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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIAN LUTHERAN COLLEGE
treasure
in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:7
Treasures
Treasures
All of this combines to provide incredible treasures to
overlook the treasures with us right now. Returning
the LCA—treasures that come from God.
me. Through its various educational programs, this community offers amazing gifts to the LCA.
of Jesus Christ. It is a community that seeks to
then, the pastoral course was longer, and there
faithfully enact that good news in its daily living. It is a
were a lot more people studying on campus. As
community through which individual people prepare
I left the college I knew that I had been incredibly
themselves for service in the LCA and beyond. It is a
blessed here. I had met and married my wife, Karen
community that constantly adapts to more fully serve.
preparation for pastoral ministry that the LCA could provide through a sound theological education, and I was given every opportunity to grow towards maturity in a supported environment. Together with my classmates, I left this place rich with its treasures. However, once we were away from ALC, its treasures were easy to overlook or even to forget. The treasures—and sometimes the anxieties—of our more immediate life context can distort and crowd out those old memories. It’s good to reconnect and
May God continue to bless the LCA through the various learning programs and experiences offered through ALC as people prepare themselves for service. May God bless ALC through the partnership,
ALC has changed and continues to change. That’s
of the LCA.
effort is put into continually shaping the college’s
OF AUSTRALIA
ALC is a precious treasure that sits right under our noses. Please join me in thanking God for it.
still see God faithfully at work.
wider community, are also changing. Extraordinary
LUTHERAN CHURCH
a community shaped through the proclamation and
what it is today. It was called Luther Seminary back
because the LCA’s needs, along with those of the
Australian Lutheran College is the training institution of the Lutheran Church of Australia and a college of the University of Divinity.
both real and virtual, gathered by the Holy Spirit. It is teaching of the life-giving and life-restoring gospel
son, Josh, was born here. I had received the best
stories by Australian Lutheran College edited and designed by LCA Communications printed by Openbook Howden Design & Print
I am certain of what I see at ALC. It is a community,
When I graduated in 1991, ALC was different from
(a Lutheran Teachers College student), and our first
104 Jeffcott Street, Adelaide SA 5006 phone 08 8267 7400 free call 1800 625 193 email alc@alc.edu.au web www.alc.edu.au
PR I N C I PA L
As we yearn for what our lives could be, we easily to Australian Lutheran College has been like that for
a periodical of Australian Lutheran College
Pastor James Winderlich
broad range of teaching and research programs. This is to better meet the needs of the LCA and its various agencies, along with the needs of individual students.
goodwill and continued support of the people God bless you.
Is that mountain in Adelaide? Year-12 graduates Shinae Colville, Tiarna Hahn and Nadia Bunge are students with Australian Lutheran College. Right here on this mountain, they could be writing an assignment. (We don’t think they are though.)
hands-on experience and through my studies, which I hope will open up further opportunities for me in the future.’
But, but ... how can they be ALC students? In the first place, they are not male, and last time you looked, there were no mountains in North Adelaide.
Nadia, also from Victoria, completed Year 12 at Portland Secondary College last year. While at school, she worked part-time at Target for three years. She says that the Tandara internship is helping her to ‘enjoy learning more about God and myself’.
A lot of people still think that ALC trains candidates for the pastoral ministry, and that’s all’, says ALC’s dean, Rev Dr Stephen Haar. ‘And that, if you want to study theology through ALC, you have to move to Adelaide. Neither of these things is true.’
Tiarna, from Adelaide, finished school in 2010 with absolutely no idea of what she was going to do the following year. She worked for a waste disposal company until the beginning of this year, when she started her internship at Tandara.
These three young women provide just one example of how ALC has changed over the years, including who it trains, how it trains and where it trains people for ministry within the LCA.
‘Through studying the Certificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology, I am learning new ways to apply God’s word in my daily life and ministry, and strengthening my personal relationship with him’, Tiarna says. ‘I am unsure of what the future holds for me, but I hope that by completing the Certificate IV, I will discover where God is calling me to be next year.’
