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From the Pastor’s Heart

Posted September 5, 2021 By admin

In March, I offered to the congregation what I call my Six-Point Vision to enhance our ministry and congregational life for the future of St. Jacob’s. The six points as they were presented in the March newsletter are:
1. Create an Intentional Disciple Making

Culture.
2. Growing the Christian Education Ministries of our congregation.
3. Raising up Leaders for the Church.
4. Grow in our focus on Mission and Outreach.
5. Develop a welcoming and inviting culture.
6. Grow in our sense of Christian fellowship.
This month, I would like to speak to one of those points that I believe is vital to the future of our life together. Point #2, Growing the Christian Education Ministries of our congregation, is one that has been a generations old problem for many congrega-tions. It is no secret that participation in Sunday School, Confirmation, and Bible Studies have fallen off drastically since the day when many of us were eager participants.
Over my pastoral ministry spanning three congregations, Christian Education teams have been faced with the issue of having too few volunteers to teach classes and a dwindling number of students. The same questions have arisen over the years. “How do we encourage people to teach classes?” How can we get our children to participate?” Since my initial conversations with the call team four years ago, I understand, St. Jacob’s, has struggled with these same questions. Answers, I assure you, do not come easy.
In order to address this complex issue, I asked for the Christian Education Team to meet in August in order to discuss the present condition of our Sunday School Ministry. At the time of this writing and due to newsletter deadlines, the meeting has been scheduled but has not yet taken place. It is my hope that our discussion will prove fruitful and faithful as we speak to the need for Christian Education and
faith formation for all members of our church family.
During the Youth Ministry Workshop at our convocation in Texas, I began a conversation citing the challenges of Sunday school and found that St. Jacob’s has not been alone in facing this issue. More recently, I also began an online conversation among pastors and youth ministers which is leading to an understanding among the group that perhaps it is time to begin thinking creatively and unconventionally. On Thursday, August 26th, I participated in an online Zoom discussion centered upon the questions we all face regarding Sunday School. The information brought out during this conversation was astounding. So many congregations are facing dire circumstances when it comes to providing Christian education for our children.
All too often, discussions regarding Sunday School end up with committees and ministry teams suggesting that we turn the clocks back to a time when Sunday School participation was in its heyday, doing the things we did when we were kids. This seldom works given that times have changed, and approaches to teaching and communicating with children are much different. The lack of volunteers willing to serve as teachers is also an issue that remains constant.
Given all of this, there is something that we must never lose sight of. God commands us to teach the Scriptures to our children and to our children’s children. For the sake of our families and the generations that will follow, it is imperative that we take God’s command seriously. If we don’t teach our children and young adults the things God commands, the world will teach them the things that our sinful world demands. This is a concern that weighs heavy upon your pastor’s heart.
I pray that we are able to have a faithful and fruitful conversation and that any decisions we make will be in line with God’s expectations for our church family. Especially for the sake of our children and their families, I ask for your continued prayers and support of our Christian Education Ministry. I will do my best to be a teacher of the faith for you and for those in our community now and into the future. I also pledge to continue to seek God’s guidance leading our congregation to develop a greater desire to study God’s Word and pass it on to others.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila

Filed in Bible Study, From the Pastor’s Heart, Outreach, Pastor

Pastoral Devotion for September

Posted August 30, 2021 By admin

Let Your Light Shine
Read Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket.” God blesses the Church with the most precious treasure there is, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Every Christian is therefore filled with the light of Christ and called to give witness to the wonders of God’s mercy and grace.
Often, it is said to the newly baptized person, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Our light shines when we love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves. Shining our light, we share the love of Christ Jesus with all whom we meet.
Jesus of Nazareth is light and life for the world. Baptized into his death and resurrection, the light of Christ dwells within God’s people. May you always feel the presence and power of our Lord Jesus. And may your light shine through the darkness of this world, that those within your midst may finally see the glory of the Father and enter the gates of our eternal home.
Prayer: Shine the light of your love, O Lord, and fill me with the power of your love. Amen.

Filed in Bible Study, Other Happenings, Pastor

90 Day Bible Fitness Challenge

Posted August 30, 2021 By admin

By the time this newsletter makes it to the congregation, those who are engaged in the 90 Day Bible Fitness Challenge will find themselves in the midst of the final third of their reading plan. The halfway point came on Tuesday, August 24th. As several have discussed in our small group sessions, reading chronologically has been a blessing. It has allowed for a greater understanding of the entire story of God’s people Israel and the promise of a Savior.
We will do this exercise again sometime in the future. But until we do, St, Jacob’s church family members can look forward to more studies that will pique the interest of those who would like to gain further understanding concerning the whole story of God’s love according to the Scriptures.

