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.
NALC Archive
Carolinas Mission Region Convocation
Posted April 26, 2024 By adminNALC Disaster Response Shed
Posted April 5, 2024 By adminOur 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.
South Carolina Mission District Youth
Posted April 2, 2024 By adminPastor David Nuottila has been meeting with and working with the pastors of St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s, and Holy Trinity Lutheran Churches to establish a new Youth Ministry initiative among the NALC congregations for South Carolina. Such collaboration has proved beneficial for NALC congregations in North Carolina and we hope to replicate their success here. Gathering our youth members in grades 6-12, we will share the Gospel, grow in discipleship, and have loads of fun together. Our first project is to support We Care of Chapin. Each youth group is challenged to collect jars of peanut butter and jelly to donate to We Care. This is meant as a fun competition among our youth groups, but primarily we want to tend to the needs of our neighbors. The first gathering of our South Carolina Mission District Youth will be on April 28 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Pomaria. All youth members in grades 6-12 are encouraged to attend. More information will be given as the date draws nearer.
Congo Mission Update
Posted March 28, 2024 By adminJesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” Our Lord then used Abraham as an example of faith. Abraham believed God’s promise and longed to see the fulfillment of it. Those who criticized Jesus neither listened to God’s words, nor did they believe in the Son of God standing before them, because in their view, Abraham was dead. The crowd scoffed since they didn’t understand, and they refused to believe what Jesus was saying.
We, however, know it’s true. Those who keep God’s Word and believe Jesus is Lord and Savior, even though they die, will live forever in God’s heavenly kingdom. As a Lenten discipline, strive to remain in God’s Word. Read Scripture daily and share the Good News of Jesus Christ, even in the face of ridicule. Remain in the Word, speak the truth, and give God the glory due His name.
Pastor Stephane Kalonji and I have met several times in the last few months by way of zoom.com to plan for the ministry we will accomplish on our Mission trip to Kinshasa and Mbuji-Mayi in July. The struggles in life for the people of Congo are real and harsh. Addressing hunger as best we can continues to be a priority, as does reuniting mothers with newly born babies with their families. Of course, the chief endeavor is always sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people who so dearly want to grow in faith.
Our teaching seminar this year will address a central concern for a Lutheran Church in Mbuji-Mayi. This particular congregation suffered two tragic losses in just the last few months. First, the wife of their pastor passed away. She was a woman who cared much for the congregation and served as a pillar in the community. Soon afterward, the pastor passed away causing even greater grief among the people.
Pastor Kalonji and I will spend time with the congregation in worship and prayer. We will also be offering them a one day theological look into the Resurrection of the Body. It is our hope that grief will be overcome by the joy of experiencing God’s eternal love.
I’m looking forward to this trip as it is filled with opportunities to share the Gospel and God’s love with a community that receives very little in the way of fellowship and compassion among the global Lutheran community. Thank you for your ongoing support and for your prayers. God bless you all as we minister to those who are so far away, yet close in spirit.
South Carolina Mission Region District Youth
Posted March 2, 2024 By adminSt. Jacob’s Youth met with the youth groups from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church at St Peter’s for an afternoon of fun and Christian fellowship. It was a great gathering and we look forward to even more as our Youth Groups begin meeting and working together in the mission of the church.
NALC Disaster Response
Posted October 24, 2023 By adminSt. Jacob’s is still collecting donations of new unused hot pads and new unused dish towels for the Carolinas Mission Region Disaster Response Warehouse Kitchen Kit Project. This project is a great opportunity for congregations to partner together. Kitchen Kits will be assembled at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Troutman, NC on October 28th. St. Jacob’s will be collecting these hot pads and dish towels until October 22nd. We would also like as many members of St. Jacob’s as possible to volunteer in this activity. As always, it will be a time of fun and fellowship as we work together to share the compassion of Christ for those in need. The project is scheduled for Saturday, October 28th. Members of St. Jacob’s who attend may carpool together and make a day of it.
Fresh Eyes for Mission Update
Posted September 20, 2023 By adminIn March, 2023, many members of our congregation met with Pastor David Wendell, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism, to take a hard look at our congregation and identify areas where we need to focus and grow. As a result, we came up with four main Vision Points and action steps for achieving each of these goals. It is important that we maintain our focus on these Vision Points and to do this Sherrie and Susan were appointed “Trailbosses.”
