Victoria Tasmania District of the Lutheran Church of Australia

1201 Riversdale Road
Box Hill South VIC 3128
Phone 03 9236 1200

Search Results for: camps

District Campsites

District Campsites

Lutheran Camps have been a vital part of the district's ministry for many years. Camps are an ideal way to build new relationships and strengthen and renew old ones.

The district have oversight over two Camps located in Anglesea and Halls Gap. Araluen Lutheran Camp, located in Anglesea can accommodate up to 150 individuals and is undergoing a substantial extension at the present time. Tandara Lutheran Camp in Halls Gap has recently celebrated 50 years of Camping Ministry. Tandara Camp offers an annual Intern program.

The two Lutheran camps offer a variety of regular camps open to all but focusing on special interests like:

  • 500 cards camp – play 500 all weekend
  • UFO camp – bring your unfinished (craft) objects
  • Family camp
  • Kids camp

The camps also host district and churchwide LCA events, such as youth and young adult camps, Grassroots Training, Lutheran Women of Victoria retreats, and Lutheran Men of Victoria 'Men Led by God' camps to name a few.

Steve Burger and Darren Linke are the managers of Araluen and Tandara respectively. Darren writes '...camping ministry here at Tandara is one which I love and certainly brings a new dimension to every new day. To be able to see God working with and through the people who come here as well as the staff and my family is amazing. God has certainly blessed Tandara and I can’t wait to see where and how God will work next.'

Find out more below.

Araluen Lutheran Camp Anglesea
Tandara Luthern Camp Halls Gap

Bishop Lester’s message

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Bishop Lester Priebbenow

Bishop Lester's message

 

Welcome to the Victorian Tasmanian District of the Lutheran Church of Australia. Our District includes Congregations, Schools, Camps, Aged Care Centres and a Community Store. There are around 8,000 baptized members across Victoria and Tasmania, worshipping in a variety of congregational settings across 42 parishes.

Our members are from all walks of life, and each congregation has it's own identity. Yet we are still one under Christ, and our understanding that it is '..because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Eph 2:4-5).'

The District Office staff support the congregations, schools, and other entities to carry out their mission and ministry. If you cannot find the information you are looking for on the website please call the office on 03 9236 1200.

In his service

Pastor Lester Priebbenow
District Bishop Victoria and Tasmania
Lutheran Church of Australia

Sermon Pentecost 13 for Sunday 30 August
based on Matthew 16; 21-28

from Pastor Lester Priebbenow
District Bishop

Coming Events

Coming Events

Your events can be publicised here. Please email the district office with brief details about the event, including location, time, date, registration information and a supporting flyer (if applicable).

Lutheran Men of Victoria

Lutheran Men of Victoria

Lutheran Men of Victoria (LMV) welcomes men of all ages. The group regularly gathers around the word of God in study and fellowship.

LMV also supports various projects, including Lutheran Media Ministry, Men in the Ministry and Trans World Radio Cambodia.

Members include:

  • Trevor Geer (president)
  • Eric Horneman (vice president)
  • Ross Roll (treasurer)
  • Pastor Levi Graham (spiritual advisor)

Lutheran Men of Victoria holds two camps each year: a retreat (usually in March) and the 'Men Led by God' camp in August. Both are generally held at Tandara Lutheran Camp, Halls Gap.

For more information about upcoming events of Lutheran Men of Victoria, please visit the Coming Events page or contact the District Office.

ABOUT US

Please support us

This link takes you to our LCA online donation site, where you can pay securely via credit card.

About Us

The Lutheran Church dates back to the Reformation in the 16th century when Martin Luther challenged some of the teachings and practices of the church of his day. Luther insisted that the Bible is the authority that decides what the church should teach and do.

The Lutheran Church is one of the world’s major Christian churches, with 70 million members worldwide.

Across Australia, about 170,000 people call themselves Lutherans. In Australia, more than 600 congregations join together as the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA).

In the words of the classic Lutheran summary of faith, we believe that we are saved ‘by grace, for Christ’s sake, through faith’. In other words, there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favour or to gain eternal life. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has won all this and more for us. We also believe that only the Bible is the source of inspiration and teaching.

The Victoria – Tasmania District is a synod made up of pastors and delegates from over 70 congregations who meet in convention every two years.

The Victorian District including Tasmania has 42 parishes and 83 congregations and preaching places, with 51 called pastors, and 21 retired pastors.

The district is also served by part-time and full-time lay workers, some fully accredited by the LCA. There are approximately 35 lay workers across Victoria and Tasmania. All congregations are also supported by paid and volunteer lay people across the areas of finance, administration, hospitality, and governance.

There are many Lutheran-operated agencies in Victoria and Tasmania including schools, aged care, camps and a community store.

The Fall and Rise of Victorian Lutheran Camps

In late February 2021, just before the fourth (of six) Victorian COVID lockdowns, the major renovation and expansion of the Araluen Lutheran Camp’s  hall and new kitchen (at Anglesea) was completed at a then cost of $2.6m. it would now be $3.64m given material and labour cost increases!

