Every other Sunday, Pr. David leads worship for the residents of Generations Assisted Care of Chapin. This ministry has made a great difference in the lives of many folks who are not able to attend worship at their home church. The congregation is invited and certainly encouraged to share this experience with our friends just down the road. Our next worship opportunities will be on Sunday, February 5th and February 19th at 1:00PM. Join us in the lobby at Generations.
Other Happenings Archive
Worship at Generations
Posted February 1, 2023 By adminNews from Up and Going
Posted February 1, 2023 By adminThe Up and Going began the new year of 2023 on January 12th at 11:00AM in the Fellowship Hall. Decorations of snowmen greeted thirteen members and guests. Lunch was the Soup Pot, served by Ann Lindler and filled with delicious vegetables and beef, Appropriate side items and wonderful desserts, all provided by attendees.
Team Leader, Helen L. Lindler welcomed everyone and gave a devotion from the book, Faith Alone, by Martin Luther. Devotions ended with prayer. The treasurer’s report was given by Gary. Business was conducted and prayer was requested for the sick, our church and church family.
We were honored to have Administrative Assistant Jean join us for lunch. During lunch, we discovered that Jean is kin to a large number of our Up and Going members.
After lunch, Joan and Gary hosted Bingo, gifts were provided by those attending. Bingo was fun and opening and choosing gifts was a hard decision. The laughter and comments were the highlight of the day. All agreed that the Soup Pot lunch was especially delicious, and the Bingo games were a tremendous hit. A motion was made and an affirmative vote was taken that every January meeting will consist of a Soup Pot lunch and Bingo games. Members and guests will provide items for the Soup Pot and prizes for Bingo.
We decided to once again prepare and provide Easter bags for hospice patients. See Joan Marco for items needed. This is a project especially dear to the Up and Going and we look forward to providing these Easter bags for our hospice friends. God richly blessed our meeting.
Pastoral Devotion for February – Seek God’s Kingdom
Posted January 30, 2023 By adminRead Matthew 6:25-34
We live in a world filled with expectations. Children are expected to do well in school. College graduates expect to embark on a high paying career. Investors expect their portfolio will pay huge dividends. Life is filled with expectations, some are met, many others are not. God also has expectations. He expects that humanity will obey His law. God expects His people will love Him and love their neighbor. And God expects us to share our faith and bear fruit for his kingdom.
It seems there is a wide gap between God’s expectations and ours. People tend to live for themselves more than for God. We strive to be self-sufficient, personally secure and financially independent. Yet, in the end, our sense of expectation is replaced with worry. Why? The answer is obvious. Our expectations don’t match God’s.
Jesus teaches us that God graciously provides everything we need to live a fruitful and abundant life. Even as God cares for the plants and animals, how much more will God care for those created in his image and likeness? The truth is God provides for all people, even sinners who do no believe in Him, everything that is needed to sustain life in this world. In return, God expects to be acknowledged for it. In our thankfulness, we realize the tremendous blessing it is to be called “Child of God. We are to give God our thanks and praise in all Circumstances, and in our times of want God expects that we will seek his kingdom first above all things.
Prayer: Holy God, help us live according to your expectations, and grant me forgiveness when I fall short. Amen.
Lutheran Men Sausage Fundraiser
Posted January 30, 2023 By adminIt’s that time of year, time for our Lutheran Men to prepare their delicious homemade pork sausage. The men will be taking orders for bulk sausage available at $5.00 per pound. Just see one of the Lutheran Men to place your order. Orders may be made through Sunday, February 12th. Those who purchase sausage may pick their order up on Monday, February 20th from 3:00PM—5:00PM.
Council Briefs for January 2022
Posted January 30, 2023 By adminCouncil Briefs for January Meeting Good Things at St. Jacobs in December:
Good Food and Attendance at Christmas Dinner
Church was beautifully decorated for Advent and Christmas Season
• Worship and Music Team will purchase new paraments and/or altar cloths with contributions from holiday giving and memorial funds.
• Council agreed to move forward with Fresh Eyes for Summit meeting.
• Tommy Faulk elected as Vice Chairman and Brenda Smith will continue to serve as Secretary.
• Time and Talent Sheet responses are being compiled.
• Council agreed to discuss timing of Christmas Eve Service for next year, perhaps moving it to an earlier time.
• Council has agreed to pursue purchasing new pew cushions for the church. Before proceeding, Council will look into other property needs at the church and office building. A committee was assigned to address this. Any suggestions will be coordinated with Property Chairman as needed.
Filed in Council Reports, Other Happenings
2023 Tithing Envelopes
Posted January 30, 2023 By adminTithing envelopes for 2023 will be available in the narthex until February 12. Please make plans to oick up your envelopes and those for any other family member or neighbor who may be unable to ger to he church.
After worship on February 12, envelopes will be removed from the narthex and you will need to contact Robin to make arrangements to get your envelopes.
If you didn’t see a box for you or your family, please contact Robin and a set will be assigned to you.
Filed in Other Happenings
January Needs at WE CARE
Posted January 23, 2023 By adminThe following is a list of the most needed items for We Care of Chapin: Items needed for the month:
Laundry detergent,
Dish Detergent,
Bar Soap,
Shampoo,
Conditioner,
Razors,
Shaving Cream,
Toothbrushes/toothpaste,
Cleaning Supplies and paper products.
We Care ALWAYS needs plastic grocery bags.
Filed in Other Happenings
Community Service
Posted January 20, 2023 By adminAs a service to our neighbors, St. Jacob’s offers the use of our Fellowship Hall, and occasionally the church office building to civic groups in our community. Currently we have two groups devoted to the care of those who struggle against affliction.
