 1300 124 433    igff.org.au
• Lifeline 13 11 14    lifeline.org.au
• 1800 Respect 1800 737 732    1800respect.org.au

Good Shepherd Para Vista and the LCANZ is committed to being a safe place for all. If this notice has triggered strong emotions for you, we encourage you to reach out to a trusted person or contact any of the support services listed above.

Support For Lutheran Care

Our last collection for 2022 in support of Lutheran Care will be held on Sunday November 27th at both services.

Requests for November are

Tinned vegetables
Tinned soup
Breakfast cereals
Tinned tuna
Sugar
Shampoo
Conditioner

Items to bring joy for Christmas

You may want to include something special that will bring joy to all the family through hampers to be distributed e.g., Christmas pudding, chocolates, mince pies

Also, there will be small gifts distributed to needy families. Identifying gifts for small children is much easier than for teenagers. Any provision of such items as perfume, jewellery, toiletries, headphones, gift cards, board games would be greatly appreciated.

All these items can be included in our collection on the 27th.

Through our promotion of Drakes Supermarket shopping tags, the Family Hub has recently benefitted by $435. This makes a total of $1058 for 2022 donated to the Family Hub through the shopping tags promotion. Anyone shopping at a Drakes supermarket simply has to produce a tag and a percentage of the bill is donated to the Family Hub. If you want details or a tag, see Lorraine Johns.

Our last fundraiser for the Family Hub for 2022 is providing a BBQ meal before the Half Yearly meeting on Sunday November 20th. Cost -Sausages $2, Steak sandwich $5, maximum charge for a family will be $15.

With Gratitude,
Lutheran Care

Good Shepherd Country Drive

Come along for a family outing, drive along a beautiful green country road. Have lunch and join in and play some games, but most of all have some great fellowship. Also bring afternoon tea for mystery location.

Venue: Federation Park Gumeracha

Date: Sunday 13^th November

Time: 12.15pm (at the park)

BYO Lunch, drinks & games + tables

Birdwood is again selling live Christmas trees. The proceeds go towards supporting the chaplaincy programmes in the schools in the Adelaide Hills.

Trees available are 6 or 7 feet

Cost is $50 per tree

Trees will be available on Saturday 10^th of December @ 9am at a venue to be decided

Orders are to be placed no later than Sunday 4^th of December. To order or for more information contact John Dolling – 0409819864 or via email – dollingjohn47@gmail.com

Supporting Refugees Through Teaching Conversational English

Para Vista Primary corner Montague Road and Nelson Road is seeking a person to work with refugees to teach them conversational English to assist with their integration into the community. This is a paid position of 2 hours a week plus 1 hour paid preparation time.

For details contact Janice at the school on 0459 391 396

Devotion Book

Endeavour College- Mock Interviewers Needed

Want to help our Endeavour College future graduates get career ready?

Sign up to our Year 10 Mock Interviews to help provide students with real-world experience.

Event details:

WHEN: Monday, November 14

TIME: 9:00am – 1:00pm

WHERE: Endeavour College

For more information and to register your interest contact Annie Fitridge, annie.fitridge@endeavour.sa.edu.au

Morning tea provided.

Annie Fitridge
Student Pathways Leader

Calling For Pastoral Care Team Coordinators

Our church community is seeking for a person or persons to assist in coordinating the Pastoral care for our community.

If you are interested and believe you have gifts to serve our church family in this way, please come and speak to Cess Wesselingh after the service or write it on your connect card so he can get in touch with you and explain this further.

Calling for Church Volunteers

As from November we are hoping to offer Holy Communion twice a month for each service.  However, to be able to do this successfully we will need more volunteers.  The areas we need help include setting up, serving, and clearing up. None of these are big tasks and full training will be given.

We are also looking for volunteers at both services to serve as Worship Hosts and Welcomers, and to help serve morning tea.

Please prayerfully consider this request and notify the office if you feel called to serve.

Family Support Coordinator News, from Georgie

School Snippets

With 2023 just around the corner, the transition process has already begun. ELC and Kindy students have been visiting our school to see what it’s all about. In this week’s newsletter three of our new teachers for next year shared a little information about themselves. Would you like to meet them? Please check out our School Newsletter via this link: https://bit.ly/3hvxGHd If you would like to have a hard copy of the newsletter, Georgie is more than happy to organize one for you

Children’s Folders

After a very long time our faithful servant who has been sanitising the children’s folders and ensuring the pencils are cleaned and sharpened has retired.

We are so grateful for his dedicated service. It has allowed this ministry area to continue, even when we were restricted with what we could offer due to Covid limitations.

Now that weekly cleaning requirements have lifted in this area, this task as been simplified.

I would love a volunteer to keep an eye on the pencils (keep them sharpened and check that a variety of colours in their zip lock packets). This would be a weekly commitment and take no more than half an hour. In fact, probably less time than that! I will continue to provide the activities that connect with the message of the Sunday, allowing for conversations between children and their parents/ carers to continue through and after the service. Please let me know if this were a ministry area you would like to help with. Hope to chat with you soon!

Chapel Invitation

This week we continued our Christmas theme ‘Journey to Bethlehem’ in Chapel.  Pastor Stephen and Mrs. Abraham (and Axel) shared a message about the shepherds. Bogans…. Well, they talked about bogans… Have a look at this week’s devotion for a reflection of the message. Next week Pastor Rolly will be visiting to share about the wise men’s encounter with Mary, Joseph and Jesus. We would love for you to join us!  (Face masks will be required for parents and visitors. To enter, please come in via the courtyard (not the Montague Road main entrance). Seating for non-school staff adults will be in the church hall (as the church auditorium will be full of children!) Tea and coffee will be available before and after the service. See you next Wednesday at 8:50am for Worship, a coffee and a chat!

Growing Faith at Home

Dear Church Family,

We are sometimes buffeted by the circumstances we find ourselves in… (Hello, the last couple of years for example!) Our sense of security can be challenged. So, what can we stand on as we stand firm? God’s love and his promises never waver, even in the biggest storms. Check out this week’s GFH resource entitled ‘Stand Firm’ for some perspectives and activities to try out with your family. God bless your week!

KAPS Youth Event- Save the date- November 27th

Christmas is coming in November, and we would like to invite you all for some Christmas activities, worship and a meal. Bring your children or grandchildren… While our activities have been focusing on young people in Years 4 to 7, this time younger siblings are most welcome to join in the fun! So, bring the family! When: 27^th November from 4-7pm. Pop it in your diaries now! Just a $2 donation per child to cover costs for the activities. Look forward to seeing you soon!

“…You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’”

John 3:6-8

Safe Church

Please consider the health and safety of others and do not attend the church if you are feeling unwell. 

In observing Christ’s command to love one another, we are to treat each other with respect and dignity. In honoring people, we are also fulfilling our responsibility under the law of the land. The LCA and Good Shepherd Para Vista is committed to implementing processes to ensure the church is a safe place. If anyone feels they have been subjected to sexual abuse or harassment in any form by anyone who holds a position of trust in the church, please contact:

P: 1800 644 628 E: report.abuse@safeplace.lca.org.au

Weekly News Submissions should be made by the Wednesday prior to Friday publication.

Church Giving via Electronic Funds Transfer:
Regular Electronic Giving (REG): BSB 704 942; Acc 100 354 939
Church Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9am-3pm (closed 12:30pm-1:30pm for lunch)
Church Website: www.paravista.org.au Email: churchenquiries@paravista.org.au

Look for us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!

388 Montague Road Para Vista SA 5093 |   Phone: 8263 5087 | PO Box 306 Modbury North SA 5092