Tandara Lutheran Camp, located in the beautiful Grampians in Victoria, has this year taken on Nadia, Tiarna and Shinae as camp ministry interns. As part of their twelve-month internship, each young woman is studying a Certificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology through ALC. The course is available through mixed modes of study, including online and workshop modules. So, if they wish, they can in fact study from atop this mountain via their iPads. Shinae comes from Hopetoun in Victoria’s Mallee district. Last year she was in Year 12 studying for her VCE while working part-time as a waitress. ‘As an intern at Tandara, I can study through ALC while still working full-time’, she says. ‘I am furthering my skills in ministry through
This year Grassroots Training delivered five workshops for the interns at Tandara. Camp manager Darren Linke says, ‘This created a great opportunity for other Victorians to attend the workshops, whether they were studying at certificate level, or wanting to equip themselves for ministry in their congregation, or just for personal development’.
For information about the Certificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology, contact Tania Nelson, Head of School of Theological Studies at sts@alc.edu.au
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New ALC principal James Winderlich, with wife Karen, (left to right) sons Noah, Sam and Josh— and Oscar on James’s lap
Our Prayers
God ’s Promises
I am excitedly looking forward to serving as principal of Australian Lutheran College—not because I’ve got big plans but because I know that the God who promises fullness of life is faithful to those promises. I can hardly wait to witness how God will keep those promises among us. Equally, I can hardly wait to see how God will keep those promises to other people through us.
As I serve in this new context I look forward to being stretched as ALC continues to develop its program to faithfully and effectively serve the gathered people of the LCA and those beyond. I look forward to my own continued learning and to supporting other people in their learning experiences. I look forward to exploring what it might mean to humbly share life together as a community called and gathered by the Holy Spirit to bring glory to God through our love and service. I also look forward to promoting the ALC community and its various teaching programs to the people of the LCA for their participation and support. One of my installation promises was to pray for the people of the ALC community. What a wonderful starting point for our life together. My preparation for service will be grounded in keeping my promise to pray. Please join me in fulfilling that
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commitment by praying for me, together with the whole ALC community.
It might also help you to know a little more about me. Karen and I have been married for 27 years. During that time she has taught me how to love and how to be loved. Her courage, strength, care and wisdom complete me. We have three sons. Our eldest, Josh, is completing a Ph D program in neurology at Adelaide University. Sam is undertaking studies in visual arts, focusing on digital media, at Flinders University. Our youngest son Noah is in year six at St David’s Parish School. Each of them teaches me so much about the richness of family life and about the joy and inspiration of living. Finally, I thank God for his faithfulness to me. He has remained true to the promises he made at my baptism. No matter how things have gone, or how they will go as I seek to fulfil this call, I have remained and will continue to remain in union with God through an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade. God bless you.
James Winderlich
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
‘I am truly the luckiest person in the world because I am living my dream.’ At first, it did seem like a dream for 18-year-old Adeline Premanand from Calgary, Canada, to be living in Adelaide. But she’s pinched herself so many times now, she’s finally believing this is real. Adeline is studying dentistry, so she’s obviously not a student at ALC. But, as a boarder at the college, she is nevertheless part of the community. ‘I believe that this is God’s plan for my life’, she says. ‘Even though I am so far away from home, Adelaide has grown on me and I am beginning to call it my home.’ Compared with Calgary, North Adelaide is very convenient because everything is within a short walking distance, Adeline says. ‘Adelaide’s weather is much nicer, too, but I do miss the winter snow’. It was her father who helped to make the dream come true for Adeline. He found information about ALC on the internet. ‘I’m glad he did, because ALC has become my home away from home’, she says.
‘I was afraid to embark on the biggest adventure of my life, but as time has gone on, I have gained more courage and confidence.
Boarding at ALC In addition to ALC’s educational programs, we also provide residential facilities which can accommodate up to 100 private boarding residents. All boarding residents are required to be enrolled in a full-time tertiary course, studying either on campus or at public universities, TAFE colleges or private educational institutions.
‘The staff here are very friendly and approachable. The facilities are good and I have made new friends along the way. I still have a lot to learn about Australia but I am glad I have another four years to do that.’
