May 28, 2026 E-Vine

Trinity Sunday
“In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

May 31, 2026
 
CLICK HERE FOR SERVICE NOTES
 
As We Gather

Jesus instructs His church to baptize in the name of the Triune God. Why is this important? What does it mean in our lives that God is triune? What does it mean that the name of this Triune God has been placed upon us?

 

Ongoing News and Information

 

 


May 31 – Open Forum Regarding Proposed Budget
There will be an open forum on Sunday, May 31 regarding the proposed 2026-2027 Ministry Plan and Budget, which is available to review on our website. There are also hard copies available in the narthex. The forum will be in the sanctuary and will begin at 11:00 AM. 

 


Pastor Mike’s Bible Class: Revelation – No meeting this week
The Sunday Bible class on the Book of Revelation will not be meeting this week. The class will resume on Sunday, June 21.
 

 

Join the Worship Preparation Team!
Do you ever wonder who prepares the church for our services? Our Worship Preparation Team works quietly to make sure everything is ready for our Sunday and special services. We are currently looking for new members to join us. It is a wonderful way to serve, meet fellow members, and learn about the liturgical life of the church. If you are interested, please contact Doris Klein or Kristy in the church office.

 

 

 

June 7 – Congregational Budget and Election Meeting
The annual budget and election congregational meeting will be on Sunday, June 7 at 11:00 AM in the Sanctuary. We will be electing candidates for four positions on the Board of Directors. We will also be considering and voting on the proposed 2026-2027 Ministry Plan and Budget.

 

 

June 8-September 23 – Support SJLS at a Giants Game
Support St. John’s Lutheran School by joining the Giants at Oracle Park for one of their select fundraising games! There are 22 game dates available from June 8 to September 23. Bleacher and View Reserve tickets are only $15, and $5 of each ticket purchased will be donated back to our school by purchasing through the QR code in the flyer above.

 

 

🔥🍔 St. John’s Summer BBQ

June 14 from 12:30 to 2:30 pm on the Patio

 

Join us as we kick off summer with a campus‑wide BBQ celebrating the heart of St. John’s: our congregation. This relaxed afternoon is all about good food, good company, and the joy of being together as a church family.

 

We’ll be serving burgers, hot dogs, and brats hot off the grill. Please bring a dessert or salad to share, along with your favorite non‑alcoholic drink. Outdoor games are welcome too if your family has a favorite.

 

To help us prepare well, please sign up and let us know you’re coming.

 

👉 Register here:

bit.ly/SJLSummerBBQ

or use this QR code:

 


June 15-19 – Vacation Bible School
Join us for an adventure to Rainforest Falls this summer! St. John’s Lutheran Church is hosting VBS for preschoolers through rising 4th graders on June 15-19 (Monday-Friday) from 9am-Noon.. Each day our campers will be reminded of God’s immense love for them as they travel through Rooted Bible Adventures, run and play at Wild Rainforest Games, create memorable take homes with Rainforest Crafts, and enjoy some of the tastiest treats the Falls has to offer. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Don’t hesitate to invite a friend! In order to offer this awesome week of fun we rely on numerous volunteers and we would love you to consider joining the team this year. Register here!

 

 


The St. John’s Lutheran Church App is coming!
We are happy to introduce a new tool to help us stay better informed and connected at St. John’s. This is an app for your phone or pad called the “Church Center” App. It will give you one easy place to find events, groups, giving, and updates from St. John’s.

 

The Church Center App for St. John’s builds on what we already use. Church Center is part of Planning Center, which our staff and many volunteers already use on Sunday mornings for all the ways people serve each week, as well as planning the worship service itself.

 

Event registrations, like Wine and the Word, will be quick and simple. You can update your own contact information, manage giving, and stay connected throughout the week. The app also includes an optional, privacy-friendly church directory. You choose what information you share -it’s a great way to learn names and build community.

 

We’ll share more details in the coming weeks, including how to download and us the app and how to join the directory.

 


In Search of Sunday Transportation (Napa)
A member of our congregation who lives less than a mile from our church is looking for transportation to and from SJLC on Sunday mornings. She uses a walker and may require assistance getting in and out of the vehicle. If you are able to help, please leave your name and contact information (phone and/or e-mail) with the Church Office Manager, Kristy Watkins (churchoffice@stjohnsnapa.org).

