Victoria Tasmania District of the Lutheran Church of Australia

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

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That’s Dramatic!

Most of us have experienced Pentecost Sunday services full of dramatic impact; with dramatized readings of the Pentecost story, prayers spoken in different languages, symbols representing different nationalities, visual images of tongues of fire – even balloons, streamers or a birthday cake to symbolize the ‘birthday’ of the Christian Church.

The Day of Pentecost itself was full of dramatic impact, with the gathering of many nations, a sound like a mighty rushing wind, the appearance of what looked like tongues of fire, the speaking and hearing of the wonders of God in many languages, a powerful sermon from Peter and the conversion of many people.

Jesus told his disciples that the coming of the Holy Spirit would be full of dramatic impact for another reason, not because of the outward signs but because of the inward transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Although he would withdraw his visible presence with them, his “Helper” – the Holy Spirit – would still be among them with a life-changing message for the world and its people.

Jesus said, “when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:8-11).

That’s dramatic! People in the world would become convinced of their sin which, at its heart, is unbelief – the refusal to fear, love and trust in God above everything else.  They would be convinced that Christ alone is righteous; that he took our unrighteousness upon himself, offered his perfect righteousness to all who would trust in him, and returned to the Father having “fulfilled all righteousness”.  They would be convinced that, although we by our human nature stood condemned along with the world because of our sin, we now – by faith – share the victory of Christ over sin, death and the power of the devil.  The evil one can have no power over us.

If the outward appearance of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was dramatic, it was to draw our attention to the even more dramatic inward work of the Spirit on our hearts and lives, convincing us of the saving work of Christ and the victory of his righteousness over sin, death and the power of the devil – forever!

O Holy Spirit, convince us of our sin, your righteousness and your perfect victory over all that is evil, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Christian Life Week 2026

CLW Registrations are open for 2026!

This year’s theme is ‘Detective’. We have some exciting new activities and studies planned, and we can’t wait to get back to Tandara in Halls Gap again, from Monday 29 June to Friday 3 July.

In our studies we’re going to be looking at Christian spirituality and how we can cultivate a closer relationship with God. Throughout the week, we’ll explore practical ways to experience God in our everyday lives. We’ll spend time on prayer: looking at why God doesn’t always answer the way we expect, and how it’s okay to bring our real, raw emotions to Him. We’ll also introduce some hands-on ways to read the Bible, so it makes sense and talk about why worship and the church community are so important to our faith.

For more information, please reach out to Georgia at clw.lyv@lca.org.au.

You can register with the QR code below.

Theological Foundations – LCA Child Safety Standard 9

We regularly review our child safety progress.

God’s word urges us to continue to think about the things that are honourable, commendable and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). The protection of children certainly falls into those categories. We recognise that while God’s love for the vulnerable doesn’t change (1 Corinthians 13:13; Hebrews 13:8), our ability to enact and share God’s love will not be perfect on this side of eternity (Philippians 3:12), so we take to heart St Paul’s encouragement to strive for a more excellent way (1 Corinthians 12:31). In this, we not only give glory to God, but we bear witness to God’s love and commitment to a world often cynical about God and the church (1 Peter 2:12).

This standard encourages us to intentionally keep child safety at the forefront of our thinking and to hold ourselves accountable.

Thus, child safety will be on the agenda for all our governance meetings and our AGM. This will be not just in a passive sense, but we will actively discuss how we are tracking against the standards and our own action plans. The key word here is ‘action’, not just words.

Implementation of the Child Safety Standards is a living, continuous activity!

Summer Camp 2026

LYV’s “Summer Camp 2026” was an incredible week filled with fun, faith, and fellowship. This year, 43 campers and 21 leaders/personnel gathered at Araluen Lutheran Camp in Anglesea during the summer school holidays to share in community and grow in faith together.

Our study theme was “You’ve got Mail!”, which invited us to dive into the Apostle Paul’s letters in the New Testament. Throughout the week, campers explored this theme through small group discussions, quiet time, and corporate worship. The studies focused on these foundational epistles, unpacking the core of the Gospel message: what it means to be saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. Together, we looked at how Paul’s writings were originally sent to guide, encourage, and correct early believers, and discovered how we are called to function together as a church today. The camp concluded with reflections on how these ancient letters continue to shape our modern lives.

