On Thursday, August 6, 2020, the Carolinas Mission District of the NALC met for its final convocation. As it was decided during the 2019 convocation, the Carolinas Mission District has become the NALC Carolinas Mission Region, made up of four smaller mission districts. Our SCMD dean is Pastor David Tholstrup from St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Chapin. Pastor David Nuottila and Larry Shull have been elected as members of the Mission Region Executive Council. We give thanks to God for the growth and mission of His church in the Carolinas.
Bible Study
Posted August 30, 2020 By adminDon’t forget our Wednesday Morning Bible Study that is being held each week. All information will be emailed to the congregational members no later than Tuesday afternoon. If you have trouble logging on to Zoom, please contact Rachel Shelton or Pastor David for assistance.
Worship at St. Jacob’s During The Covid-19 Pandemic
Posted August 30, 2020 By adminSeptember marks the fourth month of our return to in-person worship services at St. Jacob’s. It is good to see the many faces of our church family members who are present each week. It is also good to know that those who are not yet to a point where they are ready to return have kept themselves healthy and safe during this pandemic. Thanks be to God that we are able to live stream and record our worship services for those who watch it from their homes. As time goes by, we continue to find ways to improve our online worship experience.
There is one thing that bears reminding. We do have a face mask policy that remains in effect. While masks are not required for entry into the building, they are required during those portions of our service that include singing. All persons in attendance should have a mask in their possession. Masks are available upon entry to the Fellowship Hall and Church Nave. Please pick one up if you did not bring your own to worship. We want to be respectful of others and keep a healthy environment, especially for our more senior church family members who are in attendance.
Filed in Other Happenings, Worship Service
The Courage Center
Posted August 30, 2020 By adminCouncil voted to open our doors to The Courage Center (TCC) so that they could establish a meeting place in Chapin. What is The Courage Center? The Courage Center provides a safe, supportive, recovery-focused setting for young people and families on their journey to recover from substance misuse or substance use disorder. There was a need for a meeting location in the Chapin area. Many families in the Chapin/Newberry to Chapin/Dutch Fork/ Irmo vicinities were traveling to Lexington. During the midst of the COVID crisis and the civil unrest, The Courage Center saw some real, tangible signs that there are families in greater need of support and assistance.
• Overdose incidents in Lexington County are higher than the state average at 15 per week.
• The Lexington County Coroner’s office shared that although there was a 40% reduction in fatal overdoses from March through May 2019 compared to 2018. During that same time period in 2020, there was a 200% increase.
• Fatal overdoes, of young people under 30 years old, have seen a 50% increase over 2019.
St. Jacob’s is meeting this tremendous community need. The Courage Center meets in our Fellowship Hall each Thursday at 7:00 PM. As we have posted, no one with symptoms in the past 24 hours or knowingly been in contact with anyone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19, can enter into the building. They use a no-contact digital forehead thermometer, nitrile gloves, face masks, and hand sanitizers upon entrance into the fellowship hall. All participants have to complete the Safety Precaution Form to attend the meeting. They have plenty of room to social distance. All PPE supplies are provided by TCC. After the meeting, they wipe down and sanitize the chairs, doorknobs, etc. in the Fellowship Hall before leaving. We ask that you lift The Courage Center and families in prayer.
Thanks,
Sherrie McTeer
Council President
The Bud and Lottie Sites Scholarships
Posted August 30, 2020 By adminThe Bud and Lottie Sites Scholarships are for high school graduates and continuing higher education students who are members of St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church. There are two types of scholarships being offered – $1,000 and $250 for the Fall semester. Continuing higher education includes college, technical college, trade school, etc.
Please contact Sherrie McTeer or Sherry Floyd in the church office for the application and requirements! Applications are due by October 1, 2020. Don’t forget to apply!
Council Briefs
Posted August 30, 2020 By adminThe St. Jacob’s Church Council met August 4th for its regular meeting.
Good Things at St. Jacob’s for February-July:
• Return to Sunday Worship in person
• Online Bible studies and devotions
• New members joining streaming services
• New and Reinstated Members to the Congregation
• Courage Center is utilizing our facility to help local families
Thanks to Joan Marco, Angela Nuottila and A.J. Peeples, for assistance with services.
Current Events/News: Please check the churches Facebook page and/or Website for updates.
Ongoing Project Updates: Parking lot expansion is still under review.
Next Scheduled Meeting: Regular meeting – September 8th, at 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall
Filed in Council Reports, Other Happenings
Youth Director & Family Ministries
Posted August 30, 2020 By adminAs a church, we are proud to support Chapin Middle School as they provide their students the best education possible. As the school year begins, we want to ensure that all students have the tools and resources they need in order to succeed, as well as anything they may need to remain safe and healthy in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The theme for the school year is “Shine Your Light” and what better way for us to show Jesus’ love in our community by shining our light and loving our neighbor. I am excited to announce SUPPLY SEPTEMBER, for the month of September. We will be collecting donations in the Fellowship Hall on Sundays or in the church office during the week from 9 AM-2 PM. All supplies will be delivered to CMS on September 27th. I have attached a list of supply items that students have been asked to bring this year. I am so excited to partner with you all in assisting students and their families, as we are able. Also, if you are unable to go make a purchase, we will have a box on the table for any monetary donations and we will gladly purchase more supplies.
