April 17, 2025 E-Vine

Maundy Thursday
 
April 17, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
Please CLICK HERE to download the service notes.

As We Gather

When we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are celebrating our unity in Christ.  Though we are many, we are one as we partake of the body and blood of the one Christ.  Paul called his readers in Corinth to “discern the body,” to perceive the oneness of the community, instead of the contention and division that marked their gatherings.  As we commemorate the Last Supper of our Lord and the gift of the Lord’s Supper, we rejoice that in Christ, despite our diversity and differences, we are one.

The service concludes with the “stripping of the altar,” the removal of all items and ornamentation from the chancel, representing the humbling and persecution of Christ after His arrest.

The following young people will be making their First Communion.  We rejoice with them and their families at this occasion:

Brodie Mooers, Jaxson Hicks, Nevaeh Johnson, Isaiah Johnson
 

Good Friday
 
April 18, 2025 @ 7:00 PM
Please CLICK HERE to download the service notes.

As We Gather
We celebrate victory in defeat, life in death, innocence in condemnation.   We celebrate the great exchange, that He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).   On the cross, the condemnation of One becomes acquittal for all, apparent defeat for One became victory for all, and the brutal death of One became the entrance to eternal life for all who trust in Him.  This is the good tragedy we celebrate today. 
 
The service includes the reading of the Passion as part of the Tenebrae, the Service of Shadows.  The sanctuary will gradually grow darker as candles are extinguished and lights are dimmed.  This is to represent the extinguishing of the life of the Son of God, our Savior.  May God bless our meditation this evening as He draws us to the cross.
 

Easter Vigil
 
April 19, 2025 @ 8:00 PM
Please CLICK HERE to download the service notes.

As We Gather
The Vigil of Easter is a special service designed to remember our Lord’s resurrection.  Moving from darkness to light, we remember that Jesus is our Light, we recall the mighty acts of God, and we pause to remember our Baptism.  We do all this in the context of the greatest event in history:  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter Sunday
 
April 20, 2025 @ 8:30 AM
Please CLICK HERE to download the service notes.
April 20, 2025 @ 10:30 AM
Please CLICK HERE to download the service notes.

As We Gather
Paul points out that if we are placing our hope only in this life, we are to be pitied.  For a hope only in this life is no hope at all.  But our hope rests on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  We have hope that is far more than wishful thinking.  We have hope that flows from a historical event. And nothing can take this away.  Because He lives, we also will live.

Please CLICK HERE to download the link to the live-stream itself.

                                            

 

Holy Week

Holy week commemorates the culminating week in the life of Jesus, and the events at the heart of the salvation which is ours through Jesus.

 

  • Maundy Thursday (April 17) is a commemoration of Jesus’ “Last Supper.”  At this meal, He transformed the Passover meal into a sharing of Himself in bread and wine as His body and blood.  At our Maundy Thursday worship (7:00 PM), we will also be celebrating the First Communion of those who have been preparing to be welcomed to the Lord’s Supper.
  • Good Friday (April 18) marks the day that Jesus was crucified.  Our evening service (7:00 PM) is a Tenebrae Service.  This is an ancient and beautiful service of gradually darkening the sanctuary as we read the account of the crucifixion and sing hymns and songs in response, ending with the sanctuary in darkness.
  • Easter Vigil (April 19, 8:00 PM)  is the first celebration of the Resurrection and serves as a counterpart to the Good Friday Tenebrae.  We process into a darkened sanctuary with candles, and as we meditate on the history of God’s saving activity, the sanctuary is gradually lightened.
  • On Easter Sunday (April 20), we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus with two opportunities to worship.  The 8:30 service is led with traditional hymns and the choir.  The 10:30 service is led by the worship band.  Our Easter morning also includes an egg hunt and an Easter breakfast in the gym (9:00 – 10:30).

 

    
 

Pastor Mike’s Bible Class
The Early Church and the Nicene Creed – Resumes May 11
What is the history and meaning of the creed we speak together in worship most Sundays?  In this multi-week study, Pastor Mike will be looking at the first four centuries of the Christian Church, leading up to the writing of the Nicene Creed.  The class will resume on May 11 as we look at the church in the 4th century.

