What CAN the Almighty Do?
This month the Church celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. You’re encouraged to wear red in recognition of this special day! Everyone loves an excuse to celebrate and the Church’s birthday is as good as anything for a good cake – but after nearly 2000 birthdays, what are we actually celebrating?
We are celebrating a day when the Holy Spirit broke loose, entering the hearts of all believers, to do miraculous things everyday in an ordinary world through normal people all for the sake of God’s love. Now THAT is something to celebrate!
Last fall, I asked us collectively to “Ponder Anew what the Almighty can Do.” Have you been pondering? The short answer, of course, is ANYTHING! But what sorts of things has your pondering led you to ask “Can God do this in Napa? Can God do this for me? Can God do this with me?” I saw a story on CBS Sunday Mornings about The Friendship Bench Project (www.thefriendshipbench.org). I pondered, “could this be something God could do through us?” I saw another story about adult playgrounds that assist in keeping adults (seniors especially) active and building/keeping physical abilities in check with various apparatus similar to a child’s playground while gathering in community. I pondered, “what would it look like if we added an adult playground to compliment some of the already well funded children’s playgrounds in our neighborhood?” (see www.thegreatage.org) I learned about a Scandinavian movement to help seniors by creating tiny house communities (4-5 homes) with a common dwelling for communal dining, laundry, and housing of caretakers who rotate through the week to help in the affordability crisis of assisted living. I pondered, “I wonder whether this is a model we could advocate for in Napa?” After spending some time on the ELCA’s new property management site, I read an article from Living Lutheran about a congregation utilizing Bluetooth to create a better listening experience for people who wear hearing aids and those who struggle to hear in large settings. We have an assistance system, but it made me think, “would this make our sound clearer and the system more accessible to more people at NVLC?” That’s what my pondering has looked like these last few months. I’d love to hear your own ponderings!
And this is what is celebrated at Pentecost! – Not what God has done…not necessarily only what God is doing…but what is POSSIBLE because of God! On that day, the Holy Spirit spoke to everybody and through everybody to give them a message and a mission – that they GO – make disciples by telling about the work of Jesus and the love of God and baptize those disciples so they too can receive God’s message and a mission to do likewise over and over again! This Pentecost, be inspired (breathed into) by the Spirit of God calling you, calling US, into the work of the Church in our community and in our world!
In Christ,
Pastor Stephanie
THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING!
In congregations like NVLC where our membership is small but mighty, our volunteers are EVERYBODY and so, sometimes we overlook opportunities to formally say “thank you” and express our appreciation. The Church only works when all of us work at what God calls us to do. So…thank you! Thank you for making coffee and bringing snacks, for making our worship space beautiful and seasonally different. Thank you for meeting together to manage our church’s finances and help share and manage our blessings in the endowment fund. Thank you for setting up communion, reading scripture, donating flowers, greeting people at worship services, leading worship, singing in our choir, volunteering to help temporarily direct our choir, preparing and sharing special messages for our children (and the young at heart!), planning our worship, cleaning our gutters, making improvements at 352 Jefferson St, meeting with roofers and solar installers, decorating the fellowship hall for special events and occasions, cutting limbs from overgrown trees, wrangling Simon, playing with Clever, submitting newsletter articles, organizing donation drives, changing lightbulbs and replenishing paper towels! Thank you for making church and meetings available to those who need to join us from home on Zoom, leading council meetings and congregation meetings, organizing people to bring food to Lenten soup suppers and potlucks. Thank you for Really…when I say everything, I mean everything! I am certain to have left people and duties out of this list, but not because what you do and what you have done isn’t valuable – because things are running so well we forget a person is making it happen!
With a sincerely grateful heart, Pastor Stephanie
COUNCIL NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Last year the nominations committee and Leanne Martinsen began preparing the congregation for an important transition at NVLC. This year, our president, Leanne Martinsen, and vice-president, Karen Scaruffi Johnson, both reach the end of their 2-year long terms. Additionally, Connie Barri reaches the end of her term. When we elected Susi Ashby as our secretary, we also elected Roberta Simcoe to assist her with her duties, so we do not need an at-large member elected to fill Connie’s seat, however we DO need to elect a congregational president AND vice-president.