Keep reading your Bibles. For as John wrote in the book of Revelation: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it” Rev. 1:3.

Filed in Bible Study, Fellowship, Pastor

More About the Congo Mission

Posted August 30, 2021 By admin

By the time this newsletter is published and sent out, my mission partner and good friend Pastor Stéphane Kalonji will have returned from this year’s Congo Mission trip. With his return, the countdown to next mission trip has begun. Next July, as the Lord wills it, I will travel with my friend and brother in Christ to Kinshasa and embark on a three-week mission to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and minister to the people of the Bas-Congo region.
I am most anxious to return and see my friends in the cities of Boma, Tshela, and Matadi. These are people who have taken me in and treated me as one of their own. We share meals together, fellowship and a fairly good amount of laughter as we do the work of the gospel together.
One more aspect of next year’s trip is that Pastor Kaonji and I have invited someone new to go along with us. St. Jacob’s newest friend, Pastor Mathew Magera, who visited us with his youth group in July is prayerfully discerning our invitation to accompany us to Congo and work along side us as we engage Jesus’s Great Commission to make disciples. As a part of this invitation, I hope to travel to Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh to provide information for his congregation. I expect this trip will occur in early September, perhaps as early as Labor Day Weekend.
Please pray for Pastor Mathew as he considers becoming one of our Congo Mission International Missionaries. I can truly attest to the fact that once one has met the people of the Bas-Congo region and shared life together with them, they will be a part of that person’s life forever.
In the coming months, I will ask our church family, our auxiliaries, and friends to once again support our missional effort by hosting fund raising events and sharing information concerning the Congo Mission within the greater Chapin community. The amount of funding it takes to complete our mission efforts each year can seem somewhat daunting, but God has and always will provide the means for his missionaries to extend the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the world. Until then, thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers, and support on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in a land so far away. I assure you; they pray for us continually that God would bless us in our ministry and proclamation of the Gospel. To God be the glory, Pastor David

Filed in Missions, NALC, Outreach, Pastor

From the Pastor’s Heart by Pastor David Nuottila

Posted August 5, 2021 By admin

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14
Before you settle in to read this article, I would invite you to do something first. Go to your shelf or table and pick up your Bible. Then go to the kitchen and pour yourself a glass of water. Now set the glass filled with water beside your Bible on the table nearest you and begin reading.
There is a book on my shelf that I enjoy reading from time to time which is written by Max Lucado. It bears the title Come Thirsty. It is a very good resource for those who may feel distant from God and also for those who would enjoy a “spiritual pick me up” if you will. I do love reading this book and hearing the invitation of our Loving God to come to Him as a child comes to his/her father.
It is always appropriate that we ponder how it is we approach our Father in heaven. How is it that we take time to earnestly study God’s Word and to pray for heightened awareness of God’s presence in our daily lives? Truly, it is good that we look deep inside our lives in order that we may see ourselves for who we are as sinners, yet also to see ourselves for whose we are, God’s beloved children redeemed by the blood of Christ. As we continue in our life together, we should all provide ourselves with opportunities to reflect upon God’s call to follow the example of Christ Jesus, loving God with all our heart, loving our neighbor, and ministering to the needs of those whom God places within our midst. The more we ponder these things, the more we will realize our thirst for God’s amazing grace, His forgiveness, love and kindness.
A central part of this pondering is coming to the wellspring of God’s Word through the Holy Scriptures. Our Lord invites us all to “come thirsty” for his grace. Come thirsty for the power of God’s redeeming love. Such a thirst can only be quenched by the living water that is Christ our Lord.
Here at St. Jacob’s, we have provided several opportunities for such thirst quenching study of God’s Word. The response to the 90 Day Bible Fitness Challenge was much more than I initially thought. We have 19 church family members engaged in reading through the Bible in 90 days and I am sure most, if not all, will see it through to completion. We are also beginning an in-depth reading of the book of Revelation on Wednesday mornings. I invite everyone to “Come Thirsty” and learn more about this most misunderstood book of the Bible and to hear God’s message of salvation within its pages.
I am also very encouraged by Rachel’s offering to lead a women’s Bible study on Tuesday mornings and her small group study for the high school and college aged young ladies of St. Jacob’s. Rachel is someone who is well equipped to tell others about the love of God in Christ Jesus. I would invite the women of St. Jacob’s to “Come Thirsty” for the fellowship and learning that such Bible studies provide.
In order that you may fully realize God’s awesome power and love in your life, I invite you to “Come Thirsty.” “Come Thirsty” to worship where all may join hearts and voices in praise and thanksgiving for all that God has done and continues to do. I invite you to “Come Thirsty” for God’s love; to hear His gospel proclaimed, His Word preached and to realize the abundance of His mercy and grace.
As you come to worship, I also invite you to come to Sunday School where you will learn even more of the goodness of our Lord and Savior. “Come Thirsty” for the fellowship we share as God’s gathered empowered and equipped for ministry and sent into the world for the sake of those who are neediest among us.
Finally, I invite you to ponder the Bible and the glass of water before you. God’s written Word proclaiming His grace made available through His Word made flesh. As you open the pages of Holy Scripture, you will be reminded that God made water to be a sign of His unfailing love and His promise to deliver His people. Through water and the Word, God washes us in the flood of our baptism, pouring out the gifts of faith and the Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila

