April 3, 2025 E-Vine – St John's Lutheran Church of Napa CA

For Us
“Dying For Us”
April 6, 2025

Please CLICK HERE to download the service notes.

As We Gather
Why did Jesus come to be our Savior? Why was He born? Why did He live His sinless life? Why did He set His face toward the cross? Why did He suffer and die? The answer is the heart of the Christian faith: Christ came for us, lived for us, died for us, rose for us.

Our Lent Sunday series this year is entitled “For Us.” Each week we will focus on a different aspect of what Christ has done for us, and who He is for us. The parable of the wicked tenants presents an obvious parallel to God the Father sending His Son to His unfaithful people. But unlike in the parable, God our Father knew what the reception would be. He sent Him anyhow, and the Son went willingly. Such is His love for His unworthy people, for you and me.

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

Pastor Mike’s Bible Class
The Early Church and the Nicene Creed
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. This Sunday: The Early Church Fathers (AD 100-200). What was going on and what does it mean for us today?

Lent Midweek Service April 9
My Shepherd – He Welcomes Me
Our Lent midweek series on Psalm 23 concludes next Wednesday as we focus on Psalm 23:6. “Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6). The end of our journey is the house of the Lord where we will be welcomed by the Shepherd who has provided for us, led us, and comforted us every step of the way. The service is at 7:00 PM, preceded by a soup supper in the parish hall at 6:00 PM.

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” Rehearsal – 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, there will be a special choir rehearsal on April 6th after church. Stay tuned for details!

Board of Directors Nomination
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.

“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.”

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

Calling all High Schoolers! Come hang out with us and enjoy a delicious Spaghetti Dinner, fun games, and a Gathering themed Bible study. Friends are welcome!
Saturday, April 12, 6-8:30pm in SJL Gym

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

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.

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

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