Scholarships do their bit to change the church

How much money does it take to change a church?

A surprisingly small amount, according to Dr Malcolm Bartsch, chair of the LCA’s Scholarship Committee.

Each year the Scholarship Committee invests in change and growth by supporting a small number of pastors and lay workers to study a specific area of ministry or develop talents and skills which are needed within the LCA.

'We support people who are preparing for advanced or specialised ministries within the Lutheran Church of Australia', Dr Bartsch said. 'They might be already working or preparing for specific tasks and we help them fund study that will enhance their service within the church.'

Scholarships are available to help fund up to one year’s full-time equivalent study within a broad range of institutions, including Australian Lutheran College (ALC). The money can be used to pay fees or for travel expenses associated with the study program.

'We are aware that there are people already doing this kind of study who could apply for these scholarships if they wished to', Dr Bartsch said. 'Basically the application asks them to answer two questions: how will this help them and how will it prepare them for specialised service in the church?'

Help from the Scholarship Committee enabled James Luk to study towards a Diploma of Theology at ALC. A member of the Sudanese Nuer community and active member at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Dandenong Victoria, Mr Luk was keen do more after completing study workshops facilitated by the Lutheran School of Theology in Victoria.

School director Cheryl Bartel helped Mr Luk apply to the committee for help, assisting him to define his own role within the whole congregation as well as its Sudanese fellowship.

'The fund is an excellent opportunity for volunteer lay workers to get good support for a specific ministry area', Mrs Bartel said. She will assist a couple of African lay workers from Shepparton to apply for funding in this next round.

Pastor Richard Zweck, from Caloundra Queensland, will use Scholarship Committee funds to support ongoing study into Christian meditation. Several years ago he used a Ruth Murray Scholarship to travel to the Cathedral of Chartres in France, studying a reflective device known as the Labyrinth.

The Labyrinth is well-known as a spiritual tool in Christian circles and is now also being used to assist people fighting cancer in programs in the United States and Australia.

Pastor Zweck became a certified facilitator of the Labyrinth program, and has conducted workshops in schools and congregations in Queensland and beyond. Several years ago he used a Ruth Murray Scholarship to study Christian meditation traditions, including the well-known 13th century labyrinth in the Cathedral of Chartres, France.

He returned to Chartres in 2009 to train as a Labyrinth facilitator with Veriditas, an organisation established to promote the labyrinth as a spiritual and therapeutic tool. He became a certified facilitator for Veritidas, carrying out labyrinth workshops in schools and congregations across Australia.

Next June he plans to travel back to Chartres to undertake advanced facilitator training with Veritidas, another step towards his goal of accreditation to train others to become facilitators.

 'I couldn’t afford to do this study without the help of the Scholarship Committee', he said.

Applications to the Scholarship Committee for 2011 close on Friday, 8 September. For more information and to receive an application form, email scholarships@lca.org.au