SUPPLIES NEEDED
#2 Pencils
Composition Notebook (Not spiral)
Colored Pencils
2-Pocket Folders
Dry Erase Markers
8 ½ x 11 Spiral 3 Subject Notebook
Earbuds/Headphones
Tissues Hand Sanitizer
Glue Sticks
Lysol Spray
Pens
Disinfectant Wipes
Highlighters
Mini Deodorant
3×3 Post It Notes
Small Toiletry Kits
Calculators (Ti 30X & Ti 84 Plus)
Toothbrush Kits
Loose Leaf Paper
$5-$10 Gift Cards (Fast food, Walmart, etc.)
Graph Paper
1 inch Poly Binders
3-Ring Binder with Dividers
Five Notebook Divider with Pockets
On behalf of Chapin Middle School, we appreciate your continued support! Thank you for “Shining Your Light” on our students. -Lacey Hallman, CMS School Counselor
Grace and Peace, Rachel
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted August 1, 2020 By adminby Pastor David Nuottila
Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.” Mark 4:26-27
Throughout July, our texts from the Gospel according to Matthew have included several of Jesus’s farming parables. The fourth chapter of Mark’s gospel could also be described as the Lord’s Guide to Kingdom Farming. Jesus teaches with parables involving fertile soil; sunshine; the sower; and of course, seeds. In the first of the farmer parables, the sower willfully scatters seed in all types of soil. Some of the seed grows, some struggles against other unwanted plants, and there is a portion that seems to have little chance at all. Yet the sower is always generous with the seed of God’s Word.
In the text above, there is little doubt that the farmer takes no credit for the sprouting of the seed. Instead, the farmer sleeps and rises with the day and night, simply having faith that growth will occur. Please read the parable found in Mark 4:26-34 to get the fuller context. The farmer in God’s kingdom understands powers beyond his own are at work causing the seed to sprout and grow. When the time is right, he takes up the sickle and reaps the harvest. This cycle is but one way of recognizing how the Holy Spirit moves throughout the world as disciples of Jesus carry out the farmer’s duty of scattering seed.
As Christians scatter the Word among the mission fields, faithful disciples resemble the farmer in the parable. In faith, the Church sleeps and rises not knowing how it is that God causes the seed to sprout and grow in the hearts of those who receive the Word. We are often surprised at how quickly some seeds sprout. Suddenly, new members enter the community of believers and take their place at the table where God continues to feed and nourish their faith. Other seeds seem to take a long time to sprout and grow. Those who have scattered have diligently sown the seed but don’t see much in the way of results. In either case, it isn’t up to the one planting to cause growth but to simply sow the seed.
Jesus uses this parable to teach the Church that no matter the time or place, ours is the duty to be generous in the planting of the seed of God’s Word. Our mission is to be kingdom farmers and plant seed. God causes growth; the measure of our success is in the planting. As an illustration, the second parable offered today teaches us that God causes the seed planted by God’s people to grow far beyond what we are able to comprehend.
Jesus asks, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With such an illustration, we ought to recognize that it isn’t the size of the congregation or the number in a group that is important. It is the faith in which we sow our seed which is essential to kingdom farming.
Often, in the church that is sleeping and rising with the night and the day, small groups of believers gather to pray. Eventually, they recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit and begin to put faith into action. Soon, new ideas sprout and ministries for the sake of others emerge. The mustard seed is the smallest, yet it miraculously grows and becomes the largest of shrubs. Likewise, we never know which of our small ideas will grow into vibrant ministries to feed and shelter those within the kingdom who have need. And so it is that we continue to gather as a congregation, hear the Word of God, pray with one another, and engage the mission of God as kingdom farmers. Again as Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Pastoral Devotion For August
Posted August 1, 2020 By adminTaking Rest With The Lord
Read Mark 6:30-46
The world is a busy place. Schedules and agendas are packed so tightly that, if left unchecked, they will do their best to consume people. Once a task is completed or an experience had, there is always something else waiting in line; one more thing to do. It is little wonder that by the end of the day, so many people feel emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained.
When Jesus’ twelve disciples completed their mission of the gospel, they returned to their Lord filled with excitement, but none the less for wear. Wearied from their work, Jesus invited them to come away to a desolate place to rest. There, they might hope to reflect on all they accomplished while getting some much-needed rest.
It is the same for today’s disciple. To take rest with the Lord means to be refreshed by his Word, to be fed with his supper, and to enjoy the closeness of God our Father. This is the benefit of worship and prayer. To rest is to take advantage of each opportunity to draw closer to God and hear his Word. In this way, we are refreshed in mind, body and spirit. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Let us rest in you, O Lord, that we may be ready and able to do the work of your gospel. Amen.
Homecoming 2020 Postponed
Posted July 29, 2020 By adminDue to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, our annual Homecoming celebration has been postponed until a later date. Having large groups for worship and congregational meals is simply not feasible at this time. A decision will be made as to if or when to schedule Homecoming for this year. We want to keep our congregation and visitors as safe and healthy as possible. Thank you for your understanding. We pray that the current pandemic would come to a timely conclusion and that regular congregation worship, learning and fellowship activities can resume soon.
Filed in Other Happenings
