Super Bowl Sunday is quickly approaching. Will your favorite team be one of the two playing for the title? Well, now you have a chance to cheer them on and be of help to your orphaned Christian brothers and sisters in Congo at the same time. The annual Souper Bowl of Caring involves youth church members all over the country in the mission of God. Here at St. Jacob’s you will collect a love offering in “Souper Bowls” marked with each team’s logo. The team that raises the most money for the Children in Congo will be declared the winner. The goal set for our competition is to raise a combined $200.00 for the Congo Mission.
If our “Souper” Bowl reaches the goal, all youth participating will be invited to provide “Head Coach” Pastor David Nuottila with the traditional Gatorade victory shower. So come on! Let’s have some fun and at the same time show the love of Christ Jesus to our far away friends and children who are in great need.
St. Jacob’s members, be sure to bring your spare change and loose cash to donate to this cause. Remember, the greater the gift, the wetter Pastor will get.
Missions Archive
Calling all St. Jacob’s Youth!
Posted February 7, 2023 By adminChristmas in Congo
Posted January 18, 2023 By adminThanks to donations from St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church, and other congregations in North and South Carolina, Congo Mission International received $1,100 to provide Christmas meals for orphaned children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These meals are to be served to nearly 1,000 children between the dates of December 25th and January 1st. Three local congregations in three different provinces will serve as host congregations for these meals.
Though the need in Congo to feed hungry children is ongoing, these donations came at a time they were desperately needed. There were heavy rains on December 12 and 13 in Kinshasa. These rains caused flooding throughout the city. The flooding claimed more than one hundred human lives and a lot of other casualties including the loss of much of the food supply that usually comes to Kinshasa from Bas-Congo (another region we serve during our mission trips). The Christmas meals will bring much joy to many children and their families.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the Congo Mission. Through St. Jacob’s hundreds and hundreds of children are fed hot, nourishing meals that they otherwise would not receive. Below is a snapshot of some of the work St. Jacob’s has helped to accomplish in 2022.
Teaching: Approximately 1,000 individuals were reached including: Pastors, Women’s groups Youth groups, groups of pastors and lay leaders.
Freeing Babies: 46 babies were freed in three clinics in Mbuji-Mayi (Kasai-Oriental). The babies also received clothes, hats, diapers, blankets, etc.
Feeding Children: Approximately 600 children received nourishing meals each week for the four week duration of the mission trip.
Bibles: over 200 Bibles in various languages were distributed to congregations in Kinshasa and Kasai-Oriental.
Eyeglasses: More than 200 pairs of eyeglasses were distributed to persons in need.
Thanksgiving with The HUB
Posted November 21, 2022 By adminAs we have done so many times in the past, St. Jacob’s will once again join several local congregations in supplying Thanksgiving Dinner for folks in our community who do not have the means to provide such a feat for their family. Working with the Hub in Chapin, St. Jacob’s will provide 200 pound cake slices for their dessert. Please provide slices of pound cake as you are able. Following our Thanksgiving Eve service, gather in the Fellowship Hall as we wrap the cake slices and prepare them for delivery.
Help us and the Christian Community in Chapin to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to our neighbors.
Time and Talent
Posted November 4, 2022 By adminHow might you participate in the life and ministry of St. Jacob’s? It is the time of year when all church family members are asked to ponder this very question. As you consider ways in which you might become or continue to be involved, please be sure to fill out the Time and Talent Sheet for 2023. Every member of St. Jacob’s (all ages) is encouraged to fill out a time and talent sheet.
Blank sheets will be included as an insert to the worship bulletin each Sunday through November 13th. Begin with prayer and then check the ways in which you are willing and able to serve our Lord and his church.
The Great Chili Cook-Off
Posted November 2, 2022 By adminWho is the champion chef at St. Jacob’s? We will find the answer to that question as we enjoy a Chili Cook-off after we finish assembling health kits for the NALC Disaster Response Warehouse.
Anyone may enter their favorite pot of Chili, (with beans or without). Matt and his select panel of Judges will crown the 2022 St. Jacob’s Chili Master. Who will take home the trophy? Come and see and be a part of the fun and fellowship.
NALC Disaster Response
Posted October 31, 2022 By adminDue to response to Hurricane Ian, both Carolinas Disaster Response Warehouses are empty and in great need. As such, St. Jacob’s is collecting blankets and assembling Health Kits. A list of items for health kits is provided below.
Men, women, and youth members of St, Jacob’s are encouraged to participate in the assembly of health kits on Sunday, November 6th in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 5:00PM.
DISASTER RESPONSE HEALTH KIT CONTENTS 1 bath towel, 1 wash cloth, 1 travel size shampoo (3 oz), 1 bar bath soap, 1 tooth brush, 1 tube toothpaste (2 if travel size), 1 comb, 1 hairbrush, 1 deodorant, 1 nail clippers (optional), 1 dental floss
ITEMS ALSO NEEDED: Trough November 20th, we will collect Blankets, Adult disposable underwear, And children’s and infant disposable diapers
Operation Christmas Child
Posted October 14, 2022 By adminJoining with several local congregations, St. Jacob’s will participate in this year’s Operation Christmas Child. Please see the bulletin insert included this week for all details on how you can participate. Our goal is to supply 50 completed boxes.
