Welcome to St. Jacob's Lutheran Church

Good Things at St. Jacob’s:
• Open House for newly renovated church office
• Kids handbell choir trip
• Disaster Warehouse
Plans Pastor’s Report – Doug Sullivan will be received by Affirmation of Baptism into St. Jacob’s membership.
Report of Ministry Teams:
• Congregational Care – Homecoming is October 15th. This will also be Golden Agers Sunday. Congregation will be asked to provide desserts.
• Worship & Music – Youth handbell retreat to Salisbury, NC was a success.
• Safety and Security Team – Council approved purchasing smoke detectors and installing them throughout the building.
Old Business:
• There will be a church wide workday on September 30th. We will start at 8:00a.m. Lunch will be served.
New Business:
• Lawn Maintenance Contract – Council approved a proposal from C&E Landscaping to provide maintenance services on the cemetery side of Columbia Avenue. Annual cost will be $6,960. St. Jacob’s volunteers will continue to be responsible for area around the Sanctuary and Church Office. In the 2024 budget, Lawn Maintenance will be a line item. Members wishing to offset the cost of this service can contribute to the Cemetery Fund.
• Heat Pump Replacement – Council approved to replace the heat pump for the Fellowship Hall at a cost of $31,000. A waiting period of four months for delivery can be expected.

Good Things at St. Jacobs:
• Office Renovations Completed
• Sunday Visits to Generations is a special time for residents and St. Jacob’s members
Pastor’s Report – Pastor gave recap of Congo trip. An estimated 600 children were fed on this trip.
Report of Ministry Teams:
• Staff Support – Annual reviews of staff will be done the month of August.
• Congregation Care – Homecoming is October 15.
• Building & Property – Church Office renovations are complete. Plans continue for the parking lot renovations.
• Worship & Music – Youth handbell retreat to Salisbury NC is August 26. Choir rehearsals will resume August 30.
Old Business:
• NALC Disaster Relief – St. Jacob’s approved to move forward with plans to use the bus shed to store supplies for the NALC Disaster Relief Program.
New Business:
• There will be a church wide workday on September 30. More details to follow.

Good 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.

Good Things at St. Jacobs:
• Isabelle Peeples confirmation and lunch
• Safety Team Certification for operation of safety equipment
• Church office renovation project

Pastor Gary Blobaum will serve as supply pastor on July 9 and 16th while the Pastor is away in the Congo.
Pastor David was elected vice-president of the Carolina Mission Region.
Report of Ministry Teams:
• Safety – Eight (8) members of the congregation completed the Medical Response Training. May 23.
• Congregation Care – Lutheran Men will provide 50 pounds of BBQ for the Homecoming meal on October 15.
• Worship and Music – New paraments received and will be displayed this Sunday.
Old Business:
• Church Office Renovations are going well. New Business:
• Council discussed an opportunity to assist the Disaster Response Team. Council will consider using a portion of our bus shed as a disaster response staging area.

Meeting Good Things at St. Jacobs:
• Easter Egg Hunt for Children was enjoyed by all
• A “Fresh Eyes for Mission Summit” – Good information and attendance
Pastor will be on vacation May 8-13.
Confirmation of Isabelle Peeples is May 21. Council voted to approve a luncheon in her honor after service on that day.
Based on a recommendation from Pastor, Council voted to name Pastor Andy Eargle as Pastor Emeritus of St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church. He will be notified and invited to Homecoming on October 15.
Report of Ministry Teams:
• Music Ministry Report – Musical Monday Youth Handbell Camp tentatively scheduled for Monday mornings during the summer.
• Christian Education – Curriculum for VBS was approved by Council. Dates have not been con firmed.
• Safety – A trainer has been contacted for the Medical Emergency Training.
• Discipleship – 24 Mercy Bags of food was delivered to We Care. Lynn Shealy has been named to the board of We Care.
• Worship and Music – New green paraments and fair linen cloths have been received.
• Property Team – Plans for the parking lot renovations continue.
Old Business:
• The following vision points were discussed from the NALC Fresh Eyes for Mission Summit. Spiritual Awareness Outreach Visibility Care Connections
• Improvements to church property Congregation will vote by paper ballot on the recommended business office improvements on April 30.
New Business:
• Brief discussion on potential safety hazards caused by the old copings in the cemetery.

Good Things at St. Jacobs:
• Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
• Copeland Peeples Solo
• Lutheran Men Sausage Sale
Treasurer’s Report: Because of the volatile stock market, Council approved a Finance Committee recommendation to move the Sites Endowment Fund into a money market account for the short term. Council also approved moving the remaining funds in the Thrivent Account to a money market account.
Report of Ministry Teams:
• Safety Team is preparing medical emergency guidelines.
• Christian Education – Multi-Generational Sunday School Class has been discontinued.
• Property Team – A tankless water heater is being installed in the church office. A floor joist is also being repaired in the church office.
Old Business:
• Plans continue for the Fresh Eyes Mission Summit.
• Improvements to church property: Council discussed several items regarding improvements to church property. This includes improvements to the church office, Sanctuary, and parking lot. A plan to renovate the church office is complete. Plans for the Sanctuary and parking lot are continuing. Council voted to approve the plans for the church office. This plan will be presented to the congregation in the near future.
New Business:
• Council voted to add a monthly calendar to the newsletter.

Good things at St. Jacob’s
Sunday School attendance is up.
Worship attendance is up.
Ministry to Floriede Lindler was greatly appreciated.
Pastor’s Report Pastor
• David thanked the church elders for their leadership in worship service during his absence.
• Encouraged all men to attend the SCMD retreat in April.
• The Safety Team is working on the development of a Response Team for medical emergencies.
• The Discipleship Team encouraged the congregation to continue to donate to the Mercy Bucket Program.
• The Property Team reported that Chad Lindler will remain as Chairman and Gerald Lindler and Danny Shealy will serve as Co-Chairman.
• The NALC fresh eyes summit meeting will be March 10th, 11th, and 12th. Questionnaires will be mailed to all members for response in preparation for the meeting. All congregational members are encouraged to attend on Saturday, March 11th.
• Council is discussing a 3 phase plan to proceed with plans to improve church property. This plan will include the church facility, the office building facility, and the parking lot.

Council Briefs for January Meeting Good Things at St. Jacobs in December:
Good Food and Attendance at Christmas Dinner
Church was beautifully decorated for Advent and Christmas Season
• Worship and Music Team will purchase new paraments and/or altar cloths with contributions from holiday giving and memorial funds.
• Council agreed to move forward with Fresh Eyes for Summit meeting.
• Tommy Faulk elected as Vice Chairman and Brenda Smith will continue to serve as Secretary.
• Time and Talent Sheet responses are being compiled.
• Council agreed to discuss timing of Christmas Eve Service for next year, perhaps moving it to an earlier time.
• Council has agreed to pursue purchasing new pew cushions for the church. Before proceeding, Council will look into other property needs at the church and office building. A committee was assigned to address this. Any suggestions will be coordinated with Property Chairman as needed.