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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From your Professional Standards Officer, Denise

Last month SMO introduced the use of “two-factor authentication” (2FA) when persons login to the site. This was done to increase security and to protect the data of all users of the site. If you did not set up 2FA before 14 July, you will no longer be able to login to SMO.
For assistance to set up 2FA, please contact Holly: email; ph (08) 8267 5211.

This annual event is a great opportunity for your congregation to highlight the importance of keeping our children safe and for building our culture of child safety (indeed safety for all!)

It assists us to meet LCA Child Safety Standards (especially Standards 1, 2 and 3).

I encourage all congregations to engage in some way with this event, even those who are not currently blessed with children. In this way we can be ambassadors of child protection in our communities.

There is a wealth of resources available. The following are recommended:

Empower

Empower is a one day event for leadership training aimed at equipping pastors, laypeople and parents to minister to young people more effectively – through a keynote speaker and through electives, as well as the opportunity to come together and network with others from around the Victorian District.

In 2022 Empower will take place on 12 February. Due to COVID-19  it was decided by the Committee for Youth & Young Adult Ministry (CYYAM)  that Empower 2022 will be an online event. This event will be a shorter format than our usual face to face Empower.

The keynote speaker and electives will be published closer to the event.

 

Wodonga Lutheran Parish Family Chapel Service

A Special Night of Faith and Fellowship

On Friday 20 June 2025, we gathered for our monthly intergenerational Family Chapel Service, and what a memorable evening it was!

Over time, we’ve seen God working powerfully through this mission area, gradually expanding our outreach into Victory Lutheran College. One of the most beautiful signs of this growth came when Aahana, a Year 3 student at Victory, expressed a desire to be baptised after attending a few of our Friday Chapel evenings.

Following her request, Pastor Graham Zweck, Jenny Simboras (Pastoral Assistant), and Andy Enever (Aahana’s classroom teacher and member at WLP) visited Aahana and her family to discuss Baptism. Aahana shared that she would prefer to be baptised during a Friday evening service, and she asked that Andy and myself be her Godparents. This was a profound and humbling honour.

While we normally serve a sausage sizzle, the chilly weather called for a menu change – this time we warmed up with hot dogs and soup. The evening began with tea at 5:30pm, followed by the chapel service at 6:00pm.

During the service, Pastor Graham led the Baptism, sharing a powerful message with Aahana: that out of the 100,000 people in Albury/Wodonga, the most important event happening that night was her baptism. Andy then continued the service with a message on Baptism and the Holy Spirit. The music, the message, and the community spirit made the evening one of joy and reverence.

We give thanks to God for blessing us with almost 70 people in attendance!

A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers who made this event possible, from preparing and serving food, managing the sound desk, welcoming visitors, leading worship, and helping with setup and pack up. Their support is invaluable and deeply appreciated.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the LCANZ – without the generous Local Mission Fund grant, this event and our ongoing outreach wouldn’t be possible.

God is so good, and we are so grateful!!

ALWS 75th Anniversary

Serving the most vulnerable for 75 Years

This year the Lutheran Church of Australian and New Zealand (LCANZ) celebrates 75 years of serving the most vulnerable through the ministry of Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS).

The origins of our church’s overseas aid and development ministry started at Bonegilla Migrant Centre near Albury where Rev Dr Bruno Muetzelfeld, a local Lutheran pastor, began offering pastoral and practical care to thousands of European Lutheran refugees following the end of World War II.

In time the ministry expanded to focus on supporting the most vulnerable overseas and today our church works through ALWS to practical care to vulnerable people in fourteen of the poorest countries… food for the hungry, education for children and support to grow resilient families.

Inspired by the faithful generosity of Australian Lutherans, ALWS is celebrating its anniversary with four major events, and the ambitious goal to support 75,000 children with the essentials for a happy, healthy life – food, school and safety.

  
All are invited to join ALWS at a celebration event and to make a special 75th donation that will change the future for a vulnerable child impacted by poverty and war in Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Burundi, Bangladesh, Nepal and Ukraine. Together we can ‘Step out so a child can step Up’!

