SBLC Sunday 1st March Worship

Bethany: 10:30am

Grace-St Paul’s: 9am HC Pastor Gus Schutz

Langmeil: 8:45am HC and 10:30am HC Pastor Jim Bryan

Lyndoch: 10.30am Harvest Thanksgiving Pastor Greg Schiller

Schoenborn: 9am AGM followed by worship service

Tabor: No Service

Lenten Evening Wednesday 4th March

Tabor: 7:30pm Pastor Ian Lutze

Readings

First Reading

Genesis 12:1-4a The call of Abraham

Psalm

Psalm 121

Antiphon: My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Ps 121:2)

Second Reading

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 Abraham our father, justified by faith

Gospel

John 3:1-17 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son

Is your Safe Church training up to date?

As 2026 begins, now is a timely opportunity to review Safe Church requirements and ensure that you – and members of your congregation – are compliant.

The LCANZ will continue to offer two flexible online Safe Church training options in 2026:

- self-paced online training

- live online webinars.

Both options are designed to assist congregations, ministry leaders and volunteers with completing their Safe Church requirements in ways that suit their circumstances.

Upcoming training dates

Several live online Safe Church training webinars are scheduled for February, March and April. Live sessions are arranged in response to actual or anticipated demand.

For example, a Level 1 session is scheduled for Sunday 15 March 2026, reflecting recent demand for weekend Level 1 training. At this stage, no Level 2 sessions are scheduled for weekends because of insufficient demand.

Full details – including dates, times and registration information for live webinars – are available on the Safe Church training webpage at www.lca.org.au/safe-church-training/#upcoming-training

Those needing a reminder about who is required to complete Safe Church training can consult the Safe Church Training Overview for guidance.

Assisting with planning

Live online sessions are scheduled according to need. If there is a preferred time that would better suit a congregation or individual, this can be nominated via the Safe Church Service Desk. Indicating preferred training times assists with planning and with meeting training needs across Australia and New Zealand.

Phone: 1800 418 588 (Australia only)

Email: safechurch@lca.org.au

Support is available

Online training can feel challenging for some participants. Support is available for congregational members registering for self-paced online training. Participants are encouraged to contact the Safe Church Service Desk during business hours for assistance with the registration process.

Safe Church Coordinators may also consider organising small groups in homes or at church to participate in live online webinars together. This approach can support members who are less confident with technology. Many congregations have found it an effective way to help people complete their training requirements.

Ensuring Safe Church training is up to date is an important part of fostering safe ministry environments.

Grow as a young leader with Cultivate

4 February 2026

Are you 18–25 years old? Do you want to grow as a disciple of Jesus, develop confidence in sharing the gospel and build meaningful relationships with other young adults in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia?

LCA International Mission’s year-long young adult leadership program, Cultivate, could be for you.

Cultivate offers participants the chance to deepen their faith, grow in spiritual practices, build intercultural understanding and develop confidence in sharing the gospel in meaningful and natural ways. The program includes weekly virtual sessions, mentoring, faith practices and two intensive components – one in Australia and one in Indonesia.

What’s involved:

- Virtual connections: 1.5 hours weekly for 10 weeks

- Mentoring: minimum 15 hours (starting April 2026)

- Faith practices: minimum 7 hours weekly for 10 weeks

- Intensive 1: Australia

- Intensive 2: Stretch & Grow experience in Indonesia

The program runs from March 2026 to February 2027. Applications close 1 March 2026.

Cost: $2,000. Participants are encouraged to seek financial support from their congregation or personal networks if needed.

For more information, contact Erin Kerber at erin.kerber@lca.org.au or download the promotional flyer.