The March 2024 monthly Vine is available on our website.
To keep up-to-date with what is happening at St. John’s, CLICK HERE .
“A Reconciling God”
March 17, 2024
Please CLICK HERE to download the service notes.
As We Gather
Today we welcome a special guest who will be speaking to us about the amazing work that God is doing through His saints, our ministry partners in India. We will hear about his work in the lives of those who have been hurt by persecution, as well as the tremendous gift of God’s reconciling grace. All glory be to Jesus!
Live-stream and in-person worship begin at 9:30 AM. Please CLICK HERE to download the link to the live-stream itself.*
*The Sunday Service on March 17 will NOT be streamed.
The March 17 worship service at 9:30 will not be streamed, nor will it be available to viewing on YouTube or Facebook later. We are taking this step for the safety and protection of our guest speaker and the people he will be speaking about.
Children’s Ministry:
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Where did all the eggs go?! Please join us for our annual Easter Egg Hunt at 10am on Easter Sunday!
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VBS – It’s time to SCUBA! The VBS date is set, June 17-20. Sign ups are open and volunteers are needed. Please go check out our website to see if there is a role for you.
- Children’s Church Leaders… We are blessed to have so many young kids with us each Sunday, but we are running low on Children’s Church leaders. If you are looking for a place to serve here at St. John’s I ask you to consider working in Children’s Church. It’s an awesome way for the kids to hear the good news of Jesus delivered in a way suitable for them to understand and hold on to. Please get in contact with Kevin Mathison if you have any questions about getting involved. We would love to have you join the team!
Surge:
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Our next Surge is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26 from 6-7:30. This is open for our 5th & 6th graders to come hang out, play games, and dive into a devotion.
Confirmation:
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Confirmation Sunday is approaching quickly! On May 5th our confirmands will confirm their faith and share their Faith Statements with y’all. Please join me in praying for all of our students and families as we near the end of our Confirmation year.
High School:
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This Sunday, March 17th, Kevin Mathison will be hosting a meeting immediately following the 9:30 worship service in Room 7, for parents and youth regarding upcoming High School events & the National Youth Gathering in 2025.
The Foundations Class and the Gospel of Mark class will not be meeting this week. Instead, we will have a special presentation and question/answer session with our guest presenter from Mission India. This will take place in the sanctuary.
Palm Sunday Dramatic Gospel Reading
We will again be reading the account of the Passion of Jesus Christ as the Gospel during the Palm Sunday Service. For this dramatic reading, we need ten additional readers to read the parts of people in the Gospels. Readers will simply stand where they are and read their lines at the appropriate time. If you are interested in being one of the ten, please respond to the church office or to Pastor Mike.
Lent Midweek Service
“Deliver Us From Evil”
Our Lent midweek worship series this year focuses on the meaning and use of The Lord’s Prayer. Our theme for Wednesday, March 20th is “Deliver Us From Evil” The service is at 7:00 PM in the sanctuary and will be preceded by a Soup Supper in the parish hall at 6:00 PM.
Holy Week at St. John’s
Holy Week commemorates the culminating week in the life of Jesus, and the events at the heart of the salvation through faith in Him. For more information on the services, click here.
- Palm Sunday (March 24, 9:30 AM). Weather permitting we will begin in the Faith Chapel and process into the sanctuary with palm branches.
- Maundy Thursday (March 28, 7:00 PM) is a commemoration of Jesus’ “Last Supper.” We will also be celebrating the First Communion of those who have been preparing to be welcomed to the Lord’s Supper.
- Good Friday (March 29, 7:00 PM) marks the day that Jesus was crucified. Our evening service (7:00 PM) is a Tenebrae Service, a service of gradually darkening the sanctuary.
- Easter Vigil (March 30, 8:00 PM) is the first celebration of the resurrection. Weather permitting, we begin in the Faith Chapel with the Service of Light.
- On Easter Sunday (March 31), we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. The 8:30 AM service in the sanctuary is led with traditional hymns and the choir. The 10:30 AM service in the Faith Chapel (weather permitting) is led by the worship band.