Anniversary celebrations commenced with a commemorative event at Bonegilla Migrant Centre on Saturday 22 March, where attendees enjoyed guided tours of the migrant facilities, live cultural performances, a historic Walk My Way to the old Bonegilla Rail Station and heard stories, songs, and reflections that honour our church’s legacy of care.

A Thanksgiving Service, led by Churchwide Bishop Rev Paul Smith, was held on Sunday 23 March at St Luke’s Lutheran Church, Albury.

Celebration events will also be held in Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.

Lutheran churches and schools in the Victorian Tasmanian District are invited to join the local celebrations at Melbourne Walk My Way on Sunday 30 March at Good News Lutheran College, Tarneit. A Thanksgiving service will be held at St Philips Lutheran Church at 9:30am and the Walk My Way festivities will commence from 11am.


Come and enjoy the multi-cultural community hub with live cultural performances, food trucks and kids’ activities. You might also choose to participate in a 3km or 12km walk along alongside the picturesque Werribee river trail.

To register for the Melbourne Walk My Way event, and to discover more about the legacy of our church through ALWS, visit www.alws75.org.au.

Together, let’s give thanks to God for 75 years of Lutheran service through ALWS and commit to changing the future for 75,000 vulnerable children impacted by poverty and war.

 

Walk My Way – Melbourne

Over the weekend, Luther College in Croydon Hills partnered with Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) to host Melbourne’s very first Walk My Way event.

Walk My Way is a walking challenge that raises money to support ALWS in their work educating refugee children in East Africa. Walk My Way events have been held for several years in Adelaide, and a recent Walk My Way held by Victory Lutheran College in Wodonga saw great success. On Saturday October 21st, Walk My Way Melbourne saw over 130 walkers come together and showcase another successful Walk My Way event.

Staff, students and parents from the Luther College and Good Shepherd Lutheran Primary School communities walked a 13km loop through the beautiful Mullum Mullum Creek Trail. A highlight of the event was witnessing the generosity of the whole community as they came together on Saturday. A special thanks to nearby local businesses, Jefferies IGA and Marbled Meats, for coming on board with generous donations, and all volunteers from the community who kindly gave up their Saturday morning to help the day run smoothly.

Students of all ages joined their friends, teachers and families in hitting the track and walking 13km. Their fundraising efforts have raised more than $22,000 – that is, enough to support education for over 850 children! All who participated were able to learn more about the refugee children in East Africa (Kakuma and Dadaab Refugee camps) they were supporting, and it was heartening to see the level of support from the local communities for such an important cause.

The journey isn’t over yet! Luther College aims to raise $25,000 by the end of the month. If you would like to support them, all donations are appreciated on the ALWS fundraising page, HERE.

Thankyou!

Youth events kept simple!

Youth events kept simple!

Throughout the year, Nunawading and Waverley Lutheran Church and St Paul’s Box Hill Lutheran Church will host events for our youth (high school aged children), families and friends with the aim to:

  • connect our youth (high school aged children) together;
  • allow our youth opportunities to spend time in biblical reflection with each other;
  • provide an opportunity for young people who might be interested in learning more about God, or those who are sceptical, to have a safe space to investigate and enquire;
  • build Christian friendships;
  • connect families across the eastern metro area;
  • provide an opportunity for easy intergenerational ministry.

These evenings are a chance to spend a relaxed time in fellowship with other Christians, share a meal, play some board games and have discussions about all things God and church. Families, friends and youth are then encouraged to go back to their communities and congregations refreshed and taking comfort in the knowledge that there are others out there who are like them, part of something ‘bigger’! You don’t have to be a believer to come, and you don’t even have to be Lutheran!!

Families are very busy these days, with their children often committed to many different groups. Our Youth, Families and Friends events are intended to be occasional but intentional so that families can prioritise them.

Our most recent event was held at Redeemer Waverley Lutheran Church.
Our next event will be on:

Friday 5th May,

Hosted by St Paul’s Box Hill, at: 711 Station St, Box Hill

7.00pm – 9.30pm

RSVP to Amanda: agargett79@gmail.com

All are welcome to these events! I will email out direct to congregations each time there is another event coming up, so please check in with your Pastor.

