The Lutheran Men will resume its regular meeting on August 20th at 6:00pm in the Fellowship Hall.
LUTHERAN WOMEN
Posted August 14, 2023 By adminWe will be having an important meeting on August 20th at 4:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. Hope all of you will be able to attend this meeting. All ladies of the church are welcome!
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted August 13, 2023 By adminFor everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
Well, here we are at the beginning of August, the month that signals a change in the lives of people. With the impending conclusion of summertime, plans are being made for children to return to the classroom, vacation times are drawing to an end, and even for the church, we plan for the coming autumn months.
At St. Jacob’s, we find ourselves in the same pattern of life as so many other congregations. We have had a wonderful summer season. Our volunteers planned and hosted an amazing Vacation Bible School. Several of our children participated in the Solid Rock Day Camp. Sunday school attendance and participation has greatly increased. The Journey Sunday School class worked diligently in completing improvements to our church office building. Angela led another great time of Musical Mondays for our youth hand bell group. And on a personal note, I was able to participate in an amazing mission trip to Congo.
All in all, the 2023 Summer season at St. Jacob’s found our congregation quite actively engaged in the mission God has set before us. But now, it is time for a change in seasons. The author of Ecclesiastes, in his wisdom, reminds the people of God that there is a time and a season for every matter under heaven. Even as congregations conclude their summer programs, there are still many opportunities to serve our loving God. In the pattern of Christian life, there truly is a time and a season for everything.
Many of us enjoy hearing the words of Ecclesiastes 3 that speak of the times and seasons. Perhaps this is so because we remember the song that came out of the 1960’s that quoted these verses. But keeping the passage in context, the real blessing of the wisdom shared by King David’s son (also identified as “the Preacher”) comes to us in the verses following the identification of the times and seasons for all matters under heaven.
In Ecclesiastes 3:9-12 we read further: “What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live.” The Preacher’s observations on life convinced him that “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all” (Ecc. 9:11). Man’s fate, the Preacher maintains, does not depend on righteous or wicked conduct but is a mystery that remains hidden in God (Ecc. 9:1). All attempts to unravel this mystery and thereby gain the wisdom necessary to secure one’s fate are “vanity,” or futile. In the face of such uncertainty, the author’s counsel is to enjoy the good things that God provides while one has them to enjoy, for man does not know his own time.
So what does this mean for the people of God today. Well, the same thing it meant for God’s people of all time. We are to live lives of thanks and praise to the God who supplies all that is
needed for daily life. We are to love God with our whole being, and our neighbor as ourselves. All the worries and cares of this life are placed well within the hands of the One who created and
sustains humanity and all that is captured within this world. Living as thankful people, we can find joy in learning from God’s Word together, while exploring the richness and blessing of the
relationship we share together in Christ Jesus.
For everything there truly is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. There is a time for us to worship together, a time for us to laugh and cry as a family of faith; a time for us to play, and a time for us to work in mission and ministry for the sake of others. There is a time to cherish our life together and a time to grow and share all these blessings with the community around us.
As the season of summer draws to its eventual close and the autumn of 2023 breaks in upon us, let us all give thanks to God for the times and seasons we have together in this place, and let us pray that God would continue to bless our congregation well into the future with a vibrant life together, inviting and welcoming others to become members of the family of St. Jacob’s here in Chapin.
Grace and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Mid-Week Bible Study
Posted August 12, 2023 By adminOur Wednesday Morning Bible study will resume on Wednesday, August 23 at 9:30a.m. The Bible study will meet in the newly renovated Church Office. The topic of study will be announced at least one week prior to the beginning. All are welcome to join in. Please invite others who may enjoy reading and learning more about the Scriptures while discussing them in fellowship with others. No special materials are needed, just you, your Bible, and a desire to meet with others while hearing of God’s promises and love for his people.
2023 Congo Mission Trip
Posted August 9, 2023 By adminWith 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.
