Welcome to St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Napa, California
Membership at St. John's
Membership is Discipleship
Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, His followers and His world. Membership at St. John’s is about pursuing these growing relationships, and allowing ourselves to be led by Christ through the ministry of this congregation. Membership is not so much about joining an institution, as it is committing to discipleship and the pursuit of spiritual growth in the context of a community of faith.
What does it mean to be a Member/Disciple?
Simply put, it means to be pursuing growth in these three relationships: With Jesus Christ, His followers, and His world. There are three main activities that we emphasize at St. John’s that we believe are central to growing in these relationships. Membership at St. John’s means to be active in these areas:
· Worship – Gathering in the presence of God for prayer, praise, Word, and Sacrament
· Small Group – Meeting with others for Bible study, fellowship, and prayer
· Service – Serving others in our home, church, community, and world
How do I become a member?
The first step in becoming a member is becoming a worshipper. Begin making worship a part of life for you and your family. Worship is the center of the life of our congregation, the central way in which we “lead people up” in their relationship with Jesus.
There are three seminars that are required for membership at St. John’s. These can be taken in any order, but all three must be completed.
Discovering the Christian Faith – This is an overview of the basic teachings of the Bible, focusing primarily on what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. This seminar consists of five two hour sessions:
· 1: A Saving Relationship: What it means to have a relationship with Jesus.
· 2: A Divine Relationship: Who is this God we call Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit?
· 3: A Conversational Relationship: How we listen to and speak with God through the Bible and Prayer.
· 4: A Sacred Relationship: How God comes to us in a holy and personal way in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
· 5:
A Living Relationship: How we live out our relationship with Jesus
through the Ten Commandments.
Please contact the church office for information about
our next session. Discovering My SHAPE – How has God equipped me
to serve? In this seminar we will explore five aspects of who we
are: · S –
Spiritual Gifts: How has the Spirit gifted me for ministry? · H – Heart
(Passion) What are my passions, and what do they say about
where I should serve? · A –
Abilities: What are my abilities and talents, and how can I use
them for the Lord? · P –
Personality: What is my personality? · E –
Experiences: How have my experiences prepared me for service? This seminar is a four hour workshop with
follow-up mentoring to help you find how the Lord is calling you to
serve. Please contact the church office for information about the
next session. Discovering St. John’s Lutheran Church – This is an introduction
to St. John’s and our mission in Napa and the World. In this
seminar we talk about what makes St. John’s work and what it means to
be a disciple/member of this congregation. Topics include our
Mission, Vision, and Values; our Ministry Plan; our history and our
future. Please contact the church office for information
about the next session. Upon completion of these seminars, you will
have the opportunity to express your commitment to living as a
member/disciple of St. John’s Lutheran Church. New members will
be formally welcomed during a Sunday Morning worship service. Note: Those coming to St.
John’s from a sister congregation of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
are required to participate in the Discovering My SHAPE and Discovering
St. John’s Lutheran Church seminars, and are strongly encouraged to
attend Discovering the Christian Faith. To find out more information about these
seminars and register, please contact the church office.
(707-255-0119).