Pastor Mark welcomed by his flock

The Lutheran community in Noosa welcomed a new pastor on Sunday.
A capacity congregation at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Noosaville witnessed Pastor Mark Hansen installed by the Lutheran Bishop of Queensland, Pastor Paul Smith, in a moving ceremony as part of the Sunday morning service.
Pastor Paul was assisted by retired Lutheran clergy based in Noosa, Pastor Chris Bartholomaeus and Dr Ulf Metzner.
Pastor Mark and his family have moved to Noosa from Loxton in South Australia where he also served as the Lutheran pastor.
Along with his wife Anne and teenage children Jonah, Christian and Emma, he is already enjoying the natural delights of living in Noosa, despite being unused to the humidity!
This week Christian and Emma are starting school at Good Shepherd Lutheran College.
Greetings were received from State Member of Parliament Glen Elmes, as well as the Mayor of Noosa, Tony Wellington.
Councillor Ingrid Jackson attended the service and afterwards there was a time of celebration and fellowship which included the cutting of a large cake and a community luncheon.
It is an exciting time for the Lutheran community in Noosa, having just installed a new pastor, and they are also in the process of building a new church complex.
They are also looking forward to being involved in a new palliative and dementia care facility projected for the Noosa Shire by Lutheran Community Care in Queensland.
Pastor Mark is thrilled to be arriving in Noosa at a time of so much opportunity for serving the local people, as well as his flock at Good Shepherd.