The Rev. Dr. Eric Riesen, President of the North American Lutheran Seminary, joined us on Sunday September 26th and led a small group discussion on the NALC Seminary network. Following his presentation, Pastor Riesen served as our guest preacher for the day. Pastor Riesen wanted to pass along his regards to everyone and say that he noticed the congregation at St. Jacob’s is one that certainly shares the warmth and welcoming nature of God’s love. We are thankful for the opportunity to greet Pastor Eric and ask God’s continued blessings upon him and our North American Lutheran Seminary.
90 Bible Fitness Challenge
Posted September 30, 2021 By adminWe are nearing the finish line for our 90 Day Bible Fitness Challenge. The truth be told, a few of our participants have already finished. Several others will finish a few days early. What a joy it has been to read the entire Bible, one verse at a time, and complete it in 90 days. The challenge seemed at first to be quite a lofty goal, and it is. But nineteen of our church family members have made it this far. Certainly, meeting once per week in small groups has enhanced our mutual endeavor, and the conversations have been amazing. Now the question remains, what will these folks do now that the challenge has been met? Most have said they really enjoyed the NLT Chronological Study Bible and plan to go through it again, taking a long look at all the study notes and illustrations. Another question that has been asked by several who have not participated is, “Will we do this again?” The answer is “Yes, we will, but the time hasn’t been determined yet.” Thanks be to God for revealing his Word to his people and guiding us with the Holy Spirit as we read the Bible in 90 days. Congratulations to all who took the challenge. Well done, good and faithful servants!
Filed in Bible Study, Other Happenings
St. Jacob’s Homecoming 2021
Posted September 15, 2021 By adminOur annual Homecoming celebration is scheduled for Sunday, October 10th. Having missed out on homecoming in 2020 due to the pandemic we can all look forward to a wonderful service. Please invite members of St. Jacob’s past and present to join us. Our Homecoming guest preacher will be our old friend, Pastor Marty Ramey. Please circle the date on your calendars and be sure to come enjoy the celebration.
Seminary President Visit
Posted September 10, 2021 By adminThe Rev. Dr. Eric Riesen, President of the North American Lutheran Seminary will visit St. Jacob’s on Sun-day, September 26th. As you may recall, Dr. Riesen was scheduled to visit with us in July but due to a family issue his visit needed to be rescheduled. Dr. Riesen will lead a group discussion on the structure of the NALC’s seminary network structure, the need for congregations to be involved in the development of pastors for the future and also will help us to understand what we can do to support the seminary network. Be sure to attend and welcome Pastor Riesen to St. Jacob’s.
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted September 5, 2021 By adminIn March, I offered to the congregation what I call my Six-Point Vision to enhance our ministry and congregational life for the future of St. Jacob’s. The six points as they were presented in the March newsletter are:
1. Create an Intentional Disciple Making
Culture.
2. Growing the Christian Education Ministries of our congregation.
3. Raising up Leaders for the Church.
4. Grow in our focus on Mission and Outreach.
5. Develop a welcoming and inviting culture.
6. Grow in our sense of Christian fellowship.
This month, I would like to speak to one of those points that I believe is vital to the future of our life together. Point #2, Growing the Christian Education Ministries of our congregation, is one that has been a generations old problem for many congrega-tions. It is no secret that participation in Sunday School, Confirmation, and Bible Studies have fallen off drastically since the day when many of us were eager participants.
Over my pastoral ministry spanning three congregations, Christian Education teams have been faced with the issue of having too few volunteers to teach classes and a dwindling number of students. The same questions have arisen over the years. “How do we encourage people to teach classes?” How can we get our children to participate?” Since my initial conversations with the call team four years ago, I understand, St. Jacob’s, has struggled with these same questions. Answers, I assure you, do not come easy.
In order to address this complex issue, I asked for the Christian Education Team to meet in August in order to discuss the present condition of our Sunday School Ministry. At the time of this writing and due to newsletter deadlines, the meeting has been scheduled but has not yet taken place. It is my hope that our discussion will prove fruitful and faithful as we speak to the need for Christian Education and
faith formation for all members of our church family.
During the Youth Ministry Workshop at our convocation in Texas, I began a conversation citing the challenges of Sunday school and found that St. Jacob’s has not been alone in facing this issue. More recently, I also began an online conversation among pastors and youth ministers which is leading to an understanding among the group that perhaps it is time to begin thinking creatively and unconventionally. On Thursday, August 26th, I participated in an online Zoom discussion centered upon the questions we all face regarding Sunday School. The information brought out during this conversation was astounding. So many congregations are facing dire circumstances when it comes to providing Christian education for our children.
