January 15, 2026 E-Vine – St John's Lutheran Church of Napa CA

Epiphany Season

“Wait, What Do I Want?”
January 18, 2026

CLICK HERE FOR SERVICE NOTES.

As We Gather

What do I want? If you’re like me, you find yourself asking this question all day. What do I want to wear? What do I want to eat? What do I want to listen to? What do I want to watch? What do I ask next? The list goes on and on and on. Sometimes it’s easy to answer those questions, but the answer doesn’t always prove to be good. Would we change our answers if Jesus was asking? He invites us to remain in Him and He knows that it’s not easy on our own so He has sent us a Helper, the Holy Spirit. “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” (John 1:39)

Ongoing News and Information

January 15-18 – 36th Annual HIT Basketball Tournament
The 36th Annual Hauch Invitational Tournament begins TODAY! As we gear up for this exciting basketball event, we want to extend an invitation to our incredible community to be part of the action. Our Eagle Rock Cafe will be serving up delicious meals and snacks throughout the tournament: from tri-tip sandwiches to teriyaki bowls, Chefs Lori and Dean have you covered for the event.

The first games for our tournament teams are as follows:

St. John’s Lutheran Girls vs Benicia (7th) – Thursday, 1/15 at 6:15pm
St. John’s Lutheran Boys vs Silverado – Thursday, 1/15 at 7:30pm
Dance and Cheer team will perform at halftime of boys’ game on Thursday

CLICK HERE for the tournament game schedule
CLICK HERE for the Eagle Rock Cafe menu

Cost of Entry per day:
$3 per student
$8 per adult
Tournament Passes= $6 per student; $20 per adult
Tournament Passes are the route to take! They get you into the gym for all 4 days of competition.
*CASH ONLY AT THE DOOR

Pastor Mike’s Bible Class – Angels and Demons
This Sunday we continue looking at what God’s Word says about angels and fallen angels. This Sunday, we continue our study of the fallen angel we know as Satan. What does it mean that Satan has been defeated, and yet we still pray daily for deliverance from evil? When we finish with Satan, we will continue our walk through the Bible, looking at what God’s Word says about angels and demons, comparing and contrasting with the views of popular culture, and what it means for us today. We meet in Room 10 each Sunday after worship at 11:00.

Passing of Pastor John Krueger
Pastor John Krueger, former Associate Pastor at St. John’s in the 1970’s, died suddenly last week, on January 7. He had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer three weeks ago, and God has mercifully taken him home without a long battle. John and his wife Nancy had recently relocated to Hughson, CA, to be close to their son Nathan and his family. More information on his life and ministry can he found at this link.

A celebration of life will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 640 N. Minaret Avenue, Turlock, CA on Saturday, January 24 at 11am. If you wish to send condolences to Nancy and their family, the address is: Nancy Krueger, 7700 Fox Road, Unit G216, Hughson, CA 95326-9187. Donations in memoriam of John can be made to Love, Inc. of Yakima, where he volunteered ministering to the homeless (loveincyakima.org), or Lutheran World Relief (give.lwr.org).

The center photo above is from Pastor Krueger’s time at St. John’s: Pastor Robert Newton’s installation on August 21, 1977. Pictured are Pastor Krueger, Pastor Ted Zimmerman, Pastor Newton, Pastor Ronald Hues, and Pastor Ken Holoien. The picture on the right is a recent photo of Pastor Krueger and Nancy.

Mission Farm Give!Guide Fundraising Update
God richly blessed our efforts during the months of November and December to raise funds for the next Mission Farm crop season. Our participation in the CanDo Gift!Guide campaign produced a total of $9,925 in donations. In the same period our church offerings produced gifts designated for the Mission Farm in the amount of $9,741.02. We also received a $10,000 grant from Community Projects Inc. The support from members and community is very encouraging to the volunteers, and it comes at a time when the number of families turning to the local food banks is on the increase. May God further bless our planting and harvesting this coming year, and increase the number of volunteers who can join us contributing time and energy as well. Our contribution of fresh fruits and vegetables are a wonderful complement to the canned and packaged foods that are contributed by other donors.

We look forward to welcoming our volunteers back to the farm in April for the start of the 2026 Mission Farm season!

Charitable Contributions Reminder for Donors
Church Law & Tax has provided a helpful information packet outlining year-end giving reminders as you prepare your 2025 tax returns. We have several copies available in the narthex, and you can also access the packet electronically using this link.

February 12-14 – Best Practices for Ministry Conference (Phoenix, AZ)
Best Practices for Ministry is a free annual conference for pastors, church workers, and lay people. The purpose is to learn and share ideas and practices to help us grow in living God’s Mission. BPM 2026 will take place on February 12-14 at Christ Church Lutheran in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, please go to: cclphoenix.org/bpm/

As we have done in the past, St. John’s will be covering lodging for all participants from St. John’s, but not transportation. The conference itself is free. If you are interested in attending, please contact Kristy in the Church Office so we can add you to our hotel room block. Please also register for the conference using the link above.

