Lunch first for young campers

Ninety Victorians made history on 29 June, but it had nothing to do with the upcoming federal election or end of the financial year!

They all participated in the first Longest Lutheran Lunch (LLLu) in the world for 2016! These people were campers, cooks and leaders at Christian Life Week (CLW), held at Tandara Lutheran Camp, Halls Gap, in Victoria’s Grampians National Park, and hosted by Lutheran Youth of Victoria.

Sharing the gift of HOSPITALITY and SERVICE isn’t confined to just one day of the year.

I was chief cook and, along with my assistant Dee Simons from Dunkeld, prepared more than 1000 meals and served 52 litres of ice-cream during the week for the campers.

Service is this year’s theme for the annual Longest Lutheran Lunch and the young people at CLW learned about servanthood during their week at camp. They shared their faith and their Christian love through service, which reflects the very purpose of the LLLu.

CLW’s history-making lunch is proof that sharing the gift of hospitality and service isn’t confined to just one day of the year. While the LLLu is designed to fit on or around 31 October, Reformation Day, it doesn’t mean we can’t attach it to any other church celebration throughout the year.

There are many opportunities to share the gift of service through hospitality. Here’s a couple to consider:

Victorians are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Lutheran Youth of Victoria (LYV). They have earmarked the weekend of Reformation Day to reminisce and remember – a perfect opportunity to make Saturday’s lunch a Longest Lutheran one!

As the whole LCA, we are also celebrating our 50th birthday. So it’s no surprise the LLLu will be running under the 50.500 banner this year. We encourage you to use the theme ‘Service’ when you plan your lunch (or dinner). Think about ways your get-together can reach out into your community.

Please share your plans and ideas on the Longest Lutheran Lunch Facebook page.

If you’re stuck as to what to do, contact me so we can build any grain of an idea into a fabulous service event. We want to encourage everyone to consider how our congregations and communities can be places where people see God’s love coming to life.

Zion punches above its weight

It wasn’t until after CLW was over that it dawned on me that 15 per cent of members from my church, Zion at Vectis, a small country congregation in rural Victoria, shared their gifts of service at CLW. In addition to me being the cook for the camp, Lacey Rudolph was camp coordinator, Vaughn Maroske and his wife Lisa were camp parents, their daughter Chloe was a camp leader and son Otto was a camper! The only role Vectis members didn’t fill was camp pastor! From a statistical stance, 60 per cent of the congregation makes up the Vectis parish executive! Did someone mention something about service? God be praised for evermore! 

Andrea Cross is the coordinator of Longest Lutheran Lunch.

Contact her on 0400 425 254 or at hello@longestlutheranlunch.org or follow the Longest Lutheran Lunch Facebook page.

During this synodical term, 2015–2018, the LCA/NZ reaches two significant milestones: in 2016 the LCA’s 50th birthday; and in 2017 the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. 50.500 faith.freedom.future invites us to celebrate and commemorate these special anniversaries – with thanks to God for his past blessings, and in the sure hope and confidence that he is building the LCA/NZ for the future.

This feature story comes from The Lutheran August 2016. Visit the website to find out more about The Lutheran or to subscribe.