Archive for 2018

Coffee Fellowship

Posted November 27, 2018 By admin

We will not be having a Coffee Fellowship in December due to the Christmas Congregational Dinner.

Council Reports for November

Posted November 27, 2018 By admin

Council noted Good Things at St. Jacob’s this month included that the Hannah Coker Blood Drive was a huge success. There were 50 units of blood collected and the goal was met. Thanks to everyone that helped with this Blood Drive effort! Thank you to A.J. Peeples for delivering the Sunday message on Lutheran Men Sunday! The Youth Choir did a great job singing on October 28th. Thank you to Frances Slice for covering the church office duties while Sherry Floyd was away.

Pastor Report – Pastor David thanked Gerald Lindler for handling several important church situations while he was away on vacation. Also, thanks to the other Pastors for their Pastoral Care while he was away, especially Pastor Dave Tholstrup.

Staff Support – The Staff Support Team is advertising the position for Director of Youth and Family Ministries. The position is also listed on the St. Jacob’s website. St. Jacob’s has received numerous resumes for Director of Youth and Family Ministries. The Interview Team is to meet on November 11, 2018 to review all received resumes. Pastor David is to setup a time for the Interview Team to meet with the 3 strongest candidates. Acknowledged Laurie Lackey’s birthday on November 6, 2018.

Spiritual Life – A master list of the “Time & Talents” sheets for St. Jacob’s Church was created by Brenda Smith. This list was forwarded to each Council member and each associated team category is to be distributed into every Team Leader’s respective box. The choir workshop was rescheduled for Saturday, November 17th. The Worship and Music Team are finalizing plans for the special Day of Epiphany Service on January 6, 2019.

Short Term – Council unanimously approved the proposal for upgrading the Fellowship Hall kitchen from the Building and Property Teams. This recommendation will be brought to the Congregation on December 2, 2018 at the Congregational Meeting.

Witness – The Publicity Team worked together with Don Dease on getting the publicity out to the public for the Hannah Coker Blood Drive.

Support of Ministries – Membership Secretary reported the following statistics: 353 – Total church Membership as of 11/05/2018, 308 -Baptized confirmed, 45 -Baptized only

Old Business

• Council unanimously approved to accept the St. Jacob’s proposed 2019 yearly budget of $286,747.00 with a weekly contribution needed of $5,514. 00. This is compared to our 2018 yearly budget of $272,097.00 and weekly needed contribution of $5,233.00. This will be brought to the Congregational Meeting on December 2, 2018.

• Video/Record/YouTube options for Church Service for shut-ins-status—Brandon is gathering various quotes for phone and internet service for St. Jacob’s. Brandon is also in the process of setting up a place in the nursery to view the weekly sermons.

• Digital Sign—There has been $15,110.00 currently donated for the purchase of a digital sign as of November 4, 2018. Council unanimously approved to present a recommendation to the congregation on December 2, 2018 during the congregational meeting.

• Windows—Council unanimously approved to have maintenance completed on the Church’s stain glass windows.

New Business

Council nominees for 2019-2020 to be presented to the Congregation on December 2, 2018 are listed below. Other qualified nominees (who agree to serve) can be received from the floor. We will need to elect five from this list of nominees. 1. David, 2. A.J., 3. Johanne, 4. Marie, 5. Robert, 6. Karla, 7. Sherrie, 8. Leon, 9. Kayla, 10. John

Worship and Music News

Posted November 27, 2018 By admin

December 1st is the beginning of Advent. It’s hard to believe 2018 is nearly over; I’m sure I only blinked a couple of
times! There are many worship opportunities in the coming weeks, including:
• Sunday services
• Wednesday evening Advent services, including a Longest Night service on December 19th (keep reading for information
on this special service)
• the Children’s Christmas program on December 16th (reception following)
• Christmas Eve Service at 7 pm
• Christmas Day Service at 10 AM
• a Service of Lessons and Carols on December 30th
• a Feast of the Epiphany special musical presentation by the combined choirs of St. Jacob’s and New Hope on January 6th
From Sola Publishing – Service for the Longest Night: The Seasons of Advent and Christmas can be a terribly lonely and difficult time for those who have lost loved ones. This service of the word and prayer is meant to provide a safe place to grieve and be comforted by God’s eternal love and light. It is often used on the night of the Winter Solstice, December 21st, the longest night of the year.

While the Children’s Program isn’t a worship service in the traditional sense, it is a time which allows the youngsters of the congregation to share the story of Christmas. “Come, Let Us Adore Him” promises to be a wonderful evening.

On Christmas Eve, you’re invited to arrive early – we will be singing carols starting at 6:45 as the pre-service music this year. The Children’s Choir will also be singing during the service. The Sunday after Christmas, December 30th, will feature even more carols as we respond to scripture with song.

And finally, we are very excited to partner with the choir from New Hope Lutheran to present a mini-cantata for the Feast of the Epiphany. It’s not often that the Day of Epiphany (January 6th, 12 days after Christmas and the commemoration of
the visit of the Magi) falls on a Sunday, so we hope that you will plan to join us for this special gift from our two choirs.

