On Sunday, May 17th, the Women’s Group will be hosting an “Old Timey Luncheon” in honor of our 250th Anniversary. We are asking that you furnish a food item and/or a dessert. Some suggestions include green beans, butter beans, some type of squash, potato salad, liver nips, homemade bread or cornbread. Our group is furnishing fried chicken, pound cake, coconut cake, coconut pies, pecan pies, sweet potato pies and banana pudding with meringue. So, pull out your cookbooks and look for some old Dutch Fork recipes. If you need any suggestions or recipes please call Phyllis, Joan or Patricia.
St. Jacob’s 250th Anniversary Year-long Celebration
Posted April 17, 2026 By adminOur 250th anniversary celebration continues throughout the year with special events and guest preachers. Last month, it was a joy to welcome Pastor Henry Pawluk as our special guest preacher. For April, we have a special event. April 19th will be Decades Day. It will be a day to honor the historic Liturgy and worship of past generations from the foundations of St. Jacob’s to the recent decades gone by. Congregation members are encouraged to wear old fashioned clothing, and we will observe the traditions of St. Jacob’s earliest days with women sitting on the left (choir side) and men on the right (pulpit side) sides of the aisle. Small children may sit with either fathers or mothers as practical.
During worship, we will use a historic liturgy written by The Reverend Henry Melcior Muhelberg in the mid 1700’s. This would be the liturgy used at the founding of our congregation. While Muhlenberg himself was not responsible for the planting of our congregation, he was the German missionary and pastor who brought the Lutheran tradition to the Carolinas.
Muhlenberg was integral to the founding of the first Lutheran church denomination in North America and is considered the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in the United States. He first landed in Charleston, SC in 1742, where he was principal in establishing St. John’s Lutheran Church. He then traveled to Savannah, GA before making his way north to Philadelphia, PA. From there the Lutheran Church spread through the newly established American colonies and territories.
Decades Day will be another event making up our year-long celebration as we give thanks to God for our congregation’s long history in the service of the Gospel. Please make sure to attend each of these and invite your friends and neighbors to join us. Below is a list of our remaining planned events.
- April 19th – Decades Day; worshipers dress from past eras and use a historic liturgy.
- May 17th – Guest preacher Rev. Marty Ramey (former interim pastor); congregational dinner following worship.
- June 7th – Luther League, LCY, Youth celebration; members of past groups will be invited to attend church service; hamburger meal will be provided after service.
- July 19th – Guest preacher Rev. Randy Drafts (former seminarian and field worker); congregational dinner following worship.
- August 16th – Guest preacher Rev. David Tholstrup (former SCMD Dean), congregational dinner following worship.
- September 20th – Congregational Outreach Event; blankets for residents at Generations.
- October 25th – Homecoming and Anniversary Sunday, guest preacher NALC Presiding Bishop Dan Selbo; special catered congregational dinner following worship.
- November TBD – Golden Agers Recognition and Celebration.
We give thanks to God for the long history of our congregation, and especially for the life and witness of so many who have been a part of our proclamation and now take their rest in Christ. Thanks be to God for the life we share together.
Filed in Other Happenings
Mercy Bag Donations
Posted April 16, 2026 By adminSt. Jacob’s congregation helps feed needy families and has for several years. Very often, you don’t know how your donation is used.
During March 2026, the St. Jacob’s congregation donated 445 pounds of food to We Care in 24 Mercy Bags, and several bags of items that are not included in the Mercy Bags, as well as fresh eggs. These items are used by We Care on their Mobile Meals ministry where meals are taken to communities where people are not able to get to We Care. The meals St. Jacob’s provides on the first Sunday of each month go to Prosperity and the third Sunday’s bags go to Whitmire. These meals are delivered to these communities on Tuesday afternoon by We Care volunteers. During March 2026, St. Jacob’s helped provide meals for 241 families. Our bags are provided to families of 4 or more.
Thank you for your support of this important ministry.
Up and Going
Posted April 12, 2026 By adminTen members and guests braved the stormy weather on Thursday, March 12th , at 10:00 AM to gather in the Fellowship Hall to make Hospice Easter Bags. Lots of chatter and laughter accompanied the work we did. In about 2 hours, the team had completed 208 beautiful Easter Bags. So pretty with colored grass, packages of crackers, cookies, a stuffed Easter egg, and lots of different candies.
