It’s time to act. Let’s cast the net!

I feel blessed to join the LCA/NZ team in Cross-Cultural Ministry and would like to share my heart with you. During these early months in the position, two passages of Scripture have come alive for me.

The first is Numbers 13. Remember those 12 spies who go into the Promised Land and come back with a mixed report? Caleb counters the doubt with this stirring statement of faith: ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’

Jesus is establishing the kingdom of God among the nations. He has given his church the gift of the Holy Spirit and calls us to participate with him.

The other passage is John 21:1–11. The resurrected Jesus appears to some of the disciples while they are trying to fish without success, telling them to cast again on the other side of the boat. The net ends up ‘full of fish’.

When we fish for souls, it’s a corporate endeavour. Is this the time to try something new and fill our nets to bursting point? Our net is made up of all of us, with our different gifts and callings. Men, women, young and old, pastors, lay leaders and the rest of the body – introverts and extroverts, we are all needed to take in a catch.

Let’s feel the wind of the Spirit in our hair while we grasp the net again and say with Caleb, ‘We can certainly do it’.

We want to hear from you if any of this resonates. Please email me at craig.heidenreich@lca.org.au

• Visit www.lca.org.au/spread-the-word to find promotional materials (bulletin inserts, A5 flyers, PowerPoint slides and social media posts) to help you spread the word about our Story of the Week.
• Read the full Story of the Week and other stories like it in The Lutheran. 11 editions/year. Only $45 (Aust), $47 (NZ). Gift subscriptions available. To subscribe: online www.thelutheran.com.au email lutheran.subs@lca.org.au phone 08 8360 7270