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2025 Congo Mission Trip

Posted February 15, 2025 By admin

As we all will remember, I was not able to make my mission trip to Congo last summer due to health reasons. Well, thanks be to God, I am finally able to resume my mission work with my partner Pastor Stephane Kalonji in Congo.

Our trip is scheduled to commence on Monday, June 30th. We will fly from Houston, TX to Kinshasa and arrive there on Tuesday evening, July 1st. Our mission work will include a visit with the Lutheran congregation in Mbuji Mayi where we will be able to see the progress of construction of the new parish building we are making possible through grants and donations. While in that province, we will again visit the village of Merode where, last summer, the children learned a song in English to serenade me with. I can’t wait to hear these children raise their voices to God in a language I can understand.

My portion of the mission trip will conclude on July 14th and I will return to Chapin on July 15th. As always, I will take your prayers with me and be surrounded by the love and support of so many who have supported the Congo Mission over the years.

Filed in Fellowship, LCY, Missions, NALC, Other Happenings, Outreach, Pastor

Youth Retreat

Posted December 28, 2024 By admin

Filed in Bible Study, Choir Notes, Fellowship, LCY, Lutheran Church Youth, NALC, Other Happenings, Outreach, Pastor, Retreat, Worship Service, Youth and Family Ministries

Flood Bucket Build

Posted October 7, 2024 By admin

The Carolinas Mission Region is hosting a flood bucket build at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Little Mountain on Saturday, October 12th at 11 AM. St. Jacob’s is asked to supply fifty cans of scouring powder (Ajax, Comet, etc.) and fifty 1 quart bottles of Pine-Sol cleaning liquid. We are also asked to supply thirty buckets and lids (5 gallons each). Volunteers from all around the NALC Carolinas will gather to assemble the flood buckets and arrangements will be made to transport them to the warehouse in Kings Mountain, NC, or to our shed here in Chapin. We need volunteers to help in this project. Please plan on attending and helping to build flood buckets. This is always a fun filled event with plenty of good fellowship among our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Narthex for this event.

Filed in Carolinas Mission Region, Fellowship, Missions, NALC, Other Happenings, Outreach

Flood Bucket Challenge

Posted September 24, 2024 By admin

NALC Disaster Response warehouses are in need of restocking. Our St. Jacob’s disaster response shed is virtually empty as Gerald Lindler and Pastor David loaded a truck to respond to hurricane relief efforts in Beaufort and Charleston. In order to be prepared for future needs, the Carolinas Mission Region is hosting a flood bucket build at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Little Mountain on Saturday, October 12th. St. Jacob’s is asked to supply fifty cans of scouring powder (Ajax, Comet, etc.) and fifty 1 quart bottles of Pine-Sol cleaning liquid. We are also asked to supply thirty buckets and lids (5 gallons each). Volunteers for all around the NALC Carolinas will gather to assemble the flood buckets and arrangements will be made to transport them to the warehouse in Kings Mountain, NC, or to our shed here in Chapin. We need volunteers to help in this project. Please plan on attending and helping to build flood buckets. This is always a fun filled event with plenty of good fellowship among our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Filed in Fellowship, NALC, Other Happenings, Outreach

Congo Mission 2024

Posted September 10, 2024 By admin

Report Even though I was not able to travel to Congo with Pastor Kalonji, my heart overflows with joy that our shared mission work continues to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. With the help of so many congregations across the NALC, and especially St. Jacob’s, Pastor Kalonji was able to engage in a longer than usual mission trip to Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, and the village of Merode.
Thank you to everyone here at St. Jacob’s who continue to contribute to the Congo Mission through your offerings and gifts. With help from your donations, forty-seven families welcomed home mothers and their newborn babies, fifty-six families and individuals who had no other access to the Scriptures received Bibles written in their local language, and over six hundred orphaned children enjoyed a healthy hot meal when they would not have otherwise had such a feast.
Of course, one of the projects that brings me much joy is the construction of the first Lutheran Church building in the province of Kasai-Oriental. Currently, all Lutheran Church worship and activity takes place outside, exposed to the weather. With grants from NALC Congregations, we have been able to purchase an acre of land and begin construction. The foundation is laid for the church. Soon, there will be a modest building rising up from the ground to serve as a school for children, education for women, and a house of worship for the surrounding community. We hope to provide for a well to be drilled since all water must be brought in from elsewhere. We trust that God will provide.
As this year’s trip is concluded, we leave behind funds for congregations that they may continue to feed orphans who remain in their care, eyeglasses for people who have such need, and the seeds of faith planted through the love of Christian brothers and sisters in Christ across the ocean. Thank you again for supporting this wonderful and exciting mission. I am so thankful we can all be a part of God’s work together for the sake of our fellow Christians in Congo.

