The following versions of Luther's Works are available free online
American Edition
Lenker Edition
Jacobs Edition
Cole Edition
Library of Christian Classics Edition
Lutheran Insulter
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Internship - Warrambui ARISE internship program
Arise Internships provide a unique opportunity to learn, serve and grow in a dynamic Christian environment over a 12 month period.
It is designed for young adults, whether you be a recent school leaver or someone who is looking to discern your calling in life.
Arise focuses on building a faith foundation where character is built, identity in Christ is revealed, and questions of faith explored, while living and serving in a Christian community.
Interns experience practical aspects of ministry by working, living and learning alongside others in a camp setting.
Throughout the year we intentionally seek to build a faith foundation that will grow the Interns’ Christian faith and character. We grow valuable life skills and ministry experience that will benefit the individual and the communities they are involved with after Warrambui.
To achieve this goal, we have three core elements that help grow the Interns:
- Volunteer service tasks to Warrambui (e.g. Kitchen work, Cleaning, School Programs)
- Biblical and Theological Study
- Personal growth and Leadership Development through involvement in youth camps, youth groups, congregational visits, and team times.
Being part of a Christian community doesn’t mean things are always rosy, but we continue to praise and thank God for the tough times to grow and work through the differences in people’s behaviours and attitudes.
For more information visit https://www.warrambui.com.au/arise/
Froniter School of Mission - update
Frontier School of Mission (FSM) is a mission-focused training and resourcing ministry of the Lutheran Church of Australia, NSW and ACT District.
FSM offers accredited units and courses as well as non-accredited and informal training opportunities, with a practical and missional focus.
Courses being offered include:
- Theology of Mission
- Mission Perspectives
- Introduction to Preaching
- Worship
- Foundations of Christian Belief
- Gospel, Church and Australian Culture
- The Early New Testament Church (a study in early church mission)
- Christian Apologetics (Communicating the Christian Faith in Twenty-first century Australia)
- Applied Evangelism
- Church Planting
- Pastoral Care
- Christian Spirituality
- Jesus and the Gospels
For more information and to discuss your needs for ministry training visit https://frontier.lca.org.au/
Retreat: Shepherds Canyon Retreat
The Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat ministry is committed to providing spiritual and emotional healing to clergy, other full-time church workers and their spouses who are in the midst of various stages of burnout, depression, compassion fatigue, and conflicts of all types, offering the hope and renewal found through the Holy Spirit's work through God's Word.
Each retreat pursues three basic goals:
- Allow each participant to safely unburden the hurts and pressures of life and ministry in a safe, non-judgmental, and loving environment.
- Assist each person to understand herself/himself more completely.
- To encourage the participants to develop new levels of self-acceptance as well as more effective relational skills. This often includes evaluation of expectations, reordering of priorities, improving communication skills and bringing a new perspective concerning their life and ministry.
Shepherds Canyon Retreats was formed by Lutherans
For more information visit www.shepherdscanyonretreat.org
For any Australian Pastors wanting to access this retreat there is some assistance available contact me (richardschwedes@gmail.com) so i can refer you to the appropriate contact.
Being Lutheran series - Introduction
Being Lutheran?
As a young boy growing up in the Lutheran Church, I thought being Lutheran was about 6 or 7 things, and these were not always good:
1. Being Lutheran meant being from a German background, because everyone I met at my considerable sized Lutheran church, had German names or had married someone who had a German sounding name....
2. Being Lutheran meant sitting orderly in hard wooden pews, facing the front watching a man in a white dress (I know it is an alb... but as a young boy it looks like a dress), with a scarf...talk a lot.
3. Being Lutheran meant not liking other church denominations or saying they were not quite right...yes, because of sport, I had friends who went to other Christian churches, but when it came to religion, we didn't really mix...we did our thing, and they did theirs.
4. Being Lutheran meant participating in a worship service where I was told what to say, even though I didn't completely understand it, or it used words I would never use elsewhere.
5. Being Lutheran meant not being overly emotional, unless you disagreed with something or someone.
6. Being Lutheran meant aiming to pass confirmation, by repeating verbatim the catechism and some bible verses so I could fully participate in worship by drinking some wine and eating some white wafer.
7. Being Lutheran meant having people who I knew in the community because I saw them at church.
What about you growing up, what is being Lutheran meant for you...good and bad?
