‘O Lord Open My Lips’: One-day worship conference
As part of a new initiative to develop a Regional Learning Hub across the Barossa and Light Region, St Petri hosted its third learning event for 2025 on Saturday 25 October at Redeemer Lutheran School in Nuriootpa.
The conference was named ‘O Lord Open My Lips’, which is the first line of the Matins Order of Service in our Lutheran Hymnal which comes from Psalm 51:15. The whole day was a prayer to the Lord to open our lips so we praise him with our lives.
The day began with a Service of Morning Prayer, followed by a keynote address delivered by Pastor Fraser Pearce from Bethlehem, Adelaide, on ‘The gift and beauty of our public worship’.
After lunch, the conference then broke into elective groups for the rest of the day:
- Speaking with our Children: Preparing and delivering children’s messages. Pastor Eugene Minge (Greenock)
- The Unsung Ministry of Welcome: Supporting the crucial roles of ushering, greeting and welcoming. Pastor Adrian Kitson (St Petri, Nuriootpa).
- How shall we sing? Sourcing Music: choosing and finding digital songs and organising rosters. Tracy Nuske (band coordinator, St Petri, Nuriootpa) and Dan Kitson (Blueprint Ministries and Handmade, Unley)
- Leading Liturgy and Proclaiming the Word: Lay Readers support and skills. Pastors’ Rob Schubert (Retired Pastor, St Petri, Nuriootpa) and Rob Borgas (Angaston Parish)
- The ‘Beautiful People’: Encouragement for textile and floral art in worship. Angie Schubert (St Petri, Nuriootpa).
It was a privilege to gather local people for local learning that was practical and encouraging, and to do this in such a way that would be helpful to many other people in our Lutheran congregations long after the day.
The keynote address and all electives were recorded and will be available as video resources on the www.hub.stpetri.org.au website in time.
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