Our work time concluded with all praying together The Lord’s Prayer. We quickly put everything in its proper place. We loaded Helen’s car with all of the Hospice Easter Bags and off they went for delivery. Helen, Ann and Frances delivered 50 bags to Lutheran Hospice at White Rock and 158 Easter Bags to Prisma Hospice, Colonial Blvd, Columbia. Both groups were so excited to receive the bags and welcomed us warmly. Such a humbling experience. The group then went to Lizards Thicket for a well-deserved, delicious lunch.
Special thank you’s to everyone who contributed edible treats or money to purchase special items for the bags. Extra special thank you’s to all who braved the stormy weather to come out and help make the bags. I am so proud of each of you. You are so special and giving of your time and talents.
The April meeting will be held April 16th at Hog Heaven Restaurant in Prosperity. We will meet there at 10:45 AM. If you need a ride, please contact Helen or Ann.
Helen
Team Leader for Up and Going
Confirmation Class of 2026
Posted April 10, 2026 By adminOur current candidates for confirmation in 2026 are working hard to complete the prescribed materials leading up to their affirmation of the Christian faith. During the past year and a half, we have surveyed the books of the Old Testament and New Testament. We have studied the Ten Commandments as well as the Apostle’s Creed. Currently, we are engaged in an in-depth study of the Lord’s Prayer which will be followed by a study of the Sacraments. Finally, on a date yet to be determined, the class will participate in the Lutheran tradition of Public Examination. This event is meant to demonstrate to the church that they have indeed fully completed the regimen of Catechetical study and are ready to claim the promises God made in their Baptism. More information on Public Examination will be shared as the date and time are added to the church calendar.
We can all be proud of these young members of our church family and continue to support them as they travel along the path of life-long faith formation. The current class includes Carolene, Brilynn, Samantha, Copeland, Bryleigh, and MacKenzie.
Pastoral Devotion for April – Encountering the Risen Lord
Posted April 5, 2026 By adminRead John 20:19-31
Isn’t it amazing how quickly Easter Sunday comes and goes? Oh, Easter isn’t over, just the hoopla that surrounds Easter Sunday. In too many respects, the world doesn’t quite understand Easter. The crowds may be gone, but the story hasn’t been fully told. That’s the difficulty faced by the church. The crowds have not heard the whole story. It is no wonder there is so much confusion with regards to Easter. But there was also plenty of confusion that first Easter day.
Women went to the tomb and found it empty. The great stone was rolled away but no one saw who did it. Angels gave the message that Jesus had been raised. As night fell, the disciples were afraid. They locked the doors out of fear that those who killed Jesus might also come after them. Just then, Jesus stood among them very much alive.
Perhaps that’s the number one problem so many people have at Easter. Perhaps so many come for the celebration but skip the rest of the story because they are afraid that they might really have an encounter with the risen Lord.
That’s not such a far-fetched idea. All through his ministry, Jesus said that if any would follow him, they must first take up their cross. Jesus expected his followers to bear fruit for the kingdom, love God, worship him, and live for the sake of their neighbor. For so many today, doing these means a drastic change in the way life is lived.
Encountering Jesus means living on his terms, not ours. Encountering the risen Lord means we actually have to do something faithful. Meeting Jesus means acknowledging our sin and coming to repentance. It’s easy to see why so many do not want to hear the rest of the story. It’s easier to simply leave the empty tomb of Easter Sunday and get on with life on Monday. But tombs are meant for the dead, and Jesus is alive.
Jesus left behind what belongs in the tomb, the darkness of sin, death and the devil. The risen Christ brought with him light, life and the peace of God. Ours is to share the entire story so that others may come to believe.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, empower us to do your will, and go where you lead. Amen.
From Your Pastor’s Heart
Posted March 31, 2026 By adminLet us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:23-25
As springtime begins to lead people into more and more activities, we can always look forward to increased activities in and around the church. Opportunities for cookouts, VBS, games and even the prospect of youth group gatherings on Sunday afternoons all exist.
As the calendar page flips toward the Easter season and beyond, I am reminiscent of the times when I was much younger and enjoyed many of these activities. As a youth member of my church, I looked forward to spending time with friends and several of the adults of our church family. What truly mattered to me wasn’t the number of kids who were there, but that my church took the time to show me that I mattered to them. I was loved by my congregation, and they were happy to see me.