Then overtime by being part of the Lutheran church I began to see and understand that being Lutheran was about something deeper...something more spiritual....and about a different approach to life than how many people in society lived....and that being Lutheran meant I was Christian....
Martin Luther, the person who has inspired the Lutheran Church for many years, as he tussled with being a Christian...by looking at the people in the church and looking at the bible....discovered an important focus on being a Christian and therefore a Lutheran...a key but not the only text, that opened up his understanding of what it means to be a Christian and therefore a Lutheran....is found in Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (NIV)
I am proud of the good news! It is God’s powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The good news tells how God accepts everyone who has faith, but only those who have faith. It is just as the Scriptures say, “The people God accepts because of their faith will live.” (CEV)
Being a Lutheran is about the Gospel, that God is doing the saving and heavy lifting so all people (not some) can be saved through faith....
How does this affect your understanding of being Lutheran?
2023 - Prepared by Pastor Richard Schwedes
you can use this for devotional and ministry purposes freely
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Books: The Gospel Coalition Commentary Series FREE
The Gospel Coalition is offering a free online commentary series with the following focus:
Modern - Modern commentaries address a significant array of new questions facing pastors and teachers since Matthew Henry completed his commentaries on the Bible in 1710. Many modern commentaries exist to fit this need.
Understandable - Whole swaths of modern commentaries are written for academics, those with formal theological training and facility with the original languages. Helpful commentaries for lay leaders, rising elders, and the majority of global pastors who lack facility with Hebrew and Greek are sparse.
Trustworthy - Where you find modern and understandable commentaries, you’re likely to encounter a mixed bag of trustworthy and untrustworthy volumes. Some are self-published. Others are churned out by cults. Immense trust springs from resources with publicly stated theological presuppositions, a rule of faith that garners confidence from others who walk within the same long-standing tradition.
Accessible - Can it be translated or retranslated without onerous rights and permissions? Can pastors-in-training receive digital or printed copies without violation of the law? Is it easily available online in a mobile-friendly, paywall-free environment?
To review the commentary series visit https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/commentary/
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Book: Future Church - 7 laws of real church growth
Church growth models have often been long on promises and short on disciple-making. We continue to watch consistent church attendance shrink, and our desire to reach the lost is infected with a need for self-validation by growing our numbers at any cost. If we believe that God wants his church to grow, where do we go from here? What is the future of the church?
Drawing from his 20 years and 15,000 hours of consulting, author Will Mancini shares with pastors and ministry leaders the single most important insight he has learned about church growth. With plenty of salient stories and based solidly on the disciple-making methods found in Scripture, Future Church exposes the church's greatest challenge today, and offers 7 transforming laws of real church growth so that we can faithfully and joyfully fulfill Jesus's Great Commission.
Chapters
- Real church growth starts with a culture of mission, not worship.
- Real church growth is powered by the gospel, not relevance.
- Real church growth is validated by unity, not numbers.
- Real church growth is local, not imported.
- Real church growth is about growing people, not managing programs.
- Real church growth is led by calling, not celebrity. Call every believer to engage their parish and serve God through their vocation.
- Real church growth is energized by shared imagination, not shared preference.
Friday, October 13, 2023
Resources: Israel and Palestine for a Christian and Lutheran listening and responding
Resources for a Christian and Lutheran listening to and responding to the current situation between Israel and Palestine
Statement from Patriachs and Heads of the churches in Jerusalem 7 October 2023
North American Lutheran Church - Bishops letter October 2023
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (Facebook page)
Prayers for peace across the Middle East
ELCA Peace not Walls - issues and information
Lutheran World Federation - Statement
Lutheran Witness - Article: Whose land is it anyway?
Churches for Middle East Peace
Article: What's the Israel-Palestinian conflict about and how did it start?
Article: Why did Hamas invade Israel?
Saturday, October 07, 2023
Mission edged Tracts from Lutheran Tract Mission
Lutheran Tract Mission has recently produced some tracts for situations which people in mission are encountering now.
'A Mission-Edge Tract' produced for those
questioning God's care for the world and the environment.
'A Mission-Edge Tract' produced for those
struggling with their faith and their relationship with Jesus.
