st-johns-lutheran-churchd376e340

Welcome the the new Associate Director of Youth and Family Ministries - Jeremy Kaetzel

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:00:56 GMT

Additionally, Jeremy is quite familiar with ministry and brings a wealth of theological training and youth ministry experience to this new role. Jeremy holds a bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a masters degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Following his undergraduate and master’s degrees, Jeremy served in various youth ministry roles at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, Piedmont Community Church, and First Covenant Church of Oakland. In the past 5 years, Jeremy has leaned into his creativity, launching his small business, Leigo Log Builds, specializing in 3D modeling, creative design, and the creative pipeline seeing raw ideas and concepts through to physical creations.

With a couple of years away from youth ministry in a full-time, professional role, Jeremy steps into this new role at St. John’s with clarity and joy in his vocational call.

“My interest in this role now is grounded in a deep belief and love for what St. John’s is doing in the lives of kids, youth, families, and young adults. The more I have stepped into lay leadership the past two years with the high schoolers and my young adult peers, the more my heart and joy has grown. I love St. John’s, and I am incredibly excited for what the Holy Spirit is doing in this season of transition and growth,” writes Jeremy.

In this role, Jeremy will work with staff and leaders of the congregation to design, implement, and facilitate a comprehensive program of Christian faith formation from infancy into young adulthood. He will integrate all related ministries currently undertaken at St. John’s and coordinate the work of leaders of those ministries, while developing intergenerational participation and support.

As Jeremy transitions from a faithful volunteer to the Associate Director, we ask the congregation to welcome him with jubilee and respect his official May 18 start date. Join us in welcoming, Jeremy!

March 2026 Congregation Matters Meeting Recap

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:08:30 GMT

On Sunday, March 22, 2026, the St. John’s Church Council convened the quarterly Congregation Matters meeting – chaired by newly elected Council President, Jerry Kilbert.

The meeting began with an introduction of the current Council members, including newly elected members Micah Metts-Houston, Nicole Oehmke, Melanie Schindell, Bonnie Lindgren, and Mike Long.

Senior Bridge Pastor Paul Baglyos provided an update on the hiring of an Associate Director for Youth and Family Ministries . The position was posted publicly about two weeks ago and will remain open for applicants through the end of March, extending into April as needed. Applications are already coming through!

At each Congregation Matters meeting, one Director and accompanying colleagues will be introduced to share more about their ongoing ministry. Catherine Slabaugh and Joel Barkel shared about the Communications and Community Engagement ministry – highlighting especially the new Accompaniers Program and Ministry Program .

In the absence of Council Treasurer John Bailey, Jerry shared a brief financial update. Giving is trending a bit down in January and February, but the Council is not worried as many congregants give annually and have not done so early this year. Most notably, the Council and Finance Committee are establishing an Audit Committee to perform a comprehensive financial audit for St. John’s. We’re looking for individuals with accounting experience to join the committee – email catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org if you’re interested!

Chris Dawson, Chair of the Call Committee, shared an update on the call process for the next Senior Pastor. Following an intentional break during Advent, the call committee received a slate of names from the synod office and completed five first-round zoom interviews. Following individual discernment, the committee will convene to discuss next steps – reference checks, follow-up interviews, etc. The committee is impressed and enthusiastic about this slate of candidates and, as always, they welcome your prayers and continued input as this process continues. If there is anything you would like to communicate to the Call Committee, please email callcommittee@stjohnslc.org .

Finally, Jerry shared that the Council will resurrect the Facility Taskforce, wondering about the future of the various St. John’s owned properties. We own valuable property, it’s now time to dream about what we might be able to do! If you have ideas or interest in joining this team, please connect with St. John’s member Gwynnae Byrd or email catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org .

The next Congregation Matters meeting will be held on Sunday, June 28 at 10:15am in Oehler Hall .

Job Posting: Associate Director for Youth and Family Ministries

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 20:27:48 GMT

VISION

The Associate Director for Youth and Families Ministries (hereafter “the AD”) will work with staff and leaders of the congregation to design, implement, and facilitate a comprehensive program of Christian faith formation from infancy into young adulthood. The program will integrate all related ministries currently undertaken at St. John’s and coordinate the work of leaders of those ministries. The program will also develop intergenerational participation and support. The six overlapping circles in the graphic above represent the six major areas of the program to be developed. In some areas, the AD will be the person primarily responsible for leadership; in other areas, the AD will work with existing leaders in a supportive and facilitative capacity.

DESIRED OUTCOMES

To promote the engagement of young people in the mission and ministries of the congregation from baptism into young adulthood
To cultivate the attention and participation of the congregation in the Christian faith formation of young people
To nurture the Christian identity of young people toward lifelong commitments

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Personal Christian faith grounded in baptismal vocation
Relevant pedagogical experience and/or education
Relevant theological experience and/or education
Active membership in an ELCA congregation or a congregation of an ELCA full-communion partner

INTEGRATING THE SIX AREAS

Baptism

The AD will work with other staff of the congregation to develop a comprehensive ministry of teaching and support for families and sponsors of young people being brought to baptism. This will include pre-baptismal preparation and instruction, the scheduling of baptisms, and post-baptismal support for parents and sponsors. A ministry of teaching and support for adults coming for baptism will be developed separately from the program here described and will be integrated with Luminaria.

