The Way of the Lutherans
Der Weg der Lutheraner
Testimonials
Connections
Pilgrims spoke of deep connection — with history, with colleagues, and with their own spirituality.
“Connection with peers and colleagues, connection with our own spirituality… it’s profound and fulfilling.”
Connections
Pilgrims spoke of deep connection — with history, with colleagues, and with their own spirituality.
“Connection with peers and colleagues, connection with our own spirituality… it’s profound and fulfilling.”
Challenge
Pilgrims spoke of deep connection — with history, with colleagues, and with their own spirituality.
“Connection with peers and colleagues, connection with our own spirituality… it’s profound and fulfilling.”
"My legs are sore, the blisters are real, but the experience has been worthwhile"
The biggest challenge has probably been stamina. We've walked 150 kilometres. My legs are sore, the blisters are real, but the experience has been absolutely worthwhile.
“It gives you an understanding of the why of Lutheran education.”
Following the journey of the first Lutheran settlers helped me see their commitment to faith and education. Everywhere a church was started, a school followed. This pilgrimage deepens your understanding of our purpose and legacy.
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"The relationships we formed were remarkable."
Walking 150 kilometres alongside peers and colleagues — some I knew well, others I didn’t — created space for deep conversations, shared stories, and mutual encouragement. The physical challenge was real, but the experience was absolutely worthwhile.
“It gives you an understanding of the why of Lutheran education.”
Following the journey of the first Lutheran settlers helped me see their commitment to faith and education. Everywhere a church was started, a school followed. This pilgrimage deepens your understanding of our purpose and legacy.
“Connection with our story, our colleagues, and our spirituality — it was profound.”
Walking from North Adelaide to the Barossa Valley was a challenge, but also a gift. It allowed me to slow down, reflect deeply, and reconnect — with our Lutheran story, with peers, and with my own spiritual journey.
“Even in hail and wind, the support from the group kept me going.”
This week was challenging, but also full of joy. Walking with fellow leaders helped me reflect on our shared history and my own leadership journey. Even on the toughest day, the group’s support reminded me that we’re never walking alone.
“All staff in Lutheran education should understand this story.”
This experience isn’t just for teachers — it’s for everyone who shares in the identity of Lutheran education. Walking, listening, and learning together helped me connect more deeply with our story and with those around me.
“Walking slows life down… you start to understand yourself better.”
Despite an injury and limited training, I found the walk accessible and deeply meaningful. It’s a chance to grow personally, connect with God, and reflect in a way that everyday life rarely allows.
“It’s something all people in Lutheran schools would appreciate.”
Tracing the footsteps of our Lutheran forebears helped me understand the passion and purpose behind our schools. The walk was doable, and the support from the group made it a joyful and insightful experience.
It gives you an understanding of the why of Lutheran education. Over the past week, we've followed in the footsteps of the first Lutheran settlers in South Australia —.and we've followed the journey, the whole way through the Adelaide Hills and into the Barossa Valley. The highlights for me have been understanding the challenges the first Lutheran settlers faced, but also seeing their commitment to their faith and their commitment to their schools. Everywhere a church was started, it felt like there was a school. I don't know that I've found huge challenges. I feel like, it's been the deepening of the relationships with the people that I have been walking with as being important to me. I think everything we've done has been achievable and easy to do. There'd need to be some preparation ahead of time, but having done this in the Aussie Camino walk, I've seen all sorts of people with different fitness spaces achieved this quite comfortably. I think it just gives you an understanding of the why of Lutheran education. We look at why there's so many Lutheran schools across Australia and this really takes it back to the beginning and it gives you an understanding of why we do have Luther in schools and what our purpose is.
For the last week, we've been following in the footsteps of our early Lutheran German pioneers. We've walked 150 kilometres, passing many significant sites where they set up churches and schools — places like Handorf, Pirltawardli, Nuriootpa, Light Pass and Tanunda. The biggest challenge has probably been stamina. My legs are sore, the blisters are real — but the experience has been certainly worthwhile. The relationships we’ve formed have been absolutely remarkable. Walking alongside peers and colleagues — some I knew well, others I didn’t — we’ve shared great conversations and stories, shared in the highlights and encouraged one another when it's been tough. I would encourage everyone to take up the opportunity to go on this walk. It’s a wonderful opportunity to really understand and empathise with who we are and why we’re here.
The last week we have journeyed from North Adelaide through to Pirltawardli, the Women's Trail to Hahndorf and all the way through to the Barossa Valley, finishing at the Hill of Grace Vineyard. The learnings for me this week have really been themes or messages of, I think courage. Courage to tackle something that's going to be challenging. The walk for me, 150 kilometres, I will say, wasn't easy, but it was a proud moment to finish yesterday. But the other theme, I think was Connection. Just connection back to our story, the early Lutheran pilgrims who established churches and schools through our region, connection with peers and colleagues, connection with our own spirituality. I think to experience those things, our busy lives in schools, just the opportunity to step outside to slow the pace down, to be able to reflect deeply and personally, but to be able to connect and learn the story with others, it's profound and fulfilling.