Lenten Soup Suppers Sign-Up
Lent is just around the corner, and with it comes our Wednesday evening soup suppers before Lenten services. We invite all soup, stew, and chili makers to share their gifts and help nourish the St. John’s family during this season of faith and fellowship.

Individuals, families, and groups are welcome to sign up to host by providing two to three soups, with optional salad and desserts, and helping with set up, serving, and clean up. Please click the link to sign up; docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wVrJicux-ou3RFlEIC5WHkpQe9iqt1XbnWNV4mz92SE/edit?usp=drivesdk.

Let us continue this meaningful tradition of gathering, sharing, and breaking bread together.

June 15-19 – Vacation Bible School
Summer will be here before you know it, so save the date for an amazing week of VBS fun and adventure! This year, we invite kids to step through the mist into Rainforest Falls, overflowing with wild waterfalls, towering trees, and colorful creatures. Beneath a canopy of chattering birds and howling monkeys, kids will plunge into a lifelong adventure of discovering the nature of God. They’ll explore what it means to be rooted in relationship with God, their creator, a safe place in life’s storms.

A website for registration will be up at a later date, but in the meantime please prayerfully consider playing a role in delivering a memorable experience for the kids this summer. The dates are set for Monday-Friday, June 15-19, from 9am-Noon. Please contact Kevin Mathison with any questions you may have.

In Search of Sunday Transportation
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).

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.

Pastor Mike’s Bookshelf

Prophet, Priest, and King: Christology in Global Perspective
Edited by Michael S. Horton, Elizabeth W. Mburu, Justin S. Holcomb

Over the past century, the church has experienced remarkable growth across the globe, so much so that the center of Christianity is steadily shifting away from Europe and North America. This expansion is not primarily the result of Western missionary efforts, but of vibrant, indigenous Christian movements throughout the Majority World. Yet despite this shift, most theological works are still produced in the West—and often address distinctly Western
concerns.

This book is different. Prophet, Priest, and King: Christology in Global Perspective is a collaborative theological work written by leading scholars from the Majority World—Brazil, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, China, Korea, and more. Rather than offering a set of isolated contextual theologies, the contributors intentionally pursue a shared confession of Christ that reflects the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith across diverse cultures. Each scholar brings insights from their own church and cultural setting, but the aim is not to spotlight differences. Instead, the book highlights the common testimony of the worldwide church to who Jesus is and what He has done. The authors frame this unified, global Christology through the classic threefold office of Christ: prophet, priest, and king.

Of course, cultures may emphasize different aspects of this shared confession. In Middle Eastern contexts, theologians speak carefully about Jesus as prophet, given the Islamic understanding of Jesus as a prophet lesser than Mohammed. Latin American theologians often stress Christ’s prophetic ministry—His solidarity with the poor and His confrontation of unjust systems. African theologians frequently highlight Christ’s kingship, especially His authority over spiritual powers that threaten human flourishing. In many Asian cultures shaped by honor/shame dynamics, purity concerns, and the importance of mediation, Christ’s priestly office becomes especially vivid. Yet despite these varied emphases, all the contributors affirm that they are proclaiming the one Christ who came for all people as our saving prophet, priest, and king.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity this book provided to see Jesus through the eyes of believers whose lives and contexts differ greatly from my own. While the book assumes some familiarity with Christian theological vocabulary, it is well worth reading if you desire a deeper exploration of the person and work of Christ—and how He is being faithfully proclaimed throughout the Majority World. Because I read this as an ebook, I don’t have a physical copy to place on the bookshelf at this time. Previous recommendations can be found here: church.stjohnsnapa.org/resources/pastor-mikes-bookshelf

Confirmation Classes
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. Our remaining meetings this month will be on January 14, 21, and 28 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the Library. If you have any questions or desire to get involved, please contact Kevin Mathison at kevin@stjohnsnapa.org.

High School Hangouts
Calling all High Schoolers! Join us every Sunday after the worship service for High School Hangouts in Kevin Mathison’s office. We’ll enjoy games, snacks, and fellowship as we dive into God’s Word and talk about what it means for our lives today. If you have any questions, please contact Kevin at kevin@stjohnsnapa.org.

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
Our team sent 13 members to the LCC K9 Comfort Dog Conference inn Northbrook, Illinois in July. There were over 500 humans attending as well as over 90 beautiful Golden Retrievers. We thank Thrivent for assisting us with an Action Team card.

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.

Stephen Ministers Grow in the Lord

The more you focus on the Lord and do God’s work, the more satisfaction you will find. It’s that simple! Are you looking for more satisfaction in your life? Consider serving our congregation as a Stephen Minister. By helping others, you will help God’s kingdom grow – and you will grow too! To learn more about Stephen Ministry and what Stephen Ministers do, contact Penni Cremen (707-483-9321) or Pastor Mike at the church office (707-255-0119).

Women’s Monday Morning Bible Study
All women are welcome to join us every Monday morning from 10:00-11:30 AM in the Sanctuary, We are currently studying the Book of Romans, and all study materials will be handed out when we meet. 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 the Epistle (letter) to the Galatians. 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 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