Katie Lang
Nunawading and Waverley Lutheran Church
Youth and Young Adults Pathways Coordinator

Churches, Places of Worship and Funeral Homes – Tasmania

New directions for the Management of Premises – No 13 and Mass Gatherings – No 5  allow more people to attend religious services and funeral services in Tasmania.

Indoor seated gatherings

Smaller seated gatherings at churches, places of worship, memorial events and  funeral services may accommodate up to 250 people or 100 per cent of seating capacity, whichever is fewer, without assessment or approval.

Staff, clergy, church attendants, choir members and anyone assisting with or performing the service are not included in the 250-person limit.

Larger gatherings of more than 250 people may be allowed, but organisers must first register with Business Tasmania for approval and adhere to the relevant restrictions.

  • At venues with seating where more than 250 people will be attending and will be seated most of the time, the maximum number of attendees may be up to 100 per cent of seating capacity.
  • In unseated areas, such as a foyer, a maximum of one person per two square metres of floor space may be allowed.

Compulsory recording of details for contact tracing

Under the Contact tracing direction, every person 16 years of age or older attending a range of businesses, organisations and events (including staff and attendants) is required to provide their information for contact tracing using the free Check in TAS app.

Operators of the relevant locations are required to register with Check in TAS and prominently display the Check in TAS QR code at all entrances to the premises.

If anyone does not have or cannot use a smartphone or the Check in TAS app, they may be checked in by another person in their group or by the organiser or attendants at the gathering. If no suitable device is available, their details may be recorded with pen and paper. Organisers are permitted to refuse entry to a person who does not provide the required information.

More information, including when and how contact information may be recorded manually, is available at www.checkin.tas.gov.au.

To help manage risks

  • there must be a COVID contact person for every event or venue (except for Tier 1 events)
  • a COVID-19 Safety Plan must be used at all events and venues
  • the event organiser (or contact person) must be ready to present the COVID-19 Safety Plan to an authorised officer immediately on request
  • everyone at an event or venue must maintain at least 1.5 metres distancing between themselves and other people, whenever possible
  • information must be collected to support rapid contact tracing if required
  • other conditions may be imposed through the assessment and approval process

More information

Growing Together in Prayer: A Powerful Start to the Year

The first LCANZ District Mission Directors Collaborative Learning Zoom session of the year took place on 11 February 2025, offering two identical sessions to accommodate participants across different schedules. With a focus on Spiritual Growth, inspired by last year’s LCA Leaders Retreat, this event provided an opportunity for leaders to reflect on prayer’s transformative role in personal faith, congregational renewal, and mission.

Approximately 50 participants engaged in deep conversations about the power of prayer in revitalising churches, drawing on insights from Scripture, Thom Rainer’s research, and the LCANZ Online Prayer Network. A key takeaway was the reminder that every sustained church revitalisation is undergirded by a powerful movement of prayer—a theme echoed in powerful stories of renewal and mission growth.

The session included:

  • Inspiring testimonies of God’s work through prayer.
  • Insights from the Online Prayer Network, highlighting how persistent prayer strengthens faith communities.
  • Encouragement, with practical guidance on how to develop small but faithful local prayer movements, recognizing that prayer warriors are marked by persistence, not numbers.
  • Practical examples of prayer initiatives, from 24-hour vigils to community-focused prayer walks.

The event concluded with collaborative prayer, as participants interceded for their congregations and the wider LCANZ mission. Many left the session encouraged to deepen their commitment to prayer as the foundation for renewal and evangelism.

For those who missed it, a recording of the teaching session and a PDF of the presentation slides are available here:

PDF of Powerpoint notes
Video of Evening Session

Additionally, fortnightly LCANZ Prayer Zoom gatherings will continue, providing an ongoing opportunity to pray for God’s Spirit to be poured out over the church. For more information contact Pastor Nathan Hedt at nathan.hedt@lca.org.au.