'A Mission-Edge Tract' produce for those
questioning their identity and their beliefs and where they fit in society and God's family
A Mission-Edge Tract' produced for those struggling with where God is in their life
'A Mission-Edge Tract' for those struggling with who Jesus is
and why do we celebrate a baby's birth at Christmas
For these and many other tracts visit Lutheran Tract Mission
Friday, October 06, 2023
2024 Australian Christian Diary
The 2024 Australian Christian Diary is now available
This popular Australian Christian Diary contains the following:
- Lectionary Bible reading for each day
- All Church Year festivals
- Week to an opening,
- Monthly planner
- Australian holidays and school terms
Thursday, October 05, 2023
Life to life discipleship movement
Life to life discipleship movement is an initiative of the North American Lutheran Church to help people and congregations to renew their commitment to our Lord’s commission to make disciples, and to reaffirm their desire to become the fulfillment of his commandment that we love one another as he Has loved us?
To discover more visit https://nalclifetolife.org/
They provide a discipleship manual that covers the following:
Prayer: The Heart of Discipleship
The Discipleship Guide Training Experience
- Following Jesus: What is a Disciple?
- The Importance of Intentionality
- What is a Discipleship Guide?
- How to Have a Discipling Conversation
- The Importance of Asking Questions
Practicum: Going Deeper
- Faith Life
- Priorities
- Family Life
- Finances
- Health and Wellness
- Boundaries
- Servant Leadership
- Moving Forward with Intentional Discipleship
Book: Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture
In Biblical Critical Theory, Christopher Watkin shows how the Bible and its unfolding story help us make sense of modern life and culture.
Critical theories exist to critique what we think we know about reality and the social, political, and cultural structures in which we live. In doing so, they make visible the values and beliefs of a culture in order to scrutinize and change them.
Biblical Critical Theory exposes and evaluates the often-hidden assumptions and concepts that shape late-modern society, examining them through the lens of the biblical story running from Genesis to Revelation, and asking urgent questions like:
- How does the Bible's storyline help us understand our society, our culture, and ourselves?
- How do specific doctrines help us engage thoughtfully in the philosophical, political, and social questions of our day?
- How can we analyze and critique culture and its alternative critical theories through Scripture?
Informed by the biblical-theological structure of Saint Augustine's magisterial work The City of God (and with extensive diagrams and practical tools), Biblical Critical Theory shows how the patterns of the Bible's storyline can provide incisive, fresh, and nuanced ways of intervening in today's debates on everything from science, the arts, and politics to dignity, multiculturalism, and equality. You'll learn the moves to make and the tools to use in analyzing and engaging with all sorts of cultural artifacts and events in a way that is both biblically faithful and culturally relevant.
It is not enough for Christians to explain the Bible to the culture or cultures in which we live. We must also explain the culture in which we live within the framework and categories of the Bible, revealing how the whole of the Bible sheds light on the whole of life.
If Christians want to speak with a fresh, engaging, and dynamic voice in the marketplace of ideas today, we need to mine the unique treasures of the distinctive biblical storyline.
AI for churches and ministry
AI is the latest buzz term in society....
- but what is it?
- will it have a positive or negative affect on churches and their ministries?
- Could it lead to change?
- How can we use it well?
These and other questions pastors, church leaders and congregational members are asking and wondering.
The following is a list of some resources to help you explore AI and how to use it for ministry
Article: What is artificial intelligence? by TechTarget
Article: Pastors: Lead Not Your Church into Fear of AI
Article: Christians shouldn't fear AI
Article: As a Christian, I Went Down the AI Rabbit Hole. Here Are 12 Things I Discovered
Article: Is AI a threat to Christianity? (The Atlantic)
Article: AI And Christianity: Navigating The Intersection Of Technology And Faith In Ministry Work.
Article: A Christian response to artificial intelligence
Podcast: Artificial Intelligence in the church
Podcast: AI for churches Podcast
Videocast: A conversation on how churches can get started with AI
Video: Theology of Artificial Intelligence
Video: AI, Man and God
Video: A report on a AI Church Service
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Pastoral Resources for ministering when our community is divided
At present there seems to be a movement, in Western Society at least, of people gathering together in tribes, holding onto positions very strongly to the detriment of their relationships with others and even God. And this is leading us to being a divided community.
- So how do we minister and respond as Christians when division arises?
- How do we care for our Christian communities?
- How do keep focussed on the mission God has given us, of sharing the Gospel and making disciples of all nations?
Ministering and being focussed on God's mission is not easy. It is even more difficult when the community is divided, yet it is our call to be ONE as missionaries and disciples of Jesus.