Thankfully, it was my parents, who were active in our congregation, who made it a point to teach me what it means to be a part of the church. It took me years to understand, but in their support of our congregation’s youth activities, my parents gave me a gift that has lasted my entire life. The gift is the relationship I have always enjoyed living among God’s people. I am thankful that ever since those days long ago, I have always been connected to the church.
I can imagine what some may be thinking. “Easy for you to say, you’re a pastor.” But I have not always been a pastor. As a worker for a naval shipyard, and later as a service coordinator for a home security company, I had ample opportunities to put off my life as a church member. But the faith God gave me through my Baptism wouldn’t let me go. The gift my parents gave me as a child, and later as a teenager, continued to keep me grounded and connected to the church and people who loved me and were happy to see me. It is this gift that Angela and I strived to pass on to our children in hopes that they would always enjoy life among God’s faithful people.
In these later years of my life, I have noticed a tragic shift within the fellowship of the church. Life among people of faith seems to have been largely absorbed by life among people of the world. People are not as apt to commit to churchly activities as they once were but are more than ready to participate in worldly events. Fewer adult members of the church seem to reach out to the youth and let them know how happy they are to see them. I tip my hat to those who do and encourage others to follow.
As your pastor, I lament over those instances when time is set aside to welcome the youth of the church, but few, if any, show up. The children need to know they matter. I want the youth to know that the adults of the congregation are happy to see them. Simply put, I want today’s youth members to enjoy the same gift I received from my parents when I was their age. But it takes commitment.
In the wake of declining church membership, fewer children are present for worship or other church activities. Now more than ever, it is imperative that families share time together in worship and fellowship as often as possible. Congregations such as ours need to develop ways of welcoming families to enjoy time together away from the world’s attempts to steal them away from living as the children of God. Family ministries are a way to grow relationships between the youth and adult members of the church. Younger and older folks doing things together, enjoying time among fellow Christians, and growing the relationships God established among us all is a step forward, but again, it takes commitment.
Again, I can imagine what some are thinking, “Pastor, we have tried that before.” If that’s the case, I have some questions, “Why did you stop? Was it discouragement, was it that you grew weary, was it inconvenient?” Likely the answer to all these is “yes.” But where does that leave us as we strive to pass on the gift of Christian fellowship to our young people?
Rest assured, I’m not suggesting a new program for us to try. I’m simply suggesting to our church family, especially those with children and youth members, that it is so important to share life among the faithful with children and especially teens. The powers of this fallen and broken world are all too ready, willing, and able to snatch them up and lead them away. But we have this gift to share, the gift that will stay with them all their life long. It’s the gift of people who know that they matter, and we are happy to see them.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church Council Meeting Briefs March 3, 2026
Posted March 31, 2026 By adminGood Things at St. Jacob’s for February
- Blanket drive was successful
- The start of the new parking lot
Pastor’s Report:
- Attendance has been higher than in the past for lent services (average 40 in attendance).
- Pastor has been attending Sunday School class in the Fellowship Hall and hopes to rotate through each Sunday School class and teach.
- Pastor recommended combining the Passion service (Maundy Thursday/Good Friday) into evening worship on Sunday, April 29th. Council approved by unanimous vote.
Treasurer’s Report:
- We are behind $4,000 from two weeks without services.
- Review of new copier contract is complete; new copier has been installed. This should produce savings between $250-$300 a month. o We are waiting for a check from the new company to pay off the old copier.
- Review of policies for insurance are being completed with potential adjustments coming in early 2026. Insurance has been paid in full for the year, which is why expenditures thus far through March are higher.
- Annual payment for QuickBooks paid in January; $500 savings when paid annually.
- Annual payment of Servant Keeper paid and is higher than in previous years.
- Recommend moving $225 from QuickBooks to Servant Keeper account with savings from QuickBooks annual payment.
- If digital media position is established, will set up payroll for the position.
- Dedicated and restricted funds:
- Funds for the 250th Anniversary have been set up in a restricted fund with a budget of $15,000.
- Parking lot account has approximately $117k in checking account. Working to transfer remaining funds for the project from Thrivent.
- Hymnal restricted fund has been established and also added to Vanco for the hymnal replacement project.
