Pentecost 2020
The Birthday of the Church
We celebrate it every year.
Pentecost – the birthday of the church. We light the candles, we talk about the Holy Spirit sounding like wind and looking like fire, then we extinguish the candles and go about our business, just as if it were own birthday. One year older, one year wiser.
Pentecost was not just the birth of the church, it was the birth of the church’s mission: to be (witnesses of Jesus) in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Every year we read this and I think, ‘Thank you God for the first witnesses for bringing the Gospel light into the world,’ and every year I have a twinge – a sharp little pain in my heart – wondering if I’m missing out on something.
What does the commission at the birth of the Church have to do with the birthday of the church two thousand years later? In these present times, what opportunities for witnessing can we not let slip through our fingers? How has the commission of God changed from the time of Moses, to the time of the Disciples, to the time of the 21st century Church?
Join Pastor Rolly and I in a discussion about Commission, Co-mission and Mission this Sunday.
Read Exodus 3:1-10, Acts 1:1-8 and Luke 24:30-35 and jot down some thoughts about commissions ahead of time.
Pr. Reid Matthias
[1]
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship,
MacMillan 1966
Bible Readings: Exodus 3:1-10; Luke 24:30-35; Acts 2:1-4
On the opening page of our GSPV website, https://paravista.org.au/ we now have a button that people can click on to for care and assistance.
This page has 4 blue circles with white icons. The one on the right has a cube in the middle, with the word Care underneath it. Under that is a tag: Need assistance? You’ll find it here.
Clicking this icon opens a Care & Assistance page where people can leave contact details and a brief description of their need.
The Triage Officer will make initial contact to discover more about the person’s situation, work out an appropriate response, and refer the need for follow up to an appropriate person or team leader, e.g.
• Phone call or visit from one of the Pastoral Care Team
• Counselling referral
• Food/groceries/vouchers/household items
• Handyman help
• Backyard clean up team
• Prayer Ministry Team
• Pastors – spiritual/theological issues; pastoral acts
The vision is that more people from GSPV will be able to use their gifts to share the love of Jesus in the lives of others. It’s joining in his mission.
Please make use of this link and point it out to others.
Pr Rolly Stahl
Apologies can still be forwarded to the church office at churchenquiries@paravista.org.au Please note any apologies received date-stamped after 11:45am Sunday 31 May will not be accepted into the minutes.
Personal Presence at the AGM.
Offerings 2019 | February | March | Apr | Year to Date Variance | |||
Actual | Budget | Actual | Budget | Actual | Budget | ||
Sunday Offerings | 13532 | 18300 | 16690 | 18300 | 15386 | 18300 | -9292 |
REG Offerings | 20767 | 23333 | 20767 | 23333 | 22470 | 23333 | -5408
|
Offerings 2020 | February | March | Apr | ||||
Actual | Budget | Actual | Budget | Actual | Budget | ||
Sunday Offerings | 14669 | 18300 | 10016 | 18300 | 0 | 18300 | -30215
|
REG Offerings | 25805 | 23333 | 23756 | 23333 | 34855 | 23333 | 14417
|
As soon as we update to the new the mission vision statement with the budget accounts we will be able to provide an expenditure brief.
All ministry areas have been impacted by recent events and staff are resourcing only what is necessary.
Electronic deposits can be made to the following bank account details:
BSB: 704942
Account Name: GSPV REG
Facilities Maintenance
Notice! The list is getting shorter and your assistance is still required. Thanks to all those who have volunteered time to make this happen. Individually and in twos or threes the following small maintenance tasks can still be completed:
• A hand ball court is required to be painted in the courtyard area so it is a bit more permanent than chalk. – 2 hours
• One way arrows on drive pavement require repainting – 2 persons x ½ day
• Ceiling in Ladies requires refixing to prevent ceiling from collapse – 2 persons x ½ day
• Cobwebbing inside and out – 1 to 2 hours
• Hall store room requires tidying and cleaning
• Window cleaning – 1 to 2 hours
Please contact Stephen stephen.zanker@paravista.org.au or the front office for further info and to book in your time to assist.Lutheran Community Care Bin
The welfare bin at the church has been opened for donations again as the team at Blair Athol are clearing as they can. Please do not leave electrical items or items that are broken or unusable as we have to cover the removal cost for these items.
Office Distancing Update
Grocery Donations
Grow Ministries Faith at HomeDear Church Family,Birthdays! Celebrating the anniversary of the birth of someone loved is a special occasion.
This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost. The time when the Holy Spirit came to be with us to help, comfort and guide us among other things. Pentecost is a bit like the birthday of the Church.
Please find some activities from Grow Ministries that you might like to try out with your families this weekend, attached to the email! Also, here are a couple of child friendly links that tells the story of how the Holy Spirit came all those years ago, and the miraculous impact that set the church in motion…
Cartoon Format:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMQKy1Mx49M
Pentecost Explained in Lego:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvy-_Dayaoc
Happy Birthday Church (and Happy Birthday to anyone else who might be having a birthday too)!
God bless your week!
Georgie
LCC Winter Appeal Update
Winter has arrived in a world that none of us could have imagined. Lutheran Community Care has been there to support the vulnerable during these unprecedented times. Our essential services have adapted to assist families and individuals, many who have never had to ask for help before.
Due to church building closures, LCC has not sent our Winter Appeal letters to congregations this year. Instead we have created a short two-minute video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSnnHVjmwtI
For more information about LCC’s Winter Appeal or for a copy of our donor letter, visit www.lccare.org.au/how-you-can-help/donations/
We hope you are keeping well.
Kind regards,
Amelia Dawkins
Marketing and Communications
Lutheran Community Care
Joel 2:28 (NIV)