Filed in Bible Study, From the Pastor’s Heart, Other Happenings, Pastor

Pastoral Devotion for August

Posted August 1, 2021 By admin

Friendship
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
We all have friends with whom we have lost contact. Friendship is not just a relationship between people; it is also something that takes time and great effort to maintain. Quality friendships endure because those in such relationships have a genuine interest in the life of the other.
The apostle Paul formed many friendships throughout his journeys. These relationships were important to Paul, so he was sure to strengthen them through daily prayer. Rooting his caring and close relationships between God’s people.
Christians are not unlike others in the world in that we often become nostalgic thinking of distant friends. Many of our friends are those we have lost touch with through the years. Sometimes we feel reluctant to reconnect, seemingly embarrassed by our lack of communication. Maybe they’ve forgotten us? Perhaps they too have moved on? Sadly, rationalizing distant friendships in this way leads to even further separation. So, do we simply forget those friends from our past? Certainly not!
The memories of our friends are their memories as well. Not only do we reminisce about past friendships, but the friends from our past most likely remember us fondly too. Praying and thanking God for the gift of friendship helps keep those relationships alive. Through prayer, we can offer thanks to God and once again feel the joy of being a friend to someone whom we love.
Prayer: Thank you Lord, for the friendships we share with others, for they truly are a blessing from you. Amen.

Filed in Bible Study, Fellowship, Other Happenings, Pastor

Wednesday Morning Bible Study

Posted July 29, 2021 By admin

All are invited to join in the Bible study on Wednesday mornings beginning at 10:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall. We are currently reading the Book of Revelation. If you have ever tried to read Revelation but had difficulty understanding all the symbolism, then this study is for you. We will learn more about the letters to the seven churches, and address some of the more confusing aspects of John’s vision and letter to the Church of Jesus Christ. There are no special materials needed. Just bring your Bible and a desire to join in on the discussion.