NALC Lutheran Week 2023 – Mission Dei (The Mission of God)
Posted August 7, 2023 By adminThis year’s NALC Lutheran Week completes a six-year focus on the Holy Trinity, concluding now with “God the Father Creates…in His Image,” as the theme for the Braaten-Benne Theological Lectures. However, it seems appropriate to conclude this cycle with the theme, Mission Dei, as we celebrate the fact that everything we do as a mission-driven Lutheran body comes from God and His mission—that we are to go into all the world, empowered by the Holy Spirit, preaching the good news of salvation in and through Jesus Christ—to the whole creation!
This year’s Mission Convocation will indeed be a mission-oriented and mission-driven gathering! While there will be necessary times dedicated to reports, actions and elections—including the election of a bishop—highlights will be the several “On Fire for Mission” sessions, focusing on domestic mission, international mission and mission related to congregational life. These will begin with brief Bible study and devotional periods, followed by presentations on the theme, with extended time for table talk, reflection, breakouts, and strategies for “taking it home!”
There will also be a Faith Formation Festival (“Everything You Want to Know About Youth & Family Ministry”) and the Gathering of the Women of the NALC (“Using Our Gifts to Serve”) earlier in the week.
The hope and prayer of all involved is that this will light a spark or fan the flame for mission, that we return home inspired and excited about Mission Dei—the work and mission of God in our local congregations, in North America and throughout the whole creation!
Larry Shull will serve as St. Jacob’s lay delegate to the convocation.
Open House and Dedication
Posted August 6, 2023 By adminOn August 13, immediately following worship, the congregation is invited to an “Open House” to come and see the improvements to our Church Office Building. We will also have a brief
blessing of the building as we re-dedicate it to the service of the Lord. Come and see all the
improvements and the wonderful job our volunteers from the Journey Sunday School Class have done. It has been a tremendous example of what God’s people can do as stewards of that which God has provided.
Filed in Other Happenings
A Note from We Care
Posted August 4, 2023 By adminOur 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
Pastoral Devotion for August – Rely on God
Posted August 4, 2023 By adminJesus said, “Therefore do not be anxious about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Read Matthew 6:25-34
How often do you wake up today and you are already worried about tomorrow? If that is the case, it is likely you went to bed already feeling the pressure of a certain circumstance or the ill effects of something you perceive to be a looming problem. And so it goes for so many in our world.
Our Lord Jesus teaches us that we should not worry. We should not worry about clothing, food, drink or anything else under the sun. When we worry or become anxious about things we have or don’t have, we rely upon ourselves to alleviate the problem.
Yet, truthfully, we are to put our trust in God who provides all we will ever need for life. As our Lord Jesus says, it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us his kingdom.
Worrying about tomorrow’s problems today only causes them to become stumbling blocks for
today’s opportunities. Lift up your worries and cares to God in prayer. Commend them to the Lord. As you do, you will soon realize his presence in your life each day, and the anxiousness for
tomorrow will be replaced with the joy of Christ today.
Prayer: Lord, I put my trust in you, knowing you will provide all I need. Amen.
Council Briefs for July Meeting
Posted August 4, 2023 By adminGood Things at St. Jacobs:
• Church Office Renovation
• Vacation Bible School
• Adult attendance at VBS was up and encouraging
Bob noted that the church is doing well on this year’s budget and are meeting expenses for 2023.
Council extended a thank you to the Journey Sunday School Class for their efforts in renovating the church office. A drop-in after church service one Sunday will be planned for the congregation.
A congregational workday will be scheduled in September to work on various items around the church and church grounds. Specific tasks will be identified prior to the workday.
Report of Ministry Teams:
• Safety – Don Dease thanked the Safety Team for the work they are doing to make our church a safe environment.
• Christian Education – Vacation Bible School was a great success. Lots of people in attendance.
• Congregation Care – Planning for Homecoming on October 15 continues.
Old Business:
• Fresh Eyes Update: Ongoing focus on Mercy Bag ministry, card ministry, and property and renovations.
New Business:
• On July 30, a representative from the NALC will give a temple talk before worship about the NALC Disaster Response. Council will be looking at assisting the NALC by using a portion of the bus shed as a storage area.
Filed in Council Reports, Other Happenings
