Victoria Tasmania District of the Lutheran Church of Australia

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

Search Results for: pastor

Our Mission

Our Mission

As a community of faith we seek to further what we recognise in our congregational constitutions as the objects of the Church.

The Districts of the LCA have the same priorities as the national church: to 'grow as God's people' and to 'go as God's people'. These priorities are applied locally within their regional contexts.

a summary might be

“We want people to see the love, grace, forgiveness and compassion of Jesus Christ coming to them through every place and every person in our church."

To glorify the Triune God by living as witnesses to Jesus Christ

To gather all people who want a relationship with Christ

To celebrate the spiritual disciplines.

To enable all people to recognise and utilise their God given gifts and to enable outreach, joining together to build the Kingdom of God

To live as a witness to Jesus Christ

To gather all people who want a relationship with God

To help members work with their God given gifts

to enable outreach and join together to build the kingdom of God

 

District Church Council

District Church Council

District Church Council (DCC) is the governance body for the Victoria – Tasmania District. Additionally, two sub-committees report to the Council, to provide additional advice to the Council for decision-making purposes. The two sub-committees are:

  • Finance, Audit and Risk
  • People and Strategy

DCC discusses and approves the major financial and policy decisions that impact the Victoria – Tasmania District.

Click HERE for DCC Terms of Reference.

Click HERE for the DCC Strategic Directions 2020 - 2024

Click HERE for the DCC Strategic Directions 2016 -2020

 

DCC Members

Current membership:

  • Tony Vong (Chair)
  • Pastor Lester Priebbenow (Bishop)
  • Pastor Matthias Prenzler (Assistant Bishop)
  • Katie Lang (Vice-Chair)
  • Michael Presser
  • Sonia Weidenbach
  • Adam Zibell
  • Pastor Matthew Huckel
  • Sabine Haeusler (Chair MMC)

Consultants to DCC:

  • Stephen Mildred (District Administrator)
  • Pastor Brett Kennett (Pastor for Congregational Support)
  • Colin Minke (Executive Director LEVNT)

Each year, DCC members meet with other leaders and representatives in our District at the annual Strategy Day. In some years, DCC also meet with congregational leadership (on a rolling geographical basis) as part of their scheduled meetings.

DCC meeting schedule* for 2025:

  • 6 February (videoconference)
  • 28 March (F2F)
  • 9 May (F2F)
  • 10 May - Strategy Day
  • 26 June (videoconference)
  • 16 August (tbc)
  • 23 October (videoconference)
  • 28 November (F2F)

*Meeting dates may be subject to change.

Congregational Support

Congregational Support

The district supports the mission and ministry of its congregations in a number of ways and provides services directly where these are beyond the ability of individual congregations.

Pastor Brett Kennett, District Pastor for Congregational Support, together with lay worker Erin Grainger, acts as a consultant to congregations, encourages and challenges them in their mission and ministry, and assists the district bishop in his oversight of congregations. Management of these and other ministries is given to the Council for Ministry Support and its committees.

Pastor Brett assists congregations in clarifying their mission and in remaining healthy and hospitable. Three key questions for congregations in clarifying their mission are:

  • Who are we? (identity)
  • What are we here for? (purpose)
  • Who is our neighbour? (context)

Pastor Brett is available to meet with pastors and congregations to reflect on their mission and ministry, and to clarify ways to implement their mission in their context into the future.

Useful tools in this area include:

A current project supported by the District Pastor for Congregational Support is the Eastern Region Review (ERR). The full report and a summary can be found below
ERR October 2021 Full Report
ERR October 2021 Summary Report

Congregational Support

Pastor Brett Kennett
(03) 9236 1230

Erin Grainger
(03) 9236 1241

District Vacancy and Calls

District Pastor Vacancy and Calls

Pastoral Care Training and Supervision

Pastoral Care Training and Supervision

Pastoral care training

District Pastor Gordon Wegener can provide training courses in the basics of pastoral care for people in your congregation who provide this to others, for example, elders and lay assistants. The course also covers areas such as listening, story, loss and grief, hospital visiting and care of the aged.

