Abigail was baptized during our Reformation Sunday service of worship, October 26th, 2025. Abigail is the daughter of Dylan and Amanda. Proud Grandparents are Chuck and Angela. Welcome Abigail, our newest sister in Christ.
Other Happenings Archive
Holy Baptism
Posted October 30, 2025 By admin2026 NALC Continental Youth Gathering
Posted October 25, 2025 By adminMark your calendars! From July 7th –10 th, 2026, youth and leaders from across the NALC will gather at St. John Lutheran Church in Roanoke, Virginia for four unforgettable days of worship, service, learning, and joy in Christ. This gathering is the heartbeat of our shared youth ministry and connections will be made among youth from all across the NALC. Registration will open in October. There will be a meeting for youth and parents to discuss plans for making this gathering a wonderful addition to our St. Jacob’s Youth ministry. The meeting time and date will be announced in the next few weeks. Keep an eye on the weekly church bulletin for information.
Up and Going
Posted October 20, 2025 By adminThe annual 4 Churches meeting was held on August 28th . Twelve Up and Going members and guests gathered with Holy Trinity Happy Mountaineers, Macedonia Golden Oldies, and Mt. Tabor Young at Heart senior groups in the Holy Trinity Life Center for the annual 4 Churches Meeting. Each person brought a side dish or dessert to compliment the BBQ and fried chicken provided by Holy Trinity. There was a huge assortment of delicious foods and desserts available for our enjoyment.
Ann gave the blessing for our meal. Mary welcomed us warmly and gave a most appropriate devotion centered on friendships and the importance of spending quality time with our peers and friends. Each person was given a bulletin containing a prize ticket taped inside. Numbers were chosen and gifts given out. Janet presided over the prize drawings. The prizes were adorable and varied widely but all were warmly received.
Mr. Brett Lindler, Director of Music at Holy Trinity, and his chosen choir entertained us with a wonderful selection of music. Some were beautifully sung and others were piano concert music selections. All were joyfully presented and enjoyed by all.
Ann gave the closing remarks, and the closing prayer was given by Lucy. We all sang “Blest Be the Tie That Binds.” Special thanks to Holy Trinity for providing such a delightful meal and meeting. Macedonia will host the 4 Churches Meeting in 2026.
Helen
Team Leader for
Up and Going
Lutheran Women
Posted October 15, 2025 By adminOn Sunday, October 26th, the Lutheran Women will be sponsoring a Fall Festival/Trunk or Treat from 4:00 to 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall and parking lot.
There will be fun activities and food – hayrides, ring toss, go fishing, pickup ducks, corn hole, tattoos, cake walk. Hayrides will be ongoing during the festival. A Halloween Costume Contest will be held for the kids and adults.
FREE Halloweenies (hot dogs) with chips and drink will be served.
If you are willing to provide a trunk for the Trunk or Treat, please contact Sandra
or Phyllis.
There is no age limit. So everyone (adults included) come out dressed in your Halloween costumes for a Festival filled with fun, food, and fellowship.
Reformation Sunday
Posted October 14, 2025 By adminOn Sunday, October 26th, we will again observe the anniversary of the Reformation sparked by Dr. Martin Luther. As we know, on October 31st, 1517 (All Hallows Eve), Martin Luther posted his 95 articles for debate with the leadership of the Roman Church, challenging the abuses and corruption that existed within the Church. Luther went on to become the foremost of reformers of the sixteenth century. He translated the Latin Scriptures into his native German language so that ordinary people would have the ability to read the Bible for themselves. For us today, we have the lasting heritage and blessing of reading the Bible and studying God’s Word together within a church that bears the name of Luther. It is tradition that on Reformation Sunday the people in attendance wear red. I invite you all to keep this tradition as we gather for worship to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and give thanks for the life and public witness of Martin Luther so long ago.
Golden Agers
Posted October 12, 2025 By adminOn Sunday, October 19th we will honor our “Golden Agers” and also celebrate our annual Homecoming. Please invite your friends and neighbors, and plan to attend as we celebrate another year of ministry at St. Jacob’s.
