March 12, 2026 E-Vine – St John's Lutheran Church of Napa CA

Lent: Behold the Son of God
“Opening Blind Eyes”

CLICK HERE FOR SERVICE NOTES.

As We Gather

A man born blind receives sight, while those who claim to see remain trapped in darkness. In this encounter we meet the Light who opens eyes and hearts, exposing our illusions of self‑sufficiency and offering the gift of true vision. Lent calls us to confess our blindness and receive the clarity only Christ can give.

Ongoing News and Information

March 14 – Memorial Service for Michael Quinn
Our dear brother Michael Quinn went home to be with the Lord last month, and a memorial service for him will be held on Saturday, March 14 at 11:00 AM in the Sanctuary, with a reception to follow in the Parish Hall. All at St. John’s are warmly invited to attend.

March 14 – Wine and the Word
Our valley is known around the world for its vineyards and the remarkable wines they produce. But have you ever noticed how often wine, grapes, and vineyards appear in the Bible? From Noah’s vineyard to the Last Supper, these images play a significant role—both as real, agricultural products and as rich symbols of God’s truth.

You and your friends are invited to join us on Saturday, March 14 from 5:00-7:00 PM for Wine and the Word, an evening exploring winemaking in biblical times and the many ways Scripture uses the imagery of wine and vineyards. Winemaker Andy Schweiger will share insights into ancient Israelite winemaking, and Pastor Mike will teach on the role of wine throughout the Bible. And yes—there will be wine and refreshments.

Online registration for this event has now closed, but if you would like to attend and have not yet signed up, please contact Kristy in the church office at churchoffice@stjohnsnapa.org.

Pastor Mike’s Bible Class – Angels and Demons
This Sunday, we continue looking at what God’s Word says about angels and fallen angels. We’ll continue through Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings, looking at the times in which angels show up in the narrative. 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 AM.

Ladies’ Tea Follow-Up
Our 16th Annual Ladies Tea was a huge success! Thank you everyone who attended and contributed to the program started by our speaker Ammabel Rushaju from Uganda – GLOW (Greater Life Options and Opportunities for Women). As a result of the raffle and additional donations, we raised $1,881 to go toward helping families who need housing, education, life skills, etc. In addition, the sales from the baskets and trivets that she brought with her, handmade by the women in the skills center, totaled $1,695. There were only five baskets left unsold.

Ammabel is so grateful for the beautiful setting, our interest and donations, and especially to God for placing us in her life. If you would like to write to Ammabel, her email address is AmmabelRushaju@gmail.com To find out more, the website for GLOW-Uganda is www.glowuganda.com

Tuesdays starting in March – High School Bible Study
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 the Library. For more information, please contact Kevin Mathison.

March 18 – Dine and Donate at Hop Creek
The St. John’s Lutheran School 8th grade class invites you to Dine and Donate with Hop Creek on Wednesday, March 18. Just visit Hop Creek (3253 Browns Valley Rd) any time from 11:00 AM-9:00 PM on March 18 and present a flyer (available in the church narthex), and Hop Creek will donate 20% of food and soft drink sales to support the 8th grade class!

March 18-25 – Lenten Soup Suppers Sign-Up
Lent is here, 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. Next Wednesday, March 18, we will look at the letter to the church in Thyatira.

March 18 – Sardis: “Wake Up!”
Sardis had a reputation for life but was spiritually asleep (Revelation 3:1-6). Jesus’ words are a gracious alarm, calling us to renewal. This week we explore how the Spirit revives what is fading, fragile, or forgotten.

The St. John’s Lutheran Church App is coming!
We are happy to introduce a new tool to help us stay better informed and connected at St. John’s. This is an app for your phone or pad called the “Church Center” App. It will give you one easy place to find events, groups, giving, and updates from St. John’s.

The Church Center App for St. John’s builds on what we already use. Church Center is part of Planning Center, which our staff and many volunteers already use on Sunday mornings for all the ways people serve each week, as well as planning the worship service itself.

Event registrations, like Wine and the Word, will be quick and simple. You can update your own contact information, manage giving, and stay connected throughout the week. The app also includes an optional, privacy-friendly church directory. You choose what information you share -it’s a great way to learn names and build community.

We’ll share more details in the coming weeks, including how to download and us the app and how to join the directory.

March 29 – Palm Sunday Dramatic Reading of the Passion
On Palm Sunday (March 29), we will read the account of Jesus’ Passion: His betrayal, suffering, death and burial from the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 26:1-27:66). But we will do it as a dramatic narrative, with different people reading the lines of the characters in the narrative. Participants will just stand where they are in the sanctuary to recite their lines.

These are the parts needed and the number of lines to recite:

Judas (4)
Peter (5)
Caiaphas (3)
Servant Girl 1 (1)
Servant Girl 2 (1)
Pontius Pilate (8)
Pilate’s Wife (1)

If you are interested in participating, please contact Kristy Watkins in the church office (churchoffice@stjohnsnapa.org). First come, first served for the parts!

March 29-April 5 – Holy Week Worship Services
Holy Week commemorates the culminating week in the life of Jesus, and the events at the heart of the salvation which is ours through Him.

Palm Sunday (March 29). On this day, we commemmorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey to shouts of “Hosanna” from the crowd waving palm branches. This is a welcome for a King coming in peace, and points ahead to the mission He was bringing to fulfillment that week. We will begin our Palm Sunday service in Faith Chapel (weather permitting) and process into the sanctuary with palm branches, praising Jesus. The service will include the preschoolers singing and the dramatic narrative reading of the account of the Passion.
Maundy Thursday (April 2) 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 3) 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 4, 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 5), we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus with two opportunities to worship, wtih services at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Our Easter morning also includes an egg hunt and an Easter breakfast in the gym (9:00-10:30).

