Devotion - a simple approach to the New Year

 Every year December 31 leads into January 1....the new year...

As Christians this is a good opportunity to reflect, pray, plan, act and reflect again

Reflect

On a bible reading - Isaiah 43:16-21, Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Psalm 8, Revelation 21:1-6a or Matthew 25:31-46

Greatest Commandment - How have you experienced or lived out the Greatest Commandment of loving God and loving others?

Great Commission - Who have you shared Jesus with, or invited to meet Jesus?

On your life  -  What or who can you give thanks for?   What do you need to seek forgiveness for?  What needs some attention?  What are you needing help with?

Pray

Pray about what ever pops up in your mind related to the Bible Reading, Greatest Commandment, Great Commission or Your life.   

Plan

Consider where God is calling you....and what is prompted from your prayer time, that leads into the next year. 

What practical things do you need to put into place?

Who do you need to contact and seek help, guidance or assistance from?

What changes may you need to make and need God's help with?

Put things in your diary or draw up a schedule of activities that help you? 

Act

Pray every day for God's help 

Do things that follow your plan. 

Do things in ways that help you keep connected with God, reflect God (Greatest Commandment), connect others with God (Great Commission).  

and be prepared for God to surprise you 

Worship Planning template 2024-2025

The Worship Planning template is a simple Excel tool to help pastors and worship teams in their worship planning.

The template offers the RCL readings for each Sunday and Special services, with suggestions for Invocation/Call to Worship, Confession, Creed, Lord's Prayer, Holy Communion, and Hymns/Songs (opening, praise after forgiveness, kids, post sermon/offering and sending)

The resource is designed for you to adapt for your own context

You can download the 2024-2025 Worship Planning template here

Developing a Communications Plan

 Communication is essential for ministry!!

Wendy Kuschel of St Mark's Ministries presented at the WELS Lutheran Leadership Conference 2023 on Developing a Communications plan

You can watch her presentation here

You can download her notes here

Book: Luther's Small Catechism: Missional Edition

The Small Catechism: Missional Edition is a thoughtfully crafted tool that revisits Martin Luther's original Catechism with a focus on equipping the modern Church for mission.

Tailored for individuals, families, and emerging church communities, this edition merges timeless Lutheran teachings with practical applications for daily Christian life and global evangelism. 

Through its six main parts—The Ten Commandments, The Apostles’ Creed, The Lord’s Prayer, The Sacraments, The Keys and Confession, and Daily Christian Living—it provides an accessible yet profound guide to the essentials of faith, worship, and witness.

Enhanced with reflections on Lutheran confessional theology and insights for applying these truths in diverse cultural contexts, this book serves as a resource for discipleship, teaching, and living the Gospel in today’s world.

Purchase The Small Catechism: Missional Edition today

Contemporary Lutheran Worship Songs - The Song Writer initative

The Song Writer Initiative is a resource of the Center for Worship Leaders of Concordia University Irvine, offering Contemporary Worship songs which are strongly influenced by a Lutheran approach to worship and theology.  

You can listen to and download sheet music for their recent songs at https://www.cui.edu/academicprograms/christcollege/center-for-worship-leadership/songwriter

Ordination of Men and Women - Resources

 In 2024 the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand at its National Synod over 71% of the delegates passed motions that permitted the LCANZ to ordain both men and women, and at the same time permit individual congregations to restrict their call list to males only.  

The full motion can be read here .  

This motion followed a thorough and lengthy process called Way Forward, you can read the Way Forward detailed framework here 

The decision did not happen overnight, but followed many years of biblical study, debate and discussion.  The following documents support the theological and biblical reasons for  the LCANZ choosing to ordain both men and women to the office of public ministry. 

2018 - A theological basis for the ordination of men and women

2006 - CTICR - The case for the ordination of women summary

2005 - 1 Corinthians 14:33b–38 and 1 Timothy 2:11–14 permit the ordination of women, CTICR, Lutheran Church of Australia

2004 -Controverted matters in the LCA Debate on the Ordination of Women, CTICR, Lutheran Church of Australia

2000, The Final Report of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations on the Ordination of Women, CTICR, Lutheran Church of Australia

1991, The Ordination of Women, Special Committee to the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations, Lutheran Church of Australia

More documents covering the issue of ordaining men and men are available at the LCA's web site Ordination we are listening 

The LCA NSW and ACT and NZ Districts have produced an Easy to Understand guide relating to the LCANZ decision which is available here