Newsletter - Napa Valley Lutheran Church

Comfort, comfort now my people; tell of peace!” So says our God.
Comfort those who sit in darkness mourning under sorrow’s load.
To God’s people now proclaim that God’s pardon waits for them!
Tell them that their war is over; God will reign in peace forever.

Even as we draw to the close of 2025, we find ourselves at the beginning of a new liturgical year. Advent, the cusp of a new beginning, brings with it new things of its own. Yet the turn of a calendar page or the change of the color of paraments will not bring a change in our world situation.

The hymn, Comfort, Comfort Now My People (ELW 256) draws from Isaiah 40 as the prophet speaks of a people waiting for God to bring hope and peace in a world where discomfort, oppression, anxiety and war reign. Sound familiar?

You may find yourself in need of some comfort today. We are promised the return of our savior Jesus, the Prince of Peace. As wars rage and tensions rise, as leaders align themselves with tyrants, we ask ourselves where will our help come from? The Psalmist cries “my help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Ps 121)

In this season of hope and anticipation, may you be gifted with the comfort and joy that awaits us.

Pastor Stephanie

BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE SUNDAY
DECEMBER 14TH 3:00PM

Many of us struggle in December to find the joy and the cheer the world around us expects of us. Whether it is because we are grieving the loss of a loved one, loneliness, financial difficulties or our own internal struggles, sometimes putting on a happy face is just too much. A Blue Christmas service acknowledges that, for many people, Christmas is a difficult time with mixed emotions. This service offers a way for people to claim those feelings and still feel surrounded by the compassionate love of God. Whether you are feeling “blue” or simply wish for a peaceful moment to savor the real message our Savior brings, we invite you to join us for a quiet service of hope, comfort, and peace.

COUNCIL UPDATES

The church council met on November 20. We acknowledged newly elected members, Roberta Simcoe and Susie Ashby. We were joined by representatives of SunSolar (on Zoom) for additional discussion about the proposal to install solar panels and batteries at the church. They answered the questions and gave us more information to consider as we move forward. We also discussed issues related to the sewer line that serves the parsonage, and is connected to 362 Jefferson, which has just been bought by another neighbor. He indicated that the line is in need of maintenance. We agreed to share the cost of a cleanout, but would need to consider further if additional repair work is required. In other matters, the council agreed to re-establish a finance committee, and set a date for a council planning retreat on January 10, 2026. They also agreed to consider changing the regular meeting date from the third Thursday of the month to another date, possibly the second Thursday starting in 2026. The minutes of council meetings are posted on the bulletin board in the narthex for more details.

COUNCIL MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

I was 4 years old, living in Vacaville in 1951. My mom and dad told me they were building a new house in Napa. We moved in with my grandparents who had a farm off of Salvador Ave. – way out in the country. Our house was downtown in a cul de sac called Glenwood Dr.

We moved into our new home in 1952. We also joined a church,

The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. That church was like a second home to me. There was Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, regular church services, piano lessons, dinners with Pastor Soiland and his wife Thelma, choir practice, confirmation lessons and then teaching Sunday school. My Dad was very involved with the church council and was President for several years. It was a very large part of my life. Then I grew up, married and had a life away from the church, as I married a Catholic. Pastor Soiland told me to follow my husband as he could not be a Catholic if he married outside of the church, but I could always remain a Lutheran. How true!

Many years went by with many trials. Then I met Larry Johnson and our relationship brought me back to my Lutheran roots. It was easy even though there were many new people, Pastors, and a new name. Larry encouraged me to become more involved in the church activities. He was a member on council. I joined Ellen Martin and enjoyed working on Hospitality with her. Next came a position on Council, and I have really enjoyed the feeling of being able to contribute to the continued progression of the workings and management of this church. I’ve lost count of the years and positions I’ve held on council, but it has never seemed to be a chore. I have been enlightened and blessed by my experience. How the church is entering yet again a new phase, with a new pastor, and many new ideas, opportunities and challenges. I’m excited to see where this leads us. Hope you are, too!

DEVOTIONAL RESOURCES

CHRIST IN OUR HOME: The January, February and March 2026 booklets are available now. If you would like to have one of these delivered to your home, please contact the church office at secretary@napavalleylutheran.org or 707-226-8166 to make arrangements.

SECOND MILE GIVING FOR NOVEMBER

This month we have the opportunity to support two very special ministries, one in our community and one that stretches around the world! Both are involved in the most basic and necessary work – helping make sure people have enough to eat. The Napa Food Bank and the ELCA Hunger Ministries. You can deposit non-perishable food items in the grocery cart in the narthex. The food bank can use cash donations to purchase more of the items they need. You can use the enclosed envelope if you want to designate your offering to ELCA World Hunger, or pick up one of the cute piggy banks from the table in the narthex to make it more fun. Checks can be made out to NVLC, with Second Mile Giving on the memo line, and include with your offering any time this month. Thanks for your support of these vital ministries!

ELCA GOOD GIFTS
Gifts that make a difference

The ELCA Good Gifts catalogs are available now.
We will have some in the narthex if you didn’t get one in the mail, or have misplaced yours. They have many new options this year, and they make great Christmas gifts.

5 Tips for Having Difficult Conversations
about Immigration this Holiday Season

Global Refuge Staff, November 19, 2025

1. Actively Listen
To effectively understand where our friends or family are coming from, we must commit ourselves to truly hearing what they have to say. This requires us to listen not with the purpose of responding but with the purpose of understanding.

The following actions can help you to practice active listening:

- - Paraphrase. To be sure you received the speaker’s intended meaning, try summarizing what you just heard.
  - Ask open-ended questions. Questions allow us to both learn from those we’re speaking with and demonstrate our interest in their perspective. As long as we ask questions born out of curiosity and not intended to create “Gotcha!” moments, we push the conversation forward.
  - Be mindful of body language. Sometimes, your body can say it all. Try leaning forward, maintaining eye contact, and keeping your body open with your arms uncrossed.