Every person on campus is regarded as part of the ALC community, whether a student, boarding resident, staff member or volunteer. Our community is Christ-centred and it is expected that each member is either a practising Christian or is supportive of the Christian way of life. Community members are encouraged to participate in common activities, share problems and joys, and generally assist each other.
Despite discussions about the possible redevelopment of Lutheran properties at North Adelaide, including ALC, the boarding facilities will remain open for the foreseeable future.
To find out more about boarding at ALC or to arrange a tour of our facilities, please phone the college or contact us at boarding@alc.edu.au Applications for boarding in 2015 are available now on our website www.alc.edu.au.
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Hands-on
experience
Bursting at the seams
After being to a few different schools over the past four years, it was a blessing to go into a school with like-minded people and be able to speak openly about my faith. The Faith Lutheran College community embraced and welcomed me, and I instantly noticed how professionally the teachers worked together and with their students.
My teaching practicum at Faith was such a rewarding and exciting experience. I was able to build strong relationships with students and good rapport with my classes. Teaching is a relational profession and through my placement I was able to experience the joy in teaching through the bonds that were formed. I have many highlights from my experiences in both my Physical Education and Christian Studies classes. I loved getting to know students and having a laugh with them. I especially enjoyed the wonderful opinions and discussions that came from my Christian Studies classes. It’s those special teaching moments that excited me during my time at Faith. I grew up in a Lutheran community, going to Lutheran primary and high schools and attending church regularly. But the Lutheran Strand cemented the theology, and I gained a better understanding of Lutheran values. This knowledge is essential to be able to teach Christian Studies.
I’m now bursting at the seams to get out there and start forming strong bonds with my students and creating exciting teaching memories.
Stephanie
Stephanie Nelson is in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Education (Middle/Secondary) at Flinders University, Adelaide. Recently she completed her final teaching practicum at Faith Lutheran College, Tanunda, where she spent eight weeks developing and growing as a teacher and finding new appreciation and love of Lutheran education.
Field Experience As part of their Lutheran Strand studies, ALC undergraduate teaching students normally complete their final teaching practicum in a Lutheran school. This placement can last anywhere from four to ten weeks, and students are expected to teach approximately 80 per cent of a full-time load. This includes teaching and/or observing Christian Studies classes. Many of our students are familiar with the core culture of Lutheran schools from their own school days and just need to adjust to living out this culture as a teacher rather than a student. For others it is a new ethos. Either way, almost all of them experience a deep sense of belonging and a growing awareness of their vocation as a teacher. This comes about when their Christian worldview and understandings about education align with that of the school. Many find this first taste of being part of the mission of the church through its schools an enjoyable and immensely satisfying experience. They reflect on it with encouraging enthusiasm. The only downside is returning to university to complete the last few months of their degree. Once they have experienced life in a Lutheran school, most of our students yearn to get into their very own classroom and teach, and of course this is just how it should be!
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Being a pastor has its own special demands and challenges. We live in a diverse and complex culture that requires pastors to operate in many different modes of leadership and service. They are called to be faithful yet flexible, strong yet gentle, wise yet dynamic. This is why study is only part of the picture in the theological training of pastors for the church. Tracking alongside the crucially important studies is a comprehensive field education program. This gives our students practical hands-on experience of the very contexts and challenges they will face when they graduate from ALC and begin their pastoral ministries.
Insights and affirmation I experienced congregational life firsthand at St Marks, Underdale (2011–2012) and at Immanuel, Novar Gardens (2013–2014). I gained confidence through mentoring and support from Pastor Roger Atze (St Mark’s) and Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig (Immanuel) and members of both churches. The biggest challenge and highlight for me was preaching the faith. I also enjoyed leading Bible studies and doing any form of teaching. Also, to be part of youth ministry, especially leading it for a while, was a humbling experience. The questions from the young people were in some ways simple, but challenging to answer. These forms of teaching allowed discussions which in turn allowed me to communicate the gospel within the hearers’ context. We students sometimes consider issues from one perspective, but people’s questions gave me an opportunity to reflect deeply by delving into Lutheran theology and if necessary having a conversation with a teacher at ALC. It has been a great blessing to have hands-on experience and also mentors with whom I can share my questions, doubts and worries. I gained from their experience and knowledge as they brought the gospel to me. I also had the opportunity for two short school placements— at Good Shepherd Lutheran Primary School, Para Vista, and Concordia College, Highgate. You could see the early beginnings of faith being lived out. Pastors and chaplains have a major role to play in schools and a unique opportunity to present the gospel. My community field placement at Community Food SA opened up a new world of ministry possibilities. I heard what people go through as part of their normal daily struggle. I didn’t have to fix things, just be there to point them to Christ, who invites the weary to have rest. It was a blessing and a special opportunity to be involved in this ministry. Fieldwork experiences have given me insight into life as a pastor and have affirmed for me that my pathway forward is to serve the Lord through the church.