Filed in Bible Study, Fellowship, Missions, NALC, Other Happenings, Outreach

NALC Mission Convocation

Posted July 31, 2024 By admin

The biennial online convocation of the NALC takes place this month on August 9th. Joining Pastor David Nuottila will be Sherry and Brandon who will participate as St. Jacob’s delegates. Please pray for the leadership of our denomination and for all delegates as they conduct the business of the NALC.

Filed in NALC, Other Happenings, Pastor, South Carolina Mission District

Congo Mission Update

Posted June 15, 2024 By admin

With the posting of this month’s newsletter, my annual mission trip to Congo is just a little more than a month away. My mission partner Pastor Stephane Kalonji and I are making plans for the Gospel ministry we will accomplish while we are in the country.
One of the projects we began last summer is the building of the first Lutheran Church Facility in the region of Kasai-Oriental. There are no Lutheran congregations in this region that have a church building or permanent structure in which to hold services or other gatherings.
Through the generosity of several congregations within the NALC and LCMC, we have been able to provide funding for this building project. Land has been purchased and the foundation has been laid for the construction of a multi-use building on the outskirts of Mbuji-Mayi.
There is still a long way to go in completing this building, but with God’s provision it will become a reality and a place where Christians can worship, families can gather, children can learn, and women can learn skills through which they may generate income and provide for their families.
Thank you to all who have supported the Congo Mission with your donations and your prayers. Thank you also to everyone who has adopted a Bible for us to distribute to church leaders and Pastors in Congo who do not have access to Bibles in their tribal languages. It is humbling to know that so many people throughout our congregation, Mission Region, and NALC are prayerfully active in this mission together.
This year’s mission trip commences immediately following worship on July 7 with my travel to Houston, Texas. From There, Pastor Kalonji and I will travel to Congo on July 8-9. My return to Chapin is scheduled for Sunday, July 21. In total, I will be away for 14 days.
Pastor Gary Blobaum will be our Supply Pastor on July 14 and 21. Pastor David Tholstrup will be on call for the congregation in case of emergency pastoral ministry needs. Please pray that we have safe travels and that we accomplish all God has called us to do.

Filed in Missions, NALC, Other Happenings, Outreach, Pastor

St. Jacob’s Youth Hand Bells

Posted June 14, 2024 By admin

Our Youth Hand Bell Choir was honored to play the prelude during the Communion service for the Carolinas Mission Region Convocation. Many attendees remarked on the talent of our young members and were very thankful for their participation. Hats off to Angela Nuottila and the Youth hand Bell Choir for their dedication and hours of practice. They truly have become ambassadors for the Gospel of Christ and for St. Jacob’s.

Filed in Carolinas Mission Region, Choir Notes, LCY, Lutheran Church Youth, NALC, Other Happenings, Worship and Music, Worship Service, Youth and Family Ministries, Youth Director

Carolinas Mission Region Convocation

Posted April 26, 2024 By admin

The annual convocation of our mission region will be held on Friday, May 3rd and Saturday May 4th at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Little Mountain. The Friday session will focus on the various missions and ministries of the NALC and Carolinas kicks off at 6:00PM with presentations given by Awakening Lives to World Mission (video), Carolinas Lutheran Women, Carolinas Lutheran Men, Lutherans for Life, The Spiritual Orphans Network (SON), Lutheran Military Families and Veterans Ministries, India Transformed, and the Malawi Orphan Care Project.
Following a break for mission district meetings, presentations will be given by Carolinas Mission region ministries including; NALC Disaster Response, SMI Mission to Haiti, Congo Mission International, and Addis Hiwot Ethiopian Ministries. The Friday session concludes with the Compline (worship at the end of the day) at 8:45PM.
The convocation reconvenes at 8:00AM Saturday morning to welcome NALC Bishop Dan Selbo, conduct Mission Region business, reports on elections, and participate ion breakout sessions. Supper and Lunch are provided for those registered for the convocation and the worship services and Mission presentations are open to all. St. Jacob’s attendees are Pastor David Nuottila, Larry (Mission Region Council Rep) and delegate Brandon.

Filed in Carolinas Mission Region, Fellowship, NALC, Other Happenings

NALC Disaster Response Shed

Posted April 5, 2024 By admin

Our NALC Disaster Response shed (our former bus shed) is up and running. So far, we have received flood buckets, Health and Hygiene kits, Kitchen kits, and School kits from neighboring congregations. Glenn Shealy has taken on the role of “warehouse manager” and is standing by to schedule drop off times and dates for those church groups who would have materials for us to store. Many thanks to Gerald, Robert, and Billy who constructed the necessary shelving for the response shed.

Filed in Carolinas Mission Region, Fellowship, Missions, NALC, Other Happenings, South Carolina Mission District
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