11/10/2023
Rest in peace Tony.
20/8/2023
William Semmler’s Baptism
8/7/2022
Long time menber and Elder of St Marks.
05/03/2022
This week we celebrate the life of a legend.
23/10/2021
This week Joy passed away and will be greatly missed by all who new her.
16/5/2021
It is with deep sadness that we note the passing of Beverly Purvis (McLean). Our sympathy is extended to her entire family.
Please keep them in your prayers.
Her funeral service was held on Tuesday the 25th at 11am in St Andrews Chapel, Wingewarra St. Dubbo
Beverly Ann Purvis Private Streaming Link Below: https://youtu.be/YV981lXrLp4
23/2/2020
Openway Bookshop Gilgandra.
AGM @ Freetham House. Giving thanks for another great year and looking forward to new possibilities and adventures in 2020
:A Celebration of the life of
John Kenneth Jones
11 July 1942 ~ 1 February 2020
Aged 77 years
10am, Thursday, 6th February 2020
St Ambrose Anglican Church ~ Gilgandra
followed by internment in Gilgandra Lawn Cemetery
Joan, David, Denise, Tony and families would like to thank you
for coming and sharing in this celebration of John’s life.
31/10/2018
Bill loves his tanks…
:Hi all!
The 2018 Synod was held in Sydney two weeks ago. I am sorry for the lateness of this, but I have attached the summary report for you. If you’d like more information, you could go onto http://www.convention2018.lca.org.au/ or ask me or Joseph.
It was my first synod and quite truthfully, I didn’t understand the intensity and the effects it would have on the church and so I urge you all to have a look at the report and reflect on some things that are currently happening. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for the sake of a brief report), we weren’t able to go through most of the proposals presented in the book of reports and so a lot of decisions will be made by the GCB (General Church Board). Please keep the members on the board in your prayers.
One of the proposals that did pass was to spend 30 minutes giving a case for the traditional and biblical understanding for the ordination of men only. I have attached the presentation for anyone who is interested. It was presented by Dr Adam Hensley, an Old Testament lecturer at ALC; Annie Gellert, a layperson; and Pastor Joshua Pfeiffer, who is serving at Bethlehem Lutheran, Adelaide.
Gods blessings to you.
In Christ,
Rehab :)
14/04/18
A legend in our town and a corner stone in our congregation.
Happy 75th Jan.
4/02/18
Our first service with our new Pastor Graham.
15/01/18
Today we said farewell to Geoff. A good man, he will be sorely missed by all new loved and loved him.
Memories of good times gone by.
12/11/17
After 40 years the Openway Bookshop has been handed over to a committy to manage.Former Pastor Peter Hartwich has returned for the service.
03/1/2016
Peter Heintze preached today. Peter is a 4th year Student at ALC..
26/05/2014 Truckies pull up for a break and some time out with the Lord..
14/10/2013
Mick has played an integral part in many of our lives and will be sadly missed.
May he rest forever in God’s loving arms.
ROY ALLAN SEMMLER
Special visitors to Gilgandra at the weekend were Pastor Sam Simpfendorfer and his wife Alicia. The Lutheran congregation was treated to one of his wonderful sermons starting off with the attention grabbing statement you know St Paul would have been labelled a terrorist in our day and age – if you dont like the message then kill the messenger! Thats what St. Paul did to the Christians before he met Jesus in a life changing encounter on the road to Damascus.
Event Details
Time: Sept 2nd 2010 from 5pm to 7pm
Location: Gilgandra
Phone: 0439 339 321
Event Type: shed night
Organized By: Pastor Brenton Fiedler
Event Description
On the 2nd of September will be a date you could be with us for our first Shed Happens !!!!!!
We’re excited that on Thursday 2nd September Andrew Baker will be there with his B Double(Photo),and Watto will be down from Brisbane for a chat with many local Blokes.
FOR TRUCKIES!!!!
10,000 trucks pass through Gilgandra every week and this event is for truckies to stop and enjoy a burger and an encouraging word.
Trucks can park outside the Lutherna Church.
RSVP for Gilgandra’s NSW First Shed Night for TRUCKIES!
to:
truckietorque@bigpond.com
Attending (2)
PS;
The Gilgandra contingent stopped at the Collie Pub for a delicious meal and time of sharing.
