Soup
Canned Fruit
Spaghettio’s
Syrup
Canned Corn
Canned Meats
Canned Potatoes
Cereal
Canned peas
Jello
Paper products, cleaning supplies and toiletries are ALWAYS needed as well!!!
In March, 2023, many members of our congregation met with Pastor David Wendell, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism, to take a hard look at our congregation and identify areas where we need to focus and grow. As a result, we came up with four main Vision Points and action steps for achieving each of these goals. It is important that we maintain our focus on these Vision Points and to do this Sherrie and Susan were appointed “Trailbosses.”
The four Vision Points are: Spiritual Awareness; Outreach – Visibility; Care Connections; and creating a Dutch Fork NALC Coalition. As a congregation, we have already worked toward growing in all of these areas.
Spiritual Awareness: Pastor led an adult Bible study during VBS that was well attended. We have a Men’s Bible study, a Women’s Bible study and Wednesday morning Bible study offered at our church.
Outreach – Visibility: The church office renovation has been completed! The office building is now a beautiful office space for our staff, but has also been designed for use for groups within our church to meet (Lutheran Women, youth, Sunday school, audit team, Council) and also groups outside of our church (Courage Center, Women’s AA). Coming soon: Parking lot for easier and safer access to our church buildings; updated website.
Care Connections: We have a greeting card ministry! This team has mailed cards to all young adults in our congregation at Easter and continues to stay in touch with these members throughout the year as well as others. Coming soon: Prayer Partners! In the next few weeks everyone will have an opportunity to sign up for and to receive a prayer partner/family so we can lift each other up in prayer.
Dutch Fork NALC Coalition: A recent Up and Going meeting of four NALC churches was a great success! We want to grow these relationships and hold joint activities with these churches.
All of these Vision Points will help St. Jacobs become the congregation that we envision. In order to achieve these goals, we need everyone to participate and work together toward these common goals!
There is a place for YOU at St. Jacobs!
Our congregation continues to make a difference in our community by providing meals for mobile delivery to the Chapin community and also in Jenkinsville, Prosperity, Newberry and Whitmire. The Mercy Bags are delivered specifically to families who do not have transportation to travel to a grocery store or who don’t have a grocery store near their home. Over the summer our congregation has provided over 40 Mercy Bags, each containing 3 meals, to We Care.
How can you help?
1. Shop for meal items and deliver them to the fellowship hall. The list for what is needed is located in the narthex. Meals are packed by teams on the first and third Sunday of each month and delivered to We Care on Monday morning.
2. Make a monetary donation designated for “Mercy Bags” and place it in the offering plate. The teams will use these funds to shop for the meal items to pack the Mercy Bags.
If you are interested in joining one of the Mercy Bags teams, contact Lynn.
The Carolinas Mission Region will host another opportunity for congregations to engage the mission of Disaster Response. This opportunity will see congregations partnering together to assemble “Kitchen Kits.” In many areas of recovering from floods or hurricanes, families often need to replace simple, basic kitchen supplies. NALC Disaster Response has put together a list of items to be included in disaster response “Kitchen Kits” to assist families in their recovery.
Beginning on Sunday, September 3th, St. Jacob’s will Be collecting kitchen hot pads and dish towels. We will collect these items until Sunday, October 22 and will deliver them to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Troutman, NC, where the kits will be assembled. We would also like as many members of St. Jacob’s as possible to volunteer in this activity. As always, it will be a time of fun, and fellowship as we work together to share the compassion of Christ for those in need. The project is scheduled for Saturday, October 28th.
With Pastor David and Pastor Stephane Kalonji’s return from Africa, the Most recent Congo Mission Trip is now complete. This year’s trip was a successful mission of the Gospel. With God’s help and the support of so many people, we were able to feed well over 400 children, and free nearly two dozen mothers and their babies from detention in hospitals. We distributed will over 200 pairs of eyeglasses, led Christian education seminars in three locations, and worshipped with the people of Kinshasa and Mbuji-Mayi. Thank you to all who supported our mission with your donations and prayers. Plans are already being made for our 2024 trip. We pray that God will continue to bless the Congo Mission as we take Christ’s great commission seriously and go into the world sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our inventory is at a critically low level!
The new August Needs List is to the left, and we SO appreciate your help to get the word out to the community. We are seeing more clients in need, but our supplies remain critically low. Thank you for helping us let our generous neighbors know what they can do to help!
Bless you!
Alecia
On Friday, June 23, our St. Jacob’s Men had a very successful Barbecue. Thank you to the several men who came out to assist in preparing everything. Proceeds from the Barbecue will go to the several ministry projects that are sponsored by our Men’s group. All men of St. Jacob’s are encouraged to become a part of this Men’s Ministry and lend your time, talents and, ideas for future ministries. Just speak with President Lynn Shealy or Men’s Secretary Billy for more information on how you might get involved.
The Carolinas Mission region is hosting an event similar to the one last May in which we assembled health kits for the disaster response warehouse in King’s Mountain, NC. At this year’s event, volunteers will assemble flood buckets. As a part of the project, St. Jacob’s is collecting pairs of dishwashing gloves and scrub brushes. Our goal is 100 pairs of gloves and 100 scrub brushes by Sun day, May 14.
We also would like to have volunteers from our church family to participate in the event at Advent Lutheran Church in King’s Mountain. It will be a day filled with plenty of fellowship, music, fun, and of course, good food. You can drop off your donations of gloves and brushes in the designated boxes on the stage in the fellowship hall. Please consider attending the event at Advent Lutheran Church and help us help others.
St. Jacob’s provided 41 Mercy Bags (123 meals!) to We Care during the months of March and April! We Care has expanded its mobile delivery and now serves the Jenkinsville area. Please continue to shop for food using the list that is provided in the narthex and leave the food in the fellowship hall near the We Care donation box. You can also make a monetary donation designated to Mercy Bags and place it in the offering plate. Thank you for your continued support of this meaningful ministry!
Mercy Boxes for We Care – Mobile Delivery
Meal 1
Spam
Large can of green beans
Large can of sweet potatoes
Meal 2
2 DelMonte spaghetti sauce with meat
1 lb pasta
2 cans corn
Meal 3
3 Vienna sausage
1 large can baked beans
Jar of apple sauce
Meal 4
2 cans of cooked chicken
Can of lima beans
2 pouches of instant mashed potatoes
Meal 5
3 cans of tuna
Mac and Cheese Complete box
Can of mixed fruit
Meal 6
Large can of beef stew
Instant Rice
2 cans of peas / carrots
Meal 7
2 cans of cooked chicken
Jar of Alfredo sauce
Noodles
Additional items
Grits or oatmeal or box of cereal
Peanut butter and jelly
Salt
Saltines/crackers
Corn Muffin Mix
Boxed Pasta
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Ramen Noodles/Soup
Canned Tomatoes
Soup
Chili Beans
Canned Chicken
Jello
Instant Potatoes
We also always need toiletries paper products and cleaning supplies.
THANK YOU!