All too often, discussions regarding Sunday School end up with committees and ministry teams suggesting that we turn the clocks back to a time when Sunday School participation was in its heyday, doing the things we did when we were kids. This seldom works given that times have changed, and approaches to teaching and communicating with children are much different. The lack of volunteers willing to serve as teachers is also an issue that remains constant.
Given all of this, there is something that we must never lose sight of. God commands us to teach the Scriptures to our children and to our children’s children. For the sake of our families and the generations that will follow, it is imperative that we take God’s command seriously. If we don’t teach our children and young adults the things God commands, the world will teach them the things that our sinful world demands. This is a concern that weighs heavy upon your pastor’s heart.
I pray that we are able to have a faithful and fruitful conversation and that any decisions we make will be in line with God’s expectations for our church family. Especially for the sake of our children and their families, I ask for your continued prayers and support of our Christian Education Ministry. I will do my best to be a teacher of the faith for you and for those in our community now and into the future. I also pledge to continue to seek God’s guidance leading our congregation to develop a greater desire to study God’s Word and pass it on to others.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Pastoral Devotion for September
Posted August 30, 2021 By adminLet Your Light Shine
Read Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket.” God blesses the Church with the most precious treasure there is, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Every Christian is therefore filled with the light of Christ and called to give witness to the wonders of God’s mercy and grace.
Often, it is said to the newly baptized person, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Our light shines when we love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves. Shining our light, we share the love of Christ Jesus with all whom we meet.
Jesus of Nazareth is light and life for the world. Baptized into his death and resurrection, the light of Christ dwells within God’s people. May you always feel the presence and power of our Lord Jesus. And may your light shine through the darkness of this world, that those within your midst may finally see the glory of the Father and enter the gates of our eternal home.
Prayer: Shine the light of your love, O Lord, and fill me with the power of your love. Amen.
Labor Day – Closure of The Church Office
Posted August 30, 2021 By adminThe Church Office will be closed on Monday, September 6th, in observance of Labor Day. Praying you all have a safe and fun day.
Filed in Other Happenings
Youth Director & Family Ministries
Posted August 30, 2021 By adminThat’s a wrap on Musical Mondays! Thank you to all who participated and helped out- whether it be dropping off each week, providing a meal for our kids, or coming to our showcase to see all that we had learned- Musical Mondays was a huge success! We learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing so. Week one, we learned about why we worship God for all that He has done and all that He continues to do in our lives. Week two, we learned the song “Earth and All Stars” while talking about the creation story. Week three, we learned the story of Moses leading the Israelites through the Red Sea and the Prophetess Miriam leading the people by tambourine and song. Week four, we talked all about the life of David and how no matter what he went through, he always gave praise to God. Week five, we learned about the Psalms and shared the favorite Psalms of people we love. Lastly, Week six, we put it all together to show our friends and family everything that we learned. From tye-dying our own hand bell gloves, to making tambourines and lyres, musical beanbags, to learning forte and piano with our favorite game “I lost my closet key” — we had a blast. Thank you again to all who participated, it truly was a great summer together!
Blessings,
Rachel
Council Briefs
Posted August 30, 2021 By adminGood Things at St. Jacob’s For
August
• Getting back to one service on Sundays is going well – attendance up.
• Musical Monday’s program has been a great success.
• Baptism of Hannah
• The visiting youth from Zion Lutheran, Pitts-burgh, PA. were well received. Thanks to the Lutheran Men and all others who made them feel welcome.
Briefs:
• Team #6 served the family of Minnie following her funeral service. Pastor noted that St. Jacob’s attendance was pleasantly higher than expected.
• Council is searching for a volunteer for the position of Treasurer of St. Jacob’s.
Filed in Council Reports
St. Jacob’s Chancel Choir
Posted August 30, 2021 By adminAs we continue to return to pre-pandemic activities, one of the final steps for our worship services is to restore the choir to singing each Sunday. Angela Nuottila has volunteered to serve as our interim Choir Director until the congregation finds someone who will assume this position permanently. Choir rehearsals will resume on Wednesday evenings following our mid-week worship service. We have certainly missed having an adult choir during worship. Our children’s choir has done a marvelous job of providing music for our worship services, and we are very thankful for their talent. If you have not ever considered being a part of the choir, please consider this to be your invitation. You don’t need to have the most splendid singing voice. All you need is a desire for enhancing the worship of our congregation as we make a joyful noise unto the Lord on Sunday morning. Anyone who is interested should contact Angela for more information.