As leaders of the congregation, these positions and the choice of who fills them shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s true there is a fair amount of responsibility behind them. BUT our congregation is also entering a very exciting time as we use this 21st and 22nd year to imagine how God is calling us to be present for those already in the NVLC community and those in our neighborhood. We have resources for improving our building that few other councils get to dream and do with. We have ways to dream about using those improvements to make NVLC more accessible and easy to use for things we’ve just been doing the best we can for years.
For over a year, now, you have been asked to be in prayer about the leadership of this congregation and also to listen to how God may be calling you to lead. We continue to need those prayers! If you are feeling led to accept a role of leadership or if the name of someone in the congregation has been placed upon your heart to lift up as someone who would be a good leader, please contact Pastor Stephanie or a member of our nominations committee prior to Sunday, May 10th. This is a deadline only to ask nominees privately if they are willing to consider a position. Nominations may be made and accepted at our congregational meeting on May 17th.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this matter,
The Nominations Committee
Pastor Stephanie, Carol Holmes, Karen Scaruffi Johnson, and Bob Shepersky
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COUNCIL MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
John and I have been living here in Napa Valley full-time for 27 years now, but I feel as if I have really come home. I am a native of Richmond, CA. but my Napa roots run deep. My maternal Great Grandparents owned Mast Ranch on Solano Avenue where John and I now live. We built a modern home and grapes now grow here instead of the prunes, cows, pigs and chickens of my youth, but we have definitely come home.
In Napa we found another very special “home”, our church home. Emanuel Lutheran Church welcomed us and we both became very active. John worked with the property committee. I taught Sunday School and served in several offices on the Church Council and Nursery School Board. When Emmanuel and Redemer merged I became the last Council President of Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Since the new congregation would be using the Redeemer site our Bishop suggested that I remain as the President of the First Church Council of Napa Valley Lutheran Church.
Prior to Napa, John and I lived in Berkeley, California, McMinnville, Oregon; Vancouver Washington; and Oxnard, California. During those years we completed our Bahelor’s Degrees, John’s Masters in Engineering Degree, and my California Teaching Certificate. Living in Oxnard for 30 years, John worked as an electrical engineer for the US Navy and I was a stay-at-home mother to our two daughters, volunteering in local political campaigns, teaching Sunday School, and volunteering with school PTAs and authoring a study on a local proposal for the establishment of a LNG facility to be located at the Port of Hueneme. By this time the girls were in high school and I taught part time at the LCMS elementary school until a full-time position opened up in a local Roman Catholic school where I taught for 13 years. During this time John and I continued serving our ELCA congregation as called upon and treasure the friends and memories of those years past.
After years of experiencing the joy of service, I encourage all to be as active and involved with our local church as you current circumstances would allow. No matter your talent or interest, there is a way in which you could both serve and be served. Worshiping together, forging relationships/friendships by serving together, spreading the Good News while helping others less fortunate than ourselves: all are mutually rewarding. What could be better than serving on the Church Council, thus helping to insure that the church will always be here to serve God by caring for our fellow inhabitants of His Creation? As we move forward please prayerfully consider how you might serve when you are called to do so and be sure to let others know if there are certain modes of service for which you might already feel an interest.
God Bless! Roberta Simcoe
DEVOTIONAL RESOURCES
CHRIST IN OUR HOME: The April, May and June 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 MAY
Each month we encourage extra gifts to be given to a ministry partner either here in Napa or from our Synod and Churchwide connections. This month we highlight Lutheran Outdoor Ministries, our northern California camping program centered at Mt. Cross. NVLC Endowment grants support camperships for our members who attend camp. This year Mt. Cross is open for all campers again. Here’s your opportunity to give a gift to help with the program expenses for our wonderful camp. Many lives are changed by a week at camp! If you would like to contribute to support Mt. Cross, you can put a check into the offering baskets (made out to NVLC with “Second Mile” on the memo line) and include it with your offering anytime during May.
If you would like to lift up any other organizations, please contact Dorothy Arata so that the Gifts and Services committee can consider supporting them in 2027.
COUNCIL UPDATES
The church council met on April 16 Pastor Stephanie reported on worship happenings and plans for the season of Easter. Treasurer Ellen Wulf presented financial reports. Pastor Stephanie, Jill Jameson and Leanne Martinsen, will participate in the Sierra Pacific regional gathering in San Jose on May 30 as well as the June 13 business meeting on Zoom, and another budget meeting in October. May 17 was set as the date of the next congregational meeting, and the nominating committee is being activated to select candidates for the vacancies on church council. We discussed the message from Synod regarding the injunction preventing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from conducting immigration enforcement actions in certain places of worship, and posting signs to inform the community that our property is protected under this order. The minutes of council meetings are posted on the bulletin board in the narthex for more details.
