Lutheran Women Archive

Lutheran Women Meeting

Posted January 3, 2022 By admin

All Lutheran Women are requested to attend a brief meeting on Sunday, January 16th at 4:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall.

Lutheran Women Meeting

Posted November 30, 2021 By admin

All Lutheran Women are requested to attend a brief meeting on Sunday, December 5th at 4:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall.

Lutheran Women

Posted November 1, 2021 By admin

Christmas is coming. The Lutheran Women are selling RADA Cutlery and Happy Home Flavoring. Contact Sandra or send an email message to get more information and to place your order.

Women’s Bible Study

Posted June 30, 2021 By admin

The Proverbs 31 Woman study is a nine session study that gives a realistic look into the lives of a number of biblical women, both from the Old and New Testaments. Each chapter is based on a specific theme from Proverbs 31, and looks at how it was exemplified in that woman’s life story. The eight women described in this study were not examples of perfection. They were ordinary, imperfect human beings like the rest of us. But God used them as his instruments, to his glory. The traits and character exemplified by these biblical women give us an insight into the way God trans-forms our lives of faith in Christ. We will meet every Tuesday at 10:30 AM starting on July 13th. Please reach out to Rachel if you would like to participate or have any questions. An email has been sent out with more details. Please let us know if you did not receive it.

Vacation Bible School

Posted June 30, 2021 By admin

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who volunteered with VBS (Concrete and Cranes). To all of the teachers, those who provided food & drink, or helped out in any way: THANK YOU. We could not have done it without all of you.
In Christ’s love,
Rachel

Where there is no prophetic vision the people perish but blessed is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18 KJV
During the most recent NALC Convocation, Bishop Dan Selbo shared his vision for the future of the North American Lutheran Church. The 2020 Vision, as he called it, is a ten-point vision of what and where he sees as the next set of building blocks for the NALC as we grow into the future of our mission and ministry. Reflecting upon Bishop Dan’s vision, I spent time in prayer and study concerning a vision of what and where I believe God is calling us at St. Jacobs to be as we grow into the future of our mission and ministry here. What follows is the fruit of this prayerful study. I hope and pray that our church family is willing and able to embrace this six-point vision for our future so that we truly become faithful participants in God’s mission for the sake of the world. I am convinced that each point within this vision is central to the future growth and ministry of St. Jacob’s. As with the bishop’s 2020 vision, each vision point carries with it an associated goal for the future.

Point #1 – That St. Jacob’s develops an intentional Disciple Making Culture. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is more than simply calling yourself a disciple. Disciples continually learn from their teacher. They embrace a way of life where one lives in the world but not of the world. It is my hope that St. Jacob’s develops a culture where our church family members learn the importance and benefit of living as disciples of Jesus Christ. Becoming students of God’s Word through reading Scripture daily, engaging in Christian education opportunities of the church on a regular basis. This vision includes helping people develop an intentional prayer life, teaching church family members how it is they might share their faith with others outside St. Jacob’s, and growing in a deeper, more personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The Goal: That St. Jacob’s would develop a small group ministry dedicated to assist members as they grow in discipleship and relationship with Jesus Christ.

Point #2 – Growing the Christian Education Ministries of our Congregation. It is becoming more and more common that children do not know the great stories of the Bible. This is an issue that has not just popped up overnight, it has happened because all too often parents have not stressed the importance of Sunday school and Christian education. It has been increasingly difficult to provide Christian Education for people of all ages due to a lack of willingness of adults to serve as Sunday school teachers for our young people. My vision for St. Jacob’s Christian Education includes classes where I might help equip and empower adult members of our Congregation to become faith leaders for our children. This is why I have begun the St. Jacob’s Online campus. Learning more about the Biblical narrative will provide others with the confidence needed to relate the biblical story to our life today and help our children to grow in faithfulness and love for the Lord. The Goal: That the majority of church family members embrace Christian learning and become active participants in studying the Scriptures together in Bible studies and Sunday school.

Point #3 – Raising up Leaders for the Church. While St. Jacob’s does support our NALC Seminary system through benevolent giving, I believe we are well equipped to help the NALC raise up the next generation of Pastors. The evidence for this is how the congregation welcomed and provided a place for NALC Candidate Philip Sandi to come and begin developing skills and confidence as he discerns his call to ministry. St. Jacob’s has previously served as an internship site and would provide an excellent contextual education opportunity for an intern of the NALC to come and learn and growinto the vocation of pastoral ministry. The Goal: That St. Jacob’s would discern the importance of this ministry and become an internship site for the NALC.
Point #4 – That St. Jacob’s would Grow in our Focus on Mission and Outreach. One of the CORE Values of the NALC is that the NALC is a Mission Driven Church. Since its founding by the apostles, the Church of Jesus Christ has existed for the sake of her neighbor. In Matthew 25, Jesus calls his followers to minister to the poor, the needy, hungry, sick and marginalized. The North American Lutheran Church calls upon congregations to engage this mission by participating in Local ministries, NALC mission partnerships, and at least one global ministry. Certainly, we do these things through our benevolent giving, but participating through “hands on” projects will help us grow in our sense of mission and ministry. We have plenty of resources at our disposal for use in active participation within several ministries such as NALC disaster response, WE CARE of Chapin and, Congo Mission International. The Goal: That St. Jacob’s church family members would lend their talents to working on mission projects regularly and the Outreach Team would become leaders in Mission projects throughout the year.

