Learning together

At St Petri Nuriootpa in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, we were delighted to receive an LCANZ Local Mission Fund grant to further our vision for a regional learning hub.

For some time, we have been aware that encouraging local people in our congregations to develop skills in church ministries, learn more of the Scriptures and learn more about living their faith in all the challenges and issues they face in their work, family, church and personal lives is so needed.

As a larger church in our region, we want to serve our area however we can to help make many local learning opportunities happen for the people of the Barossa and Light region.

We have always intended to work collaboratively. Our local pastors have been very supportive, as have other Lutheran leaders in the area.

We want to understand the needs of God’s people in local churches and work with local leaders and organisations to develop different learning opportunities. This is done in the hope that the Regional Learning Hub enacts the Lord’s intent for his church in St Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:12, ‘to equip the saints for the works of service, for the building up of the body of Christ’.

St Petri’s Governance Council authorised me to assemble a small working group to form a starting document to guide us in establishing the hub. A draft Terms of Reference has been formed. Local pastors and working group members met with LCANZ Local Mission Coordinator Jodi Brook and the SA–NT District Assistant Bishop for Mission, Pastor Stephen Schultz, and further defined how it might best work.

It has been a challenge to be clear on the best way to establish this project and to find the most useful focus for starting to offer learning opportunities. However, at least five things have become clear:

1. Local people must be asked what they need, what they see and what they want to learn more about for their life and contribution to God’s kingdom and their local church.
2. It would be wise to start very small and very local and try some learning opportunities, based on what we have discovered the needs are, and then ‘learn as we go’.
3. It would be wise to not worry too much about accredited/formal-qualification learning but rather focus on practical and applicable learning for everyday people serving in churches and living their lives in Christ.
4. It would be wise for St Petri to begin the work, so a start is made, but always with consultation and cooperation from anyone interested.
5. Two main streams of need this project should work in are: 1) assisting local church leaders develop skills in leading worship, and 2) supporting people in living the life of discipleship; sharing our faith with more confidence, supporting people in grief, caring for people, and learning the Scriptures and Lutheran confession of the faith.

We plan to listen to local people and offer short learning experiences in these two broad streams, as the Regional Learning Hub takes shape. The vision is to offer low-cost seminars, courses, sessions and experiences that can be accessed in-person or online in real time or on-demand.

Adrian Kitson is the pastor of St Petri Lutheran Church, Nuriootpa in SA.

Learn more about the Regional Learning Hub in this video prepared by St Petri Lutheran Church. Courses are available for booking now on the Regional Learning Hub website.

St Petri Lutheran Church was one of 10 congregations that received grants through the inaugural round of the LCANZ’s Local Mission Fund. The fund has been established to help congregations, districts and agencies as they seek new ways of reaching their neighbours and their local communities with the gospel. Expressions of interest for 2026 grants will open on 1 July 2025. Click here for more information.