From Your Pastor’s Heart
Posted October 7, 2025 By admin“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.” Psalm 119:105-106
Throughout my career as Pastor, it has been my privilege and pleasure to be a teacher of God’s Word. Nothing gets me going like a rousing conversation centered upon the message of God’s Law and Gospel shared among the people of Faith. Since coming to St. Jacob’s about eight years ago, I have made it a priority to encourage the members of our church family to regularly engage God’s Word. In this time together, I have shared reading plans for everyone to read the entire Bible in the span of one year. I have also offered many weekly Bible studies, some well attended, others, not so much. We even had a few opportunities to read the entire Bible chronologically in ninety days. My congratulations to those who were able to complete these readings of the Scriptures, no matter the time frame or which reading plan you followed.
Currently, I am leading an in-depth study of the Gospel according to John on Wednesday mornings. In all of these, our study together has helped me grow in my faith and love for God’s Word and increased my hunger to continue wading through the Scriptures. What has become the norm for me and for several others is that as we read the more familiar stories in the text, we find something we never noticed before. Whether it is studying how Jesus is made known in the Old Testament, or how the ancient prophecies of God’s grace come alive in Christ in the New Testament, it is always a profound moment when such connections are made.
Through the summer months, I had the joy of meeting with members who wanted to learn more about the Lutheran tradition. Our Adult Confirmation group has been a highlight of my ministry for the year, and I look forward to continued exploration of our Lutheran heritage with them, while inviting more of you to join the conversation.
I have set a goal for myself for the next few years ahead. I am going to strive to lead a study of each book in the New Testament, one by one, so that everyone can gain greater knowledge of God’s Word and have confidence in sharing it with others. To be people of the Word is a noble endeavor for all Christians and a wise undertaking for people of faith. What strikes me as significant is that people who have a long history of reading their Bible continue to make important discoveries in their faith as they read and study together.
Unpacking the familiar stories and exploring their tradition and meaning from the ancient languages of Hebrew and Greek help us to engage the Bible on a deeper level and in a much different way. My hope is that we are able to do this with the New Testament Books and that we become more deeply grounded in faith. Currently, we are gaining new and fresh insights concerning John’s Gospel message about Jesus who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. I pray that more will join us in this and other studies.
Right now, Bible study is held on Wednesday morning at 9:30 AM. I would love to offer more opportunities for those who are not able to make it on Wednesday morning but would like to join a study led by their pastor. Please let me know of any times or days that would work and let’s read the Bible together.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottil
15th Annual Carolinas Lutheran Women (CLW) Convocation
Posted October 6, 2025 By adminThe Carolinas Lutheran Women (CLW) Council will have our Fifteenth Annual Convocation—and trust us, this one is Nacho Average Convocation! Get ready for a day filled with vibrant fellowship, flavorful mission stories, and a fiesta of faith!
This year’s Convocation will be seasoned with a Mexican Fiesta 🪅 flair!
Saturday, October 11th at St. Paul Lutheran Church,
2496 SC-773, Pomaria, SC 29126
Registration and “Street Vendor” Table Set-up
begins at 8:30 AM, Convocation kicks off at 9:00 AM
We look forward to each congregation bringing their “street vendor-style” display to showcase how you’re spicing up mission and ministry in your community. From salsa-sweet stories of service, to hot tamale testimonies, share how Jesus’ light guides your ministry! Whether you’re guacamole-deep in outreach, or just planting seeds of faith, come be inspired and uplifted by what God is doing in and through His people.
- You can register and find more information at https://www.carolinaslutheranwomen.org/.
- Registration closes on September 30th. The $10 registration fee includes light refreshments during “Street Vendor” Table Set-up and lunch.
- Affiliated congregations may nominate a member (provided she has given her approval) or individuals can self-nominate to serve on the CLW Council. Nomination forms can be found online at https://www.carolinaslutheranwomen.org/.