- Congo mission trip is slowly coming back to positive balance now that this is separated from the Congo benevolence funds.
Ministry Team Reports
- Safety
- Generations agreed to allow use of their club house for CPR training and recertification.
- With lots of activity on and around church grounds there is need for “roamers” during Sunday School and service.
- Christian Education
- Meeting held on March 2nd . Team discussed the need for additional teachers in all classes. Looking for volunteers willing to help one Sunday a month (teaching or roaming).
- VBS will be Monday, July 13th – Thursday, July 16th; meal starting at 5:45 PM and VBS from 6:30-8:00 PM.
- Confirmation date will be determined as well as confirmands meeting the requirements. We will not have a First Communion class in 2026 unless there is more interest.
- Will support youth retreat and summer camp as needed.
- Plan for Luther League, LCY, Youth celebration for June as part of the 250th anniversary. Members of past groups will be invited to attend church service. Hamburger meal will be provided after service on Sunday, June 7th .
- Prayers for our program and increasing attendance for Sunday School and for volunteers for both Sunday School and VBS.
- IMPORTANT – Finding VBS leader to help with the purchasing, setting up, daily agenda and decorations.
- Congregational Care
- Provided bereavement meal for Karen Sutphin family on February 5th .
- Assisted in Shrove Tuesday meal preparations.
- Will assist Discipleship Team with collection of blankets and Anniversary Team with meal for 250th anniversary celebration on March 15th .
- Discipleship
- The church donated 215 blankets to the regional disaster warehouse. The final 115 blankets were transported to Kings Mountain on February 28th thanks to the LM, LW, and Up & Going.
- Congregation also donated 12 mercy bags to We Care on February 16th .
- Property
- Retention pond for parking lot is underway with the construction crews clearing land.
- Looking for recommendations on what to do with the picnic shed.
- Stewardship
- Pastor will speak with AJ regarding stewardship plans for 2026.
- Worship and Music
- New hymnals have been approved, and council asks if we should start to advertise.
- Possibly find a church in need of old hymnals to donate.
- Staff Support
- Began advertising for the digital media position.
- There is a volunteer to help pro-bono to create and update the website beginning in March.
** Next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, April 7th at 6:30 PM in the church office. **
Filed in Council Reports, Other Happenings
NALC Constitutional Ratifications (2025-2026)
Posted March 19, 2026 By adminAt the Mission Convocation in Pittsburgh last August, several proposed constitutional amendments were approved. As of February 13, 2026, these amendments were ratified.
- Amendment One: Constitutional and Bylaws/Scrivener’s Errors
- Amendment Two: Article on the North American Lutheran Seminary
- Amendment Three: Article 16 – Legal and Financial Matters
The NALC Constitution reflecting the amendments as ratified is available on the NALC website at https://thenalc.org. This version is now the governing constitutional document of the North American Lutheran Church. Please contact Pastor David with any questions.
Filed in NALC, Other Happenings
Congo Mission Trip 2026
Posted March 10, 2026 By adminAs you all know, I have had to cancel my previous two mission trips to Congo, first due to health reasons, then last year due to the political climate. In that time, my partner Pastor Stephane Kalonji has journeyed to Congo without assistance from another pastor and carried out the mission work we began twelve years ago. I have truly missed being a part of this important ministry of the Gospel.
Once more, I must pass on to the congregation that I will not be traveling to Congo for a third consecutive year. Pastor Kalonji and I met via zoom to discuss our plans for the summer mission trip, but we soon were faced with a difficult reality. Donations from our family of congregations that serve as mission partners have not met the threshold that allows us both to travel and minister to the people of Congo.
Needless to say, I am very saddened by this situation. In the past twelve years, I have been blessed to serve so many people who long to receive the Gospel of our Lord and share in the goodness of a relationship with Christ’s Church. Many of those whom I have called friends have since died and many others, I fear, will pass before I have the opportunity to visit with them once more.
Still, I remain truly grateful for the support given by St. Jacob’s and the various congregations who have been a part of the Congo Mission. I know God will continue to supply what is needed for this ministry. With that being said, I encourage those who have made offerings and donations to the Congo Mission Trip to continue to do so. Pastor Kalonji will travel alone this summer. But once again, he will carry on the work of the Gospel on my behalf. I pray for his safety in travel and strength to meet the long days of ministry that await him.