Jaswanth
Jaswanth Kukatlapalli was born in India and grew up in a Lutheran family whose heritage included a Lutheran pastor (his greatgrandfather). He began private theological studies when he moved to New Zealand with his family in 2006 and joined the ALC community as a transitional pastoral ministry student in 2011. Over the past three years, the ALC field education program has been both introduction to Australian culture and exposure to different congregational contexts and ministry roles. Jaswanth is now undertaking a vicarage placement at Mountainside Lutheran Church in Auckland, New Zealand, under the guidance of his vicar father, Pastor Joe Kummerow. He hopes to be ordained as a pastor of the LCA at the end of his vicarage.
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OUR COMMUNITY Our ALC community is rich, colourful and diverse. Here are just four of our stories.
M Y N A M E IS
Anthony Kwong
Morgan & Joshua For Joshua Brookes, being able to use big sister Morgan’s textbooks isn’t the only good thing about studying at ALC. As Morgan had already discovered, the ALC environment is ‘professional and challenging, and also caring and nurturing’. Now a graduating teacher, Morgan recognises that this is an impressive balance to achieve, and is ‘incredible for student learning’.
Emmanuel
Emmanuel Som Yalamu is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELCPNG). He is one of four students from overseas churches studying at ALC on an LCA Board for Mission scholarship placement. After graduating from Martin Luther Seminary in 2005, he served two village congregations in the remote Siassi District, the region that his parents come from. While there, he and his wife Linda were blessed with two daughters. In 2011 he was called by the ELCPNG to serve as a resident fellow in Biblical Studies at the seminary. With your support, Emmanuel is studying towards his Masters in Theology, which will equip him for his role as a teacher of theology. ‘Since my previous training and experience was very strong in the area of ministry, my aim at ALC is to concentrate more on theology’, Emmanuel says. He is due to graduate in December, when he will return home to the family he misses so much, and to start serving his church as a lecturer at Martin Luther Seminary. ‘The LCA has many important partnerships with overseas church communities’, ALC Principal James Winderlich says. ‘At ALC we are excited to participate in those relationships through our various educational programs. Our community is enriched by our many overseas students, such as Emmanuel. It is through those relationships that we all learn and grow together.’
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Joshua was inspired to study at ALC after seeing the impact it made on Morgan. While she was studying for her Secondary Education and Bachelor of Science degree, he ‘got to observe, firsthand, the interest she showed for the topics in the Lutheran Strand, as well as some of the differences between learning institutions’. So, when he began to study for his degree in Primary Education this year, he promptly enrolled at ALC. Morgan says that the experience of supportive and quality teaching she received through ALC ‘is not necessarily guaranteed’ in other universities. As a teacher, it is ‘something that I intend to replicate with adolescents’. And as she watches brother Joshua progress through his Lutheran Strand studies, she can relive the journey that she herself experienced over the past four years.
JOIN US!
Come and join us on a transformative, enjoyable and empowering journey of discovery and growth. We offer high-quality teaching that prepares people to be effective spiritual leaders, educators and workers who bring life and renewal in the communities they serve. Every year ALC welcomes new students of all ages. Maybe you’ll be one of them.