Caregivers, be they ordained or lay workers, will be encouraged and will gain confidence along with good, practical guidelines on how to effectively bear Christ into the pain and sorrow of the people to whom they are privileged to minister.

Pastoral supervision

Pastor Gordon is an accredited pastoral supervisor with the Australasian Association of Supervision (AAoS) and provides pastoral supervision for those engaged in pastoral ministry. Please contact him for inquiries regarding reflection on ministry and pastoral development.

Pastoral Care Training and Supervision

Pastor Gordon Wegener
gordon.wegener@lca.org.au
0412 200 946

YouTube and Social Media Connection

YouTube and Social Media Connection

This page is a sharing page. It includes a sample of social media posts and clips that pastors and lay workers have created to support the community during social isolation. Other items can be shared here at the district’s discretion.

The Lutheran Church of Australia’s (LCA) Social Media webpage – covers policy, including Social Media Guidelines and Standards of Ethical Behaviour

Holy Trinity LC Horsham – Lynda Henstridge general update and encouragement

Morning Prayer – from Pastor Matthias Prenzler from St Paul’s Lutheran Church Shepparton

Pastoral message – from Pastor David Wear to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Hamilton community 23 March 2020

Daily prayer points – from The Lutheran magazine. Each edition of The Lutheran magazine contains a calendar of daily prayer points. Follow the LCA on Facebook for daily prayer points and more

Daily prayer points – from Outer Eastern Lutheran Church

Employment and Volunteer Opportunities

Employment and Volunteer Opportunities

Positions available in Lutheran congregations and agencies can be publicised here. Please email the district office with brief details on the role including the title, time fraction, and location, plus contact details and applications close date. A short advertisement can also be included.

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

Grants and Trusts

Grants and Trusts

There are several Grants and Trusts available to congregations of the Lutheran Church of Australia to establish or enhance the mission and ministry programs.

Mission Stimulus Grant

What would you change in your community? The grant aims to enable Congregations to set aside financial worries and focus on exploring new and innovative ways of connecting with their local communities through mission and outreach.
Dare to dream!

  • How? Create an initiative, expand on an idea or concept that has been dreamed about, but not thought possible because of the lack of resources or cost.
    Celebrate being changemakers!
  • Who? The grant is open for applications from all Vic/Tas congregations/parishes as well as to collaborative projects between congregations/parishes.
  • Do it! A plan is essential. This needs to take the form of a practical proposal for real action in local mission using a budget of $25,000 (or more, if additional funds could be raised locally).

Congregation and Migrant Ministry Support Facilitator
Erin Grainger
03 9236 1241
erin.grainger@lca.org.au

The 2019 Mission Stimulus Grant process will open in the second quarter of 2019. Standby for more information and an application form or email Erin now.

Lutheran Welfare Trust

The Lutheran Welfare Trust was created to contribute towards the support or establishment of welfare projects primarily within the Lutheran Church. This Trust is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient, and as an Income Exempt Charitable Entity.

The Trust was established to provide relief to those who are in necessitous circumstances, which according to the Commissioner of Taxation definition, involves some degree of poverty. To the extent possible, the Trustees take a broad approach to this definition, although the Trustees must still be bound by the description. Careful consideration should be given to this definition in the application for funds.

In 2017, the Trust distributed $15,200 to organizations within the Victorian District, for aged care and refugee support projects.

The Trustees are seeking applications for the funding of welfare related projects that are tax deductible, not for specific individual welfare cases. Application forms are available on request.

Pastor for  Service and Witness
Gordon Wegener
0412 200 946
gordon.wegener@lca.org.au

Applications for the 2020 Lutheran Welfare Trust will open mid 2020 and will be advertised on this website, District News and District eNews.

 

 

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.