- Easter Breakfast , Our annual Easter breakfast, put on by St. John’s Youth, will be in the Parish Hall from 9:00 – 10:30 AM.
Memorial Service for Bonnie Wilson
The service will be on Friday, April 5 at 1:00 PM.
Pastor Mike’s Bookshelf
The Lord Bless You & Keep You: The Promise of the Gospel in the Aaronic Blessing
By Michael J. Glodo
Most of our worship services conclude with the familiar words of the Aaronic Blessing as the benediction: “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.” In this book Michael Glodo unpacks these words and invites us to hear them in their original context, as well as the echoes of them throughout the Old and New Testament. In this way, he invites us to consider the depth and richness of this take-for-granted blessing, and instead treasure it as the gift from God that it is. For more details, CLICK HERE.
There is a copy of this book, along with most of the previously recommended books on the Church Library cart in the Narthex, available for checking out. For previous recommendations CLICK HERE
Board of Directors Nominations
The Board of Directors is receiving Board nominations for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. There are nine members of the Board of Directors. Five of these positions are up for election this year. Board members serve for a two-year term and can serve a maximum of three consecutive terms.
If you are interested in nominating someone (or yourself) for the Board of Directors, CLICK HERE to download information about qualifications and responsibilities. Also included is a nomination form to be completed and returned to the church office, John Van Hofwegen, or Pastor Mike by May 15.
There will be a Board Information Forum on Thursday, April 11 at 7:00 in the Library for those who are interested in being nominated for the board. This forum is a mandatory part of the nomination process. Those who are interested in being nominated need to attend. This forum is also open to anyone who just wants to learn more about the governance polity of St. John’s, and how the Board works.
Nomination forms are available in the E-vine, in the church office, or by coming to the forum. These forms are to be returned to Board Chair, John Van Hofwegen, or Pastor Mike Schmid by May 15.
Endowment Fund Disbursement Application Process
The purpose of the St. John’s Endowment Fund is to receive, to manage and to distribute funding to support and implement the mission and vision of St. John’s Lutheran Church. A the end of December, the value of the fund was approximately $1.33 million. Please refer to the Endowment Fund By-Laws for a complete description of what the funds may be used for, and how they are managed: Endowment Fund By-Laws
Each year up to 5% of the value of the fund is available for disbursement to support the ministry. For some of the funds that make up the overall fund, the disbursements have defined purposes (tuition assistance, etc.) The Endowment Fund Committee is receiving applications for 2024 2025 disbursements from the “SJL Ministries” portion of the endowment fund. This year there is approximately $36,000 available to be disbursed from this fund. If you have an idea for a ministry disbursement and would like to submit an application, please click on this link to download an application: Endowment Fund Application.
The deadline for applications is April 1, 2024. Please send or drop off applications to the church office. The Endowment Fund Committee will then review all applications and make recommendations to the Board of Directors.
Fellowship at St. John’s Survey
We are planning to offer a variety of fellowship opportunities this coming year. If you didn’t fill out the blue paper survey in church, please click the link below to fill out this form and indicate which events are of interest to you, as well as which ones you would like to help make happen. Thanks for taking the time to help us plan fellowship events! CLICK HERE for the link.
Worship Tech Overhaul
“Faith Comes From Hearing”
We’ve heard your feedback and understand that one of the biggest challenges you and our visitors face when attending worship in person or watching the livestream is participating in the service because it’s difficult to see or hear God’s Word, the lessons, and the beautiful music that’s raised up to God in praise. With these concerns in mind, we’re doing a complete and total overhaul of the audio and visual technology in the St. John’s sanctuary and Faith Chapel. We’re working to create an experience that is free of distractions, allowing our members, visitors, students, and families to focus on the most import element of any gathering held at St. John’s: God’s Word. If you would like to help support this mission, we ask that you do so through your offerings. There are three ways you can give:
- In person using your offering envelope
- By clicking: Donate to St. John’s Lutheran (https://bit.ly/DonatetoStJohnsLutheran)
- By using the Vanco Mobile app
We ask that you notate your donation with “Faith Comes From Hearing” or “Worship Tech Overhaul” to ensure it is applied to this project.
