May 30. 2025 E-Vine – St John's Lutheran Church of Napa CA

Ascension Sunday

“An Opened Mind”
June 1, 2025

CLICK HERE FOR SERVICE NOTES.

As We Gather

Before His ascension, Jesus met with His disciples and “opened their minds” so that they could understand the Scriptures. We are reminded that in order to truly take to heart the message of the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is involved, opening the Word, and opening our minds. Today we look at the importance of prayer in our reading, studying and hearing of God’s Word.

Pastor Mike’s Bible Class Not Meeting

Pastor Mike’s Bible class will not be meeting this Sunday. We will resume our study of the Nicene Creed on Sunday, June 8.

Choraliers Concert After Worship Sunday
Our St. John’s Lutheran Choraliers (6th-8th Choir) will be singing in worship this Sunday. After the service they will present the show they prepared for their performance at Disneyland earlier this month. The performance will be in the Parish Hall. All are invited!

Congregational Budget and Election Meeting – June 15
There will be a congregational meeting after worship on Sunday, June 15, in the sanctuary. The purpose of this meeting is to approve a ministry plan and budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. We will also be electing to fill open positions on the Board of Directors. There will also be an update of the Pastoral Call Process.

Copies of the Proposed Ministry Plan and Budget can be downloaded from the Board of Directors page on the website by clicking this link: church.stjohnsnapa.org/wp-content/uploads/Proposed-Ministry-Plan-and-Budget-2025-2026.pdf Copies will also be available in the church entryway and in the church office.

Currently, we have only two candidates on the Board of Directors slate, and so the Board nomination process is continuing. Please see the announcement below regarding the nomination process.

Yes, we are aware that the date set by the Board is also Father’s Day. Not the best date for a congregational meeting, but in light of several other calendar issues, it was the date that ended up working the best. In the attempt to make the meeting run as efficiently as possible we are also scheduling a zoom forum on the proposed ministry plan and budget to answer any questions that anyone may have. This Zoom meeting will be on Tuesday, June 10, at 7:00. Please watch for the link in an upcoming e-vine.

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.   Thank you to all who have made an offering! 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.
     .

Board of Directors Nominations

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

Pastor Mike’s Bookshelf

Do Not Be True To Yourself: Countercultural Advice for the Rest of Your Life

Kevin DeYoung

This little book was written for graduation season. It is actually a collection of commencement addresses by author and theologian Kevin De Young given at high School and college graduations. That being said, his words are relevant to people of all ages and all stages of life.

The title boldly goes upstream against the clichéd addresses so common at graduations. DeYoung reminds us that as Christians, our calling is not to be true to ourselves, but rather to be true to our Lord. This, after all, is a much better, more grounded way to live, in addition to being the living out of the faith that we profess. The title address is one of five essays, all of which focus on living the Christian life in a culture which does not share our values on key issues.

I recommend this book for those looking for incisive analysis of our present time, as well as a call to follow our Savior above all. I have placed a copy of this book on the church library cart in the church entryway. Previous recommendations can be found here: church.stjohnsnapa.org/resources/pastor-mikes-bookshelf

Registration is Open! Vacation Bible School

CLICK HERE. to register a student or volunteer.
VBS is completely free, but spots do fill up so please don’t wait. Can’t wait to journey at True North VBS June 16-19!
High School Youth

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

Ongoing News and Information

Scrip Info: What is Scrip?…
Social Media at St. John’s…
Mission India… Copyright © 2025 St. John’s Lutheran Church, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email to keep you updated on the happenings at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Napa