Point #5 – That St. Jacob’s develops a Welcoming and Inviting Culture through which the surrounding community is able to come and hear the Gospel and find a community of believers that shares their life together in Christ Jesus. So many studies have been conducted in recent years that point to the fact that most people come to a new church because they were personally invited by its members. Another study by the Barna group points to the issue that average Christian today only invites 1.2 people annually to their church for Sunday worship. As Chapin continues to grow in population and diversity, I believe we are uniquely situated to provide a community for worship for so many who do not have a church home of their own. When is the last time you invited someone to come to worship at St. Jacob’s? You might just want to begin with those family members who have been missing for a number of months or years. The Goal: That St. Jacob’s becomes known as an inviting congregation throughout Chapin and the surrounding community.

Point #6 – That St. Jacob’s grows in our Sense of Christian Fellowship. When I first came to St. Jacob’s, I was told that I shouldn’t go hungry because we are a congregation that likes to eat. This is music to the ears of those who enjoy a robust time of fellowship with family and friends. Sadly, even before the pandemic, fellowship opportunities at St. Jacob’s have been fewer and farther between. I’m not sure why this is the case, but it goes without saying that a congregation that enjoys lively Christian fellowship also enjoys a healthy relationship and life together. The Goal: As we emerge from the global pandemic, St. Jacob’s schedules frequent events during which we would enjoy fellowship among our church family.

I believe these vision points are central to the mission and ministry of St. Jacob’s future. With God’s help we will grow and become a house of prayer for many to call their church home. As the proverb says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” I believe living as a disciple of Jesus Christ is the key. If we attempt to build our ministry on our own, we will surely stumble. This vision for our congregation is not something That I offer on my own, but it is offered to you as I have prayed for God’s guidance in leading St. Jacob’s into the future of our life together in Christ. Having a vision for ministry is crucial to any congregation. We need to understand the direction in which we are traveling, that is if we are traveling at all. The desire here is to help us move forward. If we don’t know what it is that we are moving toward, it will be increasingly difficult to recognize the destination when we finally arrive.

Thank you for indulging me in this rather lengthy installment of my monthly column. I ask you all to prayerfully consider each of these ministry points and discern your role within them.
Grace and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila

Youth Director & Family Ministries

Posted December 29, 2020 By admin

Last month, I was reading a blog and it sparked an idea within me. It really hit home as I was trying to think of a schedule and plan for the next year. With so much uncertainty, it almost seemed impossible to put anything on the calendar but after praying about it, something popped into my mind and I wanted to share that with you. It is the idea that smaller groups of people meeting together for fellowship and Bible study isn’t a new concept in churches. In fact, we see in Acts chapter two that the first-century church relied on it “every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house (Acts 2:46). Most churches today allow people to be a part of some version of a small group. Here at St. Jacob’s we have many options: discipleship groups, Sunday school, Wednesday morning Bible study, Lutheran men/women, Up + Going, KFC, etc. No matter what the group is called, the goal has primarily stayed the same from the early church: to disciple fellow believers to be more like Christ through Biblical community and the study of God’s Word. We’re now at a turning point in history where one major shift must happen for churches to be able to thrive in the “new normal.” As you know, churches can no longer offer large events or even in our case, one worship service due to capacity restrictions. Even as restrictions lift, we may never be the same as we once were- packing into the pews on a Sunday morning. One good thing to come of this is the fascinating idea that the church can be brought back to what she was designed to be. We can use this circumstance as an opportunity to disciple and equip people for ministry- more than ever before. I have a passion for small group ministry not only is it what I am used to but I really do believe that it is the history and the future of the Church! I believe that God has each of us in an auxiliary or on a ministry team for a reason and I feel like this is the time to utilize that group. This is the time to really press into that small group and invest your time, service, and heart. I promise it will not return void. I want to encourage you that as these small groups begin to meet again, if you’re comfortable, please attend. I believe that there is so much that can come of this “down time” whether it be joining Bible study for the first time (and maybe reading a book you’ve never gone through before), finally joining that ministry team that you feel God has gifted you to serve on, or finding a need and helping to meet it alongside a few others. There are so many ways to utilize this time and we can do so remembering the fact that, God wastes nothing.

Grace + Peace, + a Happy New Year!

Rachel

The Lutheran Women News

Posted October 29, 2020 By admin

There will be a meeting on November 15that 4:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall with social distancing. Please bring an item or items for We Care. Looking forward to seeing each of you again.

The Lutheran Women

Posted September 30, 2020 By admin

There will be a meeting on Oct. 18th at 4:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall with social distancing. Devotions to be presented by Joan. Several items to be discussed. Please bring an item or items for We Care. Looking forward to seeing each of you again.

Lutheran Women Mother/Daughter Brunch

Posted April 30, 2020 By admin

Due to social distancing, the Lutheran Women are cancelling the Mother/Daughter Brunch scheduled for May 23rd .

Also, please remember to pick up some items for We Care. We Care sent us a card in the mail thanking us for the 690 pounds of food we supplied for the month of February. Please see the listing of their food needs below.

•Peanut butter / jelly
•Chili, Soup
•Grits, Rice
•Mac & Cheese
•Canned Tuna / Salmon
•Pork & Beans
•Spam
•Canned Chicken
•Pasta, Spaghetti Sauce
•Turnip / Collard Greens
•Laundry Detergent
•Personal Hygiene Items, Toothpaste