E-Vine September 21, 2017

 This Week’s Memory Verse

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. ~1 Peter 2:9

As We Gather

What is a disciple?  What does a disciple do?  At its heart discipleship is following Jesus.  Discipleship is seeking to live all of our lives as an expression of faith in Him.  Our Goal at St. John’s is to make disciples.  This is the goal for all who are served by this ministry:

• Constant in Prayer
• Grounded in the Word
• Faithful in Worship
• Spiritual Friendships
• Loving Service
• Intentional Generosity
• Compassionate Witness

Today we focus on first mark of discipleship: “constant in prayer.”  A disciple has an active prayer life, and is growing in praying with and for others. How is Jesus calling you to a richer more active prayer life as His disciples?

• First Reading Nehemiah 1:1-11
• Psalm Psalm 84
• Second Reading Philippians 4:4-9
• Holy Gospel Matthew 6:1-13

Children’s Church Teachers:  Janet Gates, Kristi Carey, Danielle Irwin

• Ministry Fair:  October 1 . . . Are you interested in serving, but not sure what is available?  We will be having a Ministry Fair on Sunday, October 1 after each service in the Parish Hall.  Come and learn about the many ways to serve the Lord and His mission here at St. John’s.  

• Church, School and Mission: (October 21, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Sanctuary).  How can we as a church better serve our St. John’s School community? How can we better share the love and compassion of Jesus with those who are served by our school? This workshop will be led by Michael Zimmer, Education Executive for the Northern Illinois District of the LCMS.

• 500th Anniversary of the Reformation Celebration – Sunday, October 29.    We will be celebrating the 500^th anniversary of the start of the Reformation on Sunday, October 29.  There will be only one service that Sunday, at 9:30 AM.  This service will include both traditional and contemporary elements, both choir and band, as we celebrate together God’s call to be a reforming church today.  Following the service there will be a congregational potluck in the Parish Hall.  Please join us for this time of fellowship and celebration!

Please bring a dish to share according to your last name:

A –  H   bring a Main Dish

I – P     bring a Salad

Q – Z   bring an Appetizer or a Dessert

Help is needed with set-up, kitchen duties, and clean-up.  Please RSVP to Pam Barker to let her know how many people in your party, what dish, and whether you can help with set-up, kitchen, or clean-up.  Thank you!

RSVP  pam.moe.barker@gmail.com   or  707-225-4707 (text or call)

• Director of Youth Ministry Call . . . The Board of Directors has extended a call on behalf of the congregation to Michael De Dominick to serve as our Director of Youth Ministry.  Michael is currently serving Emmanuel Lutheran in Tacoma Washington.  Please keep Michael and his family in your prayers as he seeks the Lord’s guidance in considering this call.

• Hurricane Harvey Relief Donations . . . There are many options available to provide support for those who are in need because of the hurricane and flooding in Texas.  Here are links to several options:
• LCMS World Relief:    https://www.lcms.org/givenow/hurricane
• Texas District of the LCMS:  http://txlcms.org/congregations/disaster-relief/
• Lutheran Church Charities (Comfort Dog & Disaster Relief):  http://www.lutheranchurchcharities.org/

• Thrivent Matching Donations . . .Thrivent will match up to $3 million in personal donations made online through Thrivent.com to specific disaster relief organizations responding to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The dollar-for-dollar match will lead to a total combined impact of up to $6 million. For more details and to see the list of organizations included in the match, visit the Disaster Response page on Thrivent.com.

Fall Classes

• Foundations: Basic Christian Teachings:  Do you know the core teachings of the Christian Faith?  Do you know them well enough to share them?  This course is intended to deepen understanding of the central teachings of the faith, and better enable us to share them with others.  This course also covers the core teachings for those interested in becoming members of St. John’s.  Foundations will take place on Five Sundays beginning on September 24 and continuing through October 22.  The class will meet at 11:45 AM – 1:30 PM in Room 10 and will include a light lunch!  Child Care will be provided.  If you have questions about Foundations or would like to sign up, please contact Pastor Mike (pastormike@stjohnslutheran.net) or the church office.

• A Reasonable Faith: Apologetics:  Is it reasonable to believe in God?  In this class we will seek to grow in our understanding of the reasonableness of the Christian Faith, and how to respond in thoughtful ways to those who doubt or disbelieve.  We will focus mainly on the existence of God and the reliability of the Bible, as we seek to be better equipped to share our faith in a skeptical culture.  A Reasonable Faith will begin on Tuesday, September 26. The class will be from 7:00 – 8:30 in the Sanctuary.  The plan is for the class to conclude on October 24, but it may continue beyond this date based on the interest of the participants and where our discussions take us.  If you have questions about A Reasonable Faith or would like to sign up, please contact Pastor Mike (pastormike@stjohnslutheran.net) or the church office.

• Trunk or Treat: Sunday, October 29,2017, 5:00-6:45pm in the Parish Hall.  For more information please contact Janis King @707-226-7970 ext 107 or email jking@stjohnsnapa.org  Please see attachment.

• Wednesday Morning Bible Class… This class, led by Pastor Mark, will continue studying the book of Romans, picking up at Chapter 8.  This is a detailed study as we work our way through this book verse by verse.  All who are available on Wednesday mornings are welcome to join us.  Class meets most Wednesday mornings in Room 10 from 10:30 – 11:30 AM.

