October 8, 2026 E-Vine

The Upside-Down Kingdom
“The Royal Invitation”
October 11, 2026
 
CLICK HERE FOR SERVICE NOTES

 

As We Gather

In today’s Gospel, Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as a wedding feast — a celebration overflowing with joy, welcome, and abundance. Yet many ignore the king’s invitation, and others try to enter on their own terms. The Upside‑Down Kingdom confronts both indifference and self‑reliance. We come because the King calls, and we come clothed in Christ, the true wedding garment. Today we hear the urgency and the grace of God’s summons, and we rejoice that He has made us worthy to share in His feast.

 

Ongoing News and Information

 

 


October 11 – Parent Information Meeting for Christmas Pageant
We are looking forward to holding our 2nd annual Christmas Encounter on Sunday, December 6, which will include a children’s Christmas pageant. We invite all interested families to attend an Information Meeting, which will take place on Sunday, October 11 after the worship service in the Library. We invite all children ages preschool through 5th grade to participate in the pageant, and there will also be narrator roles for older children as well! Please feel free to reach out to Kristy Watkins at churchoffice@stjohnsnapa.org if you have any questions.

 


Pastor Mike’s Bible Class: Revelation
Pastor Mike is continuing a Bible study series on the Book of Revelation. We are going through the entire book in the months ahead, seeking to understand and apply Jesus’ revelation to John, and through him, to us today. This Sunday we will be studying Revelation 11. We meet in Room 10 at 11:00 on Sundays after worship.

 


Thrivent Presentation Follow-Up
Many thanks to Ashley Tangeraas and Austen Wilson of Thrivent for their wonderful presentation on Sunday, and for the delicious treats from Model Bakery! If you would like to schedule a meeting with Ashley to discuss how Thrivent can assist with your financial planning, you can reach out to her at ashley.tangeraas@thrivent.com. And for more information about Thrivent’s amazing art collection, you can visit this link to view some of the masterpieces on display at Thrivent’s headquarters in Minneapolis.

 


October 15 – Dine and Donate at Panera
The St. John’s Lutheran School Theatre Program invites you to Dine and Donate with Panera on Thursday, October 15. Just visit the Panera location at 1725 Trancas St any time from 7:00AM to 9:00 PM on October 15 and present this flyer at checkout (or use code FUND4U when ordering online), and Panera will donate 20% of all sales to support our theatre program!

 

October 18 – Shared Equity Plan Open Forum
There will be an open forum following worship on Sunday, October 18 to explain the proposed Shared Equity Plan that will be considered at the Congregational Meeting on October 25. More information about the plan can be found at this link.

 


October 25 – Congregational Meeting
The Board of Directors has scheduled a Congregational Meeting for Sunday, October 25 right after the worship service. The congregation will be asked to decide on two items:

  • Leader Pastor Call: The Board of Directors, along with the Pastoral Call Committee is recommending to the congregation to consider and call Rev. Jeff Tucker of Concordia Lutheran Church in San Antonio as our new Lead Pastor. At the meeting, the Board and Call Committee will present to the congregation their reasons for this recommendation.
  • Shared Equity Plan: In addition to calling a new lead pastor, the Board of Directors is also recommending the congregation adopt a proposed Shared Equity Equity plan to help called workers better afford to purchase a home in Napa. More information about the plan can be found at this link.

October 30 – Trunk or Treat
It’s Trunk or Treat time! St. John’s is hosting Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 30 from 5:30-7pm in our newly renovated parking lot! You and your whole family and friends are invited to join in on the fun! The evening will begin with a quick welcome and devotion in the Faith Chapel at 5:30 and the kids will be sent out to the parking lot from there. You’re invited whether you decorate a trunk or not. Click here to register your trunk! The more the merrier! Please keep all costumes and decor on the fun side of things and avoid scary elements. We truly want to offer a totally fun and family friendly event for everybody. 

St. John’s High School Youth has dinner covered for the whole family! They’ll be selling pizza by the slice to fundraise for their summer rafting trip.

 

 

Update from the Mission Farm
Since April the volunteers at the Mission Farm have been busy raising organic fruits and vegetables to send to the CANV Food Bank to assist financially challenged families. As of the end of September, we have turned 15,583 lbs. of produce to the Bank this year, with 2,076.9 lbs. in September alone. We would not have been able to accomplish this without the sweat of our volunteers and the providence of the Heavenly Gardner who smiles upon the Farm’s purpose. 