Please join us as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior this Advent and Christmas season.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Laurie

From the Pastor’s Heart

Posted November 1, 2018 By admin

It’s hard to believe it’s already time to write my article for the November newsletter.  Today, it’s raining, strong winds are blowing, and tropical storm Michael just deposited a tree in my driveway.  I am also  preparing to go on vacation tomorrow (Oct. 12) but truth be told, my mind is on our shared ministry in  November.  This is a busy time for the Church, and November is a month filled with opportunities to serve God and His people.

Think about it.  We begin November as a church family celebrating the Sunday of All Saints.  We remember fondly those beloved saints who have gone on to glory before us.  It is a special time for Christians as we  reflect upon the lesson taught to us by so many faithful followers of Christ Jesus.  It’s also a time for us to consider the ways we serve our Lord as well.  Then, a few weeks later, we conclude the month in celebration of Christ our King, a time to reflect upon the ways our Lord makes His grace known throughout the seasons of the Church.

Sandwiched in between these two festivals, there are so many other things that beg for our attention.  There are elections of  government officials and football rivalries to enjoy.  And don’t forget setting time aside to enjoy the annual Thanksgiving feast!  All of these beg the question, “How do we juggle the demands of our daily life and our life as a disciple of Christ Jesus?  It seems something has got to give.

Sadly, all too often it is the church that takes a back seat.  As life gets busier and busier, we know and  understand that we must cut back.  Each of our  activities is important to us, and we hate to miss out.  But God calls his people to be disciples first and above all else.  This is where All saints Sunday and Christ the King intersect.  Remembering the saints who taught us the faith, we strive to follow the example of Christ our King.  Doing this, we follow the faithful examples of those saints who have died and now live in Christ’s glory.  One such person in my life was my  Grandma Bea.

Grandma Bea was a leader in the community in which I grew up.  She was the first woman ever  elected to our town’s council.  She was also  chairwoman of the Northville Beautification Society, and the founder of the Northville Business and  Professional Women’s League (some of you may have noticed her B.P.W. placard on my desk).  Somewhere in all that, Grandma found time to put up preserves and vegetables, care for her many  grandchildren, bake wonderful bread and volunteer with the Red Cross.  I don’t know how she managed to do all of this.  I do know, however, that she never missed a Sunday in church, she was a generous giver with her tithes, and always took time to tell others of the wonderful things God has done and  continues to do.

This November, I invite you to remember the saints who have gone before us and follow their many examples of faithful living.  There is much to do here at  St. Jacob’s, many ways of being a part of our ministry together.  Above all else, remember to attend worship each Sunday and give thanks to the One who provides all we need, and whose mercy and grace endure forever.

Grace to you and peace,

Pastor David Nuottila

Pastoral Devotion for November

Posted November 1, 2018 By admin

Christ the King

For just a few seconds, close your eyes and relax. Get comfortable, clear your mind and imagine seeing Jesus. Imagine actually seeing his face, imagine being there with him. What image did you see? Did you see him as a baby born in Bethlehem? How about as a shepherd, or blessing little children? These are often the images we see of Jesus in our mind. Such images provide us with popular metaphors associated with Christ. Jesus our friend, Jesus our brother, Jesus our comforter. We learn to see Jesus as the one who walks with us and talks with us.

I would imagine that few if any saw Jesus as King. Kings aren’t normal images for too many folks these days. In folklore, Kings wore long purple robes and golden crowns. Today’s kings mostly wear suits and look like presidents, or wear military uniforms and look like soldiers. Jesus doesn’t fit these descriptions. He doesn’t wear gold around His neck or rings on His fingers. He doesn’t wear a suit and certainly not army fatigues.

I’m curious, when you imagined seeing Jesus, how many saw a man beaten to within an inch of his life, his outstretched hands nailed to a cross beam and gasping for breath with bystanders mocking and taunting him? Oh…and as for his crown? Thorns, sharp and pointed; digging into his forehead. When a few finally recognized Jesus as King, this is the image they had before them. Yet, in this image we see the glory of our King Jesus.

Jesus came to earth to save His people from sin. He came to rescue those who believe in Him from eternal death. In the stripes of His wounds runs the blood from which we are saved. From His dying words, “It is finished” we have the proclamation that Christ has won the victory, God and creation are reconciled through His innocent death on the cross.

So once again I invite you to close your eyes, picture Jesus in your mind. What do you see? Yeah, me too. I see the babe of Bethlehem, the Good Shepherd and the one who feeds the hungry and cures the sick. But that’s ok, that’s who Jesus is as well. And next week Matthew will begin telling us the story in his words; the story of Christ our King.