I'm Joanne Wegener. I'm from Good News Lutheran College in Tarneit in Victoria and I'm the Deputy Principal Secondary. So, this week, we've been walking and it's, it's been really good. It's been challenging, but it's been great to walk in the footsteps of our earlier pioneers but also, to walk with a group of people and get to know some fellow leaders in Lutheran schools and that's been lots of fun. Yeah, I mean, I think there's sort of thing you learn, not just about the history of where we fit into in Lutheran schools, but also a little bit about yourself. It's been interesting hearing the story of the early pioneers, I guess you could say. And for me, in a very different context in Melbourne, it's sort of thinking, well, how does that relate to my context today, which I think has been a really great pondering for me over the last week. In terms of for myself, I guess it's, you know, knowing I can do this, right? So many times we think, ‘Oh, my gosh, 150 kilometres. There's no way I can walk that’. And I did it. So, yay. I think preparation is important. I didn't get as much preparation as I thought I would, but I still, you know, got excited and I actually found out I liked walking, hiking. But look, I think you've got a whole group of people that will be there with you and walk with you and support you. I really struggled yesterday. I really wanted to pack up in when it was literally rain, hail and shine and a lot of really strong winds. But, you know, people are there to support you and I think that also reflects, you know, our journey as leaders. We're always dealing with sunshine and rain and hail and wind and sometimes we just want to pack up your bags and go home, but we still keep going.
I think the opportunity to learn, to hear stories, to have the time to pray, to reflect, to be with others. I think it was a wonderful opportunity. I feel really blessed to have been a part of it. I think all of our staff in Lutheran education should understand the significance of this story. I don't think it's only for our teaching staff. I think all of us share in this identity, and if we can all learn the stories, it would be a great thing. The highlight has certainly been the walking and the opportunity to walk with others and to talk, but alongside that, the stories that we've heard, the things that we've learned, that's been a really significant moment. So, these are people that I have heard of and have known in some context, but there's something different as you spend the week with them, day in and day out and you're walking alongside together. So, I've certainly deeply learned things and got to know these people. It's been wonderful. Steve, the bus driver has been the right person for this journey with us. So, he cares for us, he is a person who lives out his faith in everything that he does. He's been truly interested in us and our progress on the journey, but also, he's been interested in the learning that we've had.
I'm Terri Taylor. I'm the Principal St Michael's School in Hahndorf. I've learnt that I can do hard things and keep going. And I've learnt that God has made an amazing world here and that he is really faithful to us, kept us safe, kept us relatively rain free and finished the trip with a rainbow. So, it was wonderful. For me, it's really a personal thing. I think with walking, it is about being able to get through something that's tough and reminding myself that I can do that. And so that has been a highlight because, you know, life just kind of goes really quickly and I think in this process of walking, it slows down and you start to look around you and understand yourself a little bit better. I had had an injury beforehand and so I couldn't train very well in the last month and I was worried about that too. But you get trail fit and so I think it certainly is accessible to anybody. You just need to take it at your pace and trust the group. There was lots of encouragement. I think walking in a group is a great way to keep moving and to keep stepping forward when things get a bit hard. But there's always the option of jumping on the bus and we did that a few times to warm-up or to catch up. So that's certainly an option and it's not a bad option. I think it is about personal growth and connection with yourself, but also with God as you walk. And because everything slows down, to the point where you start to forget what day it is, it is really a great way to be observant and to connect with God and connect with your thoughts and connect with your body. It's really just a profound experience.
My name is Tori Weiss, and I am the Head of Junior School at Encounter Lutheran College. We've been doing the spiritual pilgrimage, tracing the footsteps of our Lutheran forebears and hearing some of the stories and learning about the history of the people that came before us. I would say definitely do some training before you go, but it was very doable, and it was great to have the support of the bus if you needed to tap out or get some more water or whatever, but it was very doable. I think if you're interested in the history of Lutheran schools, Lutheran education, the Lutheran Church of Australia, and just learning more about the strong and passionate and purposeful people that came before us and we're here today because of what they did, and I just think it's really interesting and I think it's something that all people working in Lutheran schools would appreciate knowing. I've been in Lutheran schools for a little while, so I knew of most people, and it's just been lovely to get to know them in a different way and I've really appreciated hearing just the different insight for different things people have brought to the group and it's been really fun.
Title
Real Stories. Deep Connection. Lasting Impact.
Hear from those who’ve walked The Way of the Lutherans — their reflections, challenges, and moments of transformation.
Themes
🧭 Connection
Pilgrims spoke of deep connection — with history, with colleagues, and with their own spirituality.
“Connection with peers and colleagues, connection with our own spirituality… it’s profound and fulfilling.”