A Surprising God
This week’s service is entitled, “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 first 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?
Merv Thiele
Bible Reading: Joshua 3:14-17
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.
Result from the Call Meeting 24th July 2022
At our call meeting last Sunday, we voted to extend a call to Pastor Joel Cramer.
Thank you to all those in attendance and for your prayers.
Please keep Pastor Joel, Rachel and family in your prayers and pray that our Lord and Saviour Jesus will guild them all as Joel discerns the will of the Holy Spirit during this time. The normal time allocated for consideration of a call is 4 weeks.
Upon receiving the call Joel responded: “What an honour it is to receive a call from you all. Please be assured I will certainly consider this position prayerfully and thoughtfully.”
Lindsay Freund, Chairperson
Ladies’ Fellowship
The next meeting for Ladies Fellowship is on Tuesday 2nd August at 1pm.
Vicar Jacob will lead our Bible Study. Please bring your Bible.
Marg will be sharing a quiz on SA, so brush up on your local trivia!
Afternoon tea hostesses: Lenna Uebergang, Bev Maloney
There will be a trading table.
Masks preferable
Please do not come if unwell.
Any apologies to Di Schlenk 0409 820 448.
Family Zone News
Food donations for the Family Zone will be collected this Sunday, 31st July after the 10:30am service.
Food requests for August are:
Sugar; Coffee; Tea bags; Tinned beetroot; Toothpaste; Toothbrushes.
Thank you for your continued generous support of Lutheran Care.
Grow Ministry Update
The Grow Team recently met to discuss Missional Faith Formation at Good Shepherd. How can we pass on our faith and help people encounter Jesus in our current culture and time? What might it look like for our congregation to expand and extend our presence beyond the church walls? And how could our congregation provide support and encourage people along the pathway of faith formation?
On Sunday 31 July our Mind Map will be displayed for our community to ponder and add to. We look forward to continuing to explore this with Holy Spirit’s leading.
“A community which intentionally develops intergenerational relationships to grow faith in Jesus so that He can build His Kingdom here and now.”
Kathy Liebig
Grow Team Leader
Safe Church Training Level 1
Salisbury Lutheran Church (The Ark), 10 Waterloo Corner Rd, Salisbury SA 5108
13 August 2022
9:00am–4:00pm (sign-in from 8:45 am)
$5 per person per session inclusive of non-refundable fee (invoiced to congregation)
To register use this link: https://bit.ly/3aW8xCJ
Registrations close 8 August 2022
Morning Tea will be provided – BYO Lunch.
Family Support Coordinator News, from Georgie
KAPS Youth Event is just around the corner…two sleeps to go!
Are you looking for an opportunity for young people to connect and get to know each other? One of the aims for this KAPS (Kids and Parents) event is to provide an opportunity for children and parents or grandparents to connect with each other from our community (church and school). Join us for some fun activities, team games, Worship and dinner.
While the first part of the afternoon is for students/ parents in Years 4-7, the Worship and dinner is open to all family members.
When? July 31st, 4-6:30pm. Where? Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (enter via the main door facing Montague Road.) For more details you can check out the flier below (there are paper copies in the café area), contact Rachel on 0475 582 289 or see Georgie.
Growing Faith at Home
Dear Church Family,
We live in an interesting culture. Something is advertised and sounds really appealing …so you save up for it and get it…and it is really wonderful…at least for a while. Then something else even more appealing appears, and the cycle continues. Sometimes you don’t even realise all the ‘stuff’ you accumulate until it is time to move house! There can be a host of reasons as to why someone becomes a ‘collector of things’ but what is it that we truly treasure? This week’s GFH resource challenges us to think about this. What are the things…and people…you treasure in your life? Where does God fit into this? Chat it over with people in your friends, family, and small group.
Have a wonderful week everyone.
School Snippets
We’re back! Ready for a term growing together as we are led by our Good Shepherd!
During the last week of term, our entire staff participated in a variety of professional learning opportunities. Our week began with a Spiritual Retreat and valuable time with one another. Having specific time set aside to rest in God’s Word and be in one another’s company gave us the energy required for the remainder of the week.
Our Co-educators and Admin staff participated in a 2-day Mental Health First Aid course. Teaching teams planned together and engaged in developing their spelling and language programs. Our teachers faced a ‘choose your own adventure’ as they delved into deep study and research around their professional learning plans, with the aim to develop a presentation to share with their peers. 10 staff headed to Melbourne for the Australian Conference on Lutheran Education. With the conference being cancelled the previous 2 years, we embraced the theme “One Voice, many paths”, re-connecting with educators from across Lutheran education nationally. The line-up of key-note speakers and breakout sessions included Rev Chad Rimmer from Lutheran World Federation in Geneva, Switzerland, Australian thought leader Louka Parry, author Julianne Schultz: staff sharing research and a focus on the voice of the First Nations people. Using our Lutheran lens, rich conversations, learning and networking occurred. We are thankful for the many and varied ways we continue to grow as staff, both individually and collectively.
Operation Christmas Child
Are you thinking about how you might be able to share God’s love with children beyond our borders? Here is an opportunity! Packing a shoebox with gifts and prayer is something you could do as an individual, a family, or a small group. There are brochures available with more information in the church office… just pop in to see Helen or Tina. Alternatively, you could contact Lynette Beck on 0407 354404 for more details.
Office News
Financial Assistance – Arsha
A huge thank-you to all who have donated to assist Arsha Noroozi in his quest for permanent residency in Australia. Fundraising has exceeded our expectations and Arsha’s final account has been covered. Excess funds have been placed in trust for possible future expenses of this nature should they occur.
Congregational Contacts
Due to the turnover of office staff and running from an older version of Outlook in recent years we have discovered a few discrepancies in the email contact lists. We are working to resolve this and ask for patience as we do so. As a result, you may discover that you are not receiving the Weekly News reminder or emails you require for your rostered positions. Please email churchenquiries@paravista.org.au or contact the office if you find you are not receiving information you require. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Morning Tea and Coffee
For health and welfare of our members and guests we have decided to revert to the COVID safe serving of morning tea. If you are rostered for serving, please serve the milk and sugar to guests. This should assist in preventing the spread of COVID or influenza. We will monitor this and return to self-serve as soon as we believe it to be safe.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21
We are a Covid-Safe Church 
Please consider the health and safety of others and do not attend the church if you are feeling unwell. We continue to practice good hygiene and respect the discretion of individuals to wear/not wear a mask. Thank you!
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-Thurs 9am-3pm (closed 12:30pm-1:30pm for lunch)
Church Website: www.paravista.org.au Email: churchenquiries@paravista.org.au
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388 Montague Road Para Vista SA 5093 | Phone: 8263 5087 | PO Box 306 Modbury North SA 5092
