Anniversaries & Celebrations

We have been blessed with a run of baptisms at the Alice Springs Lutheran Church this year, twenty of them since June and a few more to come. As a pastor or congregation, we might like to take credit for this, but Martin Luther reminds us who is really to thank. ‘I believe that I… Read more

Daphne Puntjina was born on Tempe Downs Cattle Station, south-west of Alice Springs, in 1944. Her parents had been living a traditional lifestyle around the Petermann Ranges but decided to move to Areyonga for better health care, food supplies, and schooling for the children. While at school, Daphne enjoyed singing and learning bible stories. Daphne… Read more

Pastor M Wheeler (Panangka) was born on 16 October 1947 at Ntaria/Hermannsburg. He was baptised ten days later at Hermannsburg by Pastor FW Albrecht. Pastor Wheeler was confirmed on 6 December 1964 by Pastor C Raberaba at Hermannsburg, along with 27 other students who were also confirmed on that day. He was married to Betty… Read more

Earlier this year we ran a first communion course at Alice Springs Lutheran Church. The course took place over six Sunday mornings after worship. We had seven students attend and each one brought along a parent or grandparent. This made for fruitful, intergenerational discussion, with one parent even sharing old photos of her own first… Read more

Thirty years ago, on a Sunday morning at Areyonga, Perry experienced a profound vision of Jesus that transformed his life. ‘He sent the Holy Spirit,’ Perry recalls. ‘He changed me, and I became a church cleaner.’ Perry’s journey took him from church cleaner to evangelist, and now he spends his time encouraging people in the… Read more

Three years from now will mark 150 years since two German Lutheran Missionaries, Schwarz and Kempe, arrived at Finke River to bring the message of salvation to the Western Arrarnta Aboriginal people there. Joined by missionary Schulze the next year, the three missionaries struggled for the next 15 years to adapt to the harsh, isolated… Read more

On a mild 37-degree day in Alice Springs a wonderful cross-section of people came together to celebrate the birth of Christ at the Alice Springs Lutheran Church. We were blessed by the presence of young and old, locals and visitors from bush communities, interstate and overseas. It was a joy to be together. Our congregation… Read more

Based in Alice Springs Lutheran Church, Pastor Stephen Radke will focus on ministry in the Alice Springs town camps and across other Central Australian communities. The installation was conducted by Pastor Rob Borgas, a former Pastoral Support Worker in the Pitjantjatjara language area and a current member of the Finke River Mission (FRM) board. Pastor… Read more

Alice Springs Lutheran Church held its long-awaited confirmations on 23 June 2024. Five young women confirmed their Christian faith: Rhonda Bob, Shanille Braybon, Ella Williams, Jordyn Williams and Mariah Meurant. Each of these had completed their Confirmation studies over the past 12 months. Rhonda attended school at Yirara College years ago but missed the opportunity… Read more

Yirara College Baptism and Communion Day 2002 was celebrated on Sunday 6 November. Sixteen students were baptised in the Yirara College chapel, and 28 celebrated their first communion.