October 15, 2026 E-Vine

The Upside-Down Kingdom
“Whose Image?”
October 18, 2026
 
CLICK HERE FOR SERVICE NOTES

 

As We Gather

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is confronted with a trap: a question about paying taxes meant to force Him into a political corner. Instead, He lifts the conversation to a deeper truth. The coin bears Caesar’s image, so give it to Caesar — but you bear God’s image, so give yourself to God. In the Upside‑Down Kingdom, allegiance is not divided by earthly loyalties but shaped by the One whose likeness we carry. Today we hear Jesus call us to wholehearted devotion, remembering that our true identity and purpose come from the God who made us and redeemed us.

 

Ongoing News and Information

 

 


St. John’s Lutheran Church App Update

Our new church app has arrived!

The Church Center App puts events, groups, updates, and church info all in one place. We’re rolling it out in phases so it works well for everyone.

Phase 1: our church directory

We’re moving away from the printed directory we mail out. The new directory will live in the app. That only works if everyone’s info is right.

Here’s what to do:

  1. Watch your inbox. We’re sending an invite to the email we have on file.
  2. Tap the link and create your account.
  3. Check your name, phone, email, and address. Fix anything that’s off.

Please do this in the next few weeks. We’ll share a firm date soon.

Need a hand?

We’ll be in the back of the church after every service for the next 4 weeks. Stop by and we’ll help you update your info on the spot. Bring your phone!

Don’t see the invite? Check your spam folder. If your email has changed, let us know.

More phases are coming, and we’ll walk you through each one.

Questions? Email churchoffice@stjohnsnapa.org or call the church office at 707-255-0119. 

 


October 16 – St. John’s Lutheran School Movie Night
Join the St. John’s Lutheran School families to watch “Zootopia 2” tomorrow night on the St. John’s athletic field! The field opens at 6:30 PM and the movie will begin at 7:00 PM. Please bring your own chairs and blankets to sit on. The event is free, but our 7th and 8th graders will be selling concessions to raise money for their class funds. Don’t miss this night of fun for the whole family!


October 17-18 – Confirmation Lock-In
Confirmation has gotten off to a great start this year, but it’s time to really lock in. Literally! For our annual Confirmation Retreat, we’re locking up and staying in all Saturday night right here at St. John’s. The night will be filled with tons of food and games, learning, group bonding, and probably no sleep. For more information, please contact Kevin Mathison.

 

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.

 


Pastor Mike’s Bible Class: Revelation
Pastor Mike’s class will not be meeting this Sunday. All are encouraged to attend the open forum on the Shared Equity Plan proposal that will take place in the sanctuary at 11:00AM after the worship service.

 


October 21 – Kindergarten Information Night
Join us on Wednesday, October 21 from 6:30-7:15 PM in the St. John’s Lutheran Kindergarten Classroom to meet the Kindergarten teacher and learn more about our Kindergarten curriculum, the benefits of an SJL K-8 education, and what makes SJL a special place for families. This event is for adults only. Please RSVP to our Admissions Counselor, Kristin Goller, at kgoller@stjohnsnapa.org. Please note: children must be 5 years old by September 1, 2027 to enroll in Kindergarten for the 2027-2028 school year.

 


Support the St. John’s Lutheran School “Get on Track” Color Run!

On Friday, October 23, St. John’s Lutheran School will hold its annual “Get on Track” Color Run fundraiser. We invite our church families to partner with us by donating to this wonderful event! For online giving, you can visit the online donation platform. You can also drop off cash or a check at the church office. This year’s fundraising efforts will go towards a new playground! For more information, please reach out to Tiffany Iverson. Many thanks for your support!

 


October 25 – Congregational Meeting
The Board of Directors has scheduled a Congregational Meeting for Sunday, October 25 right after the worship service. The Board of Directors and Call Committee will provide an update on the pastoral call process. The Board of Directors is also recommending the congregation adopt a proposed Shared 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 October 11 2026, we have received $218,598 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!

 

 

What Is Wrong with the World?
Tim Keller

The title of Tim Keller’s What Is Wrong with the World? could hardly be more timely. It seems that nearly everyone agrees that something is wrong. We disagree, often vehemently, about what it is. Depending upon whom you ask, the problem is politics, economics, racism, inequality, secularism, religion, capitalism, socialism, technology, social media, or simply the people on the other side of whatever cultural divide happens to concern us.

Keller offers a much older and decidedly less comfortable answer: sin.

That answer may sound simplistic until Keller begins to unpack what the Bible actually means by sin. Rather than treating sin merely as a list of immoral behaviors, Keller explores its many dimensions and describes it through biblical images such as a predator, self-deception, leaven, and leprosy. Keller understands that sin is not simply something that bad people do. It is a power that distorts our relationship with God, with others, with creation, and even with ourselves. It manifests itself in obvious evil, but just as readily in pride, self-righteousness, misplaced loves, and idolatry.

That makes Keller’s diagnosis especially relevant to our polarized age. We are remarkably good at identifying what is wrong with everyone else. The more difficult Christian confession is that what is wrong with the world is also wrong with me.

The well-known story associated with G. K. Chesterton captures the point beautifully. Asked what was wrong with the world, Chesterton replied simply, “I am.” Keller’s approach reflects that same biblical realism. The Christian faith does not permit us to divide humanity neatly into the righteous and the unrighteous, with ourselves safely among the former. The disease runs through every human heart.

Yet this is not, finally, a depressing book.

 

That is one of Keller’s great strengths. He takes sin seriously without allowing sin to have the last word. Again and again, the biblical diagnosis drives us toward Christ. Consequently, the book moves from an honest assessment of the human condition toward genuine Gospel hope. I also appreciated Keller’s pastoral tone. He does not speak about sin merely as an abstract theological doctrine. He shows how it works its way into ordinary human lives, relationships, desires, and decisions.

Ultimately, however, What Is Wrong with the World? asks us to stop looking first at Washington, Hollywood, the media, our neighbors, or our ideological opponents and to look honestly into the human heart. Keller’s answer to the title question is disturbing because it implicates every one of us. But the Christian answer does not end there. We don’t stop with merely asking what is wrong with the world. We then ask what has God done about it. And the answer: He has given us Christ. And that answer is what makes this a book about the hope God gives to a world gone wrong.

By the way, this book is based on sermons Keller preached at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and was prepared for publication after his death.Previous recommendations can be found here: church.stjohnsnapa.org/resources/pastor-mikes-bookshelf

 

   

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 & 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.

 

October 17-18 – Confirmation Lock-In
Confirmation has gotten off to a great start this year, but it’s time to really lock in. Literally! For our annual Confirmation Retreat, we’re locking up and staying in all Saturday night right here at St. John’s. The night will be filled with tons of food and games, learning, group bonding, and probably no sleep. For more information, 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 First Letter to the Thessalonians. 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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St. John’s Lutheran Church   3521 Linda Vista Ave.  Napa, CA 94558