Remembering Pastor Rick Zweck

Pastor Rick Zweck has been a very significant member of our community for more than 20 years. He was part of the planning committee that worked to establish a Lutheran College on the southern end of the Sunshine Coast and played an instrumental role in shaping the culture of Pacific Lutheran College in his role as Founding Pastor. Pastor Rick held the dual role of Congregational Pastor for the St Mark’s congregation and that of College Pastor from 2001 until the arrival of Pastor Paul Smith in April of 2008.

Pastor Rick had a deep love of people and was passionate about sharing God’s love. There were many inspirational messages where he reminded us of the power of God’s grace and love to change lives, no matter the situation or circumstance. Pastor Rick had a great capacity to engage with people of all ages and walk with them through times of celebration and challenge. He had a ready sense of fun and would happily engage in a range of activities including sitting on the dunk machine at our first Ocean Festival. In his later ministry he studied the power of Christian meditation and reflection and was instrumental in leading different Lutheran schools across Australia, including Pacific, to incorporate these practices into their communities. It was a delight to have Pastor Rick lead the design of our labyrinth, dedicate it and then lead groups through it even though his speech and mobility were challenged.

Pastor Rick had a deep heart for the people of Pacific and continued to model his faith in a loving God, even as he lived through the challenges of Motor Neurone Disease. In the absence of a College Pastor through the latter part of last year and through the start of this year, he continued to inspire as he wrote chapel services for our community and refined the weekly devotional threads. We give thanks to God for all Pastor Rick has been for the people of this community.

We will miss Pastor Rick as friend, colleague and Pastor. We trust that he is now at peace in God’s care. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family including wife, Mrs Sue Zweck (Head of Teaching and Learning K-5) and children, Mrs Anna Maher (Prep teacher), Thomas (past student), Michael, Christopher, Jonathon and Kiri and their extended families.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal