The Lutheran Men’s and Lutheran Women’s Annual Christmas Luncheon will be held on Sunday, December 1st immediately following the church service. The cost is $5.00 per person. Those individuals under 3 years of age and over 80 years of age is free. Please plan to attend and enjoy the delicious meal and great fellowship.
Outreach Archive
Annual Congregational Christmas Luncheon
Posted October 31, 2019 By adminThanksgiving Eve Service
Posted October 31, 2019 By adminOur Thanksgiving Eve worship will take place on Wednesday, November 27th beginning at 6:30 PM. All are welcome to come give thanks to the Lord and share Holy Communion. Following worship, we will prepare pound cake slices for delivery to The Hub for the annual Thanksgiving meals delivery. We look forward to seeing you there.
Hub Request For The Congregation
Posted October 31, 2019 By adminThis year St. Jacob’s has been requested to support The HUB by supplying 225 slices of pound cake for Thanksgiving meals. Please drop your donated cakes or wrapped cake slices in the fellowship hall on Wednesday prior to the Thanksgiving Eve Service. Several individuals will get together following the service to complete wrapping and boxing the cake slices for delivery. The Hub is looking forward to providing Thanksgiving meals to 500 people in our community.
Youth Director & Family Ministries
Posted October 31, 2019 By adminThe second annual Oktoberfest Fall Festival is in the books! Despite the rain, which moved a few activities indoors, it was a great day spent with our church family. I wanted to especially thank everyone who helped out, I couldn’t have done it without you! While reflecting on the week, I was reminded just how lucky I am to have a home at St. Jacob’s. I have shared with a number of you the many life transitions that I am currently going through and love getting to hear about the times when many of you were where I am. The thing I have learned the most over the past couple of months is that change can be a good thing. God is continuously changing us and molding us to ultimately be like Him. Even though this may not always be comfortable or line up with where we think our lives are going, we can rest in the fact that He has a plan.
The good thing is that He gives us each other to walk through these things with. We can bear one another’s burdens, overlook faults, let offenses go quickly, react out of love, show support, and be there to help or maybe just hold. During these times, we are being molded by God Himself and the Word says He will return for a Church without spot or wrinkle, therefore we need to go through the fire, of refinement, we need to press in and through times of change. I want to encourage you with this: if you’re going through a transition season, do not let your heart be troubled, see the good, hold fast to the truth of the Word and the promises of God, and press into your family at St. Jacob’s. Let’s enter this next season like never before. If you have a need, allow someone to meet it. If you want to bless someone, absolutely go for it. If you have an unsolved issue with a brother or sister, take it to the cross and then to that person for forgiveness. It’s refining season and I believe we will begin to see the fruit of accepting these changes in and around us.
Grace & Peace,
Rachel Shelton
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted October 1, 2019 By adminOctober! It’s October already! It seems summer has simply flown by. Yet, even as I reflect upon all we shared the past few months, there is much to plan and prepare for during the months ahead. Our church calendar is filling up with activities, Christian learning opportunities and several other ministry events for everyone to consider being a part of. As you begin making room for the many opportunities for your church and family in October, let me ask a simple question: How do you plan to be a disciple of Jesus Christ each and every day?
Each morning, Christians wake up to the opportunity to show the love of Christ Jesus to others who may not realize God’s activity in their lives. As God’s people we also wake up to the Christian responsibility to thank God for the many blessings He showers upon us, and to offer Him the finest of what we can offer of ourselves.
When a child of God begins each new day with such emphasis, the life of discipleship begins to take hold and we live into the calling God has for each one of us. So again, this begs the question: How do you plan to be a disciple of Jesus Christ each and every day? In my asking this twice, I hope you are not simply waiting for my answer. I hope you are not expecting me to offer a directive for the church that challenges you to do your part as I see it, for such is not my intent.
I am asking this question because as followers of Jesus Christ, we each respond to His call to follow in different ways. Some are able to engage in the life of the congregation more regularly than others. Some have time enough to come to the church and serve on committees, provide services such as lawn care and cleaning, others may even show up every time the doors are open. Others among us have different responsibilities.