• Love and Logic Parenting Class:   Beginning October 5^th, we will be offering a parenting class called PARENTING the Love & Logic Way. This is a video/discussion type class for parents of young children.  “When parents start Love & Logic in their children’s early lives, they dramatically up the odds that the teenage years will be fun instead of frantic. Parents will learn a practical set of tools to help raise super kids!”  Please see attached flyer for details and registration info.

• SJLS GET ON TRACK 2017:  The Annual School Jog-a-thon fundraiser will be held on October 6^th. This year will be the second annual Color Run. The event raises funds for St. John’s Lutheran School’s Association of Parents and Teachers (APT) also, 25% of pledges raised are contributed to our class-sponsored, non-profit organizations.

What is the Color Run?  The event emphasizes fun over competition. Perfect for families and children, running or walking is up to you! You begin dressed in Get on Track Run Shirts that can be decorated with colors as you pass through optional color stations on the track. Each station is associated with a different color, while volunteers shower runners with dyed cornstarch out of spray bottles. Runners can have as little or as much color as desired. The Color Run has been nicknamed “the happiest run on the planet.”

Visit the official Get on Track website at www.sjlgetontrack.weebly.com

The Kick off assembly for Get on Track will commence Friday September 8th!  Prize lists, Pledge packets and poster contest details will be given at the kickoff.

Sponsorships: Show your SJL support by becoming an official Sponsor for Get on Track!  Your name or business logo will be listed on the official Get on Track T-shirts and website: Name listing $150 Logo Listing $300 Premier Banner $500, Arch Banner $750. Sponsorship and Donation forms are available at the school office or on the color run website.

Volunteers: Looking to help out with the event? You may sign up on line to volunteer at http://signup.com/go/phiSWWz

Please contact Ali Dragoo with any questions at ajcarter90@yahoo.com

• Please remember to compost, recycle, and properly dispose of your waste!  Compost = any plant/animal products-including food & food-soiled paper, bio-ware, yard waste Recycle = hard plastics, glass, metal, any clean/non-food-soiled paper, empty bottles & cups Trash/Landfill = soft plastics (ex: bags, wrappers, shrink wrap), diapers, rubber, mixed media Liquids= down the drain or in a “Dump Bucket”   Special Disposal = hazardous & automotive materials, batteries, fluorescent bulbs/tubes, electronics (it’s illegal to dispose of these items in the trash, recycling, or compost!). Check out this guide: http://naparecycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Recycle-Guide-2017.pdf    God created a wonderful world for us and charged us to take care of it – please be good stewards and help us keep it beautiful!       If you have questions, ask Sarah, Tim, or Christy Kramer.

• Sunday Morning Greeters needed!  If you are interested in helping us greet our worshipers on Sunday mornings, please contact Christy in the church office.  Thank you!

• St. John’s Facilities Online Calendar:  Looking for a room for a meeting or event?  You can now view this calendar online.  Go to https://teamup.com/ks059311afd6a21c57   If you would like to book a room/location on campus for an event/meeting, please contact Christy Kramer at the church office to be added to the calendar.  Please note:  You may only use the facility if you have pre-reserved your requested room/location with Christy Kramer.       

• Mission India:  Please keep this year’s Mission India Literacy trainers in your prayers.  To support this ministry financially, please make out your check to St. John’s.  You can use the designated offering envelopes or write on your check that it is for Mission India.  For more information about our partnership with Mission India and the opportunity to change lives and draw them to Christ, see www.missionindia.org.

• NEW AARON NOTE CARDS:  We have new note cards for sale at the church office.  Thanks for supporting Aaron’s ministry!
• Aaron Comfort Dog… New team members are always welcome!  Come join us and observe how this amazing ministry works.  Please contact Tim or Christy Kramer if you would like to “shadow” during one of our events!
• Aaron Comfort Dog Contact Info:  If you would like to request a visit from Aaron, please contact Tim or Christy Kramer @ 255-0119.  For an update on his activities, please check out his Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages at AaronComfortDog.
• Ministry Opportunity:   St. John’s participates in The Table ministry (based at First Presbyterian Church, 1333 Third St. in Napa) by cooking/serving a meal every month on the 2nd Friday.  Tomorrow (August 11^th) is St. John’s’ service opportunity, and we invite you to join us. If you would like to help, please sign up for a shift (or multiple shifts) by clicking here: We thank you for your service.  Your time and your talents are greatly appreciated.   Blessings, The Table Team

• Recycle your Household Batteries at SJL: St. John’s Lutheran is working with Napa Recycling on collecting and disposing of any household batteries you may have; AAA, AA, C, D & 9 volt batteries. We will not accept automotive or drill batteries, only standard household batteries. Containers are available in the school office, church office, and Room 10.  Now you no longer need to question what to do with these batteries.  Bring them to one of our locations mentioned above, drop them in the container, and we will do the rest! Thank you for supporting our efforts in keeping our landfills clean.

• Campus Security:  Please remember to check that doors are properly closed and locked as you leave the room you are using.  Thanks for helping us take care of our campus.

• Abide Daily Devotion… How do I let Scripture guide my prayer life?  How can I let Jesus direct what I pray for each day?  The Abide Devotion, written by Pastor Mike, is a daily devotion designed to address these concerns.  You can click here for more information and to subscribe to receive the devotions in your email each morning.