TIME TO CHECK FOR ZOOM UPDATES
Whether you are a regular Zoomer or occasionally need to hop onto a meeting or into a worship service on Zoom, please take a moment to sign on to your account and double check that you have made the most recent updates. Without updating on a regular basis you may run into difficulty connecting to meetings, sound issues, or other annoying “glitches.”
To look for updates in Zoom, open your zoom program or app and then find the colored circle or square with your first initial in it or your profile picture. When you click on the circle you should see a “settings” option. In settings, find “check for updates.” This will give you the option to see what version you are currently using and what update they would like you to download. The program will lead you through the rest.
How to check for updates on the desktop (computer – laptop or desktop) app
- Open the Zoom desktop app
- Click your profile picture
- Select Check for Updates
- If an update is available, you’ll see a notification with a loading bar
- Click Install when the download is complete
- Restart your computer if prompted
How to check for updates on the mobile (tablet or phone) app
- Open the App Store or Google Play
- Find the Zoom app
- Check for updates
- Click Update next to the Zoom app
Just as a reminder, our Zoom meetings require a password, but by using the link on our website, you will be taken straight to the meeting without needing to enter the password. Our website is www.napavalleylutheran.org.
Join Lutherans on Wednesday, May 20th, to meet with your state legislative offices. Let Pastor Stephanie know if you are interested in registering or would like the registration link for the event. Registration is now open until Tuesday, May 12th. You can access the form here: https://forms.gle/9XcJbnZ1myF2VaoM8
READ AND DISCUSS WITH US WEDNESDAYS FROM 11:00 – 12:30
Our Wednesday Book Discussion Group continues to meet to discuss President Jimmy Carter’s book The Virtues of Aging. Written in his 65th year, President Carter was already offering insight and wisdom about “getting up there” in age. This title is available in print, as an ebook or as an audiobook. The church has some copies to loan if you have not obtained your copy yet.
SO MUCH GRATITUDE!
Dear Friends,
We are reaching out with deep gratitude for your recent support of Community Action of Napa Valley. Your donation of $4,500.00 received on 4/9/2026 for our Food Bank Program, plays a vital role in our work. Your generosity directly helps individuals, families, children and seniors across Napa County access nutritious food and essential support services during a time of heightened need.
Since 1965, CANV has worked to increase self-determination and self-sufficiency for low-income residents in our community. Whether through the Napa Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, CANV Kids, or our supportive service programs, your contribution makes it possible for us to meet people where they are and offer care, dignity, and hope….
Thank you so much for your generous donation.
With gratitude, Drene Johnson, Executive Director
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To Napa Valley Lutheran Church,
On Behalf of all of us at On The Move and VOICES Youth Center, thank you for your generous gift of $6,000.00 from the Napa Valley Lutheran Church Endowment Fund on March 31, 2026. We are deeply grateful to your congregation for continuing to hold our work in your hearts. It is especially meaningful to know that members of your community lifted up VOICES as a place worthy of support. That kind of care and intention reflects the very spirit of community we strive to build every day.
Your gift, entrusted to be used where needed most, allows us to respond with flexibility and compassion to the needs of young people navigating foster care, housing instability, and other challenges. Because of your generosity, VOICES remains a place where youth can find not only support, but stability, connection, and a sense of belonging.
There is something powerful about knowing that a community of people has come together to invest in the well-being of young people they may never meet. We are honored to be in partnership with Napa Valley Lutheran Church and grateful for the care your congregation continues to extend to our community.
With heartfelt gratitude, Amber Twitchel, Associate Director
Thank you so much for the Support.
We appreciate you! ♥ Coach Bailie
Dear Friends at Napa Valley Lutheran Church, Thank you for your donation! ($1,000.00) Your generosity and commitment ensure Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary is able to better serve our students, faculty, and community members. We are grateful for your gift, which is transforming lives and helping us fulfill our mission of equipping leaders for the church and world.