Matt
Heather For as long she can remember, Heather Waring has had a deep interest in faith and theology. Her introduction to ALC was at age 20, when she took a year off work to study at (then) Lutheran Teachers College. ‘That year of study further whet my appetite’, she says. Decades later, Heather still enjoys study courses at ALC, but now only in bite-size pieces. Working full-time, she no longer has the time or energy to pursue an ongoing course. ‘ALC evening classes are perfect for me’, she says. ‘I love the short commitment of four to six weeks, just one night a week, and the usual time of 7.00–9.00 pm means no late nights midweek.’ Heather reads about the topics on offer in her church bulletin: ‘If something catches my interest, I’m in!’ She says that enrolling is ‘so easy with on-line registration’. ‘Four weeks on some topics is tantalizingly brief, so I usually attend with my husband Bill and we find ourselves discussing aspects long after the classes have ended.’ Heather enjoys meeting the mix of people who come to ALC’s evening classes. ‘It adds to the perspective of the topic. You find people of all ages, professions and points of view. It’s always a surprise to see who’s there on the first night.’ Heather has been to ‘four or five’ evening classes over the years. ‘Each one is unique and well worth it. The variety of topics and the diverse lecturers make each course refreshingly different’.
When Matt Edgecomb was completing his Animal Science degree at uni, he wasn’t thinking about becoming a pastor. But during his three-year employment as a youth worker at Immanuel College in Adelaide, God was putting the idea into his mind. This year Matt became a student in the School of Pastoral Theology. His background in youth ministry will serve him well as a pastor. He ran the youth ministry at Salisbury Lutheran Church for six years and has been a leader on many youth camps. ‘I am excited to be studying at ALC, as I strongly feel God’s call on my life to serve him as a pastor’, he says. ‘In April this year I married Bonnie, and we are excited to see how the Holy Spirit will use us to build God’s kingdom during our time at ALC and beyond.’
See yourself at ALC? Australian Lutheran College prepares all sorts of people for all sorts of ministry—and most students don’t need to move to Adelaide. We’re flexible You can study on-campus if that suits you (and for some courses, you need to). But the vast majority of our students study offcampus, through workshops, ‘intensives’ and on-line learning.
More and more ALC students are studying via distance education, which is great if you can’t attend classes because of work or family commitments; if you live outside Adelaide; of if you like to study anywhere, at any time and at your own pace.
One college, three schools
ALC wants to provide the best possible response to the vocational advice and support needs of students in our learning programs. Our three schools enable ALC to be a caring community, as students complete their studies through one college. Think ‘pastors, teachers, lay people’ and you pretty much have it covered. The School of Pastoral Theology (SPT) is what you know and love as ‘the Sem’. It is responsible for the preparation of candidates for the pastoral ministry in the Lutheran Church of Australia. You have to come and live in Adelaide for this pastoral program; it’s full-time residential. •
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Do you know someone who has the makings of a pastor? Encourage him to pray about this. That’s how many of our SPT students end up here; somebody recognised their gifts and ‘tapped them on the shoulder’. Do you think God might be calling you to be a pastor?
The School of Educational Theology (SET), formerly known as Lutheran Teachers College (LTC), provides pre-service and in-service education for people preparing to be teachers in Lutheran schools. •
Are you enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate teaching degree and would like to teach in a Lutheran school?
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Are you already teaching in a Lutheran school and would like to become accredited or better understand Lutheran theology?
The School of Theological Studies (STS) is a relatively new addition to ALC. It’s for all those people in our church who don’t
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want to be a pastor or a teacher but still want to be better equipped for ministry. This group of students includes full-time and part-time LCA lay workers and also everyday people who want to grow in their faith and learn practical skills for reaching out to their friends and neighbours with the gospel. Does that sound like you? You can choose to undertake a Higher Education pathway or gain accreditation through our nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) courses. Modes of delivery include workshops, group studies and on-line learning. We are able to formally recognise your life experiences and previous study achievements in relation to the study level you are completing.
Grassroots Training is part of this school too. This ministry of
ALC offers hands-on, practical training for everyday (‘grassroots’) people of the LCA. Keep an eye out for the green Grassroots Training logo, and try to get to one of our workshops or seminars at a location near you. •
Is God calling you to a lay ministry position, and you want to test the waters?
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Do you want to grow in knowledge and in faith?
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Do you want to gain skills for everyday mission and ministry?
