The Lutheran Women will be sponsoring a Congregational Luncheon Fundraiser on Sunday, September 22nd immediately following the church service. The meal will consist of pork tenderloin, butter beans, corn, brown rice, desserts and drinks. Price: 3 years and under will be free; 4 years to 11 years will be $4 a person; 12 years and older will be $8 a person. Funds that we raise will be used to help those in need in our congregation and community.
Other Happenings Archive
Lutheran Women
Posted August 28, 2019 By admin5th Sunday Family Fellowship
Posted August 28, 2019 By adminCome join us for some fun and fellowship at Pine Island on September 29th at 4 PM! There will be lots of activities for the whole family! Swimming, volleyball, and corn hole. Please bring your favorite picnic side and we will provide the rest! If you have any questions please call Kristen or Nate. Hope to see you there!
Welcome NALC Seminarian
Posted August 28, 2019 By adminSometimes God’s blessings come as a surprise and beginning in late September, one such blessing will be upon St. Jacob’s. The NALC Candidacy Committee has asked St. Jacob’s to host, and Pastor David to supervise a seminarian in the NALC candidacy process for one semester. We look forward to welcoming Philip Sandi, a seminarian who is from Liberia and close to graduation from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary here in Columbia. More information will follow in upcoming worship bulletins.
From the Pastor’s Heart
Posted August 1, 2019 By adminCongo Mission 2019
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:13-15
Through my mission work in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I have learned first-hand the meaning of the above text. The apostle Paul explains to Christians that God extends his grace throughout the world. Everyone who comes to faith in Christ Jesus is saved from their sin and gains the promise of eternal life. But how will people come to faith unless God’s people share the gospel?
For five years, Pastor Stéphane Kalonji and I have traveled to the Congo in obedience to Jesus’ Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20. Christ calls all Christians to go into the world making disciples and teaching the Word of God. This is precisely our mission as we go; to preach and teach God’s Word, and to provide training for others that they may be messengers of God’s grace. Upon this, my third trip to Congo, I have again seen how God continues to build up his Church and bring people to faith through the hearing of the gospel.
Pastor Kalonji and I visited three Lutheran parishes while we were in Congo. We first went to the city of Boma where two years ago I was commissioned by Bishop Keya (Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Congo) to be his missionary to the Lutheran Church in America. I have made friends in Boma, friends that I pray for each day. Upon our arrival, we received a welcome much like that of a family member coming home after an extended period. One by one, people would come to the church and visit with us, telling us of how they have been getting along since our last trip.
In Boma, Pastor Kalonji and I led two seminars for pastors and lay people; we sang with the choirs of men and women; and we preached together, me in English with Pastor Stéphane translating into Lingala. During the hymn following the sermon, a young man ran up to me and dusted off my shoes. This is a common reaction to the preached Word of God in Boma. “How beautiful the feet of those who preach the good news.”
That Monday, we traveled to the city of Tshela, a place neither of us had been before. In Tshela, we were greeted by an excited congregation of God’s people who lined the street leading to their place of worship. The welcome we received was extraordinary to say the least. This was an unexpected addition to our trip, but the joy we found and the response to God’s Word as we taught women and men, and then preached can only be described as unbridled enthusiasm. Children sat in the doorways and windows of the building, not to mention those who occupied the front four benches directly in front of me.
As Pastor Kalonji preached to the crowded church in their native language, I connected with the many children using a common language we all understood. We exchanged funny faces, smiles and even a bit of laughter. It didn’t matter that we couldn’t understand one another as we spoke. We understood one another as we shared a relationship established by God through his Son Jesus Christ. Once more, at the completion of our presentation and my telling the congregation of the joy I have witnessed through their faith, a young man came up to me and dusted off my shoes in a gesture of thankfulness to God for sending his missionaries to preach the good news.
