Welcome to St. Jacob's Lutheran Church

Many folks express a common concern when it comes to church worship attendance. “How can we grow in number?” “What can we do to attract new members?” These are two frequently asked questions. They are very good questions, but it seems that so often we struggle with the answers. Could it be our focus is misplaced? Or Perhaps our definition of evangelism needs clarification. It could be our hopes and expectations are what need to be re-aligned rather than our focus on membership rolls.

It goes without saying that as we welcome visitors among us on Sunday morning, our worship is enhanced and we are glad they are here. Wouldn’t it be great if we saw several new faces among us each week? In that light, perhaps it’s time we roll up our sleeves and get back to the basics. After all, it’s not just that we want more people to worship with us. Rather, we have a wonderful gift that we are called to share; the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Before we can grow the church, we must first learn to grow as disciples. We must learn that living within our baptismal covenant with God means loving God with all our heart, and loving one another as we are loved. We need to come to the house of the Lord for worship, prayer and fellowship. Living together in Christ means enjoying the gifts we all bring to those gathered in this place and beyond. It means sharing our mutual joys and celebrations, grieving together in our losses, and experiencing life together. God calls his people to lives of faith, love and service towards their neighbors. These sound simple, but the reality is that most congregations struggle with the aspects of discipleship. Certainly, we have room for spiritual growth.

The life we present to the world makes a difference. All too often, the un-churched look upon Christians and see no appreciable difference in the way they live their lives. Too many Christians continue to live according to a worldly standard. Jesus, however, calls his disciples to live for God alone, loving and serving as Christ loved and served. The world is filled with people searching for hope, peace and love in their lives. Such hope is made sure and certain through Christ, and seen through the Church at worship, in the community and in the mission of God according to the gospel. Such hope is shared by those who know Christ as Lord and God. Such is the life Christians are called to live. In short, we need to study God’s Word earnestly and learn to apply it to every aspect of our lives.

Sharing faith and God’s love is what brings people into the community of believers. When the un-churched see the people of God living differently, they are provided a vision of hope for a life filled with God’s blessing. The real evidence that we are doing the work of evangelism comes when the life we live as Christians looks less like a fallen and broken world, and more like a community of faith, a com-munity inviting others to come and see the goodness of God.

The evangelizing Church is one that grows in faith and love. It is filled with disciples, not members. Growing together in faith and our calling as disciples will most certainly strengthen our ministries. My prayer is that we are faithful disciples, serving as Christ served. In order to do that, we must first grow in faith and learn to share our many blessings with others.

Grace and peace,

Pastor David Nuottila

Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Luke 24:5-6

Soon, our Lenten journey will reach its conclusion and our prayers for mercy and grace will again include resounding shouts of “Alleluia!” With the Easter celebration the church springs to new life in Christ. If you would like to get a jump start on the Easter season, read the events of Holy Week and then the first Easter. As I do this, a few words quickly come to mind.

The first word is “Surprise!” – Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, women went to Jesus’ tomb only to find the stone rolled away and his body
missing. Inside the tomb, the angel of the Lord told them that indeed, Christ has risen! Imagine their surprise when they witnessed this, and then saw Jesus very much alive. Imagine the surprise of the two disciples who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus when they finally recognized the stranger was actually Jesus himself. How many times are we surprised to find Jesus in our midst? How many times have we experienced a moment of God’s grace and seen the face of our Lord through the actions of others? Easter is a time of such surprises and grace filled moments, especially as we seek to spread the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the entire world.

Next is “Joy.” To say those who witnessed his resurrection were suddenly overcome with great Joy is perhaps the greatest understatement ever made. It is impossible for us to imagine the events of Holy Week with all of their extreme grief and sorrow. It would stand to
reason that we also could not imagine the joy the disciples and friends of Jesus felt once they realized he had been raised for the dead. The immense joy and power of Christ’s resurrection changed the lives of the disciples and followers of Jesus forever. Even though we too know the sorrow of death at the passing of a loved one, this same Easter joy is ours as well. The Easter celebration and the good news of Jesus’ resurrection give the church
reassurance that God has redeemed his people, and we are also changed forever. Saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ Jesus, we are inheritors of eternal life in God’s kingdom. The grave no longer has the final word. This is the good news to be shared.