ST. John’s Lutheran Congregation 2009
The year 2009 will go down in the history of this congregation as a very amazing year. Eighty years of worship at 15 Elizabeth Street, Gilgandra came to an end in June. A new and different course was taken as our smaller, newer building on the highway, opposite the Tourist Centre at Coo-ee Park, was dedicated on the 14th June, 2009. Our worship has not changed and the same faithful members still attend but a new different direction has begun. We feel led to find ways of bringing the Good News of salvation through faith in Jesus to the truckies and travellers who pass through our town. There are thousands of trucks and travellers who pass the front doors of our church every week and each one of them need to hear the message of Gods love for them and His salvation in Jesus.
The lovely furniture from the old church has been incorporated in the new; the altar, lectern, baptismal font and pulpit look really good against the white background of the walls. The organ, electric piano and sound system; new, comfortable chairs and the carpeted floor combine in a welcoming ambience.
A well-known local artist, Marilyn Mann, has painted a delightful mural that fits in with our theme, on the interior of the southern wall. During a building committee meeting the question arose as to when our new church was dedicated. Ian Reichelt went out to check the dedication plaque. When he came back inside the realisation dawned on him that the text on the bottom of the mural I am the Way…. John 14:6 was the date of our dedication and we are St. Johns congregation!! It felt as if God is saying Have courage. I am with you in this and will guide you. I am leading you in the way I want you to go.
There are still many things to be done to prepare the building. The chrome cross from the old building will be placed on the roof. It was made by John and Don McLean at the GTS workshop in 1962 and is still in pristine condition. A large sign on the roof will clearly indicate who we are and our purpose for being there. Joan and John Jones have landscaped the front area of the church and planted a lovely, neat garden, surrounded by a low, log fence. The car-park will be one of the big jobs this year and Semmler’s Sand and Gravel have undertaken do this.
Our congregation has approached The Bible Society with an idea of providing a “Truckies Bible. Pastor Richard Mau of Lutheran Media is also excited about working to produce literature, radio broadcasts and material to help bring the Gospel to the people we reach out to.
Pastor Brenton leads us in inspiring worship services and our Lay-readers also do a great job on the Sundays he preaches at Nyngan. We also gather on Thursday evenings and the studies, led by Pastor Brenton, have been rich and meaningful, reminding us of the central truths of our Christian beliefs, their relevance in our daily lives and our purpose in the world.
Our Openway Bookshop continues to flourish and we are very grateful to the other Christians in Gilgandra who continue to work with us in running it. We pray that it will continue to be a blessing for our town. The special Combined Churchs Service in August was very well attended. The Dubbo St. Marks Lutheran Youth Band led modern Christian songs and the grand piano inspired the singing in the well known older hymns. The typically Lutheran Service was highly commended and enjoyed by more than three hundred worshippers in the Shire Hall.
Sharing the wonderful news of salvation, through faith in Jesus gift of life to us, is our focus and we are confident that God is leading the way and will bless all that we do in His Name. Our prayer for the future is that our small congregation will meet the challenges with courage and conviction and not loose heart when the going becomes difficult. We want to reach out with the Good News of salvation to truckies and travellers and we ask God to continue to lead and guide us in this work He has given us to do for Him.
A very Blessed Christmas and happy New Year 2010.
Bill Cheal is the Chairman of our congregation and helped to steer it through some very rough waters last year. The old building was sold and a new one on the highway, opposite the Tourist Centre, has been purchased. With the support of faithful members a new vision is emerging to be a Church for Truckies and Travellers. There are thousands of trucks through Gil every week “ a huge congregation of men and women who have a hard and often dangerous job and we want to find ways that we can help them meet their spiritual needs.
Gil is also situated ideally on the main highway from Adelaide and Melbourne to Brisbane. We want to create a place that people can feel free to come as they are and worship with us. The altar, communion rail, pulpit, lectern and font were all brought from the Elizabeth St. church and it looks very good. Other Christians in town joke that “the Lutherans have gone from the worst seating in town to the very best.â Yes, our chairs a lovely and comfortable. A local Christian artist has painted a mural on an inside wall and our motto is “I am the Way John 14:6 We all had a goose bumpy moment recently when we realised that the Dedication of our new church was on the 14th June (14-6) and our name is St. Johns!!!! It felt as if God is assuring us we are on the right track and doing what He wants us to do as His people in Gilgandra.
Held in the new Gilgandra church bulding.
04/09/2009
St Johns, Gilgandra.
Nurtured by the Lord so we can work with each other to reach out with His pure Word and care – through worship, resouring and teaching.
Situated in Elizabeth St Gilgandra St Johns is a Sister congregation with St Marks Dubbo.
END OF AN ERA
A NEW BEGINNING
When Jesus died on the Cross, it was an end of an era. Three days later when He rose again from the dead, it was a new beginning for all of us.