From the Pastor’s Heart
by Pastor David Nuottila
Creating A Vision For Ministry
Posted July 30, 2019 By adminWhat is St. Jacob’s vision for ministry within our community and world? To be honest, we can’t say we have a clear vision. As a congregation of God’s people, we are all called to be disciples of Jesus Christ, follow him in faith and participate in the mission of God by doing the work of the gospel. In order to follow Christ, we must first understand God’s mission. We then must pray and discern which ministries to which God is calling us. And finally, we must create a vision, a clear understanding and strategy as to how we will engage in such ministries. For as Scripture teaches us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs, 29:18 KJV
On June 30th, a small group of church family members met to begin this conversation. We introduced the process by which our church might discern those ministries God would have us do and then created a vision as to how we will do them. Yet this task is not simply for a small group. If we are to be serious about our faith and ministry, we will all need to take part.
Creating a vision for ministry does not happen quickly. In the coming months, there will be several seminars scheduled for St. Jacob’s church family members to come listen, learn and discuss the work God has set before us. Plan to attend these seminars as they are scheduled and be a part of St. Jacob’s participation in God’s mission.
NALC Lutheran Week
Posted July 30, 2019 By adminThe annual NALC Lutheran Week and Convocation will take place in Indianapolis, IN during the week of August 5-9. The week’s events begin with the NALC Youth Symposium. Youth and Family Ministry directors, volunteer youth leaders and pastors from all around the NALC will meet to discuss strategies for helping our youth and families grow in faith. St. Jacob’s Youth and Family Ministry Director Rachel Shelton will be participating in this symposium.
The highlight of the week will take place on Thursday and Friday as the convocation begins the process of electing a new bishop. Bishop John Bradosky has indicated that he is not available to serve a third term as NALC Bishop. Twelve candidates have been placed in nomination. We pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance during this election and all other business of the convocation. St. Jacob’s delegates to the convocation are Pastor David Nuottila and Larry Shull.
Filed in Other Happenings
Lutheran Men News
Posted July 30, 2019 By adminThe Lutheran Men plan to meet on August 18th at 6 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Robert has the devotions. The cooks for the meeting will be Lynn, Danny, and Robert.
Lutheran Women News
Posted July 30, 2019 By adminOur next meeting will be held on August 11th at 4:30 PM. The meeting location hasn’t been determined but will be announced soon.
Homecoming
Posted July 30, 2019 By adminOur annual Homecoming celebration is just weeks away. On August 26th we will welcome Pastor Brad Hales, NALC Director for Domestic Mission as our guest preacher. Pastor Hales serves as the Pastor of Reformation Lutheran Church in Culpepper, VA., where he leads a vibrant Senior’s Ministry within his church and community. As Director of Domestic Mission, Pastor Brad works with the Assistant to the Bishop for Mission and with NALC mission teams to develop a vision and strategy for domestic mission work. As chair of the Carolinas Mission team, Pastor David Nuottila works with Pastor Hales in several of these instances.
For Pastor Brad, it’s all about Jesus. He is known for his passion, excitement and joy in sharing the good news of God’s grace through Christ Jesus. He and his wife Lisa have been married for twenty-five years and have two daughters, Lydia and Abigail. Please welcome Pastor Brad to St. Jacob’s on August 26th and enjoy our Homecoming celebration.
Continue to watch your worship folders for updates and plans for the festivities.
Come Watch The Fireflies!
Posted July 30, 2019 By adminSt. Jacob’s Families and Youth are invited to a night of fellowship to watch the Columbia Fireflies baseball team on August 18th at 5:05 PM. Tickets are $9.00 per person and parking is an additional $4.00 cash per car. There is a sign-up sheet on the Youth Bulletin Board in the hallway next to the Fellowship Hall, the deadline to sign up is August 4th so reservations can be made! There will be an email sent out as the date approaches with specific details regarding tickets! Continue to check the Youth Bulletin Board often so you can stay updated on upcoming announcements and events the Youth will have coming!
