From Katanning to Cairns to Christchurch and all the way to Canada, Lutherans said, ‘Let’s have a Longest Lutheran Lunch’. Some of you saw it as a way to bring the whole parish together. Some made it an ecumenical affair, a combined effort with other churches in your town or district. And some couldn’t resist the opportunity to connect with your congregation’s friends and neighbours.

It’s been exciting to hear and see your stories—your creativity, commitment and courage … the courage to try something new and to reach out beyond the comfort of your own congregation. Here’s a collection of some of your Longest Lutheran Lunch stories. We know you’ll be encouraged and inspired as you see all the ways we Lutherans and our congregations are places where God is at work and where love comes to life.

Lutheran lunchers in Christchurch reached out to families still rebuilding their lives after the devastating earthquakes.They hand-delivered 1000 invitations to their free sausage sizzle and family fun day.

LUTHERAN CHURCHOF AUSTRALIA

From Paddock to Plate {It’s the Year of the Farmer, so what better place to hold your Longest Lutheran Lunch than on a farm?

Across rural LCA, loads of Longest Lutheran Lunchers breathed in that most alluring of Aussie aromas, snags on the barby … along with dust and pesky flies, of course.

In the finest of farming tradition, some of you even killed your own meat. The 120 lunchers at Trungley Hall, New South Wales, feasted on three lambs donated by members—and they made their own damper, too (pictured below), cooked to perfection in ‘ovens’ dug in the red earth.

Beneath the cypress pines at Brieses’ farm, you Cleve people (Eyre Peninsula, SA) set up camp for the day, feasting on beef stroganoff, spag bol and chicken curry from the camp ovens, and rice and pasta cooked over the campfire.

At nearby Lock, your Longest Lutheran Lunch table at the Nuskes’ picture-perfect place was a sight to behold, with their beautiful gardens as backdrop. Table decorations were creatively ‘farmerish’: heads of barley, old shearing stencils and bale hooks.

It seems that everybody wants to get to a Longest Lutheran Lunch these days. At Buccleuch, SA, a couple of uninvited guests turned up: two brown snakes and a goanna. Well, you can’t blame them for coming: you did advertise your lunch as ‘all things long’!

Our Lutheran farmers say that one of the best things about the Longest Lutheran Lunch is the sense of God’s blessing and of connection with other Lutherans that it fosters. ‘Over lunch we remember we’re

part of a big Lutheran family, and we don’t feel so isolated’, one farmer-luncher said.

Before the lunch, Tracey Woidt of the Buccleuch parish, SA, reflected on the hard times the parish and those around it have been through. But this lunch was going to be a celebration of God’s blessings to them, she said.

‘So, as we lunched together, we were reminded of our connectedness to God and to other Lutherans near and far. We were reminded of the very real ways in which God provides for the physical and spiritual needs of us as a little church, as a parish, as a zone and as the LCA.’

Cowell SA

Temora NSW

We hand-delivered 1000 invitations to letter boxes of homes around our church in the earthquake-damaged suburb of Burwood – Christchurch NZ

It’s a chance to reach out to the community, and it’s great to know that Lutherans around Australia and New Zealand are doing likewise – Bridgewater SA

We had themed tables representing our members’ cultures: Kachin (Burmese), Indian, Lebanese, Slovak, German and Aussie – Werribee Vic

We wanted an event that involved the whole community, so, together with the Uniting Church, we hosted a free lunch for whoever was around – Robertstown SA

A great opportunity to join together in fellowship and present the very best of traditional German food for all ages – Tallebudgera Qld

We provided an opportunity for diners to make a gold-coin donation, which was split between two local community projects – Temora NSW

It was exactly as advertised, a long, lazy lunch … and it was brilliant! – Lock SA

Fifteen nationalities or significant cultural groups were represented – from Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, indigenous and non-indigenous Australia – Footscray Vic

The taste buds stayed alert as the aroma of slowly cooking local lamb wafted through the air – Gruenberg SA

There was water and mud where we had proposed to sit. Still, you can’t keep good Lutherans down … the weather was perfect for kite-flying! - Kumbia Qld

We organised to Skype two other congregations –Rockhampton Qld and Footscray Vic - this was enjoyed by all – Mackay Qld

Beaudesert Qld

Dalby Qld

Blair Athol SA

Albury NSW

Waikerie SA

Nambour Qld

Bethany SA

Crystal Brook SA

Echuca Vic

Temora NSW

FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROWPARKWOOD WA: First, a gifted member made 200 invitations. Then, ten days before the lunch, members dropped them into letterboxes in the streets near our church.