Pre Sunday School

Drawing upon Luther’s teaching about the role of parents in the faith formation of their children, the AD will develop a ministry of instruction and encouragement for parents – and baptismal sponsors – to promote their continued engagement in the promises they made on behalf of their children at baptism. Initiatives:

In collaboration with the pastor(s) of the congregation, the AD will develop printed resources that offer guidance to parents about (a) cultivating prayer habits with their children, (b) introducing biblical stories to their children, (c) celebrating baptismal anniversaries with their children, (d) orienting their children to worship, etc.
The AD will facilitate gatherings of the families of young children to foster engagement in the practices described in those printed resources.
Those printed resources will be given to all families in follow-up to baptisms, and copies will be kept available at key locations in the sanctuary and other appropriate locations of the church facilities.
The “children’s space” in the sanctuary will be arranged, furnished, and equipped for the support of the ongoing faith formation of young children in the company of their parents and/or other primary adults.

Sunday School

The AD will support the work of the director and teachers of Sunday School in the enrollment and continued participation of children in Sunday School over the years/grades prior to confirmation classes. The AD will collaborate with the director and teachers of Sunday School in the ongoing development of the Sunday School ministry, adapting to changing circumstances, challenges, and opportunities. The AD will help to recruit, equip, and enable teachers and leaders of the Sunday School. The AD will guide and equip teachers in theologically sound and age appropriate pedagogical practices. This will be the area of the program that will include instruction for first communion, and the AD will work with other staff of the congregation and the director and teachers of Sunday School to plan and provide that instruction. The AD will help to facilitate the VBS ministry of the congregation in coordination with Sunday School.

Confirmation

The AD will support the work of confirmation teachers and promote the engagement of confirmation-age young people in the confirmation ministry of the congregation. Initiatives:

Similar to the practice in Luminaria, a rite of entrance for confirmation students will be planned and scheduled for inclusion in the worship of the congregation on a suitable occasion in the liturgical calendar.
A “news about our young people” feature will be designed for and included in all congregational media. Parents and other adults in relationships with young people will be encouraged to publicize news about the achievements, endeavors, milestones, and other notable experiences in the lives of young people in that feature.

High School

The AD will facilitate existing opportunities for high school youth, such as the summer youth trip, youth Sunday, and Holy Week participation. In collaboration with other staff and leaders of the congregation, the AD will work to develop new approaches to and new initiatives for St. John’s ministry with high school students tailored to their gifts and their interests.

Initiative Possibility 1:

The congregation’s ministry with high school students will prioritize formative events such as retreats, local service/mission projects, service/mission trips outside the local area, participation in synod/ELCA events, and so forth. Each formative event will include aspects of service, learning, and fellowship. The AD will serve as the primary leader for planning and facilitating such events and for engaging other members of the congregation in supportive roles as teachers, chaperones, etc.
The AD and other leaders will meet with high school students during Sunday School time for preparatory learning regarding upcoming events and for reflective debriefing following each event.
The AD will collaborate with high school youth, parents, and other leaders to develop activity-based as well as lesson-based opportunities for ongoing faith formation of high school students during the Sunday School time. Priority will be given to the interests of high school students, especially as those relate to artistic and other vocational aspirations.

Initiative Possibility 2:

Following confirmation, high school students will be invited to participate in congregational ministries with younger ages, helping, for example to teach younger Sunday School classes or confirmation classes, assisting in the nursery, or helping to train acolytes.

Initiative Possibility 3:

The congregation will develop a fund to provide annual stipends to all confirmed high school students for an “internship” opportunity. A specified amount (c. $2,000?) will be made available to all high school students participating in the internship opportunity for each year of high school (ninth through twelfth grades).
High school students participating in the internship opportunity will work with the AD and other leaders to choose and tailor their opportunity. Possibilities include serving in an existing ministry of the congregation or working beside members of the congregation in a shadowing capacity in vocations beyond the congregation.
High school students participating in the internship opportunity will help the AD to craft a covenant of agreement that will specify the commitments of the opportunity. The annual stipend will be awarded to the students in an appropriate way as determined in consultation with the students’ parents.
Students may participate in the same internship opportunity for as many as all four years of high school or may choose and tailor a different opportunity as often as each year of high school.
At the end of each year, participating students will make a presentation to the congregation (in a manner yet to be determined) regarding their experience.
No application will be required of any student choosing to participate in the internship opportunity and no student who chooses to participate will be denied.
This initiative might replace the existing scholarship program of the congregation.

Post High School

The AD will help to develop initiatives for ongoing connections between the congregation and high school graduates who leave home for education, military service, employment, etc., publicizing news about their endeavors and achievements. High school graduates who permanently relocate outside the local area will be commended to the care of another congregation. High school graduates who remain in the local area or return to it after a period away for education, military service, etc., will be integrated into the young adult ministry of the congregation.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The AD will work with staff and leaders of the congregation to ensure compliance with the child safety policies of the congregation. The AD will facilitate all congregational fundraisers intended to support ministries with and for young people.

Pay: From $70,304.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) matching
Dental insurance
Health insurance
Life insurance
Paid time off
Vision insurance

Education:

Bachelor's (Required)

Work Location: In person

Applications can be sent via email to Pastor Paul Baglyos at paul.baglyos@stjohnslc.org.