The first step
At ALC we’re passionate about lifelong learning. No matter what your educational level or life experience, or where you live, we’re sure we can offer you something that will help you to grow in wisdom and in grace. So, take that first step today. Make the call or send us an email and join us in our LCA mission to be a church where God’s love comes to life.
Phone 08 8267 7400 or Freecall 1800 625 193 Email alc@alc.edu.au | Web www.alc.edu.au School of Pastoral Theology: spt@alc.edu.au School of Educational Theology: set@alc.edu.au School of Theological Studies: sts@alc.edu.au Grassroots Training: grassroots@alc.edu.au
Where there’s a will
there’s a way
At ALC we’re humbled to learn from time to time that someone has remembered us in their will. Sometimes it’s not unexpected—the person had a long association with ALC. At other times, a bequest comes to us out of the blue, suggesting that ALC made an impact on the person’s life that we never knew about.
In every case, we thank God for the blessing of the bequest, and for the church member or friend who trusted us to apply their gift, with the greatest care, to the training of God’s people for ministry. The generosity of the late Dan and Frances Stark of Cairns, Queensland, is one example of faithful giving, even in death. Their legacy will ensure that current and future pastoral ministry students at ALC are given opportunities to expand their field education experiences. Throughout much of their working lives, the Starks served the Aboriginal communities of Hopevale, Bloomfield (now known as Wujal Wujal), Edward River and Kowanyama. During this time they also assisted in leading church services, Sunday school and Bible studies. In all they did they bore witness to the Christian faith. They retired to Cairns in 1983. Dan died in 1992, but Frances continued to serve her local church and community for another 20 years. Upon her death in 2012, the Starks’ estate, principally their house, was left to further the work of training pastors for the Lutheran Church of Australia.
In accordance with their wishes, Dan and Frances’s bequest will be used to increase the variety of field experiences that equip candidates for the pastoral ministry. Given the Starks’ background, it seems fitting that opportunities to be offered to students through this bequest will include fieldwork visits to Lutheran Aboriginal mission areas.
Consider including ALC in your will
Australian Lutheran College relies on you and is grateful for your ongoing support. Working together with you, we hope that future generations will have the opportunity to receive an educational learning experience that is Lutheran in identity, confession and emphasis. You can contribute to this vision by including ALC in your will, just as Dan and Frances Stark did. Your bequest or legacy to the college will help us to prepare students for ministry in the LCA as pastors, mission workers, teachers and leaders. It also allows you to make the kind of gift you might be unable to give during your lifetime. You can support a specific project at ALC or dedicate your bequest for general purposes, which means we will direct it to the most crucial area of need. This flexible approach to giving is extremely useful in an environment where needs and priorities change over time. To find out more about including ALC in your will, contact Margaret Beare on Freecall 1800 625 193, email business@alc.edu.au or write to her at Australian Lutheran College, 104 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide SA 5006.
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YES...
I will support Lutheran ministry training through ALC! My donation to Australian Lutheran College is: $
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All donations $2.00 and over are fully tax-deductible and gratefully received!
I give my ministry donation by: Cheque / Money Order (payable to ALC) Mastercard
VISA
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Post cheque to the address below Direct transfer to ALC Direct Deposit Account BSB: 704 942 | Account No: 121 727 (If you are transferring from an LLL account, please include S1 at the end of the account number)
YES, please send me information about including ALC in my Will
My details for receipt Title
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You’re our treasure too! Now that you’ve read the stories about the people of our Lutheran college, you’ll see (as we do) how precious each one of them is. They are our treasures—and they are your treasures too. These people have stepped out in faith, sometimes giving up career jobs, to follow God’s call into ministry—as pastors, lay workers and teachers, or simply to be better equipped to carry God’s love into their world, perhaps even into your world. But there’s a face missing. That’s reserved for you, for your face. You are one of ALC’s treasures. Through your care, your prayers and your financial support, you make it possible to train these people for ministry—which makes you part of our ALC community too.
104 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide SA 5006 Or place appeal envelope on offering plate at church Donate online at www.alc.edu.au Call 1800 625 193
You’re one of our treasures.
Thank you.