Listen to God through St Paul challenging the early church in Philippi
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:1-5)
Now this sounds great until there is an issue where we differ with someone on. And the church has not always handled being ONE well. Sometimes our solution to being one has been to reduce the number of people who are part of the church to only those who agree on all issues we agree on. Other times we have put stringent and strict rules in place to force people, to at least on the surface to act as one, but often this has resulted in a loving unity of spirit not being present. Other times we have simply ignored the issues that are causing disputes, even though some people are hurting and need care.
Yet God does call us to be a community that
- is diverse (all nations),
- cares for and loves all people (people inside and outside the church)
- keeps focussed on sharing the Good News of Jesus and helps people grow as disciples
And these 3 things combined can at times lead to disunity and division. So the following resources hopefully help us be a community of faith
Articles
Living Lutheran - Facing divisive issues in the Beloved Community
Carey Nieuwhof - An open letter to pastos in divisive times
Melbourne Anglicans - On divisive issues we should listen to Paul
Christians for Social action - Divisive Issues as Spiritual Practice
Crossways - In a Divisive World Your Values Reveal Your God
4 things Christians can do in a divisive political time
Christian Unity in a divisive world
Embodying faith in a divisive age
Books
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Book: Canoeing the Mountains
Over 100,000 Copies Sold Worldwide!
Canoeing the mountains is a book to help Christian leaders to prepare for leading their church and ministries into the future.
Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. They had originally canoed up a waterway, and expected this waterway to continue all the way to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains, with no water way. So what got them to where they were was not going to help them for the next part of the journey. You too may fe
el that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along.
Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world.
If you're going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools. Now expanded with a study guide, this book will set you on the right course to lead with confidence and courage.
Reviews
Lutheran Church Workers
Monday, September 11, 2023
The Voice: Christian perspectives
On 14 October 2023 the people of Australia are being asked to vote on the following question
“A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
Do you approve this proposed alteration?”
The following information has been shared by various Christian Communities and organisations to assist us in prayerfully and purposely considering our vote
Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand - discussion guide
Anglican Church of Australia - articles and opinions from various dioceses and agencies
Roman Catholic Church of Australia - Australia Catholic Bishops Conference
Roman Catholic Church of Australia - One journey together
Baptists - Justice for first nations
As we become aware of more resources from Christian organisations relating to the voice this list will be updated,
ONLINE SEMINAR: A Christian critical theory?
New College Lectures - A Christian Critical Theory?
Tuesday 10 October, 2023-Thursday 12 October 20237:30 pm-9:30 pm
In Person and online at New College
Free
Overview
How we understand the world is influenced by our background and experiences. For each of us, there will be some things that grab our attention, others we overlook, some things that we celebrate, others we condemn. Critical theories describe and develop these sensitivities, allowing us to see things that were previously hidden, giving us a sense of how the world works, and showing us how to make it better.
In recent decades feminist, postcolonial, race and queer theories have played an important role in shaping mainstream public discourse and policy. But what happens if we let the Bible, with its own distinctive emphases and outlook, fashion a critical approach to modern society? Associate Professor Christopher Watkin will explore this question in his 2023 New College Lecture series, as he discusses some of the unique, fresh, and often surprising insights to be drawn from a biblical critical theory.
Event Program:
Lecture 1: Origin (Tuesday, 10th October)
The stories we tell about human origins often say more about us, the ones telling those stories, than they do about our ancestors. This lecture analyses some of the prominent stories late modernity tells itself about the human past, comparing them to the Bible's account of human origins and evaluating how different stories seek to account for the complexities of human life and experience.
Lecture 2: Identity (Wednesday, 11th October)
No single question is more important to our late modern consciousness than "who am I?" Haunting and tantalizing in equal measure, it drives the plot of our films and books, fills our academic libraries, and sometimes even keeps us awake at night. Through contrasting prominent modern responses to that question with an account of identity drawn from the Bible, this lecture shows how different ways of understanding who we are have great power to shape our lives.
Lecture 3: Destiny (Thursday, 12th October)
Just as the final chapter of a novel or the final scene of a film can change our understanding of everything that came before it, no account of human life is complete or stable without a sense of human destiny. This lecture looks at some of the most influential modern theories of humanity's future alongside the biblical account of the last things, showing how different ideas of human destiny yield radically diverse ways of living in the world.