Grant Applications for Concordia University Students
Attention all Concordia University students! Our congregation will now accept applications for student grants for the 2026-2027 academic year. All members of St. John’s who plan to attend any of our six synodical universities or our two seminaries are eligible to apply. All you have to do is email our Business Administrator Howard Scully at hscully@stjohnsnapa.org announcing your intent to enroll for the 2026-27 academic year.

All applications must include the following information:

Your name
School name
Student ID or account # (if returning student)
Degree you are pursuing
Year and level of study (e.g., junior year, undergrad, 5th year, teacher certification, student teaching, graduate studies)
Whether you are attending fall term or spring term (or both)
A brief explanation of why you’re attending Concordia and how you plan to use your studies and future vocation to shine the light of Christ and to witness for Jesus as His kingdom representative in the world.

Deadline for applications is March 31, 2026. Actual grant amount to each student is undetermined but will be based, in part, upon the number of students requesting assistance. So if you are considering attending a synodical university–even if you have not made a final decision–please send a brief note informing us of where you are in your decision process so that we can plan accordingly.

Endowment Fund Disbursement Application Process
The purpose of the St. John’s Endowment Fund is to receive, to manage and to distribute funding to support and implement the mission and vision of St. John’s Lutheran Church. The value of the fund is approximately $1.4 million. Please refer to the Endowment Fund Bylaws for a complete description of what the funds may be used for, and how they are managed: Endowment Fund Bylaws

Each year up to 5% of the value of the fund is available for disbursement to support the ministry. For some of the funds that make up the overall fund, the disbursements have defined purposes (tuition assistance, etc.) The Endowment Fund Committee is receiving applications for 2026 2027 disbursements from the “SJL Ministries” portion of the endowment fund. The last several years, there has been approximately $36,000 available to be disbursed from this fund.

If you have an idea for a ministry disbursement and would like to submit an application, please click on this link to download an application: Endowment Fund Application. The deadline for applications is April 1, 2026. Please send or drop off applications to the church office. The Endowment Fund Committee will then review all applications and make recommendations to the Board of Directors.

Board of Directors Nominations
The Board of Directors is receiving Board nominations for the 2026-2027 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, Board Chair Martin Meissenhalter, or Pastor Mike Schmid.

April 14 – Board of Directors Information Forum
There will be a Board Information Forum on Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00 PM in the Library for those who are interested in being nominated for the board. This forum is also open to anyone who just wants to learn more about the governance polity of St. John’s, and how the Board works.

April 2-September 23 – Support SJLS at a Giants Game
Support St. John’s Lutheran School by joining the Giants at Oracle Park for one of their select fundraising games! There are 32 game dates available from April 2 to September 23. Bleacher and View Reserve tickets are only $15, and $5 of each ticket purchased will be donated back to our school by purchasing through the QR code in the flyer above.

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
Join us for an adventure to Rainforest Falls this summer! St. John’s Lutheran Church is hosting VBS for preschoolers through rising 4th graders on June 15-19 (Monday-Friday) from 9am-Noon.. Each day our campers will be reminded of God’s immense love for them as they travel through Rooted Bible Adventures, run and play at Wild Rainforest Games, create memorable take homes with Rainforest Crafts, and enjoy some of the tastiest treats the Falls has to offer. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Don’t hesitate to invite a friend! In order to offer this awesome week of fun we rely on numerous volunteers and we would love you to consider joining the team this year. Register here!

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).

Fifth Grade Teacher at St. John’s Lutheran School

Our beloved Mr. Newton is retiring at the end of this school year after 50 years of teaching at St. John’s, and we are looking for a new teacher to lead the 5th grade class starting this fall. If you are interested, or know someone else who might be a good fit, please reach out to Principal Christy Wood at cwood@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.

How Church Could (Literally) Save Your Life
Rebecca McLaughlin

If someone offered you a pill to take weekly that would, if taken regularly, improve your health, lengthen your life, and lead you to being happier and more socially fulfilled, would you take it? According to the Harvard School of Public Health, that “pill” exists: Weekly attendance in person in worship.

Rebecca McLaughlin’s brief (63 pages), data-rich book argues that regular church attendance is one of the most evidence-based practices for improving mental, physical, moral, and spiritual wellbeing. Drawing on research from Harvard and other major institutions, she highlights findings that weekly worship can extend life expectancy, reduce depression, increase happiness, and strengthen resilience—benefits often greater than those offered by popular wellness trends.

McLaughlin organizes the book around four domains—mental health, physical health, moral health, and spiritual health—showing how participation in a church community fosters belonging, purpose, accountability, and hope. She addresses common objections about religion’s alleged harms, counters them with empirical evidence, and shares stories of skeptics who reconsidered Christianity after encountering the data.

While she avoids prosperity gospel promises, McLaughlin ultimately argues that the deepest “health benefit” of church is not merely psychological or social but spiritual: the lifegiving reality of Jesus Christ and the community shaped by His gospel. Written for both skeptics and lapsed believers, the book functions as an accessible invitation to rediscover church not as a burdensome obligation but as a life-enhancing, life-extending gift.

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 on Wednesday nights throughout the school year right here at St. John’s. Our remaining meetings this month will be on March 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.

Tuesdays starting in March – High School Bible Study
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 the SJL Library. 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 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.

What is Stephen Ministry?

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. For 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 to the Ephesians. 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

Lent: Behold the Son of God “Opening Blind Eyes”