We managed to host just 2 camps during 18 months from mid-March 2020 through to early October 2021.  We had a brilliant new camp, and effectively no customers for 18 months.  Despite some job-keeper assistance in quarter one of 2021, we lost $250k in 2021.  We did manage to honour our commitment and kept all key personnel on staff during the harrowing 18 months – fortunately much of the work was done on the grounds preparation both pre and post the build.

In 2022, we welcomed over 10,000 guests! Camping came back with a bumper year, thanks in part to the Victorian Government’s Positive Start Program for schools that hadn’t had a camp in the last 3 years to be able to do so.  This has meant we had a strong performance in 2022 – at Araluen, we made a surplus equivalent to the previous year’s loss ($260k), and repaid some short-term loans.

Amazingly, Tandara Lutheran Camp at Halls Gap mange to break-even in both 2020 and 2021, thanks to regional folks being able to camp for much of the time (and willing to do so, unlike our city cousins), also with thanks to Job-Keeper assistance.  In 2022, thanks to camping being back in full swing and the Positive Start program, we achieved a surplus of $207k.  This has helped Tandara now become debt free.

At both camps we have been able to survive and grow. We give thanks for our dedicated and hardworking camp teams, led by Darren Linke at Araluen (formerly the Tandara manager) and Justin Cozens at Tandara.

As a result of the unusually strong year in 2022 due to the Positive Start program, we have been able to self-fund the cost of installing reverse-cycle air-conditioning in all of the dormitories at both camps!  The work at Tandara has just been completed, with the works at Araluen expected to be completed in August – ahead of summer.

Our lord has truly blessed us.

Please click on either of these two links to have a “fly-through” of each camp; you can pause by clicking your mouse.

Araluen [scroll down to 360 Virtual Tour]

Tandara [scroll down to 360 Virtual Tour]

We still have some available dates in 2023 and 2024, so we would welcome new and returning campers to our improved facilities – both sites provide full catering.  The minimum group size is 40 persons off-peak, and 60 persons during peak season (Oct-Nov and late Jan to Easter).

There are special prices for Lutheran schools and Lutheran congregation and social groups receive a 20% discount. Spiritual (Lutheran) camps receive a 30% discount.

There is also a luxury self-contained “shack” available at Araluen for 12-21 people, although over 12 in the living room at once would be squeezy – for this reason the rates are around 50% of a holiday home with four bedrooms with ensuites and air-conditioning. For more details or bookings, contact the camp team on the website link above.

LYV Kid’s Camp Coordinators Needed

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS – Kids Camp Coordinators

A Little History:
For as long as anyone can remember, Youth and Young Adults of the Lutheran Youth of Victoria (formally Luther League) have run Christian Life Weeks (CLW), Easter Camps (EC), Western Zone, Central Zone, Metro Zone, ReUnite Camps, and any manner of other Camps. This is a fantastic legacy.

Also, for as long as anyone can remember, the Staff of Araluen & Tandara have run a yearly ‘Kids Camp’ with the help of volunteers and supporters from the surrounding local congregations. But importantly the camp managers, firstly Charlie & Cheryl Reif and recently Darren & Kerry Linke, under their own steam, have organised and ran this vital ministry event for pre-teens/tween-agers, introducing them to the fun, community building, and personally stretching ministry that is Camps Ministry. This, too, is a great legacy, which has helped so many young people develop and grow in their faith over the years.

Sadly, the staff at Tandara and Araluen have recently needed to set aside this ministry and focus on the day to day running of these two great camp facilities that we have been blessed with over the last 50+ years. May they continue to grow and bless the groups they host onsite.

As such, the current LYV committee have decided to pick up Kids Camp and officially bring it in under the LYV Banner. They see exciting potential for this age group to meet God through retreat(ing) to a safe place and being introduced to a Christ-centred community that will grow with them through their teenage years and into their young adulthood. A place where they can build relationships with God and other like-minded peers and mentors that can last a lifetime.

Current Needs:
This is where you come in. We need a small team (4-6 people) to tackle the unique challenges/opportunities that this age group presents. You already have the passion, and you have a unique skill set that would undoubtedly benefit the ministry/mission opportunity that Kids Camp can be, going forward. Skills in publicity, administration, building engaging programs for tweenagers (activities/worship/studies), and/or networking.

This is an intergenerational venture – whatever age you are [>30, 30+, 40+, 50+, etc…] , we want you on the team! We do not believe that you ‘age out’ of Camp Ministry.  There are 2 of us so far. 😊

Just a little interested? Think this might be tap on the shoulder God’s been whispering to you about?
Talk to someone you know who is involved with LYV. Or contact me (Jon Westphal) directly.

A little bit about me: I grew up in the Victorian District and discovered a heart for Camp Ministry as a leader on CLW’s. That was some decades ago, and I haven’t stopped being an advocate for Camp Ministry since. I believe the Camp environment offers opportunities for young people to meet God and deepen their relationship with him in a safe place outside of their usual comfort zones.  It is this belief that has led me to picking up Kids Camp where Araluen & Tandara have left off. I would love to work with any like-minded people to continue to build and grow Camp Ministry here in Victoria… yes… even in the messy-ness.