Children's Ministry Curriculum - GROW KIDS
A Lectionary based Children’s Ministry curriculum
GROW Kids provides a lesson plan for each Sunday of the Church year. This resource allows you to GROW Kids in knowing Jesus and his love through story telling, worship and service.
GROW Kids understands that groups of children that gather for a children’s ministry program are often small and that the ages vary. This resource provides opportunities for you to tailor the sessions to suit your audience. The creative response is a suggestion, if you have a better idea, please feel free to make whatever tweaks and changes you need to meet the needs of the children in your group.
Visit the site to download an example
Current cost is $50 (Australian) for the year - downloadable
Book: This is most certainly true - learning Jesus Christ through Luther's Small Catechism
This is most certainly true - learning Jesus Christ through Luther's Small Catechism
Dr Mark Worthing
This is most certainly true is an engagement with Luther's Small Catechism that helps us discover Jesus Christ for today's context, with a biblical focus. Dr Worthing discusses more deeply in an easy to digest manner each section of the catechism and their relevance for knowing Jesus, life and faith.
This book is ideal for:
- Anyone new to the Christian faith or Lutheranism
- Confirmation instruction
- New Members classes
- Small groups looking to review or renew their faith
- Resource for worship and sermons
- Devotional resource
Reviews and recommendations
"This clear, lively engagement with Luther's Small Catechism grows you in faith, while at the same time helping you to reflection what this means for daily living. Ideal for small groups focused on discipleship." Robert Bartholomaeus - Bishop, Lutheran Church of Australia, NSW & ACT
"This is Most Certainly True highlights beautifully the brilliance of Martin Luther's Small Catechism. [It] reminds us how relevant and applicable Luther's Small Catechism still is today and how it cuts through to the basic simple truths of God's love for us, and how we can live a purposeful and meaningful life." Carolyn Teusner, mother and carer
"Dr Worthing;s explanation of Luther's Small Catechism clears up much confusion surrounding Christian faith and values today with a clear presentation of the message of the gospel. It will be of great help both to Church leaders, including clergymen/women, and to everyday believers seeking uphold professional and moral standards and to live as people of faith." Peter Garang Deng, educator
"Not having been brought up in a Christian family, this book was a wonderful inspiration for me and will benefit anyone wanting a better understanding of the essentials of the Bible. It is a clearly written and concise analysis of Luther's Small Catechism and will appeal to those wanting to learn more about Lutheran doctrine as well as Christianity generally. This is Most Certainly True is a powerful tool for the Christian life which I highly recommend." Peter Geyer, lawyer
Australian Christian Resources
Book: Resilient Pastor by Glen Packiam
How can pastors become resilient in a rapidly changing world? Is it possible to love well and lead faithfully? In the wake of crises that have exposed and accelerated massive cultural shifts, we see more clearly the seismic shifts of post-Christendom, the surging storms of a new paganism and pluralism, and the scattered debris of the cultural aftermath.
Drawing on new research from the Barna Group, Scripture, and church history, pastor, theologian, and researcher Glenn Packiam addresses some of the most pressing questions for today's leaders, including
- What is a pastor's calling and vocation?
- How do church leaders regain credibility in a disillusioned world?
- How do church leaders cultivate a deeper life with God?
- How do pastors develop meaningful relationships?
- Why does the church gather in worship? Does it still matter if we do?
- How do we actually make disciples in this new landscape?
- How can we face the challenges to unity presented by nationalism and racism?
- What is the church's mission in the world?
- How do we welcome the presence and power of God in our churches?
This book is for all who are burdened by the challenges facing the church as well as the turbulence of our times. With infographics, enlightening data, and insights from other ministry leaders, this book is the perfect resource for church leaders who want to cultivate resilience in their ministry today.
Available from
Australian Christian Resources
Thursday, January 19, 2023
Reading the bible with a mission lens
Reading the bible with a mission lens is about engaging with God and His word, that leads us into being part of His mission in the world.
A good way to do this is by reflecting on and responding to 5 key questions as you read a passage of scripture.
- What is this passage saying about who God is?
- What is this passage saying about who you are?
- What is this passage saying about God's relationship with you (and others those in and outside His church)?
- How is this passage encouraging you to be part of the Body of Christ, God's church?
- How is this passage encouraging you (and others who are part of the Body of Christ) to engage with people who are in your community or you will cross paths with?
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