Around 22 people from the community joined us for our Longest Lutheran Lunch, which buzzed with chatter, laughter and music. At the end of the day, each guest took home a tomato or lettuce plant—something to remember us by as they watch it grow.

From little things, big things grow. We’re now thinking about establishing a community garden at the front of our church—somewhere where people from all walks of life can come together and connect with us and with God.

—Maureen Miller, Parkwood WA

It’s no surprise, really, that much of Jesus’ ministry happened in people’s homes, and often involved food or wine. Meals take time, and conversations over meals can’t be hurried. New friendships are formed and lifetime friendships are forged over long, lingering meals. Which is why taking the time to sit at a table with friends and strangers is one of the most important things we disciples of Jesus can do.

Making your Churc h a Home

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THE LONG END OF THE STICKBUCCLEUCH SA: The theme for our Longest Lutheran Lunch was ‘The Long End of the Stick’.

The phrase, ‘the short end of the stick’, means to suffer the bad effects of a situation. We are doing the opposite! God has blessed us in many ways, and especially by providing a pastor for us after a long vacancy. To help us celebrate all the blessings in our lives, we invited to our lunch extended family and friends whom we don’t see at church much anymore.

The ‘stick’ part comes in because we all brought a French breadstick, with a filling of our choice, to share at the lunch.

—Tracey Woidt, Coomandook SA

In western Victoria, round 90 people from the Warracknabeal congregation and community sat down together for this looooooong lunch. Afterwards the children enjoyed the bouncy castle, bubble blowing and chalk drawing. The food featured extra-long sausages specially made by the local butcher for the Longest Lutheran Lunch. The congregation had advertised the lunch in the local newspaper.

Making your Churc h a Home

ImPRESSed!In rural South Australia, Brinkworth’s Longest Lutheran Lunch featured as a big story in the regional paper, thanks to a lot of things the congregation did well—not just in the pre-lunch days but all through the year. Around half the people who attended the lunch were not members of the church. Karen Wundke tells us how they did it.

... So, you see the non-congregational members were a varied lot, who came from various situations. It’s hardly something you can classify, except to say that the Brinkworth community works together well, and the church is seen very much as part of the community.

The opening of the playground [a separate community event] was actually scheduled to coincide with with our Longest Lutheran Lunch, not the other way around. The Progress members saw it as a nice adjunct to our day of festivities and games.

So how did we inform the community about the lunch? We produced an advertising brochure,

which we encouraged our members to give to friends as they invited them, and we left the brochures in the local shop and post office. Two energetic and enthusiastic ladies door-knocked the whole town with the brochure!

Our monthly town ‘rag’ advertised the lunch prominently. We asked the Clare paper ‘Northern Argus’ if someone would come to the event. The photo-journalist who came to cover the lunch stayed for over 90 minutes. He said he hoped the lunch would become a regular Brinkworth event.

A tip for other congregations? Approach people in the community as friends, building on the relationships you develop over the year in your personal lives and in your church’s ongoing involvement in the community.

“I hope the Longest Lutheran Lunch is seen as just another way our church is involved in making the town a pleasant place to live.”

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We invited residents in the neighbouring streets by offering them a voucher for a free lunch – Mountainside, Auckland NZ

Pam put her mouth to the megaphone and was almost bowled over by competitors for the egg-and-spoon race – Blair Athol SA

We invited refugee communities from around the town – Shepparton Vic

We did a door knock of the South Kilkerran area and some targeted inviting in nearby Port Victoria, including a direct mail-out to all the business owners. The lunch is bringing the community together, allowing already established bonds to strengthen and new relationships to form – South Kilkerran SA

A couple who had been invited to last year’s Longest Lutheran Lunch are now regular worshippers and part of our church family – Cairns Qld