So too, has the Gilgandra Congregation reached an end of an era, and about to start on a new beginning.
On 14th June, 2009 a chapter in the history of St. John’s Congregation Gilgandra in NSW will come to an end when they hold their closing service in their Church building at 13 Elisabeth Street Gilgandra where St. John’s Congregation have worshipped since 1924.
This closing Service will be followed by a procession out of the Church carrying vessels, paraments, mistle and other vessels of God, from the old church building, after which they will proceed to 1A Castlereagh St, Gilgandra for the dedication and opening of these premises as the new St. John’s Church building.
The dedication and opening will be followed by a shared light luncheon and fellowship. All are welcome.
The sale of the old church building was not taken lightly and was (and still is) very agonising for many people, but after several years of discussions and meetings about the deteriorating state of the buildings, we decided to sell and move to a smaller, more modern building that will be easier to maintain and still serve the needs of our dwindling and ageing congregation.
After looking at several options for repairs to the old building, the general consensus was that because the foundations were too small for the size and weight of the large building and the problems with the sinking and cracking soils, we felt that no matter how we tried to repair or lift the foundations, the subsidence and cracking of the building would continue. It was also felt that the Elizabeth Street complex was for too big for the size of our congregation and the reduced support we are now getting,Â
So while our hearts felt that we should repair and maintain the old building regardless of the cost, our head said that it was far more cost effective to sell the old building and purchase a smaller, more modern building.
This new building was formally a restaurant, being of double brick construction and is situated on the Dubbo side of Gilgandra, on the main Newell Highway, opposite the Coo-ee Park and Museum.
We are very fortunate to have a former congregational member, Darren Semmler, (who has moved to Dubbo Congregation) as our builder and was able to carry out the internal alterations to give a seating area of 80-100 people, a raised sanctuary area, kitchen, vestry and amenities area, all under one roof. The congregation would like to thank Darren for his effort and the savings and contribution he has put into this construction.
The new building has been designed so it can be used as a small conference centre or a meeting place, not only to be used by our members, but also by the wider community. This has been achieved by the compact design and the purchase of individual stackable chairs.
Hopefully, this move will give the Lutheran Church in Gilgandra a period of consolidation from where we can move forward and witness better to the wider community.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:Â A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and uproot: A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build:Â A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance: time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain.
Bev Purvis Member St John.s Congregation Gilgandra.
Today, 7th December 2008, at 3:00 oclock more than 80 Christians gathered at our church for an hour of worship in song. Bob Burrel of the AOG Church had felt that the Holy Spirit was asking him to organise a community singing event.Head never done anything like that before so he asked a few folk what they thought of the idea. Then he telephoned Janet Cheal of St.Johns congregation about providing the music and they soon had a programme on the way.Bob felt strongly that the opening and closing hymns were especially chosen by the Spirit and it took quite an effort to find the music as Janet didnt know either of them. Any misgivings she had about people singing them were dispelled as soon as the worship began. Bob was very keen that most of the accompaniment was on the magnificent organ St Johns is privileged to have.
Old favourites were included such as The church’s one foundation Praise my Soul, The King of Heaven and Rock of Ages. The second last song was Majesty and Lorraine Sorensen added to the praise playing a beautiful bassline on her Euphonium. Peter Gaff organised the hymns on the overhead and cool drinks were available during a break in the middle of the programme.
There were folk from the Anglican, Uniting, Catholic, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Church of Christ, AIM and Lutheran churches combining in heartfelt praise to God. The COC congregation would have loved to be there too but a special event in their church made it impossible to join with us this time.
A song new to many people I cannot tell why He whom angels worship -should set His love upon the sons of men sung to the tune of Danny Boy was a favourite. The churches were asked to supply a list of two or three of their favourite hymns for inclusion in the programme and so a wide selection was achieved.
No doubt another Community Hymn Singing afternnon will be organised some time in the New Year and if God wills it could certainly become a regular event. We thank God for creating this opportunity to worship Him in this way with the other Christians in our town, Gilgandra
Some History of Gilgandra.
Slides courtesy of Late Edgar Molkentin
taken about 1960 of church extensions.
View from upstairs inside St. John’s
The Dubbo-Gilgandra Parish(and preaching places at Nyngan and Coonabarabran) has no resident Pastor at present. Pastor Brenton Fiedler moved to Toowoomba in January this year so the Parish will be treated to a variety of visiting Lutheran Pastors over the coming months whilst waiting for a new Pastor to accept this Parish Call.