- Yearly contributions can be sent at any time to Robin McLaughlin, CLW Treasurer, 4155 Jackson Road, Mooresville, NC 28115. Checks should be made payable to Carolinas Lutheran Women. This is not a mandatory contribution. All donations are completely voluntary. An amount of $60 yearly is a recommendation.
- A proposed 2026 budget will be presented during the annual meeting.
- In-Kind Gifts for Providence Home will be collected. Providence Home provides Christfocused ministry for men, providing transitional housing and promoting recovery from drugs, alcohol, and incarceration. What to bring:
- Men’s Clothing Items:
- Boxers/Briefs Underwear, Sweatshirts, TShirts (variety of sizes needed)
- Tube Socks, Work Gloves
- Toiletries for Men:
- Deodorant, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Soap, Shampoo
- The Convocation Offering will be collected for CLW to be used as needed. Please make checks payable to Carolinas Lutheran Women and note “Convocation Offering”.
- Men’s Clothing Items:
Up and Going
Posted October 4, 2025 By adminThursday, September 11th was a bright, beautiful, sun-kissed day, a gift from God, as 15 Up and Going members and guests gathered in the Fellowship Hall for devotions on forgiveness and we prayed together “The Lord’s Prayer.” Helen, Team Leader, gave the devotions. A short business session was held.
Soon Davis with Sandra and Leon arrived with 2 vans. We quickly boarded and happily headed to Hendersonville, North Carolina. We stopped for lunch at the Golden Corral restaurant. We enjoyed a private dining room and a dedicated server who catered to our every need. After the meal blessing, we all enjoyed a delicious lunch from the bountiful buffet tables. The food was outstanding as was our server. We laughed, talked and enjoyed our meal.
Then on to Granddad’s Apple Farm to fill our vans with a large variety of apples, cabbage, green beans, apple cider and the most popular item – fried apple pies. Yum yum. The time came quickly for us to head home, so we loaded up and headed home, full of laughter and good memories. This was indeed a very good day. Thank you to all who traveled today and especially to Davis and Leon who did an excellent job driving for us.
The October meeting will be on Thursday, October 9 th at 11:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall. We will have a covered dish meal and BINGO. Please bring a food dish for sharing and 3 or 4 repurposed items for gifts. See you then.
Helen
Team Leader for
Up and Going
Pastoral Devotion for October – Encourage One Another
Posted October 1, 2025 By adminRead 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
When Paul made his way to Thessalonica, he brought with him the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Most had not heard the gospel; it was the first time such a man as Paul came with this amazing message. As he taught, some might have thought him crazy to believe so earnestly a story of saving grace which comes through a man once crucified, dead, but alive again. Just the opposite was the case. A number of people in Thessalonica were gripped by the power of the Holy Spirit, and in their hearing the gospel they came to great faith. In this introductory passage to his first letter, Paul gives thanks and praise for their faith and early enthusiasm. But Paul did not write this letter to puff them up. No, he wrote it to encourage them as they faced challenges, doubts and fears.
Christians today certainly face doubts and fears. Like the first Christians at Thessalonica, the church today benefits from the encouragement of other faithful disciples. Left on their own, the faithful soon become distant and inactive in matters of worship, fellowship and Christian living. The world offers so many alternatives to living a life patterned after the example of Jesus. At every turn, the powers that defy God lay in wait to snatch the believer from the community of faith, that they would set their minds on earthly things rather than seeking God’s kingdom.
Many today look at the church and think Christians are as crazy as Paul to believe such a story. To a world fallen into sin, the gospel simply doesn’t make sense. Yet, through the sharing of the gospel message, the Holy Spirit continues to bring people to faith. The church certainly faces issues of complacency; many are not as active as we ought to be. And so, we encourage one another with God’s Word and through prayer. The Holy Spirit strengthens God’s people through their hearing the gospel. The epistles of Paul, along with the other biblical authors continue to encourage Christians throughout the world. And finally, the powerful witness of the saints and the lives of all who have gone before us in faith continue to serve as examples for the church to follow.
Prayer: Come Holy Spirit; fill the hearts of your people and kindle within us the fire of your love, that we too may share the good news of Christ. Amen.