 

In Search of Sunday Transportation (Suisin City)
A young adult with special needs, who lives in Suisun City, is looking for transportation to and from SJLC on Sunday mornings. He is ambulatory and needs no special accommodations, just a ride. He is friendly and talkative! If you are able to help him out, please leave your name and contact information (phone and/or e-mail) with the Church Office Manager, Kristy Watkins (churchoffice@stjohnsnapa.org).

 

Fifth Grade Teacher at St. John’s Lutheran School

Our beloved Mr. Newton is retiring at the end of this school year after 50 years of teaching at St. John’s, and we are looking for a new teacher to lead the 5th grade class starting this fall. If you are interested, or know someone else who might be a good fit, please reach out to Principal Christy Wood at cwood@stjohnsnapa.org.

 

Music Teacher at St. John’s Lutheran School

The Music Teacher position at St. John’s Lutheran School includes classroom instruction for Preschool – Grade 5 and Choir direction for Grades 6-8.  This is a part-time position, scheduled for classroom instruction Tuesday and Thursday, and accompaniment/directing of students during our weekly Chapel first thing Wednesday morning.  In addition, accompaniment/directing takes place approximately twice a month during our Sunday Worship. For more information, please contact Principal Christy Wood at cwood@stjohnsnapa.org.

 

 

 

 

The Gospel Way Catechism: 50 Truths That Take On the World
Trevin Wax and Thomas West

Christians have used catechisms for centuries to teach the faith. A catechism is an instructional tool built around a question-and-answer format—essentially the church’s version of an F.A.Q. In the Lutheran tradition, we naturally think first of Luther’s Small Catechism and his Large Catechism.

What sets The Gospel Way Catechism apart is its intentional engagement with the spiritual and cultural landscape of contemporary America. The familiar doctrinal questions—about God, creation, humanity, salvation, and more—are framed against the backdrop of today’s major social issues and, even more importantly, the cultural narratives that fuel them. The authors argue, rightly, that we are being “catechized” every day by a culture shaped by very different values and beliefs. Their aim is to counterform Christians according to God’s Word and the gospel.

The most recent CPH edition of the Small Catechism does address some of these cultural concerns, but largely at the level of symptoms rather than the deeper narrative foundations. I do not see The Gospel Way Catechism as a replacement for Luther’s Small Catechism—far from it. Luther’s work remains an unmatched resource for teaching the essential content of the faith. Instead, this new catechism serves as a helpful supplement, showing how core Christian teachings speak directly and deeply to the issues of our time.

I first encountered this project at a breakout session led by the authors at last year’s Gospel Coalition conference. The session introduced the forthcoming book, and afterward I spoke briefly with Trevin Wax about my sense that such a work would function best as a supplement rather than a replacement for the classic Reformation catechisms. He agreed. Having now read the finished product, I feel even more strongly that this is the right way to use it.

It’s worth noting that the authors wrote this catechism for a broad Protestant audience—Reformed, Anglican, and others. As a result, some statements are more general than how we would express them in a Lutheran context. This is most noticeable in the chapters on baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Each of the “50 Truths” begins with a short, memorable question and answer in classic catechism style. This is followed by several paragraphs of deeper reflection, where the authors address the cultural narratives that the gospel confronts and overturns. Each section then offers thoughtful discussion questions—useful for personal reflection or group study—followed by a list of roughly twenty relevant Scripture passages.

This book would be an excellent resource for an adult small group interested in examining today’s cultural narratives and growing in a Gospelshaped worldview. I have placed a copy of this book on the bookshelf in the church narthex. Previous recommendations can be found here: church.stjohnsnapa.org/resources/pastor-mikes-bookshelf

                               

   

Confirmation Classes

Congratulations to our 2026 confirmands! Our confirmation classes have wrapped up for this school year, but any current 6th and 7th graders who are interested in participating in confirmation classes in the fall can reach out to Kevin Mathison for more information.

 


Tuesday Night High School Hangouts
Tuesday is Youth Night! We’re kicking things off with an apologetics series to better prepare ourselves for sharing our faith. Join us as we dive into the Word and have a little fun while doing so! Invite a friend and come join us! We’ll meet on Tuesday nights from 7:00-8:30 PM in Kevin Mathison’s office. For more information, please contact Kevin Mathison.