A New Approach to Unhoused Guests on Sunday Mornings

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 23:50:26 GMT

History + Values: For over 40 years, and likely before then, the community of St. John’s Lutheran Church has engaged thoughtfully with individuals experiencing homelessness here in Sacramento and beyond. In the 1980s, the congregation responded to these needs by launching Saint John’s Program for Real Change – now a flourishing, independent nonprofit that has equipped over 35,000 women and children with the tools needed to transform their lives. Since then, St. John’s has provided direct service support here on our campus – through the Afternoon Snack Stop, Pilgrimage Meal, Thanksgiving Dinner, and Midtown HART Respite Center – as well as supported ministries accompanying unhoused individuals beyond our four walls. The St. John’s community deeply values the fullness of a diverse community; being a welcoming environment for individuals to feel seen, cared for, and welcomed.

While results from the 2026 Sacramento County Point-in-Time (PIT) Count have not been released, organizations serving unhoused individuals in Sacramento County, particularly in the Downtown/Midtown region, have noticed anecdotal shifts in the culture over the last two years. Unhoused individuals who primarily reside in Downtown/Midtown are often experiencing the compounding effects of substance abuse disorder and severe mental health struggles, leading to chronic homelessness. The St. John’s volunteers who regularly serve in our direct service ministries have noticed an increase in attendees over the past two years, a greater number of severe mental health disorders, and the need for greater county resources. This is coupled with a greater cost of living, rising housing costs, limited social service resources, and fewer shelters being built here in the city. Churches and direct service nonprofits are left to fill the gaps, providing basic resources for people in need with limited government or private funding, and a shrinking capacity paired with ever-growing needs. As such, the unhoused crisis grows.

We at St. John’s are no stranger to the shrinking capacity and resources conversation. For the past six months, the church council charged a Discernment Taskforce to look at direct service ministries here at St. John’s and discern questions like, “Are our direct services sustainable?” “Do we have enough funding, property, volunteers, etc. to continue these ministries as they stand today?” “How can we better serve our unhoused neighbors in need?” Fruitful, difficult, and powerful conversations ensued amidst this discernment group. The findings of this Taskforce led to the 2026 St. John’s budget incorporating all direct service operating expenses, around $34,000, rightsizing operations for a few of these ministries, and continuing to wonder about our property and long-term direct service viability. However, one statement remains true – the community of St. John’s will always provide direct services to our neighbors in need.

Growing Concerns on Sunday Mornings: The work of the Discernment Taskforce primarily focused on Monday-Thursday ministries, when all of our direct services are provided. However, we noticed a gap in the conversation and an area needing attention: Sunday mornings at St. John’s. Like many ELCA congregations, St. John’s embodies the value that “All are Welcome” on Sunday mornings. We believe that worship and communion are for the people of God and as such we invite all to the gathering. For years, the worshiping community of St. John’s has welcomed individuals experiencing homelessness. We’ve welcomed unhoused members into our Luminaria class and walked with them as they’ve become full members. They attend adult education classes and share in countless cups of coffee and cookies together in the courtyard. These moments of welcome and connection help us live out our values and show us the richness of the body of Christ. This practice of welcome was doable with a robust staff and a handful of unhoused guests; any behavioral complications while in community were handled with direct attention and care.

Over the past couple of months, we have become a magnet for Sunday morning coffee and cookies, and public restrooms. Some Sundays see dozens of unhoused individuals arriving at 8:00am to rest in our courtyard, use the bathroom, and drink coffee. A few attend worship or adult education classes, but most seek the safe respite we offer. However, St. John’s is not positioned to serve as a respite center on Sunday mornings, as we are positioned Monday-Thursdays.

During the week at our direct services, we have a staff of robust, trained, and equipped volunteers whose only intention for being present is to care for these individuals in need. We have an endless supply of coffee, open restrooms, clothes and toiletries to distribute, and exquisitely prepared warm meals. On Sundays, our staff and volunteers are fully focused on worship and the accompanying classes and community-building activities. Our property is wide open, children are playing, and around 250-300 worshipers are onsite. St. John’s is not able to offer the same level of accompaniment on Sunday mornings that we are able to offer at our direct services throughout the week.

The good news is that we do not do this work alone. There are nonprofits providing respite for unhoused guests in our neighborhood on Sundays.

First United Methodist Church (2100 J St) distributes burritos from 8:00-9:00am on the last two Sundays every month.
CAFFE Breakfast distributes breakfast every Sunday at 8:00am at Cesar Chavez Park (910 I St).
Loaves and Fishes serves a hot meal every Sunday from 11:00am-12:30pm at 1351 North C St.
Food Not Bombs serves a vegan meal at 1:30pm on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month on the corner of 10th and J St., near Cesar Chavez Park.

New Approach: With the growing number of unhoused individuals seeking respite at St. John’s on Sundays, decreased number of staff members, and lack of volunteers positioned to accompany unhoused individuals, conversation has ensued about re-setting some boundaries for Sunday mornings. With this new approach, our attention centers on the worshipping community of St. John’s on Sunday mornings.