PS: Come to LYV’s 60th Anniversary, September 18-20, 2026 – I’ll be there. Let’s chat about the possibilities! 😊

LCAVD Strategy Review

Leaders from across our Vic-Tas District came together on Saturday 9 May for our annual Strategy Morning, to share and discuss their thoughts on the strategic direction for our District. Participants included representatives from the Ministry and Mission Council (MMC), Lutheran Youth Victoria (LYV), Lutheran Education Vic, NSW/ACT, Tas (LEVNT), and our Camps.

The morning began by capturing the purpose of the time together, which included:

  • Discern the Holy Spirit’s plan for us / our District
  • Clarify and confirm our work
  • Hear updates on accomplishments over the last 12 months
  • A space to encourage flexibility and ability to adapt
  • Share observations and experiences, to better understand the current state of the District
  • Understand and deepen partnerships between various groups (incl. schools, camps, youth/young adults) and the District

Informative updates were presented by Pastor Brett Kennett (Congregation Support and Acting Bishop), Sabine Haeusler (MMC), Michael Benbow (LYV), Colin Minke (LEVNT), and Stephen Mildred (District Church Council Secretary).

After a time of fellowship over morning tea, DCC Chair, Tony Vong, led the group in a review of the Vic-Tas Strategic Plan.  This plan helps to guide District Church Council on where and how to focus attention and energy in support of the ministry of the Congregations and Parishes in our District.

We thank all of the participants for the gift of their time and energies, to support the District Church Council in setting, reviewing and realising the strategic directions for the District.

Photo: Strategy Day participants.

LYV Gala Night Review

The LYV held its inaugural Gala in August. Being the first time we have run this event, we were delighted with the success. The event was to raise awareness of what the LYV does and raise some funds to support youth ministry. Janelle who works at Light FM was our guest speaker. She spoke warmly about how LYV had a positive impact on her life and helped her grow. We also heard from Ross Smith, CEO LLL on the work they do and how they are able to assist youth ministry. We are grateful for all the support they give LYV.

Our different camps and events coordinators presented on what is happening in the LYV. The night was filled with great decorations, delicious food, great company and lots of fun. A raffle ensured that extra funds were raised and lots of prizes were on offer. Many commented how much they enjoyed catching up with old friends and reminiscing about fun times in the LYV. The Gala looks to be a permanent feature on the LYV calendar. We thank LLL for their continued support and also attending the Gala. The money raised will go to assisting campers who may be struggling financially to be able to attend camps.

       

Photos provided by Emilie-Rae Woodhead

Lutheran Youth of Victoria (LYV) Update

The Lutheran Youth of Victoria committees and leaders spent a weekend in November at Araluen Lutheran Camp in Anglesea. The weekend was mostly fun and relaxation, however some time was spent reviewing the ministry of the past year and planning for the future. It gave the LYV committee great feedback and has encouraged us for the future of youth ministry.

So, what’s been happening this year? Empower, Easter Camp, CLW Purple, CLW Orange, two church crash events, and a Leaders retreat. Some major movements in LYV this year have been the name change from CYYAM back to LYV, and making stronger connections with Lutheran Education. The name change was decided as CYYAM was not very well known, and people didn’t understand our purpose. With this rebranding, we have also released some great merchandise – maybe you’ve seen our beanies, hoodies or drink bottles. Connecting with Lutheran Education is an exciting initiative. We have already found this valuable and are endeavouring to make better connections with students in our schools.

After many years of service, Kerry Linke finished as our facilitator during the year. A decision was recently made, together with the District, to leave this position vacant as we restructure. We sincerely thank Kerry for all of her work and time supporting and assisting LYV.

Some of the issues identified preventing youth from attending events are the lack of youth groups and cost of living. Many congregations no longer have youth groups, and we are looking at ways to overcome this, as previously youth groups fed into our camps. We are also aware that the cost of living is making it hard for many parents to send their children on camp – we are blessed that some congregations and wonderful individuals have reached out to help us support youth with the costs of attending camp. For example, in the last year we were able to support some of our youth in Tasmania to come to camp by paying for their flights, so it only cost them the same as our Victorian youth to get to camp. If you are finding camps costs a struggle, please reach out to us for support.

We are excited about upcoming events in 2024! Our next event is Summer Camp at Araluen, on 19th to 22nd January at Araluen in Anglesea, for high school aged youth. Get your registration in now! Follow the link: HERE

Events for 2024
Summer Camp:   19th – 22nd January
Empower:             17th February
Church Crash:      18th February
Easter Camp:       28th March – 1st April
CLW Purple:        (Jul School Holidays)
CLW Orange:       (Sept School Holidays)
Leaders Retreat:  (November)

If you would like any more information, please contact LYV Chairperson, Michael ‘Mog’ Benbow, on 0417533162, or email admin.lyv@lca.org.au