Thanks from The Lutheran Women

Posted October 31, 2018 By admin

The Lutheran Women would like to thank all of you for your generous support for our Congregational Luncheon Fund Raiser on Sunday, September 23. It was such a big success. The total raised was $2,053. God bless all of you for your continuing support throughout the year. Without your help, our group could not help those in need. We have had a great year and have put smiles on many faces. We will also be helping some families at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Thank you and God bless,
Phyllis, President

Children’s Christmas Program

Posted October 31, 2018 By admin

This year’s Children’s Christmas Program will be Sunday, December 16 at 6 pm with a short reception following the performance.
The program, “O Come Let Us Adore Him”, is based on the hymn “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
All children from kindergarten through 5th grade are invited to participate.
Practices will be on the following Sundays from 4 – 4:45 (immediately after Children’s Choir rehearsal): November 11th & 18th and December 2nd & 9th, with a dress rehearsal on Saturday, December 15th at 10 am.
Adult volunteers are also needed; please contact Angela or Laurie if you would be willing to assist us with this program. The deadline is to let us know is November 4th if your child(ren) will be participating; it will help us greatly in our
preparations for the first practice.

NALC Disaster Response

Posted October 31, 2018 By admin

With the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Florence and now the recovery efforts from Hurricane Matthew, there is an urgent need for disaster response items. As we are able, St. Jacob’s should help meet the needs of others just as we would hope our neighbors would come to our aid. Our congregation’s focus is on three items for recovery; flood buckets, health kits and cases of bottled water. Please provide these items as you are able. We can store them on the stage in the fellowship hall and then deliver them to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Lexington. If you are not able to put together a flood bucket or health kit, you may donate a gift card from either Lowes or Home Depot. Gift cards can be dropped off in the church office or placed in the offering plate on Sunday.

 

Click here for the Current NALC Flood and Health Bucket contents list.

 

Council noted Good Things at St. Jacob’s this month included that the October fest was a big success. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy the German food that was prepared. The congregational meeting on September 30th went well. St. Jacob’s looks forward to bringing on a new Director of Youth and Family Ministries. The Youth choir is doing an excellent job under the direction of Angela and Laurie. They make a dynamic team and the children are singing so well! A special thank you is extended to Angela and Laurie for your continued work with the newly formed Youth Choir.

Pastor Report- Pastor David noted that South Carolina is now the largest (46 congregations) geographic area in the
NALC. South Carolina will elect its own Dean and each region will have their own Dean. Pastor commented that by
dividing into more regions this will reduce the Bishop’s travel during the year.

Pastor David was very pleased with October fest and hopes to continue this annual tradition at St. Jacob’s.

Pastor David would like to create a Disaster Response protocol for St. Jacob’s. This would require the church to gather materials to get to the various staging areas after catastrophic damage. The Disaster Relief Coordinator for the NALC is Ms. Mary Bates.

Staff Support- The Staff Support Team is advertising the position for Director of Youth and Family Ministries. The position is also listed on the St. Jacob’s website.

Spiritual Life- The donation from the Altar Guild for new communion ware was approved by Council. These new items were ordered from “CM Almy” and St. Jacob’s looks forward to the use of these new and improved pouring chalices
and flagon.

Short Term- Council approved that the settlement we receive for our damaged parking lot from SCE&G, be earmarked for the specific purpose of repairing and paving our parking lot in the future.
Parish Life- The Up and Going Group made their annual Apple Run trip on September 26, 2018. The group visited “Lyda Farms” in Hendersonville, NC. Lyda Farms is a 5th generation family farm that has been locally growing fruits and vegetables for 60 years. The St. Jacob’s Up and Going group enjoyed purchasing apples, cabbage, tomatoes and other goodies. A big thank you to Gerald Lindler for driving the group and helping unload all their many purchases!Support of

Ministries- Cemetery Team needs to schedule a work day for cemetery work. The volunteer turn-out for this specific work day needs to be excellent in order to accomplish all of the work that needs to be completed.

Statistical information- 356 total membership as of 10/10/2018

Advertising has aggressively started for the Director of Youth and Family Ministries position. Resumes are currently being collected and reviewed.
Brandon Slice is gathering various quotes for phone and internet service for St. Jacob’s. Brandon is also in the process of setting up a place in the nursery to view the weekly sermons. Brandon noted that he will need assistance with pulling some wire for this project. Thanks to Brandon Slice for all your many efforts with this project!

The Safety Team is in process of composing a “St. Jacob’s Safety Policy” for Council review. This will include medical, fire, intrusion, and child protection type emergencies.
The Property and Building Team are working together to gather quotes and ideas for some new kitchen improvements at St. Jacob’s Church.

New Business:
The Budget Team is in process of composing the 2019 St. Jacob’s budget.
Council approved for continuance of the current cleaning contract for St. Jacob’s Church.
Council will begin obtaining nominees to serve on the 2019-2021 Council for St. Jacob’s Church.

Lutheran Men

Posted October 31, 2018 By admin

Our next meeting will be Sunday, November 18 at 6 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Ken has devotions.  Our cooks will be Eddie, Ken Smith, and Don. Also, don’t forget following the Thanksgiving Eve Service to bring your cakes or wrapped cakes slices and meet the Lutheran Men in the fellowship hall to prepare the cakes to be taken to the HUB so families in our community can have a Thanksgiving Meal.