The third word is “Renewal.” – On that first Easter Sunday, when it was evening, Jesus appeared to the remaining eleven and opened their hearts and minds to understand the scriptures. He empowered them to be witnesses to all that he had said and done. Suddenly, being fishers of men took on new meaning. During Easter, we too can renew our commitment to follow Christ. Easter is the perfect time to recommit ourselves for mission and ministry. It is a good time for those who have gotten out of the habit of weekly worship to once again join the Sunday assembly in praise and thanksgiving. Easter is also a great time to rededicate ourselves in our life of discipleship, to support the mission of the church, to give generously in ministry to those less fortunate, and to join the church in prayer for our world and all who are in need.

I look forward to sharing the joy of this Easter season with you. I also look forward to renewing our efforts to follow Christ to those places the Holy Spirit leads us. Who knows what blessings God has in store for us as we continue to share the good news? Who knows the joy we will find? The answers to these questions and many more will certainly be yet another Easter surprise.
Grace and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila

Just as the Apostle Paul greeted the church at Ephesus at the opening of his epistle letter to them, I greet you at the opening of our ministry together with his words as recorded in Holy Scripture; “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:2 As I begin this first epistle as it were, I would express my heartfelt thanks to all of you for the warm welcome which you have extended to my family and me.Coming to a new place is always filled with mysteries, questions and a good deal of excitement. In this move, I can certainly say that the one constant that has shined so brightly is the love of God in Christ Jesus. From the time the conversation began with the call team, all the way through to our first days here in Chapin, everyone has made Angela and I feel so welcome.Getting acquainted with my new surroundings, I have enjoyed exploring the halls and classrooms, taken quiet walks through the cemetery and reading a bit of the history of our church. I have also been working earnestly in learning your names and faces. I can’t promise I will have all of them committed to memory right away, but I do want to know who everyone is and how we are all connected in God’s family of faith. What strikes me most, in these early days together, is the family atmosphere of St. Jacob’s and the desire to grow in faith as disciples of our Lord Jesus. In the coming months, we will have much to do in the way of spiritual growth. As the Epiphany season progresses, we will have opportunities for Bible studies, confirmation classes and other times for fellowship. I look forward to participating in the men’s, women’s and Up and Going groups as I am able. I especially look forward to getting to know our young people and participating in the events planned for our youth. God has a mission for us all. It is my prayer that we all engage in this mission and find it to be faithful, fulfilling and enjoyable.
Beginning this new era in the life of St. Jacob’s, my prayer is that we continue to seek the love, guidance and assurance of the Holy Spirit. The very same love, guidance and assurance that brought us together is what will keep us faithful and strengthen us in our efforts to proclaim the gospel of Christ Jesus to those whom God places in our midst. I will also invite many of you to consider new ways of serving our Lord and his church. One of the hallmarks of discipleship is being willing to listen to the still, small voice of our heavenly Father as he comes to us in the quietest of moments and in surprisingly new ways, and responding to his invitation for ministry. The gospel texts throughout Epiphany provide us with a calling and a mission. From Andrew’s declaration to Simon Peter, “We have found the Messiah!” to Philip’s inviting Nathanael to “come and see” Jesus is calling us to renew our commitment to be fishers of people. I can’t think of a better way to begin our new ministry together than to have the invitation of our Lord spelled out so clearly. As the old hymn says, “Let us ever walk with Jesus.” We have been called by God to continue the good works of Christ’s church in Chapin and throughout the world. I pray that as we begin this journey together that God will bless us with love and laughter in times of joy, with consolation and peace in times of sorrow, with resilience and determination in times of struggle, and with the understanding that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
In Christ,
Pastor David Nuottila