You may have noticed a few of these changes already, and more will be rolled out in the coming weeks:

Signage will be placed outside of the red gates and office gates saying, “Welcome to St. John’s! No respite services available today.”
The red gates in the parking lot will be closed, not locked, when worship begins.
Coffee and cookies will relocate to Oehler Hall and be for the worshiping community of St. John’s.
Brunches and lunch-and-learns will be for the worshiping community of St. John’s.

It’s important to raise the fact that every Sunday, we welcome two or three unhoused guests into worship. As mentioned above, we practice the value that all are welcome in worship on Sundays. And, we know that being in a quiet, full, sometimes new space for someone experiencing homelessness, substance abuse disorder, or mental health struggles can be challenging. As such, we will launch an accompaniment model, led by volunteers, to ensure guests needing extra support are accompanied and welcomed into the worshiping community, if they desire.

This Accompaniment model looks like:

Three St. John’s volunteers serving as “Accompaniers” on Sunday mornings, with the sole focus of accompanying unhoused individuals in worship.
Accompanying might look like directing them to a safe space where they can leave their belongings before entering the sanctuary, sitting next to an individual in worship, taking a break with an individual if they become agitated or disruptive in worship.
Accompaniers will make rounds around the property periodically, sharing a “street sheet” with unhoused guests seeking respite that has information on respite centers happening at that time.
Accompaniers may continue to accompany an unhoused person who attended worship into the 10:15am hour space.

As named above, the worshiping community of St. John’s is welcome to coffee and cookies, as well as brunches and lunch-and-learns we might host. You may see unhoused individuals in these spaces after they’ve been in worship with us, accompanied by a St. John’s volunteer, if needed.

An Invitation to the Congregation: To begin the Accompaniment model, we need volunteers to serve as accompaniers! We invite you to prayerfully discern whether this might be a new ministry area you feel called to serve in.

Prior to serving, Accompaniers will go through an in-person training session, organized by Catherine Slabaugh and Joel Barkel, and led by a licensed Social Worker. Trainees will learn more about the landscape of homelessness, some of the situations you might encounter, and best practices for communication with someone maybe experiencing substance abuse disorder or mental health challenges.

Our intention is that Accompaniers will serve:

With a diverse team of three people – particularly diverse in gender and age.
Once a month, for a ~2 hour shift.
Shift 1: 8:00-10:30am
Shift 2: 10:30am-12:30pm

If you are interested in serving as an Accompanier or have questions before making your decision, please email catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org . Accompanier training will be offered in-person and via zoom on Sunday, February 22 at 12:30pm in the Gathering Place. Please RSVP here if you are able to attend.

The St. John’s community has a collective responsibility to care for its members. We cannot always serve both our members and unhoused neighbors, simultaneously and in the same ways. The body of Christ is for the world, but in order to be for the world, the integrity and well being of the body require attention and care. We feel called to enter into this difficult reality and not ignore it. We are deliberating the best thing to do at this moment, knowing whatever we do is going to be imperfect and likely require adjustments.

We invite you to a Congregation Matters meeting on Sunday, March 22 at 10:15am in Oehler Hall where staff and council members will be available for questions and conversation.

Imposition of Ashes - Ash Wednesday

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:24:21 GMT

A Change of Practice This Coming Ash Wednesday

An Explanation by Paul Baglyos, Bridge Pastor

As in past years, the St. John’s community will gather for Ash Wednesday worship at 12:00pm and 7:00pm. This year, we will not be offering ashes to-go for public passers-by outside the sanctuary. In deliberation with staff, I proposed that we forego this practice for the following reasons:

Offering the imposition of ashes outside a larger context of preaching, teaching, and worship suggests that the practice has a spiritual value in and of itself. Lutheran understanding contradicts that suggestion. The imposition of ashes is not a sacramental means of grace, and even the sacraments – baptism and communion – are always celebrated within a larger context of prayer and biblical instruction, rather than performed as isolated rituals.
The symbolism of ashes expressly relates to the fallenness of humanity. The accompanying words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” quotes Genesis 3:19 where God diagnoses the human condition affected by sin. This is the condition for which Jesus died upon the cross and the condition he addressed when he said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). Those words from Jesus, however, come after a relationship with him as disciples has already begun. He teaches these things to deepen the understanding and the commitment of his followers. Likewise, the imposition of ashes is intended to deepen understanding and commitments that have already begun, to further the maturing of faith that has already germinated. The imposition of ashes is not intended as an introductory call to discipleship.
The imposition of ashes invokes a grace it cannot by itself impart. Christians face the truth of their fallen condition when receiving ashes upon their foreheads because they know that God’s grace is the remedy for and the redemption of that condition. Ash Wednesday is perhaps the supreme occasion when Christians ritually celebrate the affirmation that “God proves [God’s] love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The mission of the church is to proclaim boldly in word and deed to all people the wondrous good news of God’s love. Surely there are better ways to do that than besmudging the foreheads of our neighbors and telling them they are dust. Surely our public witness to passers-by outside the sanctuary can find ways to offer genuine treasures of grace rather than ashes.

Members of the congregation who are unable to attend either services, but who want to begin their Lenten discipline by receiving the mark of ashes, are invited to receive the imposition of ashes in the sanctuary from 8:00-9:00am or 4:00-5:00pm.

We welcome all to begin this forty-day journey toward Easter with a day of fasting and repentance.

