Amid the vast landscapes of Central Australia, thousands of kilometres of dusty red roads draw travellers towards distant hazy horizons. Along the way, there’s time to think. To wonder. To be. People who live amid the vast landscapes of the Red Centre often feel a deep connection with the wonder of creation. God can build on this spiritual openness to connect people with the message of Christ. After the Lutheran missionaries arrived at the Finke River in 1877, the Aboriginal people became gradually ready to hear the new stories about God the Creator, and his son Jesus Christ. Today there are around 7000 Aboriginal Lutherans in the heart of Australia.
From the desert to the valley
Just as early German missionaries travelled north from Bethany to Ntaria, so the Ntaria Choir set off, this time, southward-bound to the Barossa Valley to share their gifts of music and language.
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FRM welcomes new support worker
It is with great joy that we welcome longtime SIL linguist David Strickland, who has joined the Finke River Mission team as a support worker in the Anmatyerr Language Area.
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Thank God for Freddy
Indigenous pastor Frank Turner, ordained in 2000, from Ampilatwatja is currently the only person pastorally serving in the Alyawarr Language Area, about 3-4 hours drive from Alice Springs.
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FRM delegates participate in General Synod
In a first for FRM communities, representatives from the new Language Area Agreement (LAA) groups participated in a Convention of General Synod as delegates.
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Where I grew up
In September we had a bush course where I was born, at Tara, near Neutral Junction cattle station, 300 kilometres north of Alice Springs. I was born there in 1965.
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Yirara College: many languages, many histories
Many of the students of Yirara College come from communities served by Finke River Mission (predominantly Central Desert). But most students come from remote communities beyond Central Australia that are not connected with the Lutheran Church.
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Areyonga: one of the most vaccinated communities
The low rate of COVID-19 vaccinations in Indigenous Australians continues to cause concern for politicians desperate to reopen borders, but one community near Alice Springs has turned that on its head with 94 per cent of the eligible population having received at least one dose.
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The bush course we thought would never happen
Way back in 2019 the Aboriginal pastors agreed to hold the 2020 winter Bush Course at Tara, which marks the northern-most edge of the FRM service area.
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Huge learning experience on the Hugh
In March this year, I joined the Lutheran Mission Development (LMD) Board. This board was established to support and promote the aims, beliefs and articles of faith of the Lutheran Church of Australia.
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Records continue to change lives
What continues to amaze me working at Lutheran Archives is the myriad stories contained in the archive, the stories in one item or one box of records, and the myriad ways those stories or records have impacted lives.
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