Joy
A blessed Christmas to all of you as we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child and share in the joy that only He brings to all the world.
Bible Readings:
Christmas Eve- Isaiah 9:2 (NLT), John 1:4-5 (NLT), John 1:9 (NLT), John 1:29 (NLT), John 12:46 (NLT), Luke 2:10-12 (NLT), Luke 1:26-28 (NLT), Matt 1:18-19 (NLT)
Christmas Day- Luke 2:25-35 (NLT), Psalm 90:14 (NLT), Psalm 95:1 (NLT), Luke 2:10-14 (NLT)
New Year- Revelation 21:1-6 (NLT)
8th January- Matthew 3: 13-17 (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.
Christmas Service Times at Good Shepherd
Come along and celebrate the birth of baby Jesus with us!
Minister Call to Para Vista – Update
Extracts from an email received by our Chairperson from Pastor David Schmidt.
“Hi Lindsay
Thank you for the invitation to prayerfully consider the call to Good Shepherd, Para Vista.
It was wonderful meeting with you and your leadership team via Zoom. As a community, I certainly sensed that you are a people of God who are earnestly seeking where God is leading. I also sensed that you are positively wrestling with how congregations can do ministry and mission together. Your Meet and Eat ministry, as well as the Kids and Parents ministry that is just beginning (of which I cannot remember the name), are wonderful statements of how God’s church does mission as the body of Christ. I also noticed the heart of your leadership team to be developing a culture of prayer. This is essential in our learning to listen and notice where God is working.
I write this email to formally let you know that after praying about this call, I sense the need to Decline it.
This has nothing to do with Good Shepherd Lutheran Congregation – who you are and where you sense God is leading you. I certainly felt many synergies between who you are and where I believe God is leading the church. The reason for my declining the call is that I still sense that God’s call on my life for the work across the LCAQD, as well as God’s call on my wife’s involvement at Prince of Peace Lutheran College, has not yet concluded.
I will be praying for you and the people at Good Shepherd, as you continue to seek God’s leading.
May God’s Grace, given through the Christ himself, uplift you all this Christmas”
This certainly confirms the direction we are taking as church to Reach into the community with the Gospel that all may know Jesus and worship him. The leadership teams and the call committee will convene early in 2023 to decide our future direction from here.
Blessings,
Rev David Schmidt BTh MCouns
Director Mission and Ministry, LCAQD
This certainly confirms the direction we are taking as church to Reach into the community with the Gospel that all may know Jesus and worship him. The leadership teams and the call committee will convene early in 2023 to decide our future direction from here.
Congregational Administrator on behalf of the Chairperson
An exciting Opportunity to Join Good Shepherd Church Staff
Administration Team Leader
- Part time- 25 hours/ per week
- Position description, Contact Congregational Administrator Stephen Zanker at stephen.zanker@paravista.org.au
- Applications close: Monday 13th January 2023
- For more information: Click here
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 8th January
Time: 12.15pm (at the park)
BYO Lunch, drinks & games + tables & chairs
Give To Kamwenge This Christmas
In 2011, Maranatha Health began its operations in Kamwenge district, an incredibly under-serviced region of Uganda. The community embraced us and became a part of the MH story. Two years later, circumstances required us to move to a neighbouring district, where we are now.
This Christmas we are giving once again to the place where it all started.
We are partnering with a new health clinic being established in Kamwenge. This is an opportunity for MH to do our core work of EMPOWERING – building the capacity of the broader Ugandan healthcare system by offering equipment, training and staff time.
We want to get this clinic off to a great start to ensure more families have access to quality health care. Our aim is to raise $20,000 by January. This Christmas, give the gift of empowerment to our colleagues at the Kamwenge health clinic!
Visit www.maranathahealth.org/christmas to celebrate Christmas with MH, through a gift to Kamwenge!
RENEW Young Adults Camp
RENEW is a camp for young adults and those who have just finished high school to gather together for a weekend to connect with God and others. Join us to be “renewed” through worship, electives, activities, fellowship, and late-night chats.
Due to the flood currently impacting the river Murray communities,
RENEW 2023 camp will be held at Dzintari Campsite at Normanville from 3rd-5th February 2023
Two Nights $185 | One Night $155
50% discount – Year 12 school leavers 2021/2022
Click here to register by 23rd January 2023 by 12.00pm: https://bit.ly/3FCq8ME
Connect Cards
Please fill in a connect card as you walk in the church as it is the only way we can connect with you!
GS Family Care Calls
Seeking volunteers (of all ages) to make pastoral care calls during Advent. Please see Cees Wesselingh, Kathy Liebig for more information or contact the church office.
