Epiphany Season

“When Good Intentions Go Wrong…and God Still Shows Up”
February 1, 2026

 

CLICK HERE FOR SERVICE NOTES.

 

 

 

As We Gather

Waiting is hard—and trusting God can be even harder. Have you ever noticed how good intentions, impatience, and frustration can lead us to rely on our own ways instead of God’s? Through the stories of Moses, David, and the disciples, we’ll see how this struggle is still present in our lives today—and how God meets our brokenness with forgiveness, a new heart, and peace through Jesus Christ.

 

 

Ongoing News and Information

 

TONIGHT – St. John’s Lutheran School Open House

 

 

February 1 – Scout Sunday
Did you know that St. John’s Lutheran has its very own Scout Troop? Come meet Scout Troop 83 at the February 1 worship service and learn about all the exciting things they’ve been working on over the past year! We’ll have the chance to hear from the Scouts during the service, and they will also be available afterwards to answer any questions you might have. You can learn more about the troop by visiting their website.

 

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 resume our walk through the Scriptures, looking at the times in which angels and demons show up in the narrative, or are mentioned in the writings. We will study what God’s Word says, comparing and contrasting with the views of the popular culture, and what it means for us today. We meet in Room 10 each Sunday after worship at 11:00.

 

New Maintenance Tech: Keith Hutchins
Our new maintenance technician, Keith Hutchins, began his employment with us last week. We welcome Keith to the team! If there is a maintenance item that you believe needs to be addressed, the best way to bring it to our attention is through the online work request form. Please click on this link to submit a work request.

 
February 7 – Family Movie Night

We are hosting a big cozy St. John’s family movie night. The Parish Hall becomes our shared living room for Moana 2 with room for everyone to relax and hang out. Join us on February 7 from 4:00 to 6:30 PM for an easy night of fun. Bring your comfiest seat and settle in with your people. Parents and guardians, stay and enjoy the movie with the kids, because the night is better when we’re all in it together. Our snack bar fundraiser will be open with pizza, candy, drinks, and popcorn to support future ministries. A warm, simple evening that gives everyone a place to be!

 

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.

 

 

February 18-March 25 – 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 several soups, with optional salad and desserts, and helping with set up, serving, and clean up. Please click this link to sign up, or scan the QR code above.

 

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

 

Lent Midweek Series: “To the Churches…and to Us”
The season of Lent invites us to listen again for Christ’s voice. In Revelation 2–3, Jesus speaks to seven churches—calling them to remember, to repent, to endure, and to return. These ancient words still search our hearts and strengthen our faith today. As we walk through Lent, we hear Christ addressing His people with truth and mercy, inviting us to renewed love and deeper trust in the One who walks among His churches still. On Ash Wednesday, February 18, we will begin with the letter to the church in Ephesus.

 

February 18 (Ash Wednesday) – Ephesus: “Return to Your First Love”
Ephesus was a church that kept its works but lost its warmth (Revelation 2:1-7). Lent begins with an invitiation to discover the love that first awakened our faith.

 

February 22 -Planned Giving Seminar
There are many meaningful ways to honor the Lord and support the ministry of St. John’s beyond traditional giving. The St. John’s Endowment Fund Committee invites you to a Planned Giving Seminar on Sunday, February 22 at 11:00 a.m. in Room 10.

You’ll learn about Donor-Advised Funds, bequests through a will or trust, Qualified Charitable Distributions, and other opportunities for faithful stewardship. We are pleased to welcome Brian Hyde, Gift Planning Counselor with the LCMS Foundation, who will present on these topics and answer your questions. All are welcome to attend.

 

 

March 7 – Ladies’ Tea

 

 

April 25 – Boots, Bubbles, & BBQ Fundraiser in Support of St. John’s Lutheran School
Join us for an evening of fun, fellowship, and fundraising at Boots, Bubbles, & BBQ on Saturday, April 25 at 5:00 PM, benefiting St. John’s Lutheran School! This exciting community-building night, held right here at St. John’s, will feature a lively auction, great company, and the chance to make a big impact for our school. Don’t miss out – come for the fun, stay for the cause, and help us support our students. For more information, and to buy tickets, please click on this link.

 

 

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

Everybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People
Bob Goff

Did Jesus really mean it when He called His disciples to love their enemies? Did He truly expect us to be like the Good Samaritan—giving of ourselves even to those who may never return the favor? To wash the feet of others as He did, including the feet of Judas on the night of his betrayal? In short, did He mean for us to love everybody, always?

This delightful yet challenging book chronicles Bob Goff’s attempts to live out that kind of radical love and to inspire it in others. Through his stories, he gently reveals how easily we retreat from imitating Jesus’ love when it feels impractical, risky, or costly. In a series of autobiographical sketches, Goff recounts moments when he chose to love without conditions or expectations. Some stories are laugh-out-loud funny; others are deeply moving. Again and again, he pushes past convention in order to practice the extravagant love of Jesus.

Goff’s writing is engaging—quirky at times, but always compelling. It reads easily, at least until you pause to ask yourself whether you would have done what he did, and if not, why not.

Our school staff read and discussed this book as part of our theme for the year, “Love in Action,” drawn from 1 John 3:18: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” John urges us to move beyond talking about love to actually living it. Love acts. Or, as the title of Goff’s earlier book puts it, “Love Does.”

I recommend this book to anyone who desires to grow in putting the love of Jesus into action in daily life. I have placed a copy of this book on the bookshelf in the church narthex. 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 meetings next month will be on February 4, 11, 18, and 25 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
Blessings to all for a happy and healthy 2026! 

Each month that passes, brings us closer to the arrival of our next LCC K9 Comfort Dog. Our team continues to prepare by gathering for Bible study and teambuilding events. We also will be attending the Spiritual First Aid course offered by Lutheran Church Charities.  Our Top Dogs plan to attend  a Top Dog Gathering for fellowship, brainstorming of ideas, encouragement, and goal setting at LCC headquarters in March. This will be a time to learn, grow and celebrate in the name of Jesus.

There is always room for anyone interested in serving our community in this ministry. Contact Tim or Christy Kramer at (707)681-1917.
         

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

Stephen Ministry is a system through which individuals are trained and organized to help provide one-on-one Christian caregiving to adults. This multiplies the amount of caring ministry St. John’s can provide by giving us a whole team of skilled caregivers who are equipped to bring Christ’s healing love to people who are grieving, in crisis, or experiencing other stresses in life. More information about this ministry 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

More Links to Check Out

                   
   Church Calendar              Scrip Info: What is Scrip?…

 

 

 

 

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