Farmer Ted is now shifting his focus to raising funds for next year’s crop plan. During November and December, Mission Farm will join one hundred other Napa County nonprofits in the Napa Give!Guide’s 2026 campaign. We hope that as we approach the end of the year and you make plans for charitable giving that you will remember the mission of the Farm. St. John’s makes it easy to give in support not only for the General Fund, but also for certain of its individual ministries like the Farm by “earmarking” your gift. You can also help us connect with the community through the Give!Guide campaign. Place a sign in your front yard where neighbors and passersby can see it or display a poster at a busy workplace or business. Pastor Ted will have signs, posters, and brochures available—see him on Sunday mornings.

 

 


Cancer Care for the Scully Family
Many thanks to our wonderful congregation for providing such care and support for the Scully family over the past few months. Rebecca has successfully completed her four-cycle course of chemo. She’ll be concentrating in September on resting and recovering before undergoing radiation in late September or early October. To help the family continue to focus on rest and healing, we have put together a “Cancer Care” website with links to items that would be most helpful for them as they navigate this phase of treatment. For more information and to contribute, please click here. The Scully family is incredibly grateful for the prayers, gift cards, and generosity of our St. John’s family throughout this journey!

 

   

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 September 30, 2026, we have received $212,5488 in donations.

 

Praise God for His generosity through His people!

 

 


Save the Dates: Advent Soup Suppers — December 2, 9, 16
Advent is on the horizon, and so are our Wednesday evening soup suppers. This year’s dates are December 2, 9, and 16. We encourage everyone to begin thinking about attending or hosting one of the evenings with your small group, ministry team, or family. Sign ups and full details will be available soon, but now is a great time to start planning.

 

 


“Peace In, Peace Out” Tile Mural Fundraiser
Be part of SJL history! When the Class of 2027 was in preschool, they joined students from preschool through eighth grade to create SJL’s original tile mural (situated on the outside 3rd grade wall). Now, during their final year at SJL, they are bringing this tradition full circle by leading a new school-wide mural.

We invite all SJL church and school families to join in by purchasing a tile to paint that will become part of SJL’s next chapter. Each 6” x 6” tile is $85, and you can find the order form here.  You can submit the order form and a cash or check payment at the church office or school office. Checks should be payable to SJL, with “Eighth Grade Tile Project” written in the memo. Presale continues through December 31, with proceeds benefiting eighth-grade graduation and SJL APT. Thank you for your support!

 

Submit Your Ideas for a New St. John’s Lutheran Logo!
Calling All Artists & Designers! We’re dreaming up a new St. John’s Lutheran Campus logo, and we’d love your creative input. If you have experience in graphic design or clean‑line illustration, we invite you to submit a concept featuring grapes and grapevines (with grapes clearly visible), an eagle either flying above or resting in the vines, and a cross placed in the background. The design should be simple enough to print across many different materials.

 

Please turn in your concept to the church office or email joshwright@stjohnsnapa.org by November 1, 2026.

 

Your artistry helps shape the visual identity of our campus!

 


 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. John’s. If you have any leads, please reach out to Jeff at 650-804-6218. Many thanks!

 

 

   

Wednesday Night Confirmation Classes

The new year of Confirmation is underway! Confirmation, for 7th and 8th graders desiring to know more about God, will be meeting throughout the school year right here at St. John’s. This month we will meet on October 7, 14, & 21 in Room 10. Each of those Learning Events runs from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. If you have any questions or desire to get involved, please contact Kevin Mathison.

 


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 Mathison.

 

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 meets on Monday mornings in the Sanctuary from 10:00-11:30 AM. This fall we’re studying the Book of Genesis. All study materials will be handed out at the start of the study. For more information, please contact Judi Rock at goalyce2041@gmail.com. All women are welcome to join us!

 

Men’s Saturday Morning Bible Study

The Men’s Saturday Morning Bible Study is currently studying Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. 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.

 


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.

 

More Links to Check Out


Church Calendar

 

Scrip Info: What is Scrip?…

 

 

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Our mailing address is:
St. John’s Lutheran Church   3521 Linda Vista Ave.  Napa, CA 94558