Women’s Bible Study
We are continuing with the Book of Ephesians. We have decided to move the study to Mondays, at our regular time (10:00). Looking forward to seeing all of you! Blessings, Judi Rock
Men’s Saturday Morning Bible Study
The Men’s Saturday Morning Bible Study is currently studying the Gospel of Luke. Join us for fellowship at 7:30 AM and Bible Study from 8-9 AM.
New Email Addresses for the Church
Please make a note that we are changing the email addresses for the church. Please use the following email addresses for correspondence.
- Church Office: churchoffice@stjohnsnapa.org
- Pastor Mike: pastormike@stjohnsnapa.org
- Kevin Mathison: kevin@stjohnsnapa.org
- Tim Kramer: tkramer@stjohnsnapa.org
What is different? The domain “stjohnsnapa.org” instead of “stjohnslutheran.net.” We are moving away from the “stjohnslutheran.net” so that all emails, church and school, will be “stjohnsnapa.org.” The old emails will remain active for a time to make sure we don’t miss anything, but please update your address books accordingly.
Coffee Ministry Needs Help
Do you enjoy the coffee hour after church? Would you like to be part of this ministry? We are looking for additional people to join us! Join a team or get some friends and make a team. Three or four people are ideal. On the job training will be provided.
Responsibilities are: • arriving prior to service to set up • providing refreshments – may be baked or purchased • making coffee • setting up serving tables and seating • serving the refreshments • clean up
We appreciate the people who help set up and put away tables and chairs and those who contribute refreshments. This is a welcoming time of fellowship for both members and visitors. Any questions or willingness to serve – please contact Susan or Bill Clark or the church office.
Biblical Counseling at St John’s?
The Biblical Counseling Center of Napa Valley
The Biblical Counseling Center of Napa Valley is a ministry to the families of St. John’s Lutheran Church and all Christians in the greater Napa area. Our center began some 25 years ago to offer strength and direction to those Christians suffering through trials and tribulations using the promises and hope the Bible offers to those who trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior. To learn more, CLICK HERE. If you, or someone you know, is struggling with life’s stressors, please consider giving us a call at 707-738-5306. (We are a free ministry to all).
Right Now Media
Right now media is an online resource providing Christian videos for all ages: Children’s resource, Bible Studies, lectures and more. As a congregation, we have subscribed to Right Now Media, so access is free for all in our St. John’s family. If you haven’t already signed up for Right Now Media, CLICK HERE.
Napa State Hospital Christmas Donation THANK YOU!
CLICK HERE to view list of requested items.
As a Thrivent member, you are eligible for two Thrivent Action Teams per year. Thrivent Action Teams are a great way to make a positive impact in your community. Thrivent offers all the resources you need to get started, including up to $250 in seed money. Your team below provide the passion that brings your project to life. Here are some ideas on how you can help us here at St. John’s…
- Youth Events, VBS, Mission Farm, Large Print Ministry and LCC K9 Comfort Dog Ministry
Please call the church office if you are inspired to help with projects like these above and much more. Christy Kramer will be happy to help you apply for your Action Team Card.
CLICK HERE for instructions. CLICK HERE for more information.
Do you wish to receive the E-Vine by text?
Signing up is simple. Just text “sjlctext” to 855-906-0515. When an e-vine is sent out, you will receive a text with a link which will take you to the current e-vine. If you currently receive the e-vine by email, you will continue to receive it that way as well, unless you request for it to stop.
Where do I find sermons and services that I missed?
You can find previous sermons in three places. The full services are available on the YouTube channel.
- YouTube Channel:
- https://www.youtube.com/user/stjohnsnapaca/live
- There are playlists for sermons, Sunday Services, Wednesday Night Worship and teaching on Matthew
- RightNow Media Channel
- https://www.rightnowmedia.org/CustomLibrary/41667
- Scroll down to find recommendations as well as sermon and Gospel of Matthew lessons
- Website
- https://stjohnslutheran.net/sermons-2/
- The sermons are arranged by worship series
Ongoing News and Information
LCC K9 Comfort Dog Info… Scrip Info: What is Scrip?… Social Media at St. John’s… Mission India…