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.
Outreach Archive
Adult Confirmation
Posted February 7, 2025 By adminPastoral Devotion for February
Posted February 3, 2025 By adminConsider 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.
St. Jacob’s Youth
Posted February 1, 2025 By adminWe 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
Posted January 30, 2025 By adminMidweek 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?
Men’s Bible
Posted January 30, 2025 By adminOur 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.
Experiencing the Heart of Jesus
Posted January 30, 2025 By adminFor 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.
Up and Going
Posted January 4, 2025 By adminNineteen 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
From Your Pastor’s Heart
Posted January 2, 2025 By adminNow after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2
I recall hearing a story about a family embarking on summer vacation. After driving for many hours, everyone in the car, except for the father, began to wonder if they were indeed lost. It seemed they were traveling in wide circles, noticing some of the same landmarks over and over again. Finally, his wife suggested they stop and ask directions. Of course, the man balked at the idea but noticed a car passing them by at a high rate of speed. “Let’s follow that person,” said the father, “he seems to know where he’s going.” The trouble is, where he was headed might not be a place where the family wanted to be.
How easy it is to be led astray when one simply follows along. When we are lost, it is good to have someone to follow. But unless we know something about the person we are following, we could be led down a path from which there is no good outcome.
As we begin a new year in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we do so as the Holy Spirit and the tradition of our faith inspires us. We look to the account of the Magi visiting the boy Jesus. They came to pay him homage. They came to worship him. They came bearing gifts fitting for a king. Having completed their two-year journey, they reached the place where God would have them go.
There were no road maps, no GPS, no handy cell phone app to guide their way. They simply followed a star. Called by the Holy Spirit, they followed the star faithfully. Nearing the end of their journey, and not being members of the Jewish faith, it became necessary to ask for directions. “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?” With clarity and knowledge of the direction they must go, these three wise men finally beheld the glory and wonder of the boy child who would grow to be a man and save humanity from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
Like the wise men, we too, upon our Baptism into Christ, have embarked on a journey of faith. But unlike the Magi, we have directions. This year, the Gospel according to Luke serves as our road map which will lead us to the destination of Christ our Lord. We will learn more of his public ministry, his teaching, and his compassion for those whom Jesus said “are wandering as sheep without a shepherd.”
In the months to come, I invite you to worship regularly, to join in on the several learning opportunities provided here at St. Jacob’s, and to share the Good News of Christ, beginning with those who are nearest to you, and extending outward. Truly, the light of Christ shines in this darkened world and there are many who continue to wander like sheep without a shepherd.
As our Lord calls us to be his disciples and to grow his Church, we can offer clarity and point those who wander in the direction of Christ our Lord. For as sure as someone notices the difference faith in Christ makes in this fallen and broken world, they will begin to follow you along the path of faithfulness. For be certain, where this path leads is surely a place where others will want to be.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Prayer for the New Year
Posted December 28, 2024 By adminGod of our yesterdays, our todays, and our tomorrows.
We praise you for your unequaled greatness.
Thank you for the year behind us and for the year ahead.
Help us in this new year, Father, to fret less and laugh more.
To teach our children to laugh by laughing with them.
To teach others to love by loving them.
Help us, Father, to hear your love song in every sunrise,
in the chirping of birds in our backyards,
in the stories of our old folks,
and the fantasies of our children.
Help us to stop and listen to your love songs,
so that we may know you better and better.
We rejoice in the world you called into being.
Thank you for another new year and for new chances every day.
We pray for peace, for light, and for hope,
that we might spread them to others.
Forgive us for falling short this past year.
We leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into the
future of an unknown new year knowing you will go with us.
We accept your gift of a new year and we rejoice in what’s ahead,
depending on you to help us to love others as you have loved us.
In Jesus’s name we pray,
Amen.