2. Listen for Common Ground
Odds are that you share something in common: your morals, your values, or even just your history. Start from a place of acknowledging what you share, which may help you understand how they’ve reached the conclusion you disagree with—and vice versa. By establishing common ground, you are also opening the possibility that they can follow the path from the values you share to your conclusion.

3. Ground Your Statements in Stories
Facts can be disputed, as can expert opinions and data, but personal experiences belong to the one sharing them. We should represent our opinions as uniquely our own, positioning them as personal truths rather than facts. Sharing stories and the emotions tied to them reminds the listener of our humanity and asks them to join us in a moment of vulnerability.

4. Accept When You Should Leave It
If you find things getting heated to the point that the conversation is no longer productive, it’s best to just set it aside for the moment. Thank them for the conversation but be firm in your decision to end it.

5. Do Your Research
We encourage you to use the resources below * to learn about laws affecting immigrants, familiarize yourself with their experiences, and get up-to-date information about the issues. This will allow you to address misconceptions and speak with greater confidence.

* more information and other resources can be found on the website https://www.globalrefuge.org/

A Pastoral Message for These Troubled Days

November 12, 2025
When I was installed as your presiding bishop, the preacher proclaimed that in times of division, disruption and fear, God calls us, through love, to lift up one another just as Christ lifts us up. I have taken that to heart and been alert to all the ways in which we, made into God’s own beloved through word and sacrament, testify to that love in daily service and ministry. Across the ELCA, I have seen and am deeply grateful for:

- Ministries mobilizing to serve meals and distribute food amid the harm, chaos and confusion of a government shutdown and the ongoing blocking of food assistance for 42 million people in our nation.
- Congregations offering accompaniment and hope as they come alongside neighbors made vulnerable by aggressive and indiscriminate immigration enforcement.
- Leaders from Lutheran Disaster Response urging members of Congress to commit to programs that lift up those made vulnerable in disasters.
- Congregations reaching out to federal workers by supplying meals, meeting daily needs, providing gift cards and helping them find work.
- Preachers faithfully proclaiming the theology of the cross that illuminates the brokenness of sin but also the mystery of a grace that claims us, frees us and sends us to be messengers of hope in a hurting world.

As a church, we do not hold back in lifting up those whom God calls us to serve, even and especially when government abdicates its responsibilities for the common good. My installation as your presiding bishop coincided with the start of the longest government shutdown in our nation’s history. In this moment, I draw strength from the writings of Martin Luther, who used the example of Mary and the words of the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) to urge the rulers of his time to exercise power in ways that serve all people.
Jesus gave us an image of a vine and its branches (John 15:1) to illustrate our connectedness to him and, through him, to one another. Our rootedness in Christ sustains us with his love. His love connects us to one another. We must stay connected to face the challenges of this moment.
An end to the government shutdown will not immediately resolve food insecurity, so we will keep feeding and supporting our neighbors. The racial profiling and harm to our immigrant neighbors show no signs of diminishing, so we will heed God’s call to show up alongside these neighbors in solidarity. Our broken politics and partisan divisions will not heal by themselves, so we will show up through participation, bridge-building and advocacy.
No matter what happens next, we must continue to care for all neighbors, especially those who are marginalized. Our 1994 social message “Community Violence” tells us that “we have the responsibility to join with others to hold government accountable for protecting society and ensuring justice for all, and to seek changes in policies and practices toward these ends” (p. 4). As we do, I am confident that Christ’s grace will be sufficient, freeing us to lift up others and seek justice for everyone.
I invite you to pray for and participate in ELCA ministries that support the well-being of all including by taking advocacy action, applying for ELCA World Hunger Daily Bread Matching Grants to support your hunger ministry, and watching the recent ELCA Advocacy webinar “Faith Communities and the Realities of Food Assistance.”
Gracious God, we pray for our public servants, that they do their work in a spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice. Inspire them to use their authority to serve faithfully and to promote our common life. Guide our leaders to govern in such a way that all people enjoy a peaceful and just society. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. —All Creation Sings, p. 50

In Christ, The Rev. Yehiel Curry, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

More information and other resources can be found on the website https://www.elca.org/

THE WOMEN OF NAPA VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH are invited to meet together the 3^rd Wednesday of each month from 1pm – 3pm in Luther Hall. Our next meeting is Wednesday, December 17. If you are interested, please notify Pastor Stephanie so she can make sure you are mailed your own copy of Gather, the quarterly magazine published by WELCA. During our meetings we discuss the themes presented in the magazine along with projects we may be interested in supporting or undertaking ourselves.

Gather with us for community, prayer, and partnership in the Gospel. Please also let Pastor Stephanie know if you wish to be included but are unable to attend our monthly meetings.

LUNCH BUNCH will not meet in November. Plan to join us on Thursday, December 4 at 12:45 p.m. at Tarla, 1480 First St. Call Carol Holmes for reservations.

Thank you to the knitters and crocheters. On November 23, the sanctuary was filled with colorful handmade items. We received and blessed 156 hats and a scarf that will be delivered to the Abode homeless shelter for distribution to folks who are in need of warm headwear.

Thank you to the members of our congregation that have been sending in your contributions to the church office.
It is much appreciated. Your financial giving to NVLC is still necessary for us to maintain the needs of the congregation. Remember, that although we did not provide boxes of offering envelopes, as in past years, we still have the opportunity to make special offerings for special occasions, any occasion that is special to you!

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BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE SUNDAY DECEMBER 14TH 3:00PM