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
Growing Faith at Home
Dear Church Family,
Hopefully, in the next few weeks, you might have the opportunity to connect with people you love. It might mean traveling to destinations that were out of reach in the last few years. Car travel, coffee catch ups, visiting family and friends… all things to look forward to! How about some caring conversations to add into the mix? What do you know about your own birth, or the births of others in your family? Have you seen the Southern Cross star constellation in the night sky? The Magi followed a star to find Jesus. Share a time when you had to follow a map to get to somewhere special. Here are a few GFH resources that you might consider nurturing faith in your various contexts. I have also placed printed copies of the Christmas Family Faith Trail in one of the stands in the church café area. This booklet is packed with Christmas themes and activities designed for pre-school, primary students as well as all age activities. There are prayer and online video suggestions, reflections, even a Christmas biscuit recipe… Plenty of ideas to explore during the school holidays! Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas! May this be a time we are all reminded of God’s amazing love for each one of us as Jesus (Immanuel) came be with us.
Devotions
We give thanks for all those who have contributed to our online devotions this year. Now we are looking for more! If you have one or more of your own that you would like to share, please send them through to the church office via churchenquiries@paravista.org.au
Office News
Office Closure over Christmas
The office will be closed over the following periods:
23 December 2022 9.00am to 3.00pm OPEN
24 December 2022 to 9th January 2023 CLOSED
10th January 2023 onwards (Tuesday- Friday) OPEN as normal
26 January 2023 CLOSED
For urgent contact please call 8263 5087 and leave a message. Messages will be retrieved by staff as available while the office is shut.
Weekly News
The last Weekly News for 2022 will be published on Friday 23 December and the first edition for 2023 will be published on 13 January.
IT’s On Again!!!
What you ask? The Christmas Whirlwind Competition will be happening on Saturday 24th December from 8.00am to blow the cobwebs out of the old dust blowers. Some will get a chance to see if they can master the borrowed backpack to assist in giving the church grounds a bit of a dust off and the facility a bit of a spruce up.
For free entry, please bring along your personal safety equipment (earmuffs and dust mask), best leaf blower and join the group to create an inviting appearance to our church facility for Christmas. Don’t have a blower? I have a few spares you can test with free training. Will the electric machines get a look in this year?
So! if you don’t have a competitive machine? Compete for the biggest spiderweb ball as cobwebbing will also be completed and you can create a web ball worthy of a Guinness record.
Request children are supervised by an adult.
A Parking Blessing for Christmas
Parking will only be available for members will be in the Good Shepherd early learning centre car park. This can be accessed via Hillary Cres without having to enter the church grounds. Please consider leaving the parks close to the entrance of the church as a blessing for our visitors. These arrangements will be in place for all Christmas services. Parking signs will be in place and your assistance in following directions of the car parking attendants is appreciated.
Car parking attendants are required to assist with traffic and parking on Christmas Eve from:
- 4.30pm till 6.30pm.
Please, contact Stephen on 0403 180 814 or email churchenquires@paravista.org.au to assist.
AED Device
A Defibrillator (AED) is located rear school alcove next to the Café playground. A key is on an orange tag next to security keypad in the café (small entry exit door). All members holding keys to the complex are to add to their security procedure the visibility of this key and if it not hanging on the hook to advise either the church or school office as soon as possible of its absence. First Aiders, please note where the unit and key are located, in case of emergency.
Replacement Of Main Auditorium Carpet
When? 16 to 28 January 2023
How? This is your opportunity to move chairs, remove old carpet squares and replace chairs.
We are seeking a team to be available throughout this time to assist in saving the church up to $5,000.00. Please advise Stephen Zanker, Ross Pukallus, or the front office of your availability so this can happen in a smooth and organized manner without too much disruption of our activities.
Part of History Available for Sale!
For a donation you can purchase surplus carpet tiles. Let the history life on by lining your garage floor, man cave or other area for a small cost to assist in funding the full replacement of carpeting our facility. Be quick as they won’t last long. Contact Stephen or the front office for further information.
Empty Space?
A reminder that unwanted items are not to be bought to the Good Shepherd facility and left in hope that we may be able to use them. Permission from the Congregational Administrator or church office is required before leaving items in any area. A reminder to please take all your belongings with you when you leave the facility. Surplus items will be removed from the area after 2 weeks and placed in the community care bin. Remember a lost property box is located on the cupboard in the corridor leading from the parenting room to the rest rooms.
Facility Bookings
To alleviate the potential of double booking and embarrassment for users of our facility the following has been implemented. If you wish to use any room within the church facility for any reason a booking request will need to made and confirmed with the church office. If you are planning to use the church facility for any reason a booking will be required prior to commencement of the use. Please include any rehearsal or practice times. Please do not just assume that because an area is vacant when you arrive it is not being used. All pre-booked users will have preference.
Name Badge Request
The cost for a Name Badge is $12. If you would like to order one then, contact the church office on 0882635087 or send an email to: churchenquiries@paravista.org.au
Weekly News Items
Weekly news items are to be sent to churchenquiries@paravista.org.au or krishna.vasani@paravista.org.au by Wednesday Evening. Out of hours please leave a message on the answering system 08 8263 5087 or email the office and staff will respond as soon as they are able.
“…For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
“May the love, joy and peace of Christ light your Christmas”
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
