Read: Matthew 9:9-17
Once, I met a man named Greg. Greg was homeless. He was someone whom society overlooked or mostly avoided. None the less, Greg was a member of our community, a person created by God, a sinner in need of redemption. Who would have thought that such a man would one day become my best friend?
People like Greg are not new to society; the world has been busy ignoring them for thousands of years. When we read the gospels, we meet Greg many times over. We meet Greg the leper, Greg the blind beggar, Greg the lost and forgotten. The world shuns such people, yet Jesus meets Greg and invites him to follow.
Jesus came to heal the sick and forgive the sins of many. His mission often led him to associate with the dregs of society. The Pharisees were always quick to point out Jesus’s “misdeeds.” Heal on the Sabbath? Associate with prostitutes and sinners? Dine with a tax collector? The Pharisees weren’t willing to do such things, the stakes were too high. They had reputations to protect and laws to follow.
Jesus overcomes all this. He loves those whom society deems unlovable, opens his arms, and invites the sinner to follow. Our Lord Jesus welcomes all into his divine presence. He lifts up the lowly and invites even the most unworthy or insignificant among us to partake in the richness of God’s eternal Kingdom. Thanks be to God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ; your love is unmeasurable and your grace sufficient. Keep us close forever. Amen.
Outreach Archive
Pastoral Devotion for November – Welcoming All
Posted November 2, 2024 By adminFall Festival/Trunk or Treat
Posted October 29, 2024 By adminThe Lutheran Women would like to thank all volunteers that came out to support our fall festival. A great time was had by all!
Lutheran Women
Posted October 20, 2024 By adminThe Women’s Group will be sponsoring a Fall Festival/Trunk or Treat event on Sunday, October 27th from 4:00-6:00 PM. There will be games, cake walk, fishing pond, corn hole, face painting and hay rides. Prizes will be given. Everyone (adults too) is invited to wear your Halloween costume. There will also be a costume contest.
Halloweenies (hot dogs), chips and drinks will be served. Invite a friend and come on out for lots of fun and fellowship.
We need more volunteers for the Trunk or Treat. If you are interested, please let Phyllis or Sandra know by Sunday, October 20th.
Flood Bucket Build
Posted October 7, 2024 By adminThe 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.
We Care Christmas 2024
Posted October 5, 2024 By adminWe need your help! So many caring people are looking for ways to give to those less fortunate at Christmas. We Care provides gifts for our clients’ children every year, with the gifts received from sponsors likely to be the only Christmas these little ones will get!
The last few years we have averaged providing Christmas for over 500 children each year. This year, we are serving even more people and anticipate more children. Regardless of the final numbers and how extensive the need, as we have always done, we will not turn any child away.
Please help us make sure every child has a blessed Christmas by participating yourself and sharing this opportunity with others. Thank you!
What does a sponsor do?
1. Buys gifts for assigned individual children, using info that will be provided to purchase clothing and a few items off the child’s wish list.
2. Purchases $25 gift cards from Walmart or Target, including an individual receipt for each card gift cards work great for teens!
3. Provides both gifts and gift cards for a child and/or family.
How do I get involved?
1. Fill out form on-line https://forms.gle/XQTjXmMvsfFwyNYHA
2. Email chapinwecarechristmas@gmail.com
3. Mail a sponsorship form to We Care, PO Box 491, Chapin, 29036
SPONSOR EARLY! We need to hear from you by November 1!
What else can I give?
1. Hats, gloves, scarves and mittens
2. New blankets, books and toys
3. Additional small gifts for infant through teens
4. Christmas stockings and fillers, candy
5. Wrapping paper and bows
Help our local children and their families experience the wonder of Christmas by being Jesus’ hands and feet to meet them in their need in tangible ways. If you have any additional questions or ideas for how you or your organization can help, please email us at chapinwecarechristmas@gmail.com
Men’s Bible Study
Posted September 30, 2024 By adminOur Men’s Bible study will continue with its new time and day. All St. Jacob’s men are invited to participate in Bible study on Monday, October 7th at 6:30 PM in the church office. Please bring your Bible. If you do not have one to bring, then one will be provided for you.
Blessing of the Animals
Posted September 30, 2024 By adminGod blesses us with love from so many sources. One source of unquestioned love comes from the pets with whom we share our lives. Our pets are a part of our family and a gift from our Father in heaven. They provide love and companionship asking little in return. Join your church family on October 5th at 10:00AM for a special time together on the Church Office front lawn (weather permitting) as Pastor David leads a special service of blessing and thanksgiving. Please bring pets, on leash or in carrier, to receive a special blessing from Pastor David. If your pet does not socialize well, you may receive a written prayer that you may use to bless your pet at home.
Pastoral Devotion for October – A Place at the Table
Posted September 28, 2024 By adminRead: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10, Luke 16:19-31
As baptismal waters washed over his head, the stain of sin was erased forever, and he was made a new creation. At long last he became a child of God, refreshed and brought to new life. So it was for a homeless man walking the streets of Charleston who happened to become friends with this particular pastor. Truly, Greg became the best friend I ever had.
It seemed that at every turn, fortune never seemed to smile upon Greg. He was homeless, friendless, and trusted no one. Yet, tired of being alone, he entered the church. There he found compassion. In time, the compassion he discovered taught him to trust; his trust led him to love. Life remained difficult, but his newly gifted faith would begin to understand this earthly affliction would one day pass, and the kingdom would be his forever. That day came for Greg soon after I left Charleston to serve a congregation in North Carolina.
As Lazarus longed for food from the rich man’s table, not a crumb would fall within his reach. Making a distinction between himself and the needy, the rich man failed in God’s call to care for the poor, thus he lived contrary to God’s mandate to love his neighbor. Upon his death, the rich man was denied the mercy of God. In short, he received his reward for his selfishness and refusal to care for those in need. Many in this world continue to make such distinctions, only helping when they feel the recipient “deserves” to be helped. They make distinctions between people according to appearances. Thus, the lost and hungry often go ignored. But just as God smiled upon Lazarus, all who call upon the Lord will find compassion and take their place at the table of heaven.
Prayer: Father God, give us hearts for love alone, that we might love and serve our neighbor without distinction. Amen.
Flood Bucket Challenge
Posted September 24, 2024 By adminNALC 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.
Congo Mission 2024
Posted September 10, 2024 By adminReport 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.