A heartfelt thank you to all who participated. It was certainly a rich time of learning and prayer. May we continue to grow together in faith, taking our requests and thanksgivings to the Only One who is able to transform our lives and communities by His grace, our Lord Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25).

Watch the Vic-Tas District eNews for details of the next LCANZ Mission Directors Collaborative Learning Zooms. We’re aiming to run about five more of these over the course of the coming year.

LYV – Church Crash!

If you’ve ever heard the term ‘to crash a party’ you may know it to mean to show up uninvited to an event. But the LYV like to do it a bit differently. We like to ‘crash’ churches – very politely and with prior notice!
Beginning late 2023, Lutheran Youth of Victoria began a new reoccurring event called Church Crash. Sunday Night at St Johns church (SNAS) had finished up and it left us with a new opportunity: to be able to go to different congregations around the state, rather than invite youth and young adults to SNAS, which meant their congregations no longer lost an important piece of their generational makeup.

Church Crash aims to strengthen connections of youth and young adults made at our other events (CLW, Easter Camp, Summer Camp, Empower) and provide an opportunity to worship together again. We believe that worshipping God and communing with other believers is a highly important part of our faith practice and vital in nurturing a strong faith in our youth. We also ultimately hope that by providing an opportunity to visit a church with others of a similar age, we can help someone find their home church.

Before a Church Crash is held, we get in contact with the church to make sure they are welcoming to the idea, and to give them a heads up on any promotional material that might come out before the crash.

   

LYV Church Crash at St Johns Geelong (left) and St Paul’s Box Hill (right).  Photos supplied by Rachel Schier.

Throughout 2024 we held 5 church crashes, occurring approximately every two months. We visited St Philips Tarneit after Empower, St Johns Ballarat as part of Easter Camp, St Pauls Box Hill, St Johns Geelong and St James Moorabbin. Often after the service we were warmly welcomed with a BBQ lunch generously provided by the congregations, and really enjoyable conversations with people we met. We also enjoyed being able to spend extra quality time together playing board games or going ten pin bowling after a service.

Church Crash is back again in 2025, and we have a new crash in the works! Please check in on our Facebook page LYV: Lutheran Youth of Victoria for updates on upcoming Church Crashes and other events happening in the year. If your congregation is open to hosting us for Church Crash, please contact us via our social media page, or email admin.lyv@lca.org.au

Mission Monthly: Building a Learning Culture

Earlier this month, approximately 60 participants from across LCANZ congregations joined together for another online collaboration and learning event titled: Cultivating Leadership for a Missional Future: Building a Learning Culture in Our Congregations. An initiative of the district mission directors, this time we drew on the gifts of Pastor Dan Mueller from Immanuel Buderim QLD.

Pastor Dan shared some extremely practical insights from his congregation, such as annual “Listening Circles” and the “Community Understanding Project,” which engage members across generations and strengthen ties with the broader community. A key takeaway was the importance of encouraging opportunities to prayerfully experiment, reflect and trust God to show us how to take ‘just the next step’ as we participate in his mission through our congregations.

Participants were also introduced to the devotional practice of Dwelling in the Word—a way to deeply engage with Scripture in community. This practice has been resonating with many as a tool for nurturing spiritual growth and discernment. For those interested, you can access a guide to this practice here: Dwelling in the Word

We’ve received a positive response to this event and plan to continue hosting these collaborative Zoom sessions regularly. If you missed this session, you can watch the full video or listen to the audio recording using the links provided here: audio and video

Additionally, examples of the tools shared, including instructions for a SWOT analysis and insights on integrating learning circles into your congregation, are available for download here:
Learning Circles have been used in worship

Thank you to everyone who participated, and to Pastor Dan for sharing local wisdom so generously.  I give thanks to God for the many gifted mission-minded leaders across our church, women and men, and I’m looking forward to using their gifts in upcoming learning events.

Let’s keep learning, listening, and leading for God’s glory!

For more information on these LCANZ Collaborative Learning Zoom get-togethers (!), please reach out to me at brett.kennett@lca.org.au