Mission and Ministry Nationally and Internationally
Indigenous Ministry
The work of missionaries and coworkers among Indigenous Australians from the mid-1880s to the present day has borne much fruit, and today, we are proud to include in our Lutheran family around 7000 Indigenous Australian people.
There are four main areas of Aboriginal ministry in the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA):
- Central Australia – Finke River Mission, a ministry of the churchwide LCA
- South Australia (Far West Coast and urban Adelaide)
Contact the South Australia – Northern Territory District on 08 8267 5211 - Far North Queensland
Contact the Queensland District on 07 3511 4000 - The church’s ministry to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders encompasses all our ministry spaces, including within our own local congregations, schools, and other Lutheran communities.
Reconciliation Action Plan
The LCA has a long and deep relationship with Aboriginal ministry, spanning some 150 years. In 2018, the LCA partnered with Reconciliation Australia to develop its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Now endorsed by the General Church Board and Reconciliation Australia, our LCA RAP speaks to the commitment our church has made, and is a call to action, to further the church’s vision of reconciliation. It is to bring to life an expression of our ministry that all peoples recognise, understand, value and respect the histories, cultures, lands, and contributions of First Nations peoples as we honour our common humanity as children of God. Our LCA RAP invites every one of us to be involved – our congregations, schools, and communities.
Finke River Mission
Finke River Mission (FRM), together with Alice Springs Lutheran Church, Lutheran Community Care, Yirara College, and Living Waters Lutheran School, brings God’s saving gospel to Lutherans in Central Australia. The work is focused on ministry among over 6000 Aboriginal Christians who identify as Lutheran in the southern part of the Northern Territory, extending from the Queensland border to just over the Western Australia border. These Aboriginal Lutherans in more than 40 communities are served by 28 pastors (20 Aboriginal) and dozens of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal leaders and trainee pastors.
With support from Australian Lutheran College, FRM is responsible for training Aboriginal pastors and other leaders who proclaim the good news of salvation to their people in six languages. The FRM Board coordinates the work of supporting church leaders, providing Bibles, hymns, and other worship resources in language and promoting appropriate literacy programs. Through Yirara College, FRM provides Christian secondary education to up to 300 Aboriginal boarding students annually from remote Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. Additionally, at the request of the local community, FRM operates a general store and the Old Mission Precinct at Hermannsburg.
Finke River Mission would love to receive support from congregations through:
- giving – donations are always needed for the work of FRM.
- prayer – sign up for the FRM eNews for regular prayer points.
- volunteering and employment – please encourage your congregation members to consider working in Central Australia. The Lutheran agencies in Central Australia are regularly looking for committed Christian people to fill employment vacancies. These are advertised through LCA eNews (sign up at www.lca.org.au/lcaenews), or resumes can be sent to admin@finkerivermission.org.au
Lutheran Media
Lutheran Media aims to multiply our reach and engagement through media with messages of hope in Jesus.
They offer many resources for people struggling and for use in reaching out to friends, family and people in our communities. They also produce radio spots shared across Australia on public radio stations.
Congregations may find their resources helpful in various ministry activities. Lutheran Media welcomes all support congregations can offer, including:
- Giving – There is a great need for financial assistance. Lutheran Media particularly encourages regular partnering in the mission and bequests.
- Raising awareness by sharing the details of their ministry in your community
- Volunteering – For those living near Lutheran Media's office, there are several volunteer tasks you can assist with.
LCA International Mission
LCA International Mission works collaboratively with overseas partner churches to bring the life-changing news of Jesus Christ to people in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea.
LCA International Mission invites congregations to partner with them, as we share in God’s mission in the world together. Ways to get involved include:
- Invite a speaker to your congregation or community.
- Go into the mission field by volunteering overseas or engaging in service learning.
For more information and resources, visit the International Mission website.
Australian Lutheran World Service
Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) is the overseas aid and development agency of the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand. It provides resources and support in places affected by war, poverty and natural disasters in partnership with other international agencies.
ALWS needs the financial and spiritual support of congregations.
- ALWS asks that you share their work in worship services and regularly pray for them and the places and people they serve. ALWS provides a range of worship resources and prayer points to raise awareness in congregations.
- Your congregation can also invite a speaker to tell you more about what ALWS does and how you can help.
- They need financial donations. These can be made as one-off or regular donations, as bequests or by participating in fundraising events such as Walk My Way.
ALWS also encourages churches across Australia and New Zealand to be the hands of Jesus by bringing your church community together in action to help others. The current action programs ALWS is running are:
- Gifts of Grace – Get your church involved in gift-giving that makes a real difference! You can request as many FREE Gifts of Grace catalogues as you'd like or browse online.
- Partner a Farm Group – Your church can stand side-by-side with the people of Burundi through a farm partnership.
Find out more by visiting the ALWS website.
Lutheran Women
Lutheran Women of Australia is a national association of Lutheran women offering a chance to grow in faith as you study God’s word, fellowship, friendship, and faith in action through service.
The LWA encourages the development of a variety of groups and many types of service. Any group willing to embrace the ideals of LWA and the concept of being ‘Loved by God, sharing this love with others’ is very welcome.
Aged Care and Community Services
Lutheran Aged Care and Community Services supports and encourages Christian care in all its forms in Lutheran aged care, retirement living and community services. They have a network of service providers in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, so you're sure to find the care that's right for you or your loved one.
There's always something happening in your church. Don't be the last to find out.
Subscribe to LCA eNews. It's free, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
How did we do?
Did you find what you were looking for? Did you find anything out of date or not working properly? Please tell us how we can improve this page.
Contact us
Where to now?
