Most Needed
1. Peanut butter and jelly
2. Corn Muffin Mix
3. Spaghetti sauce
4. Boxed pasta
5. Instant Potatoes
6. Granola bars/snack crackers
7. Canned Meat(vienna, chicken, etc)
8. Oatmeal
9. Pork and Beans
10. Canned peas
We also ALWAYS need dish soap, laundry detergent!
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.
It’s been a while since we crowned June Lindler St. Jacob’s Chili Cook-Off Champion. Now she has the opportunity to defend her title. On Sunday, February 23rd at 5:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall, Pastor David and the St. Jacob’s Youth will host another Great Chili Cook-Off to raise funds for his upcoming mission trip to Congo. Everyone is invited to participate, the more the merrier. The winner will be determined by the number of “Congo Bucks” raised by that particular pot of chili. Everyone who would like to cast their vote may exchange their good old American greenbacks for a fist full of “Congo Bucks.” The winner of the challenge will receive the coveted Chili Champion trophy, a championship apron, and bragging rights as St. Jacob’s Chili Champion for 2025. Come join the fun and enjoy some wonderful fellowship and delicious chili.
Several members of our congregation were not raised in the Lutheran Church and have asked questions regarding Lutheran tradition. Beginning on Monday, February 17th, Pastor David will offer an Adult Confirmation experience for anyone who is interested in growing their knowledge of Lutheran teaching and practice. We will meet in the church office classroom beginning at 6:45 PM for about an hour or so. Please contact Pastor David if you are interested in participating.
Consider Jesus
Read John 2:13-22, Hebrews 3:1-11
Everyone has at least one bad habit, one particular vice that keeps us from getting the proper amount of rest, nutrition, or exercise. Left unchecked, such habits can lead us along a path of poor health, sickness, even death. We know better, but we just can’t stop. On New Year’s Eve, many people made resolutions so that they may resolve some of these detrimental habits. But now here we are at the beginning of February, and I wonder, how many of these resolutions are still kept?
The same can be said for the healthiness of our faith. As worldly powers pull and tug at God’s people, healthy habits of faith often succumb to unhealthy bad habits. Time for reading Holy Scripture is often replaced by work or play. Gathering with the faithful for worship often becomes less appealing than a social gathering with friends or the entertainment of some event. Soon, the people of God grow weak in their faith; it becomes difficult to articulate what it means that Jesus endured the tragedy of the cross for our sake.
The author of Hebrews calls Christians to spiritual revitalization. He encourages us to consider all that God has done and continues to do through Christ our Lord. John reminds us that even the temple needed cleansing. We may not need to turn over tables, but certainly there is room in each life for recommitment to faithful living. Through the power of prayer, it can be so.
Help us, O Lord, to overcome that which hinders our faith, that we might seek you always. Amen.
We kicked off a new year of youth activities in January with a campfire, games, and most especially smores. We had a great turn out with 14 kids participating. We celebrated Jesus as the light of the world. We roasted hotdogs over the fire, held an epiphany themed scavenger hunt by flashlight, shared devotions around the fire and finished up making smores.
Youth group will be the last Sunday of each month. In February, we will celebrate the month of love by sharing the love of Christ throughout the world. Along with Pastor David, we will host the chili cook-off on February 23rd at 5:00 PM to raise money for Congo International to allow our pastor and Pastor Kalonji to take the Word of God to people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Come out and support our youth and this important ministry of our church.
Isabelle and Daniel will represent our youth members this year on the Youth Council. The Youth Council will meet on Wednesday, February 12th at 7:00 PM in the church office to plan activities for the upcoming year.
Midweek Bible Study resumes this coming Wednesday, February 5th beginning at 9:30 AM in the church office conference room. Everyone is invited to participate. Our topic will be “In the Holy Land with Jesus.” We will discuss Jesus’s activities and ministry in several places, including Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, and the Temple in Jerusalem. Join us for study, conversation, and fellowship. No special materials are needed, just your Bible and a desire to study Scripture. Won’t you join us?
Our Men’s Bible study will resume on Monday, February 3rd beginning at 6:45 PM. All men of St. Jacob’s, friends and neighbors are welcome to attend. We will gather in the church office Sunday school room.
For those who are taking up the fifty-two week study by Max Lucado, there will be a gathering in the church office Sunday school room on Tuesday, February 11th beginning at 6:30 PM. We will gather and have a conversation about the things we may have discovered in the study, along with some thoughts and reflections. Bring your book along so you can share some of the notes and answers to reflection questions asked by the study. Anyone who is curious about this study is welcome to join us.
Nineteen members and guests gathered in the Fellowship Hall to celebrate Christmas and enjoy our annual Christmas Party. Helen Lindler, Team Leader, welcomed everyone. She read an article on the history of the candy cane. Each person had a candy cane at their place. She also read a Christmas message entitled “A Christmas Bicycle”. Both articles were from Our Town magazine.
Devotions came from Luke 2, The Christmas Story. We then prayed together The Lord’s Prayer. Elf Tommy played his guitar and led us in singing some of our favorite Christmas hymns and songs.
The group presented Helen with a lovely Christmas wreath in appreciation for all she does for the Up and Going. Thank you all for this very special and gracious gift!
Gerald offered grace for our meal. We then enjoyed a delicious meal of party foods and desserts.
After the meal, lead by Leon, we sorted and packed more than 30 complete meals for the Mercy Bags Project. Special thanks to everyone who brought food items for our contribution. Extra special thanks to all who so willingly clean up and leave everything in its proper place.
The January meeting will be on Thursday, January 9th at 11:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall. This is our annual Soup Pot Lunch and BINGO party. Please bring an item for the soup pot and 3 Bingo prizes. Helen and Ann will cook the pot of soup. Please sign up on the sheet on our bulletin board.
Helen
Team Leader for
Up and Going