Annual Meeting Recap + New Council Officers Elected

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 02:36:03 GMT

On Sunday, January 25, the St. John’s congregation gathered for our Annual Meeting! Chaired by Andrew Ford, the Council President, the congregation heard an update from the Call Committee and received reports from Directors.

The business items of this year’s Annual Meeting included:

The approval of the 2025 Annual Meeting minutes.
The adoption of the 2026 Budget – notably including the commitment to staffing a full-time youth and family ministry position.
The election of five new council members – Micah Metts-Houston, Nicole Oehmke, Melanie Schindell, Mike Long, and Bonnie Lindgren.
The election of Andrew Ford to the Nominating Committee.
The ratification of Scholarship Committee members.

We also extend our sincerest gratitude and thanksgiving for the five departing Church Council members – Andrew Ford, Jo Hoffmeier, Linda Eytcheson, Dan Maloney, and Gary Ely-Grisham. Well done, good and faithful servants.

Following the Annual Congregational meeting, the newly elected 2026 St. John’s Church Council gathered to elect this year’s officers.

They are:

Jerry Kilbert - President
Chris Dawson - Vice President
Joan Slabaugh - Secretary
John Bailey - Treasurer

Please join us in celebrating all of our newly elected council members and officers, and praying for them in these new roles!

The 2025 Santa Lucia: Bella Manley

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 20:32:49 GMT

The leadership of St. John’s Lutheran Church is delighted to announce that Bella Manley will serve as the 2025 Santa Lucia.

A lifetime member at St. John’s, Bella was baptized here at six months old, sang in the music class in elementary school, completed Confirmation online during COVID, volunteered for countless Thanksgiving Meals, regularly serves as a Lector, and is now approaching her final months as a high school senior. Amidst it all, Bella has led with her heart and carries our mission of living God’s love in the world with her in all that she does.

A senior at St. Francis High School, Bella is active in the school’s Tech Club – leading behind-the-scenes stage production, building sets, managing sound, and helping bring different shows to life, Into the Woods being her favorite. She has also been shaped by her religious experiences at St. Francis, most notably, in her junior-year Moral Ethics and Catholic Social Teachings class, where she explored the connection of theology to moral principles and how she might carry these teachings into her own life experiences.

Outside of school, Bella is a devoted Girl Scout, having recently completed her Gold Award Project right here at St. John’s. This spring, after volunteering with Tuesday’s Midtown HART Respite, she saw a need for clothing and toiletries for unhoused men and organized a drive to collect these items. Her nearly decade-long involvement in Girl Scouts has given her a wide and meaningful group of friends, broadened her hands-on life skills, and provided ample opportunities to make an impact on her community.

Bella has also served throughout high school as a member of the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (SPSYC), leading retreats for elementary through high school aged youth at Mt. Cross multiple times a year. Initially drawn to this leadership position after attending retreats growing up, Bella has developed deep friendships with fellow Lutheran youth across Northern California and gained valuable hands-on leadership experience with kids – something she loves deeply. To Bella, SPSYC is an extension of church.

Being named this year’s Santa Lucia is a tremendous honor to Bella, especially after watching her cousin and close friends receive this recognition in recent years. She looks forward to sharing her light with all who attend this year’s festivities.

The annual Santa Lucia Service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 14th in the Sanctuary at St. John’s Lutheran Church, followed by a Festival at 5:00 p.m. in The Gathering Place. Come celebrate Bella and the Santa Lucia court!

Welcoming Bridge Organist Dan Nguyen

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:53:52 GMT

St. John’s is delighted to welcome Organist Dan Nguyen to worship over the next couple of months! Dan will serve as the “Bridge Organist”, allowing us space to conduct a national search for a permanent Organist.

Dan Nguyen was born in Sacramento. As a child, he studied piano under several local teachers—most especially Dakin Chamberlain, a student of Richard Cionco. His formal organ studies began with an American Guild of Organists (AGO) scholarship through which he studied under local harpsichordist, organist, and music professor Nancy Metzger; during this same period, he served a tenure as Organ Scholar at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Houston where he studied organ and harpsichord under Robert Bates and Matthew Dirst. He recalls with great gratitude all of his teachers, especially the late Norma McIntyre (1925-2023) who offered him elementary organ lessons before entrusting him to the tutelage of Nancy Metzger.

Dan has over ten years experience working in various professional capacities related to liturgical music. He has concertized in California, Oregon, Texas, New York, and Vietnam; he has an abiding passion for mediaeval and early music as well as twentieth-century and contemporary liturgical music. His liturgical compositions include several choral settings of mediaeval Latin hymns as well as four neo-Gregorian settings of the Vietnamese translation of the Roman Catholic mass. He is currently studying Carpatho-Rusyn chant (prostopinije) through the Metropolitan Cantor Institute of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh.

After several years based in New York City and Hanoi, Dan has returned to Sacramento where he is joined by his wife, Leonie, and his son, Placidus, as well his immediate family. Dan is a Ph.D. Candidate at Columbia University where he is jointly affiliated with the Departments of History and East Asian Languages and Cultures; he currently teaches Chinese history at Sacramento State.

Welcome to St. John’s, Dan!