Beyond the studies, the schedule was packed with memorable activities. Highlights included kayaking on the Anglesea River, surfing/stand-up paddleboarding, a “Mini Olympics,” competitive team tower building, and a lively song trivia afternoon.

   

When asked about the best parts of camp, here is what campers and leaders shared:

  • “Having fun with my friends, seeing young Christians come together and worship God.”
  • “I loved worship, group activities, stand-up paddleboarding, seeing everyone, being surrounded by Christians!”
  • “The studies were really fun and I loved looking deeper into God’s Word.”
  • “The water activities because I got to try new things.”
  • “Everyone was so kind and the activities were so fun!”
  • “It was all so good it is hard to pick a standout.”

Overall, Summer Camp 2026 was a powerful time of connection with God, friends, and community.

 

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce our next CLW camp in July 2026, open to high school-aged kids in Years 7–12. It will be held at Tandara Lutheran Camp in Halls Gap.

For updates and information on CLW, Summer Camp, and future events, follow us on Facebook at ‘LYV’s Christian Life Week’ or Instagram @lutheranyouthvic.

Lutherans standing with our fellow Australians of the Jewish faith

On Tuesday evening, I was privileged to join multifaith representatives and leaders to support those of the Jewish faith who were gathering in Melbourne at Federation Square. In the wake of the horrific acts of Sunday night, the close-knit Jewish community is profoundly impacted, and in many cases directly suffering the loss of leaders, family and friends.

Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann spoke of the loss of his best friend’s father-in-law and another fellow Rabbi of 20-years friendship. A period of silence was observed. Rabi Gabi then spoke of the dream of being able to be who they are, as people of faith, in Australia. He spoke against speaking of hate or retaliation – having come here as a faith community to leave that behind. And then he sang. Light will always push away darkness – Hannukah celebrates resilience, joy and ongoing faith and hope…, he sang. He sang as Menorah candles were lit – symbolizing oil that burned when relit in the temple many, many years ago; he sang as he led leaders in dance.

And, led by the choir, the community also sang. They joined in Hebrew in songs of tradition. Songs of light of day falling on their faces, songs of peace – for the Jewish community and the world. They sang, they danced, and they clapped along – a profound strength of faith despite their grief. Those standing around me took time to explain to me what the songs meant – they welcomed and embraced.

As we talked, they began to talk about the grief – those who were not there with them, those too scared to be out in public, mothers who had left the kids at home – the heartache of celebration and spiritual meaning without those the community fears to lose by their sides.

Older people told me: they were old, it didn’t matter if something happened to them – but they’d asked that their grandchildren stay away.

Leaders told me of their exhaustion – they are a small community, and the responsibility of responding has meant they have not had time to stop and retreat to a space of quiet themselves. For some, they had spent more time supporting the Rabbi in his role than they had with their partners and children, at a time that is for family.

Please pray for this community who worship the same God we do, but without recognising the gift of Jesus, God with us in human form – our light. We, the Christian Church, head towards Christmas, celebrating and spending time with family – let us also carry in our hearts and prayers our sisters and brothers of Jewish faith in these days.

   

For further reading:

VCC Statement on Bondi Beach Shooting – Request for Support and Prayer:

The official statement from the Victorian Council of Churches (VCC) regarding the shootings at Bondi Beach: HERE (PDF)
We invite you to join us in showing support and solidarity with the victims and their families during this difficult time.
We encourage all churches to uphold them in prayer and to seek God’s guidance for unity, peace, and healing within our communities.

Communications from the LCA:

  • A message from our LCA Bishop Paul Smith can be read HERE (opens in browser).
  • Bishop Mark Vainikka (LCA Queensland District) also posted a message: HERE

The God of Hope

4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:4, 13

An Australian Community Survey conducted by National Church Life Survey (NCLS) Research in 2025 found that hope about the future of the world is on the decline. Only 19% Australians said they felt hopeful or very hopeful about the future of the world, compared to 24% in 2024. Around four in ten people (44%) described themselves as being not hopeful or low in hope.