NALC Disaster Response
Posted October 14, 2022 By adminDue to response to Hurricane Ian, both Carolinas Disaster Response Warehouses are empty and in great need. As such, St. Jacob’s is collecting blankets and assembling Health Kits. A list of items for health kits is provided below. Men, women, and youth members of St, Jacob’s are encouraged to participate in the assembly of health kits on Sunday, November 6th in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 5:00PM. Our Chili Cook-Off will immediately follow.
Disaster Response Health Kit Contents
1 bath towel, 1 wash cloth, 1 travel size shampoo (3 oz), 1 bar bath soap, 1 toothbrush, 1 tube toothpaste (2 if travel size), 1 comb, 1 hairbrush, 1 deodorant, 1 nail clippers (optional), 1 dental floss We will also collect disposable diapers and disposable adult under garments. Blankets and these other items may be dropped off on the stage in the fellowship hall.
Mercy Boxes
Posted September 14, 2022 By adminSt. Jacob’s is continuing to make Mercy Boxes for We Care. If you would like to participate, please take one of the yellow flyers off the table located at the Narthex doors which shows you what needs to be purchased to fill the box.
We appreciate all that you do to support our community.
We appreciate all that you do to support our community.
From the Pastor’s Heart by Pastor David Nuottila
Posted July 28, 2022 By adminThe time is upon me when I am preparing for my mission trip to the Congo with my friend and mission partner Pastor Stéphane Kalonji. There are so many things racing through my mind at the moment that it is difficult just to simply sleep at night. This being my fourth trip to the Congo, I have a good idea what to expect in my travels. It’s the not knowing what to expect when I get there that seems to be the issue, for we will be traveling to a part of the Congo where I have never been before.
Our first several days in the Congo will be spent in the capitol city of Kinshasa where I will have a phone, electricity, and plenty of hot running water. There will be plenty of good food, prepared by Pastor Kalonji’s sister-in-law, Yevette. But then we will be going off to the province of Kasai-Oriental. He tells me that life in Kasai (in the central part of the country) is much different than what I have experienced in Boma or Matadi (in the western part). We will fly from Kinshasa to the city of Mbuji-Mayi and remain there for about three days, then travel to the village of Badibaswa where we will serve a small mission congregation. I’m told that in Kasai, water is not something that is plentiful. As a part of the daily amenities, the hotel we will stay in for about 9 days provides each guest with one free bucket of water. Bucket? Yep, no running water to be had. Once on the ground in Kasai, the first order of business will be to purchase plenty of bottled purified water.
Another difference will be that the churches we will visit and work in have no buildings or shelters. Everything they do is outside exposed to the weather. If it rains during worship, they get wet. If the sun beats down in the heat of the day, they sweat. Truly, there is nothing like a mission trip to the Congo to make one appreciate all that God blesses us with here at home. There is one thing; however, that I do know what to expect in Kasai. The people will be overjoyed that we have come to visit them, bringing them the Good News of Jesus Christ.
In Mbuji-Mayi, Pastor Kalonji and I will be leading three separate seminars. There will be a gathering for the women of the church, then the pastors and lay leaders, and finally, we will have a day with the youth and young adults. Our focus for teaching will be a seminar we have written together concerning the Holiness of God and Living as God’s Holy People. As usual, there will be time for the people to ask plenty of questions regarding faith and life in the Church in America. In Badibaswa, I would anticipate much of the same, although I expect there will be many more questions about life as a Christian and Pastor in the United States. The women will want to know about my wife and children, our home and what a typical day is like.
The people of the Congo are always amazed to find out that Christians in America face many of the same difficulties as they do in Africa. Truly, sin and evil know no boundaries. Thankfully, God’s mercy and grace transcend all boundaries and obstacles the devil attempts to place between God and his people.
While I am away, I would ask that you keep Pastor Kalonij and I in your prayers. Pray that God would use us in mighty ways and that our proclamation of his Word will be bold and well received. Finally, pray for all to whom we will minister, for it is through your generosity that we are able to make this trip. God has blessed us in this mission, and through your prayerful support, hungry children will be fed and mothers and their babies will be welcomed home from detention in hospitals. Pastors and other church leaders will have Bibles to read, learn, and teach from. Those with impaired vision will have eyeglasses to help them see, and children will have beautiful multi-colored bracelets to wear as a reminder of the love we all share in Christ Jesus.
I will be departing from Columbia on Monday, August 1st and returning on Friday, August 20th. As always, I will do my best to keep everyone updated while I am away. I hope to be able to send Angela daily text messages with news of our activities that she can pass along to the church. But again, I don’t know if that will be a possibility when I am in Kasai. Thanks be to God for all who have supported our mission to the Congo. I look forward to sharing stories of St. Jacob’s with the people there and I’m sure I will have plenty of stories to share with you upon my return. Until then, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Pastor David Nuottila