With appreciation, Rev. Sara Wilson, Director of Seminary Stewardship
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Dear…Napa Valley Lutheran Church,
On behalf of Lutheran Social Services of Northern California, thank you for your generous gift of $6,000.00. Your congregation’s commitment to serving our most vulnerable neighbors reflects the heart of faithful discipleship, and we are deeply honored to partner with you in this vital ministry.
For nearly six decades, LSS has helped individuals and families facing life’s unpredictable challenges find the stability and independence they need to thrive. Your support addresses not just immediate needs, bot creates pathways to lasting transformation…When congregations like yours live out the call to love our neighbors, transformation happens. Thank you for choosing LSS as an expression of your congregation’s mission. Together we are ending homelessness, for good.
We are deeply touched by your generosity! Thank you for walking with our neighbors being housed!
In partnership and gratitude, Julie Clemens, Development Director
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Dear…Friends,
The volunteers at St. John’s Lutheran Mission Farm than you for your generous gift of $1,000.00, which will help families with limited resources to put fresh and nutritious food on their tables…Thank you again for partnering with us. Your generosity is much appreciated. God’s continued blessings to you!
Kristy Watkins, Church Office Administrator.
We are so grateful for your generous donation toward our Mission Farm. Thank you for partnering with us in producing fresh organic fruits and vegetables for distribution to the Napa Valley Food Bank, to help struggling families put delicious and nutritious meals on their tables. God’s continued blessing to you and all you do for the community of Napa.
Yours in Christ, Howard Scully, MAcc, CPA, Business Administrator
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To Napa Valley Lutheran Church,
Thank you so much for your contribution of $3,000 to the Napa Valley Together Fund of Napa Valley Community Foundation. We received your gift on April 6, 2026.
Since 1994, the Foundation has worked side by side with local donors and nonprofits to tackle the most important challenges our Valley faces. Sometimes, those challenges are as obvious and urgent as a wildfire. Other times, those challenges are hiding in plain sight, like our critical shortage of workforce housing, or the cost of post-secondary education for our most promising youth.
No matter the challenge, having you in our corner is a tremendous gift and a testament to your personal commitment to the true meaning of community. Thank you once again for your generosity, as it is your support that sustains our mission and assists us in being an engine for good. We are truly grateful to you and your congregation for standing with our immigrant neighbors – Thank You!
Sincerely, Terence P. Mulligan, President, Napa Valley Community Foundation
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To Napa Valley Lutheran Church,
Thank you so much for your donation to Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity on 4/7/2026 in the amount of $5,000.00…Through your generosity we are able to move forward with the many new projects we have planned, all enabling us to accomplish our mission of bringing people together to build decent, affordable homes for low-income families in Solano and Napa Counties. There is a great need for affordable housing in both counties…Additionally, we are working with low-income families who already own their own home, but have health and safety issues that need to be addressed. By assisting them with the necessary repairs, we are helping them to age in place, and not risk losing their homes to disrepair. By partnering with our local businesses and many wonderful volunteers, we will use your donation to help the deserving families in our communities build strength, stability, self-reliance, and shelter…
With our thanks again and kind regards,
Andrew Killeen, CEO Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity
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What a wonderful surprise to receive your check in the mail!! We can’t begin to tell you how grateful we are for you all…Your generous funds will help us pay for the bus we use all week, help pay for lunches for both the campers and volunteers, and many fun activities that we do that the campers love and also are challenged by…Thank you so much We pray for many blessings over you… Have a wonderful summer!
With a grateful heart, Jennie Nelson Fly Camp Super Fly ♥
THE WOMEN OF NAPA VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH are invited to meet together each month in Luther Hall. Our next meeting is Wednesday May 27 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. 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 be on Thursday May 28 at 12:45 PM at Frida’s Mexican Grill, 1533 Trancas St. Call Carol Holmes for reservations.
SYNOD WOMEN’S RETREAT
SPS Women of the ELCA Retreat will be held September 11–13, 2026 at the
San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, CA. Join us for a meaningful weekend of community, reflection, and renewal. Stay tuned for more details about guest speakers, workshops, and possible discounts!
SAVE THE DATE: SYNOD WOMEN’S RETREAT
SPS Women of the ELCA Retreat will be held September 11–13, 2026 at the San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, CA. Join us for a meaningful weekend of community, reflection, and renewal. Stay tuned for more details about guest speakers, workshops, and possible discounts!
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 meet 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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