 
 

Sanctuary Lighting Upgrade
Let There Be Lights!

The long overdue project to update and enhance the lighting in the sanctuary is here!   What is included in this upgrade?

  • LED lighting throughout the sanctuary, replacing the incandescent lights and original fixtures.
  • Enhanced lighting of the chancel (front of the sanctuary) for better visibility.
  • Updated controls and integration with the worship tech station
  • Better cameras for recording and streaming that can easily be controlled by worship tech for pan, tilt and zoom.

The Board of Directors has approved funds from the Michael Thomas bequest for a portion of this project.  We are inviting the St. John’s community to support the rest.  Our goal is $50,000.  If you would like to make an offering to “Let There Be Lights,” please indicate on your check or online that it is for the lighting project.

 

EASTER SUNDAY FLOWER CROSS

We will again this year have our Easter Flower Cross.  Please bring fresh cut flowers from your garden to decorate our cross between services.


“The Hallelujah Chorus”  – Join Us!
The Sanctuary Choir will be singing “The Hallelujah Chorus” by G.F. Handel at the 8:30 Easter Service.  If you have sung this before and would like to join the choir for this amazing anthem of praise, we invite you to come join the choir.  Pastor Mike will invite you to join during the service.

 
“You’re invited to join us for breakfast on Easter Sunday. We will begin serving food at 9am and continue to serve through 10:30am to ensure that you can enjoy breakfast no matter which worship service you choose. This is a free breakfast for everybody however the St. John’s youth appreciate any donations made and will utilize them to fund the National Youth Gathering trip in July.” 

 

 


Board of Directors Nominations

The Board of Directors is receiving Board nominations for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.  There are nine members of the Board of Directors.  Four 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, please click on this link to download information about qualifications and responsibilities.  Also included is a nomination form to be completed and returned to the church office, Paula Schweiger, or Pastor Mike, by May 1st. 

 

                                                                 

Save the Date!     Vacation Bible School 

We have officially entered the Vacation Bible School season! This year we will take kids on an adventure of Trusting Jesus in a Wild World at True North VBS! Jesus is the ultimate True North and He is unshakeable at all times. We will be reminding kids that He is our forever friend and Savior all week long. A website for registration will be up at a later date, but in the meantime I ask that you prayerfully consider playing a role in delivering a memorable experience for the kids this summer. The dates are set for Monday-Thursday, June 16-19th, from 9am-Noon. Please contact Kevin Mathison with any questions you may have. 

 

High School Youth

 

There will be no Hang Out on Easter Sunday.  Enjoy the day with your families!
Join us this Sunday after church for High School Hangout.  We will dive into our Bible study on Rightnow Media & play some games together. 

 

We have added a few members to our team and we are always looking for more. It’s a joy to share the gospel with the young kids at their level each week! If you are interested in serving in Children’s Church occasionally please contact Kevin Mathison or the Church Office. 
 

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 

 

SJL Green Group Preschool Teacher, Ms. Burmester, could win an assembly with Bill Nye!
She’s in the Top 1% nationwide of all teachers in the “America’s Favorite Teacher” Contest! 
Let’s help Ms. Burmester get to the semi-finals!
Voting for semi-finalists ends April 17 at 7:00pm!    CLICK HERE for details!

 
Volunteers needed this Holy Saturday morning to plant corn at the Mission Farm. Yes, it is a busy time with lots of worship opportunities, Easter feasts to prepare, family gatherings to enjoy (and travel for). But planting corn is a very appropriate spiritual activity, given the words of our Savior before He faced the cross. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (Jn. 12:23-24).. He was speaking of course of the need for Him to die and be buried in order to bring a rich harvest of life to many. If you can join us, meet at the Farm at 9 a.m.  Thank you!

 

                                                                                                  

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 whom you may invite.  Who can you pray for?  Who will you invite?  

 

 

 

 

 

You can CLICK HERE to give your offering online.   

 

 

                                                                           
 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

Ongoing News and Information

 


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