July 2, 2026 E-Vine – St John's Lutheran Church of Napa CA

You Asked For It!
“For Freedom Set Free”

July 5, 2026

CLICK HERE FOR SERVICE NOTES

As We Gather

What is freedom? Our culture often defines it as independence, self-expression, or the right to choose our own path. Scripture offers a deeper and more life-giving vision. Today we explore the freedom God gives—freedom from sin’s bondage, freedom for life with Him, and freedom to love our neighbor. Through the rescue of Israel, the spaciousness of God’s Word, the promise of Jesus, and Paul’s call to Spirit-led living, we discover that true freedom is not autonomy but belonging: belonging to the God who sets His people free in Christ.

Ongoing News and Information

Pastor Mike’s Bible Class: Revelation
Pastor Mike is leading a Bible study series on the Book of Revelation. What is the meaning of this book? What does it say to us today? What are we to make of the striking images and symbols? We will be going through the entire book in the months ahead, seeking to understand and apply Jesus’ revelation to John, and through him, to us today. We will be meeting in Room 10 at 11:00 AM on Sundays after worship.

Large Print Ministry Schedule Update
Large Print will not be meeting during the first few weeks of July, but we will resume our usual schedule starting Monday, July 20. For more information, please contact Sherlene Mulsoff or Rebecca Vitkus.

July 6-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 19 game dates available from July 6 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.

July 7 – Disability Ministry Task Force Meeting
St. John’s Disability Ministry Task Force will be meeting on Tuesday evening, July 7, in Room10 at 7:00 PM. If you are interested in serving on the Task Force, please plan to attend this meeting! For further information about disability ministry at St. John’s Lutheran Church, or if you have an idea or suggestion that will meet someone’s need or that will enrich the ministry, please contact Elaine Zimmerman at zimelaine@comcast.net or 707-225-4291.

Helping with the Mission Farm Summer Harvest
The Lord is blessing the summer harvest at our Mission Farm with an abundance of fruit and vegetables for our neighbors in need. On July 1, we donated 475 lbs. of fresh produce to the Napa Food Bank, which is the single largest amount this season! We will continue to welcome help on the farm throughout this summer, so come on by anytime on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM to noon. Everyone is invited; bring a friend. Wear garden clothing, hat, gloves, and a smile!

Kitchen & Pantry Work Party (date TBD)
We are planning a Saturday work day this summer to clean and organize the kitchen and pantry. The original date was July 11, but due to a scheduling conflict, we will be finding a new date and will announce it once we have it. For more info, contact Susan Clark at 707-253-2477, or call the church office.

Missions Update from Kaelin Peralta
In February we had the pleasure of having Kaelin Peralta of Bethany Lutheran Church in Vacaville join us to talk about his work as the regional communication specialist for the LCMS Africa region, based in Kenya. Kaelin arrived in Africa in April and is off to a great start in his new role. You can find more details, as well as prayer requests, in Kaelin’s June newsletter here. Thank you for continuing to pray for Kaelin and his work in the mission field!

Supporting the Meissenhalter Family
Our dear friends Eva, Kenneth, Edel, and CJ Meissenhalter are grieving the loss of their beloved husband and father Martin. To surround them with love and ease some of their daily burdens (like cooking or errands), we are organizing a gift card train to support them. They would appreciate gift cards to local restaurants and grocery stores. You can contribute to their restaurant, grocery, and meal delivery gift card train on the GiveInKind platform by clicking here. Gift cards can also be dropped off at the church office. Thank you for showing your love and care during this difficult time!

Chemo Care for the Scully Family
Many thanks to our wonderful congregation for providing such care and support for the Scully family during Rebecca’s recovery from her recent surgery. She is now moving on to the chemotherapy phase of her treatment plan, and to help the Scully family focus on rest and healing, we have put together a “Chemo Care” website with links to items that would be most helpful for them as they navigate this next phase. For more information and to contribute, please click here. Thank you all so much for your generosity, prayers, and support during Rebecca’s recovery!

For more than 60 years, our main parking lot has served St. John’s well. But as we all know, it is now in serious need of repair. In addition, several sections of the sidewalks along Linda Vista Avenue and Trojan Road have been lifted and broken by tree roots, creatng uneven and unsafe walking areas.

“Make the Rough Places Plain” (Isaiah 40:4) is our congregation’s project to:

Repave the parking lot
Improve parking lot lighting
Repair the damaged sidewalk sections

Our goal is to complete the work this summer, so that when school begins, the “rough places” will indeed be made plain – a safer, well-lit parking lot and level sidewalks for all who come onto or walk by our campus.

Project Budget: $280,000

Parking Lot Repaving – $200,000
Improved Parking Lot Lighting – $50,000
Sidewalk Repair – $30,000

We have applied for assistance through the City of Napa’s Sidewalk Cost Share Program and are awaiting their response.

How You Can Help
Please prayerfully consider making a special offering to support “Make the Rough Places Plain.”
Gifts may be made by check or online at this link.

As of June 30, 2026, we have received:

$116,847 in donations
$50,000 pledged by the Association of Parents and Teachers

Praise God for His generosity through His people!

August 9 – Memorial Service for Martin Meissenhalter
Our dear brother Martin Meissenhalter went home to be with the Lord last month, and a memorial service for him will be held on Sunday, August 9 at 2:00 PM in the Sanctuary, with a reception to follow in the Parish Hall. All at St. John’s are warmly invited to attend; please RSVP by August 1,

In Search of Rental Home (Napa)
A family in our congregation is seeking to rent a house, townhouse or apartment with at least 2 bedrooms within walking distance of St. Johns beginning in August or September. If you have any leads, please reach out to Jeff at 650-804-6218. Many thanks!

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.

July 16-17 – High School Rafting Trip

The High School Crew is going rafting! We will be hitting the American River rapids on July 16th, camping out, and hitting them again on the 17th. A two day trip filled with fun, fellowship, and maybe a dip in the river. If you signed up for this trip, please be on the lookout for emails from Kevin with more details.

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

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 Happens When You Ask for Help from a Stephen Minister?

When you ask for help from a Stephen Minister, a Stephen Leader will contact you to talk more about Stephen Ministry and what it can mean to you. If your needs can be best served by a Stephen Minister, you will be matched with someone who will support you through this tough time. Confidentiality is a top priority for the Stephen Ministry team. You do not need to be concerned that other people will discover that you have requested help. Everything discussed with your Stephen Minister remains confidential. To find out more about Stephen Ministry or to request a Stephen Minister, 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 has wrapped up for the summer, but we will resume in the fall with a study of Genesis. In the meantime, if you would like 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.

YouTube Channel:
- www.youtube.com/user/stjohnsnapaca/live
- There are playlists for sermons, Sunday Services, Wednesday Night Worship and teaching on Matthew
RightNow Media Channel
- www.rightnowmedia.org/CustomLibrary/41667
- Scroll down to find recommendations as well as sermon and Gospel of Matthew lessons
Website
- church.stjohnsnapa.org/resources/sermons
- The sermons are arranged by worship series

You Asked For It! “For Freedom Set Free”