 

 

Join Us For Children’s Church!

All children ages preschool through 5th grade are invited to join us for Children’s Church, an age-specific time of teaching and fellowship during the main worship service every Sunday morning. The children will spend the first part of the service in the sanctuary, then join their teachers for Children’s Church in one of the classrooms. The children then rejoin their families for the last part of the worship service. We are also looking for more adults and teens to help lead these classes, so if you are interested, please reach out to Kevin at kevin@stjohnsnapa.org.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow St. John’s Youth Ministry on Social Media to keep up with all the latest information! 
Facebook: SJL Napa Youth Ministry
Instagram: St. John’s Lutheran Napa Youth 

                                                             

               


St. John’s LCC K9 Comfort Dog Ministry
Your St. John’s Comfort Dog team continues to prepare for the arrival of our new LCC K9 Comfort Dog. We will reach the two-year predicted wait time in September of 2026 though the date is not guaranteed. We continue to meet monthly, on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 PM in Room 10, where we are studying the “Nine Arts of Spiritual Conversation”. Our meetings also include prayer time and fellowship. Being a part of this team is like joining together with family.

 

In March, Tim and Christy Kramer attended an LCC Top Dog Gathering in Illinois to meet with other Top Dogs from around the country to enjoy encouragement, sharing of ideas and processes, and ministry experiences to further enhance each other’s ministries. The theme was “Be the salt and the light” focusing on Matthew 5:13-16.

 

Another area of focus at the gathering was team building – how to build up current members as well as encourage new members. There are several different roles on the Comfort Dog Team, and we need more people to join us. Please contact Tim or Christy for more information at (707)681-1917.

 

We were blessed to have Rahab Comfort Dog from St. Andrew in Stockton for several days. Our team was able to take her on many visits while in Napa including Piner’s Nursing Home, St. John’s school, a shut-in visit, St. John’s special needs Bible study, Alta Heights Elementary, and spent time at a Marriage and Family Therapist’s office helping clients. It is so important for us to keep up our skills as well as maintain relationships in our community while we wait for our dog. We are grateful to Rahab’s team for sharing her with us.

 

We were blessed to have another one of our West Coast K9 Comfort Dogs onsite. Micah from Light of the Valley in Elk Grove was in the area to offer comfort to all who attended the celebration of life for Mike Quinn. Every seat in the sanctuary was filled. Mike loved working as a Ministry Partner with the Comfort Dogs during his retirement years. Micah was also able to stay over as a “Greeter” the next morning at church. 

 

Thank you again for your continued prayer and financial support. Please consider joining us in showing the mercy, compassion, presence and proclamation of Jesus to those hurting and in need.

         

 

 

Every week is an opportunity to invite someone to join with us in worship, whether in person or online. The first step, though, is to pray for those who you may invite.  Who can you pray for?  Who will you invite?  

 

 

You can CLICK HERE to give your offering online.   

 

 

 

 

What is Stephen Ministry?

Stephen Ministry is a system through which individuals are trained and organized to help provide one-on-one Christian caregiving to adults. This multiplies the amount of caring ministry St. John’s can provide by giving us a whole team of skilled caregivers who are equipped to bring Christ’s healing love to people who are grieving, in crisis, or experiencing other stresses in life. For more information about this ministry contact Penni Cremen (707-483-9321) or Pastor Mike at the church office (707-255-0119).

 


Women’s Monday Morning Bible Study
The Women’s Monday Morning Bible Study will be studying the Epistle to the Philippians this month. All women are welcome to join us every Monday morning from in the Sanctuary from 10:00-11:30 AM. All study materials will be handed out when we meet. After June 1, we will break for the summer and resume in the fall with a study of Genesis. For more information, please contact Judi Rock at goalyce2041@gmail.com.

 

 

                                             

Men’s Saturday Morning Bible Study

The Men’s Saturday Morning Bible Study is currently studying Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. All men are welcome to join us every Saturday morning in Room 10. Breakfast will be at 7:30 AM, and the Bible study will be from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM.

 

 

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 resources, 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.

 

 

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.

 

             

 

  Church Calendar           Scrip Info: What is Scrip?…

         

 

 

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