Filed in Bible Study, Fellowship, Pastor

From the Pastor’s Heart

Posted July 6, 2021 By admin

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.” Mark 1:10-11
This text from Mark’s gospel should be a familiar one for most of us. It comes from the Gospel lesson we had on June 13th. During the weeks following Holy Trinity Sunday, in the year in which we primarily read from Mark’s Gospel, we hear several parables from Jesus concerning the seed of God’s Word. This text teaches us that no matter the situation we might find ourselves in, God’s kingdom is bursting forth all around us. It may not always seem like it, for we all know there is plenty of trouble and misfortune to go around. Still, since Christ took the weight of humanity’s sin to the cross, those who believe and are baptized are blessed with the peace of Christ, in that our sins are forgiven, and we have the promise of everlasting life.
God’s kingdom is so vast, so wide, the Word of the Lord will fill the hearts and minds of people no matter where they may stand. So why might it be that today’s Christians are not as apt in sharing God’s word with others? Why are so many Christians reluctant to do the work of evangelism? Well, to borrow a word from Jesus, truly, I say to you that it is likely because we live in a culture base on individuality rather than community. Humanity has wandered so far from God’s precepts that even those who desire to have a relationship with the Lord desire to have one defined by their own human standards and not God’s standards.
Case in point, take a look at how much our society has tried to redefine sin so that it doesn’t seem so shameful. At nearly every turn, traditional expressions of Christian faith have become viewed as offensive and exclusive. So, what is a Christian to do when it comes to living in the world but not of the world? What does it mean that we are to be dwellers and proclaimers of God’s kingdom as
Christ continues to establish his reign on earth? The short answer to this question is, “share the Gospel.”
The world is filled with problems, issues and distractions that grab our attention and attempt to fill our hearts and minds with worry, doubt, and anxiety. It is so easy to focus on the headlines of our lives and forget that we do in fact have good news that satisfies the hunger deep within our hearts and souls. Everywhere we go, there are people who have a hunger and thirst for the Gospel of Christ Jesus. As children of God, we are called to proclaim this good news, even when we think people don’t want to listen. The power of the gospel is such that once the seed is planted, growth will occur. We may not realize how or when the good news takes root, but God assures us that even as we plant the seed of his Word, the Holy Spirit will most certainly cause it to grow.
Sharing our faith with others, especially those who have not heard the Gospel of Christ, is the calling of every Christian. God gathers us in worship, shares his Word through song, reading and preaching, and then feeds us from his table of grace, so that we are enabled and equipped to tell others about Christ. God sends us out as witnesses to the power of God’s love and the abundance of his grace.
It doesn’t matter if one turns away when you share your faith with them. The seed is still planted. It doesn’t matter if another shuns you as you bring God’s message of salvation. What matters is that each one of us takes up the cross of Christ, and bears witness to our Lord Jesus whose mercy and forgiveness is eternal and whose kingdom meant for all people. Only when we do this will we bring the good news to those who long to be a part of God’s eternal kingdom.
As you ponder this message, think about those instances when you might share the Gospel with a stranger. Then pray for confidence and clarity in your proclamation. Pray for those with whom you share your faith. God’s Word will not return empty, of this you can be sure.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila

Filed in Bible Study, From the Pastor’s Heart, Other Happenings, Pastor

Pastoral Devotion For July

Posted July 1, 2021 By admin

LISTEN, HEAR, UNDERSTAND
Matthew 13:18-23, 1 Timothy 2:1-6,
Leviticus 26:1-20
I am amazed by people who solve math problems with relative ease. Math is not my forte; I do not have a head for numbers. In the classroom, I needed to concentrate on every word from my teacher’s lips, yet solving equations still came with difficulty. I simply didn’t understand the concepts. Those who perform well in math do so because they not only understand, they can visualize the steps in determin-ing the solution. But solving the problem is not always enough. At some point, one must put what is learned into practice.
Our lessons today have to do with hearing and understanding. In Leviticus, God calls the Israelites to hear his commands and understand them as the parameters of godly living. Paul teaches the church in 1 Timothy that loving, caring and praying for one another leads to a peaceful and blessed life. In Matthew, Jesus says those who receive God’s Word and understand it are those who hold fast to all Christ commanded.
In a world where everything seems to be changing at warp speed, it is imperative that Christians take time each day to read their Bible. Only when we dwell within the Word, reading and studying it together, can we gain further understanding of what God intends for his people. Only then can we put what we have learned into practice. Take time to read the passages listed above. Listen as God speaks to you. Hear the Good News. Pray for understanding.
Lord, fill me with your Spirit, that I may hear, understand and live according to your Word. Amen.

Filed in Bible Study, Other Happenings, Pastor, Worship Service

Welcome Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Posted June 30, 2021 By admin

Sunday July 18th is going to be a very special day here at St. Jacob’s. Not only will we welcome the President of the NALC’s seminary, but we will also play host to Pastor David’s friend Pastor Mathew Magera and the Youth of Zion Lutheran Church from
Pittsburg. Pastor Magera and Zion’s youth group will be making their way to Charleston for their summer mission trip and will make a pit stop at St. Jacob’s on Saturday, July 17th to rest from their travels. Members of Zion will spend the night, lock-in style in our Sunday school wing. Volunteers from our Men’s group will provide breakfast for our guests, and they will be joining us for worship Sunday morning. Please welcome our guests warmly as they travel to Charleston to do the work of the Gospel.

Filed in Fellowship, Lutheran Men, Missions, NALC, Other Happenings, Outreach, Pastor
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