The survey found that the issues affecting people’s sense of hope include war and conflict, economic insecurity and the climate.

The survey also revealed a fascinating insight about hope: the closer to home we get, the more hopeful Australians feel. In the 2025 survey, only 19% felt hopeful about the future of the world. But that figure rose to 29% when considering the future of Australia, 32% for their local community, and 44% for their personal future. Hope increases as we zoom in on the more local and personal spheres of life.

God’s Word tells us that hope increases even more when we zoom in on something – or Someone – else, the hope that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hope doesn’t exist in a vacuum, or by itself. Hope always has an ‘object’ – something that gives us reason or cause for hope, or something in which we can put our confidence.

There are two main places we can look for hope. First, we can look to things in this world. However, things in this fallen world are bound to let us down. People don’t always behave the way they ought to. The fallen natural world does not function as God intended it to do.

In short, our own sinfulness and life in a sin-ridden world will always destabilize hope, first by causing us to look in the wrong place for our hope and then by causing us to lose hope as the things to which we look inevitably let us down.

The good news of the Christian Gospel is that there is another place we can look for hope. St Paul calls him ‘the God of hope’. He is the object of our hope, the one who gives us reason for hope and the one in whom we can put our complete confidence.

By sending his Son as our Saviour, God has freed us from needing to look for hope in this broken world. By his powerful grace he has connected us to a hope which St Paul describes as a ‘hope that does not disappoint us’ (Romans 5:5).

God connects us to this hope, ‘through the encouragement of the Scriptures’ (Romans 15:4) and through the gift of his own Son – the Word made flesh – as living proof of this hope (Romans 15:8). Jesus came; he lived, died and rose again so we may know the hope to which he has called us. He is our hope in a world where hope is diminishing. By his grace and power, in Word and Sacrament, we remain connected to him and to his gift of eternal hope.

We may not always feel hopeful about things in this world, but the Scriptures reassure us that our lives in Jesus can ‘overflow with hope’; and that it is possible to be ‘filled with all joy and peace as we trust in him’. That is not 19% hopeful, but 100% hopeful!

As we near the end of one year and look toward the next – whatever it may hold – may St Paul’s prayer of hope be our personal prayer, and our heartfelt desire for each other and for all people:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen!

Growing in Gospel Fluency

I recently had the joy of leading an in-person Gospel Fluency workshop with members of the Nunawading and Waverley Lutheran Church. The workshop was well attended with enthusiastic participants, and appreciation expressed for the course content. It ran from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm with a lunch break in the middle.

Please contact me if you would like an in-person workshop at your congregation. This is the second one run in the district this year and more are planned next year. It’s even possible for congregations to ‘self-run’ the course using the course materials provided!

You can find out more about the workshop, which has been developed by our own Pastor Nathan Hedt with assistance from Jo Chamberlain – here: https://www.lca.org.au/gospel-fluency

One of the great strengths of this workshop is the way it helps us move past the fear that is often associated with “traditional” evangelism.

Gospel Fluency is not about techniques, pressure, or “imported” programmatic approaches that feel artificial. Instead, it focuses on helping everyday Christians learn to speak the good news of Jesus naturally – within the relationships and rhythms that we already have.

The website introduces the workshop with a set of honest and disarming questions:

Do you ever feel awkward, ill-equipped, unqualified or unprepared to share the gospel?
Do you know someone who is curious about Jesus or the Christian faith, but you’re not sure what to do next?
Do you wish you could share the gospel more freely and naturally with family, friends, workmates, or neighbours?

If you answered yes, then Gospel Fluency is for you. The key idea is right there in the name: fluency. Like learning any new language, fluency requires vocabulary, context, and practice. You try new words. You learn by “having a go”. You give yourself permission to make mistakes, because that is how people actually learn.

We also explored practical tools to help us think through the why, who, what, and when in relation to sharing the gospel in more detail.

Throughout the morning there was a strong sense of:

  • encouragement, rather than pressure,
  • discovery, rather than performance,
  • participation, rather than passivity,
  • and, above all, trust in the Holy Spirit’s work.

And that’s good news for us as Lutherans. The mission is God’s mission. We are joining the work that God is already doing. Our part is to stay prayerful, attentive, and ready to “give the reason for the hope that we have” – with gentleness and respect.