Ages ranged from 84 years down to 3 weeks – Cowell SA It was a delight to see some faces we haven’t seen in quite some

time – Echuca Vic The pizzas took on a beautiful smoky flavor (just like a good

Barossa shiraz) from being roasted right next to the red-hot redgum coals – Bethany SA

Our members brought guests along, and were encouraged to be open to opportunities to share themselves with others in many kinds of service in the church and wider community – Perth WA

Since the Longest Lutheran Lunch is about food, we made it a fundraiser for a local organisati on that provides food for people in need – Lutheran Aged Care, Albury NSW

Yes, we’ll be back next year – Prost! Beaudesert Qld

Shepparton Vic

Manawatu NZ

Ringwood Vic

Redeemer School Nuriootpa SA

Footscray Vic

Upper Moutere NZ

Lock SA

An ALWS display

Newcastle NSW

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Some Maple Spirit!

A long list of lunches

Canadian Tracey Klages was in Western Australia last year, spending some time with her sister. Two congregations she visited were excitedly promoting the Longest Lutheran Lunch. She took the idea back home, and behold, this year we welcomed our first international Longest Lutheran Lunchers!

Good Shepherd congregation in London, Ontario, Canada, can also claim to have held the coldest Longest Lutheran Lunch, with the outside max temp at a beer-chilling 5°C. Indoors, however, the fellowship over their ‘pot blessing’ was warm and toasty. Tracey explains that in the congregations in the London area, communal meals are called ‘pot blessing’ rather than ‘pot luck’, because ‘it’s God’s blessing which provides our meal, not luck’.

‘We were glad to be part of our Longest Lutheran Lunch family in Christ who belong to the Lutheran Church of Australia!’

Good Shepherd members are hoping to spread the message across Lutheran Church–Canada, so we might have even more maple ‘spirit’ on our Longest Lutheran Lunch menus next year.

“You have as much laughter as you have faith” Martin Luther

CANADA London, Ontario our first international Longest Lutheran Lunch partner!

INDONESIA historic gathering of 12 Lutheran bishops

NEW SOUTH WALES and ACTAlbury (Aged Care) Belconnen EppingHentyNewcastleSutherlandSydney (St Paul’s) Temora

NEW ZEALANDAuckland (Botany)Auckland (Mountainside) Christchurch Manawatu Parish Upper Moutere

QUEENSLANDAlbertonBeaudesertBiloelaBribie Island Brisbane (St Andrew’s)CairnsCaloundraDalbyIndooroopillyIpswichKingaroyKumbia/TaabingaLaidleyLowood

MackayMaryboroughMilesNambourNorth BundabergRedcliffeRockhamptonRopeley Tallebudgera Toowoomba/HighfieldsTownsville

SOUTH AUSTRALIA and NORTHERN TERRITORYAberfoyle ParkAdelaide (Bethlehem)BalaklavaBethanyBlackwoodBlair Athol BordertownBridgewaterBrinkworthBuccleuch Cleve CowellCrystal Brook CumminsEden ValleyGawler (Zion)GreenockGruenberg/MocultaHahndorf (St Paul’s)Hallett CoveKadinaKaroondaLobethalLockLoxton (St Peter’s)MagillMcLaren ValeMurray Bridge (Christ Church)

Murray Bridge (Holy Cross)Novar GardensNuriootpa (Redeemer school) Para VistaPoint PassRobertstownRowland FlatSaddleworth SalisburySedanSouth KilkerranTanunda (Langmeil)UnleyWaikerie ParishWoodsideWynn Vale

VICTORIA and TASMANIAAraratCroydonEchucaFootscray MilduraMoorabbinOuter EasternRingwoodSheppartonStawellWarracknabeal Werribee

WESTERN AUSTRALIAAlbanyDalyellupKatanningNarroginParkwood Rockingham /MandurahPerth

Fine print: The list on the right indicates those congregations that registered pre-lunch or have contacted us since. If you held a Longest Lutheran Lunch but aren’t listed on the right, please tell us about it at http://www.operationconnect.org/LLL/register.html

Design: Greg Haar. Words: Linda Macqueen. Photos: Thanks to everyone who contributed, and our apologies that lack of space precludes us from naming all of you. Read more stories on our website http://www.lca.org.au/longest-lutheran-lunch.html