October '25 Update from the Call Committee

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 20:16:38 GMT

During late summer and early fall, the St. John’s Call Committee interviewed the slate of candidates initially provided by the Sierra Pacific Synod Office of the Bishop. The Call Committee followed up with the references that the candidates provided. Guided by the input that you, the people of St. John’s, provided throughout the series of listening sessions earlier this year, the committee engaged in deep discussion, discernment, and prayer. As a result, no candidate from this first slate was called. The committee knows it has to be a good fit for St. John’s and for the next Senior Pastor who will be called to guide St. John’s to be the church God has in mind for us.

Following this first phase of interviews, the Call Committee is now momentarily paused as the Office of the Bishop prepares a second slate of candidates. Following the retirement of Pastor Frank Espegren, and grateful for the strength and vitality of our congregation, St. John's has welcomed Pastor Paul Baglyos as our bridge pastor. Pastor Paul’s enthusiasm to lean into his role and thoroughly engage in the community of St. John’s is an indicator of why we can walk into the future with full confidence in God’s love for St. John’s! The committee is appreciative of Pastor Jon and the entire St. John’s staff for their support to help Pastor Paul and his wife Sharon as they become fully immersed in the life of St. John’s.

As the St. John's community prepares for the busy season of Advent and the traditions of our church, the Call Committee has full confidence in the careful transition plan that was developed by our Church Council and in the leadership the Council is providing to St. John’s in this interim period. The committee is also filled with gratitude for the implementation of the vision for more lay leadership in all aspects of worship, faith formation and service.

We are blessed with a strong congregation. Our pews are full on Sundays; education programs and opportunities for volunteers in direct services are expanding; and, we are in good financial standing – all positive signs for St. John’s during this phase in the call process.

If you have any further questions or would like to connect with the Call Committee, you can email them at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org .

Introducing Bridge Pastor Paul Baglyos

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 16:53:15 GMT

Beloved people of St. John’s,

My name is Paul Baglyos and I am delighted to begin serving as your bridge pastor on October 1, 2025. My journey to St. John’s has been a bit serendipitous – more of that later in this letter – but today I write to share a little about my wife and myself as we prepare for our cross-country move to Sacramento next week.

I was born on August 10, 1958, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and was baptized and confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church in Schoenersville – now home to the offices of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA. In 1980, I graduated with my bachelors degree in philosophy from Muhlenberg College, and in 1984, earned my Masters of Divinity in Old Testament from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now part of United Lutheran Seminary).

My wife Sharon and I were married on September 6, 1980 in southeastern Nebraska, where she grew up as the third of four children in a dairy farming family. Our daughter Gretchen was born in 1983 and now lives in Oakland, and our son Nathan, born in 1988, now lives in Los Angeles.

I was ordained in 1984 and began ministry as associate pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In 1988, we moved to Chicago, where I began Ph.D. studies at the University of Chicago. While serving Zion Lutheran Church of Penbrook in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I completed my doctorate in the History of Christianity in 1997. My later calls included campus pastor at Thiel College from 2001–2007 and director of the Center for Theology and Land at Wartburg Theological Seminary from 2007–2009. Following a financial retrenchment at Wartburg Seminary, I worked as deployed staff for the ELCA until 2021, when I became pastor at Evangelical Lutheran Church in Frederick, Maryland.

About two years ago, Sharon and I began wondering about retirement and how we might move closer to our children in California – close enough for regular visits, but with enough space for everyone to breathe. During a holiday visit to Oakland with our daughter and son-in-law nearly two years ago, we decided to take a day-trip to Sacramento to explore possibilities. My wife and I researched the local ELCA congregations and were immediately drawn to St. John’s, thanks to your robust online presence. From that first New Year's Day visit, Sharon and I fell in love with the city of Sacramento and have made an effort to visit the city every time we’ve visited family in the bay area. Sharon and Gretchen even attended a service here and brought me back your 2024 Annual Report!

Our original plan upon retiring to Sacramento was simply to join St. John’s and be active members. We looked forward to joining your vibrant and varied worship, diving into the life of a city church, and sharing in your expansive mission. After informing Bishop Jeff Johnson about our impending move to Sacramento and my willingness to serve in an interim or bridge capacity, I received a query from the bishop’s office about whether I might serve as a bridge pastor at St. John’s.

This felt like a biblical miracle. I was already drawn to the congregation and eager to join the community – serving as your bridge pastor in this season of transition was icing on the cake! St. John’s is a vital, thriving congregation with strong forward momentum, faithfully living out Christ’s call in Sacramento and beyond.

I understand it has been some time since St. John’s has had a bridge or interim pastor, so I want to be clear about my role. A bridge pastor is not to spin new dreams and visions, but rather to help ensure that the current dreams and visions do not diminish in energy or enthusiasm as we live in this period of interim. The interim period is important – when transitions occur in the life of a church, the congregation needs an opportunity to gather as companions of grief. People need to accompany one another in this grief and experience their continued walk together as a community of faith, now with the absence of their beloved former pastor. Over the interim period, the spirit of God will begin to move hearts and minds to turn to what is coming, rather than what has been. My role as your bridge pastor is to provide pastoral leadership and care as the spirit is helping this congregation make shifts to prepare for new leadership.