You don’t need to go far to put gospel fluency into practice. God has already placed you among people who trust you. Start there. Pray for opportunities. Listen well. And as God opens the way, speak the good news of Jesus – simply, naturally, and confidently.

Layworkers Facebook Group

NEW – LCAVD Layworkers Support Group on Facebook.

This group was formed so that the great networking started at the Continuing Education Retreat (CER) earlier this year can continue.

If you are a lay worker in the Vic/Tas District and have a question or need help or advice from someone in a similar role, this is the place to ask! Similarly, if you have expertise in a particular area, or you’ve found a great resource that others might find useful, this is the place to share!

All lay people who serve the church are warmly invited to join!
(This is a private group, and you will need to answer a security question before being admitted to the group.)

Fellowship Lunch in Geelong

A delicious and warm fellowship was enjoyed by all who were able to attend the Living Faith Lutheran Church Lunch at ‘The Sphinx’ on Sunday 17 August, which followed the combined worship service.

A game of ‘People Bingo’ enabled people to mingle with others, also meeting people they didn’t know.

The theme of fellowship and hospitality, as Biblically referenced by Pastor Robert, was the purpose and flavour of this unique event, with just under 100 people attending.

This was also the opportunity to kick off the FISH (Fellowship in Someone’s Home) groups initiative, led by Mike Seaman and Anna Burger.

What a blessing to have this opportunity to come together!

      
   

24-7 Prayer Room at St Paul’s Box Hill

24-7 Prayer Room at St Pauls, Box Hill, 1-7 September 2025

Imagine praying non-stop for one hundred years? Twenty-five years? What about an hour?

As part of a worldwide, interdenominational effort to bring non-stop prayer to the world for a whole week, 24-7 Prayer have called for pray-ers to pray synchronously, all over the world for 24 hours a day for a whole week! Come Holy Spirit!

24-7 Prayer, which set up their first prayer room in 1999, in an inner London warehouse, has grown into a worldwide movement of prayer.  This movement includes the popular prayer app, “Lectio 365” and is associated with the Order of the Mustard Seed, which Cathy Beaton is a member of.   24-7 Prayer was inspired by the seminal European prayer movement in the settlement of Herrnhut, (now in Germany), which ran for 100 years!  The mindboggling faithfulness of these Moravian refugees, lead to the creation of the world-wide missionary movements of the 18th and 19th centuries.  So too, the London 24-7 Prayer Room is still flourishing, 25 years later and since then, hundreds of permanent 24-7 prayer rooms have sprung up all over the world!

In response to the especially challenging times we are living through, 24-7 Prayer decided to call for a Global Week of Prayer 1-7 September.  It seems fitting and indeed vital to seek the will of God and earnestly ask for an end to war and conflict, for peace and reconciliation, for healing, for an end to poverty and injustice, for the spread of the Gospel, for renewal of the church, both in our local communities and worldwide.  Come Holy Spirit!

It is with great excitement and anticipation that St Paul’s Box Hill is joining in the Global Week of Prayer and is setting up a 24-7 Prayer room, where people can intentionally draw apart to spend time with God in praise and worship, intercession, and prayerful meditation on the Word.

To register your interest and sign up on for an hour or two on the prayer roster, follow this LINK.

The Prayer Room at St Paul’s, 1201 Riversdale Rd Box Hill South, will be open for people to sign up and come and pray in person from 9am to 6pm. For the remainder of the night, 6pm-9am, we invite people to sign up to pray in the comfort of their own home, anywhere in Victoria!!

We will conclude our Week of Prayer with a Prayer Breakfast from 8-9am on Sunday 7th September at St Paul’s. Please sign up via the QR code or link if you would like to join us then.

A variety of prayer activities and resources will be provided in the prayer room to help guide your prayer. Please prayerfully consider your involvement in this undertaking.  Every hour of prayer will be a blessing!

A flyer with the QR code to sign up is above (or download HERE).  Please publicise this event in your congregation and pass on to others that you think might be interested.

For more information contact Cathy Beaton – email: cathy@stpaulsboxhill.org.au