Within our church family, we have parents with small children, members who work not just one, but two jobs, and still others who may have health related issues that prevent them from participating as they once did. Yet, no matter where we may fall in this broad spectrum, as God’s people each one of us share the Christian responsibility to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We all share Jesus’s calling to go into the world and make disciples by sharing with them the good news of God’s salvation. So understanding this, I’ll ask one last time: How do you plan to be a disciple of Jesus Christ each and every day?
As Pastor, I will do my best to help you discern the answer to this question. I will do what I can to help you pray, study God’s Word and live among God’s people so that you might hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit who is calling you to a life of discipleship. I will continue to pray for you and your family, preach to you the gospel of Christ Jesus, lead you in worship and teach you and your children the faith in which we baptize. In turn, I pray that you too will help me to further discern the answer to our question, for even pastors need to learn to take time to enjoy their relationship with our loving heavenly Father.
Yes, we have a busy month ahead of us; one filled with opportunities to worship God, love our neighbor and enjoy the fellowship of God’s people. Take a good look and identify those opportunities where you and your family can grow in faith and discern your answer to my question. Choose to take time each day to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ, seeking God’s kingdom first. Then be sure to share His blessings of grace, mercy and peace with those whom God places within your midst. Soon, you will realize you are living the life of discipleship, and the question will have its answer.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
Pastoral Devotion For October
Posted October 1, 2019 By adminThe Good Life
Read – Luke 9:18-27
A quick trip down the self-help aisle of your favorite bookstore suggests the way to living the good life is a positive outlook, high self-esteem and a heavy dose of optimism. Even some well-known evangelical authors try to convince us that the key to a good life means understanding God wants us to have our best life now. In such cases and through their royalties, it is usually the authors of such books who realize the good life they proclaim.
Jesus teaches his followers a much different path to a full and rich life. Jesus calls God’s people to forsake the ways of the world by taking up a life of humble service for the sake of others. Denying ourselves and taking up the cross means we are to follow the example of our Lord, loving our neighbors and putting their needs ahead of our own. Such a life eschews the notion of living our best life now.
Christians know this earthly life is but a glimpse. It is not something to be treasured above all else, but to be lived in such a way that others may also receive a glimpse of the kingdom to come. Jesus says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (v. 24). The good life we aspire to is the life of eternal joy in God’s kingdom. To this life, there is only one book that truly points the way.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, equip and empower us to follow you along the path to eternal life.
Amen.
Children’s Choir
Posted September 27, 2019 By adminThe Children’s Choir will practice each Sunday afternoon at 3 PM in the Sanctuary. We are looking forward to having so much fun learning new songs and lifting our little voices to the Lord.
Duty and Delight
Posted September 27, 2019 By adminAlong with many of you, my list of responsibilities seem to grow larger each day. We all have obligations that we must fill in our families, in the workplace and at home. Are these meant to be our primary duties? What about our duties and obligations to God and His church? We fill the needs in our homes, with cleaning, cooking, laundry and lawn care. All these things seem to keep our lives in order. What of our spiritual lives and our duties to the Kingdom of God? You can find the word “duty” often in scripture. In Luke 17:10, Jesus said, “so you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, “We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty.”
As Christians, we should take delight in our obligations. “It is our duty and delight that we should everywhere and always offer thanks and praise to you, O God, through Jesus Christ …” We should always strive to serve our Lord with a joyful heart. The more that we actively serve, the closer we walk with Jesus. Membership of a congregation carries responsibility. We are the body of Christ, and all parts must work together to know and show Christ’s love in every aspect of our lives.
Duty and delight seem to work best when paired together. I encourage you to find delight in even the most mundane chores. I give praise to God for the beautiful family that he has given me to care for. When I carry that thought with me, I can find joy in all my daily obligations. We should do the same in the responsibilities that we have in serving God. I thank God for our church and the people who worship and serve with us.
This month is stewardship month. As we begin to hand out the time and talent sheets, I urge you to follow what you are called to do. We all have God given talents and we would love to know how you can share yours.
Nicki
Stewardship Team
Lutheran Women
Posted September 27, 2019 By adminLutheran Women will meet Sunday, October 20th at 4:30 PM in the fellowship hall. Joan has the devotions for the meeting.
Lutheran Men
Posted September 27, 2019 By adminThe Lutheran Men will meet on Sunday, October 20th at 6 PM in the fellowship hall.