Beyond ministry, I’m an enthusiastic, if modestly skilled, guitarist – composing and recording original instrumental music in my home studio and posting to SoundCloud. I love nearly all genres, especially Beethoven, the Rolling Stones, Motown, soul, funk, jazz, and blues. I also enjoy chess, reading history, theology, literature, and forensic investigation, and I aspire to improve both my chess and harmonica skills.

Sharon and I look forward to meeting you this fall. My first Sunday with you will be October 5, and I am eager to worship together, share in fellowship, and join you in the mission we hold in common.Thank you for your warm welcome, generous hospitality, and commitment to this mission we share.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Paul Baglyos

A Letter from Organist Ryan Enright

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 20:29:54 GMT

A Message from Steven Johnson, Director of Worship & Music:

Ryan has truly been a gift to the St. John’s community for over a decade - a mastermind organist elevating our worship experience and a trustworthy colleague and friend, he will be missed dearly. We look forward to these final months of sharing music together and hearing his powerful playing, and look forward to welcoming him back to California for kayaking, hiking, and music anytime. We will keep everyone informed as the search begins for an eager and gifted successor.

Steven Johnson

The Retirement of Pastor Scot Sorensen

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 19:24:44 GMT

Written by Gregory Favre

Doctor or Pastor? What will it be?

A young Scot Sorensen tangled with that decision for several years. His father Vern served on church councils and call committees and his mother Patsy headed the altar guild for 20 years. The family, including Scot and his older brother Marc, was in church every Sunday (read more about Scot's family here) . And the Lutheran pastor was a close family friend.

But so was the family’s doctor.

One way to decide was to have a small, but effective, experience of both professions. Scot as a high school junior joined an occupational program where after school you could work in a hospital. His assignment was in the emergency room where he could see up close and personal the relationships between doctors and nurses, and patients in need of immediate care.

Then he spent the summer in a Lutheran camp in Idaho and spent time with pastors.

Doctor or Pastor? What would it be? Help heal the body or help heal the soul?

He had completed his personal homework, and he felt “my skillset was a right fit to be a pastor.” And then later on, “I felt the call.” After graduating high school, he enrolled in California Lutheran University, majoring in history, graduating cum laude. He also played varsity volleyball and served as student body vice president.

He kept his desire to be a pastor to himself during his four years there because he didn’t want people “to put me in a box, as they often tend to do.” But those years at Cal Lutheran helped spark his passion about wanting to help congregations move from an inward focus to an outward one where members would live God’s love in actions outside of the sanctuary.

That was the beginning of a journey starting 45 years ago that took him to the Lutheran Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and then on to an internship at a church in Davenport, Washington.

“It was farm community,” he recalls. “There was one flashing red light in the county and five or six churches, each a different denomination. Just about everyone in town attended one or the other. I really liked the Northwest. I learned many things during that internship, which lasted an extra two months, 14 in all.

“One thing I learned was to carry work clothes at all times. Often, you would have to go out with the farmer to help him, such as feeding the cows in the winter.”

He was ready for his first call, and it came from a church in a location as different from the farmlands of Washington as possible, to Mount Carmel Church in San Luis Obispo, California. He was brought on as an associate pastor assigned to the youth of the church and to the campus ministry at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

“It was a great first call that lasted from 1984 to 1989,” he recalls with a smile. “I learned a ton, especially from all of the mistakes I made.”

But there was also another reason why that call was so memorable.

In 1988, Scot went to the Lutheran Youth Gathering in San Antonio. There, he met a woman named Kathy Hassell.

“Scot and I were both working the 1988 Gathering in San Antonio as staff. He was a hotel pastor at the Travelodge on the River and I was a Youth Coordinator at the Hyatt,” Kathy recalls. “At the training for the hotel staff, we sat across from each other and I thought he was pretty cute. My hotel pastor knew him, and when I asked about Scot, he said, ‘Scot Sorensen is a flaming heterosexual.’ It took me a moment, then I realized, hey that totally works for me! We had our first date at a restaurant on the river as well as our first kiss.”

Scot and Kathy became engaged and Scot moved to Dallas without a call. “I don’t advise that,” he says now. But it worked out just fine. He and Kathy were married in Dallas in 1990 and Scot was called to be a pastor on the staff of King of Glory Church as Director of Family Ministries. “It was a message from God,” he labels it now. Three years later, he joined the staff of Zion Lutheran Church of Helotes in San Antonio, and Kathy continued her work toward a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.

After six years at Zion and 10 years in Texas, he was open for a new call, and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sacramento was searching for a new senior pastor. After interviewing him, seven members of the call committee flew to San Antonio to hear him preach.

“It was pretty obvious that Sunday,” he said. “They sat in groups of 2, 2 and 3. None of them looked like locals. We went to lunch together after service and they said they would like to call me.” After 15 years as a staff pastor, he moved into a senior pastor position. It was April 1999.

He arrived in June with knowledge of various worship styles from “High Mass” to contemporary, and with a love for music at services. A few years later an ideal partner, Steven Johnson, became St. John’s music director.

In his first St. John’s sermon (read the full sermon here) based on Roman 5, verses 1-8, how we are justified by faith, Pastor Sorensen devoted just three paragraphs near the beginning to speak about being there:

“Wow! It is good to be here. I am humbled, I am excited, I am honored to be called to share in ministry with you.