The four Vision Points are: Spiritual Awareness; Outreach – Visibility; Care Connections; and creating a Dutch Fork NALC Coalition. As a congregation, we have already worked toward growing in all of these areas.
Spiritual Awareness: Pastor led an adult Bible study during VBS that was well attended. We have a Men’s Bible study, a Women’s Bible study and Wednesday morning Bible study offered at our church.
Outreach – Visibility: The church office renovation has been completed! The office building is now a beautiful office space for our staff, but has also been designed for use for groups within our church to meet (Lutheran Women, youth, Sunday school, audit team, Council) and also groups outside of our church (Courage Center, Women’s AA). Coming soon: Parking lot for easier and safer access to our church buildings; updated website.
Care Connections: We have a greeting card ministry! This team has mailed cards to all young adults in our congregation at Easter and continues to stay in touch with these members throughout the year as well as others. Coming soon: Prayer Partners! In the next few weeks everyone will have an opportunity to sign up for and to receive a prayer partner/family so we can lift each other up in prayer.
Dutch Fork NALC Coalition: A recent Up and Going meeting of four NALC churches was a great success! We want to grow these relationships and hold joint activities with these churches.
All of these Vision Points will help St. Jacobs become the congregation that we envision. In order to achieve these goals, we need everyone to participate and work together toward these common goals!
There is a place for YOU at St. Jacobs!
NALC Disaster Response
Posted September 7, 2023 By adminThe Carolinas Mission Region will host another opportunity for congregations to engage the mission of Disaster Response. This opportunity will see congregations partnering together to assemble “Kitchen Kits.” In many areas of recovering from floods or hurricanes, families often need to replace simple, basic kitchen supplies. NALC Disaster Response has put together a list of items to be included in disaster response “Kitchen Kits” to assist families in their recovery.
Beginning on Sunday, September 3th, St. Jacob’s will Be collecting kitchen hot pads and dish towels. We will collect these items until Sunday, October 22 and will deliver them to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Troutman, NC, where the kits will be assembled. We would also like as many members of St. Jacob’s as possible to volunteer in this activity. As always, it will be a time of fun, and fellowship as we work together to share the compassion of Christ for those in need. The project is scheduled for Saturday, October 28th.
2023 Congo Mission Trip
Posted August 9, 2023 By adminWith Pastor David and Pastor Stephane Kalonji’s return from Africa, the Most recent Congo Mission Trip is now complete. This year’s trip was a successful mission of the Gospel. With God’s help and the support of so many people, we were able to feed well over 400 children, and free nearly two dozen mothers and their babies from detention in hospitals. We distributed will over 200 pairs of eyeglasses, led Christian education seminars in three locations, and worshipped with the people of Kinshasa and Mbuji-Mayi. Thank you to all who supported our mission with your donations and prayers. Plans are already being made for our 2024 trip. We pray that God will continue to bless the Congo Mission as we take Christ’s great commission seriously and go into the world sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
NALC Lutheran Week 2023 – Mission Dei (The Mission of God)
Posted August 7, 2023 By adminThis year’s NALC Lutheran Week completes a six-year focus on the Holy Trinity, concluding now with “God the Father Creates…in His Image,” as the theme for the Braaten-Benne Theological Lectures. However, it seems appropriate to conclude this cycle with the theme, Mission Dei, as we celebrate the fact that everything we do as a mission-driven Lutheran body comes from God and His mission—that we are to go into all the world, empowered by the Holy Spirit, preaching the good news of salvation in and through Jesus Christ—to the whole creation!
This year’s Mission Convocation will indeed be a mission-oriented and mission-driven gathering! While there will be necessary times dedicated to reports, actions and elections—including the election of a bishop—highlights will be the several “On Fire for Mission” sessions, focusing on domestic mission, international mission and mission related to congregational life. These will begin with brief Bible study and devotional periods, followed by presentations on the theme, with extended time for table talk, reflection, breakouts, and strategies for “taking it home!”
There will also be a Faith Formation Festival (“Everything You Want to Know About Youth & Family Ministry”) and the Gathering of the Women of the NALC (“Using Our Gifts to Serve”) earlier in the week.
The hope and prayer of all involved is that this will light a spark or fan the flame for mission, that we return home inspired and excited about Mission Dei—the work and mission of God in our local congregations, in North America and throughout the whole creation!
Larry Shull will serve as St. Jacob’s lay delegate to the convocation.
