Apr2017
Creating Connections
Parents continue to be the greatest influence on their children’s faith. The time a child will spend at church is a small fraction compared to the time the child will spend with his or her parents. Congregations have a great opportunity to partner with parents and empower them to pass the faith on to their children. What… Read more
Mar2017
Sharing Stories – GF@H
‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth‘ 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 Ever wondered if something you’ve planted is growing? Or has even sprouted? Or has possibly not even taken root? Ever dug around to check your wonderings? Grow Ministries has been… Read more
Mar2017
A GIFT journey
Passing on the Christian faith involves a partnership of generations, individuals and families. GIFT is the acronym for Generations in Faith Together. GIFT events provide an opportunity for people of all ages to explore God’s love for them by sharing the gift of each other and the gift of faith. In my role with Grow Ministries,… Read more
Mar2017
Generations Together
Ministry across the generations St James Lutheran Church in Moorabbin, a south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, is engaged with Grow Ministries in a pilot program within a cluster including two other congregations from the Melbourne area. The three congregations work together to see what they can do better to reach out with the gospel of Christ… Read more
Feb2017
Grow Leadership News
Meet the young people who are training to be future leaders within the Lutheran Church of Australia. They are the inaugural participants in the LCA’s new Grow Leadership program – a training initiative designed to provide continuing and sustainable Christian leadership development and training for young adults. Those selected from Australian applicants for 2017 are Elsa Matthias (from Queensland but has… Read more
Feb2017
Generations in Faith Together
Generations in faith together Intergenerational ministry takes place when people from at least two generations intentionally gather for the same activity in the name of Christ, interacting with one another in ways which reflect mutual respect and appreciation. Every church can be intentionally intergenerational in its ministry and faith formation experiences. In the book Generations Together,… Read more
Jun2016
Caring Conversations
The ‘Four Keys’ are four foundational practices of faith for Christians. Caring conversations express an interest in others, their hurts, their joys, their concerns and dreams, their values and faith. Caring conversations require time to be available to listen and to speak. Our prayer for every family is that they will find time in their… Read more
Jun2016
The Value of Eating Together
The Value of Eating Together: how to protect this precious family time There is overwhelming research which tells us that eating together as a family has huge benefits. Studies show that sitting down for a nightly meal together is great for the brain, the body and the spirit. Collectively as a family, and as individuals,… Read more