Is God calling you?

Melbourne’s city skyline was a stark contrast to the vast verdant landscape of Central Australia for four Aboriginal delegates attending the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand’s 20th Convention of General Synod from 9 to 12 February 2023.

The offering from General Synod will support a Finke River Mission (FRM) project revising and reprinting Lutheran song and hymnbooks in Central Australian Aboriginal languages.

After 12 years of outstanding service, Tim Stollznow steps down as FRM Board chair.

I was born out in the bush on 16 October 1947, so now I am 75 years old. When I was young I never thought I would become a pastor. I was a stockman, riding horses, doing cattle work.

Nungalinya College, situated in Darwin, is the premier ecumenical Bible and community development training facility for Indigenous students in Australia.

Since starting work part-time with Finke River Mission last November, it has been challenging to establish any kind of routine. COVID restrictions and family commitments have created interruptions to my ministry in the Anmatyerr area, where there are about a thousand speakers of the language.

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.

The small outstation Irrultja is on Utopia freehold country. Its sister community Atnwengerrp, just a few kilometres northwest, is part of the former stock route on Sandover River.

The last of the three pastors bush courses this year was held at the end of September at Harts Range, about 215 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs.

Three years ago, a new bush church was dedicated at the small community of Engawala, 150 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs. Now, on 29 May, another bush church was opened, at a family outstation on Utopia freehold lease Ngkwelay (Ingkwelay), also known as Kurrajong Bore.