The Chapin area AA group meets in the Fellowship Hall every week on Monday and Friday at 7:30PM. They are very grateful for the use of St. Jacob’s facilities and have been a wonderful addition to our outreach into the community.
The Courage Center meets in our Fellowship Hall each week on Thursday evening at 7:00PM. The Courage Center supports families whose lives have been disrupted by substance misuse or addiction.
Please remember to consult the church calendar when scheduling events held in the Fellowship Hall. We want to be accommodating to our neighbors in needs, just as our Lord is compassionate and accommodating in our need.
Filed in Other Happenings, Outreach
Christmas in Congo
Posted January 18, 2023 By adminThanks to donations from St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church, and other congregations in North and South Carolina, Congo Mission International received $1,100 to provide Christmas meals for orphaned children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These meals are to be served to nearly 1,000 children between the dates of December 25th and January 1st. Three local congregations in three different provinces will serve as host congregations for these meals.
Though the need in Congo to feed hungry children is ongoing, these donations came at a time they were desperately needed. There were heavy rains on December 12 and 13 in Kinshasa. These rains caused flooding throughout the city. The flooding claimed more than one hundred human lives and a lot of other casualties including the loss of much of the food supply that usually comes to Kinshasa from Bas-Congo (another region we serve during our mission trips). The Christmas meals will bring much joy to many children and their families.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the Congo Mission. Through St. Jacob’s hundreds and hundreds of children are fed hot, nourishing meals that they otherwise would not receive. Below is a snapshot of some of the work St. Jacob’s has helped to accomplish in 2022.
Teaching: Approximately 1,000 individuals were reached including: Pastors, Women’s groups Youth groups, groups of pastors and lay leaders.
Freeing Babies: 46 babies were freed in three clinics in Mbuji-Mayi (Kasai-Oriental). The babies also received clothes, hats, diapers, blankets, etc.
Feeding Children: Approximately 600 children received nourishing meals each week for the four week duration of the mission trip.
Bibles: over 200 Bibles in various languages were distributed to congregations in Kinshasa and Kasai-Oriental.
Eyeglasses: More than 200 pairs of eyeglasses were distributed to persons in need.
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted January 15, 2023 By adminSo who among our church family has made, or plans to make a New Year’s resolution? Resolutions are great if you keep them. But what happens so often
is that New Year’s resolutions last for about a week before they are broken. By the second week, most resolutions simply amount to wishful thinking. And finally, by the end of the first month, New Year’s resolutions in many cases are all but forgotten. Why is it that so many people have such difficulty keeping their
resolutions?
The reasons we make New Year’s resolutions are varied. There are those who make resolutions in order to live a healthier lifestyle. They resolve to lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking, eat healthier foods, and eat less junk food. You get the idea. Throughout my life I have made and broken more of these resolutions than I could shake a stick at. I have never been any good at keeping this sort of New Year
promise to myself.
Other people look past their physical lifestyle and make New Year’s resolutions that might help them in their spiritual journey. Through the years, I have also joined others in making such resolutions. Many folks resolve to develop better faith habits; attend worship each week, pray every day, read the Bible, or attend Sunday school. All of these are great resolutions but, just like the ones that pertain to physical lifestyle, resolutions regarding faith require discipline if one is truly going to keep them. Heading into the New Year, congregations are much like people in that they recognize that some changes might be needed in order to remain healthy.
Especially following the previous two years that were greatly impacted by the pandemic, it may be a good time for St. Jacob’s to make a congregational
resolution. Certainly, we can all look around and notice that we are not the same church we were heading into the pandemic. But by God’s grace, we have come
through the COVID crisis and have the opportunity to renew our ministry with enthusiasm. So, how can we accomplish this? Well, by following through on a few
commitments (I won’t call them resolutions) to grow in our relationship with Christ, and with one another.
Commitment #1 – I hope that St. Jacob’s would commit to becoming a congregation filled with people who are committed to daily prayer. So many churches have what they call their “Prayer Warriors.” We could do that. We could commit to daily prayer
either together as a group, or as individuals and families. In 2023, let’s be intentional in praying for our church. I will make sure the church is open each Monday from 12:00PM – 5:30PM, beginning on January 9th, for anyone who would like to come
in and pray for St. Jacob’s. Let’s pray in confidence for God’s blessing upon us, that we would become a congregation that invites and welcomes others into our midst. And once they are here, incorporate them into our daily life as beloved people of God.
Commitment #2 – I pray that, as a church family, we will experience a greater commitment to weekly worship. If you are reading this article but have not been regularly active in your worship here at St. Jacob’s, I invite you to begin developing
the healthy habit of worshiping God each week and receiving the life-giving Sacrament of Holy Communion. There truly is no better time than the beginning of a new year to renew or refresh your spiritual life through worship and prayer.
Commitment #3 – And finally, I pray that St. Jacob’s would become known to the community as a congregation that enjoys robust and vibrant fellowship with one another. Especially following the pandemic years, seeing the Fellowship Hall
filled with people is a joyous blessing. We have begun making some strides towards this commitment, and everyone I have spoken with about it agrees, we need to be a church family in fellowship with one another, enjoying our life together.
These are but a few items that I believe will help us to rekindle the flames of a dynamic faith following two difficult years. Yes, they were difficult, but they were not so difficult that we cannot grow more spiritually and faithfully healthy. Please make these commitments with me, and pray that God will bless us with His assurance as we grow together in faith, hope, and love.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