Over the coming years and decades, you will come to learn more about me, and I will learn your life stories and faith stories. Ahead of us I know God is preparing a glorious future for St. John’s. Just as God has been faithfully leading this congregation in bold acts of witness and ministry, God will continue to guide us.

In time, we will learn plenty about each other, and there will be plenty of opportunities for sharing. But today I would rather speak about something else. Something much more interesting than me. Today, and for years to come, I will have the privilege to speak to you about my first love, our Savior Jesus Christ.”

It was in his second sermon titled “No Fear” that he spoke of his vision for St. John’s, a vision based on three bold words that appeared then in the church’s mission statement: Worship, Grow and Serve. He spoke of his vision of “a thriving downtown ministry, in the heart of Sacramento, with a heart for Sacramento.”

And he closed with these words:

“It is a journey before us that is fraught with fear. Naysayers from within and without will try to say that thriving, Gospel-driven, purpose-filled downtown congregations are as extinct as dinosaurs. But that is fear talking, not the love and power of the gospel.

Let us boldly claim the future God has in store. Remember what Jesus says, "Have no fear."

There are only two feelings: love and fear.

There are only two languages: love and fear.

There are only two activities: love and fear, only two motives, two procedures, two frameworks, two results: love and fear.

And the choice before us is which shall we choose.”

Now, Pastor Sorensen says that sermon laid out where he believed St. John’s was at that moment in its history, afraid and nervous, and a little cheerleading is sometimes needed.

One thing for sure, the call committee had found a pastor who could preach. And that was recognized every Sunday he stood in the pulpit. But that gift to hold an audience, hundreds in the pews or 35,000 at an ELCA Youth Gathering, took work and dedication and preparation.

At Cal Lutheran, Scot had taken some journalism courses and learned that writing in journalism style was very helpful. Not long prose, but shorter sentences and paragraphs, the way most people talk to each other.

“The gospels were meant to be told, not to be read. They need to be live conversations,” he says. “Preaching is both arts and science.” And he attended speech camps in Colorado twice to learn more about how to do it as well as he possibly could. He also happened to be the only Lutheran there.

“You have to do homework,” is his advice to his colleagues. “Sundays come every week, so don’t put it off. You know what text you will need for the next three years. Many pastors find excuses as to why they haven’t been working on their sermons. My sermon writing work starts weeks and weeks ahead because I never knew when an illustration would cross my desk and will fit in one of the six or seven sermons I was working on at the same time.

“But you also have to be in charge of your own time management because there will always be emergencies.”

For many St. John’s members, it was his sermons on special days in the year, such as Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday, that remain in their book of memories.

A deeply dedicated student of the bible, Pastor Sorensen would memorize the text and tell it to the people in each character’s voice as he walked around the altar, bringing to life what happened all those hundreds of years ago. Those of us in the pew could imagine for a handful of moments that we were there in their presence.

But obviously, there are many other things on a pastor’s plate, some that can challenge the stability of the congregation if not handled in a sensitive and wise manner.

For example, in 2009 the Churchwide Assembly passed the ELCA Social Statement, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust . It didn’t cause as much anxiety at St. John’s as it did as a number of other congregations.

“I felt that while there was a majority of the congregation at that time who was fully in favor of full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ as clergy persons and staff, as well as same gender marriage,” Pastor Sorensen said when asked to comment on how he imagined St. John’s members would react to the statement. “Our theologically conservative members also felt like St. John's was their home, too. Openly gay active members made the issue personal and kept anyone from using pejorative stereotypes and generalizations.”

But to make sure that everyone had the opportunity to fully understand what the Assembly had done, he conducted a series of gatherings to explain and to answer any questions regarding it.

Meanwhile, St. John’s continued to grow and to be acutely involved in the community, members helping to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, raising money to build dormitories for school children in Rwanda, providing critically needed overnight housing in Goethe Hall (now known as The Gathering Place) for the homeless on bitterly cold or hot nights, providing food for the hungry and in other areas where support was needed.

Scot joined the Downtown Rotary Club, and years later served a term as its president, as well as being associated with interfaith activities throughout the Sacramento area. He and Kathy welcomed a son, Kai, in July 2003.

As the years passed there were staff changes. In 2007, a new associate pastor was needed and the call committee selected Pastor Frank Espegren, a Sacramento native who was a practicing attorney before entering the seminary. He was quite familiar with St. John’s going back to his high school days. And during his first year in the seminary, St. John’s was his Teaching Parish.

Pastor Espegren would go on to become senior pastor and serve in that capacity for 13 years before announcing his retirement. In a letter to the congregation, he wrote, “St. John’s has blessed my life; serving as one of your Pastors continues to be my greatest vocation call.”

Together, the two friends led St. John’s for 25 years.

Then, the Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin, was seeking a new senior pastor and Pastor Sorensen was on its call committee’s list of candidates.

Why would he entertain a call to Bethel? “There were only two congregations I knew I would ever consider,” he replied. “Bethel was one of them. A downtown church with a passion for social justice, a tradition of worship, and anchored in the community. So, when the phone call came and I was asked if I would be open to talk, I asked myself, what would God expect me to do?”

The initial conversation with the Bethel folks grew into a call to leave St. John’s and Sacramento, where his family had become entrenched, Kathy as a teacher and leader at the American River Community College and Kai as an elementary school student and active youth at St. John’s.

The Bethel committee came, heard him preach, took him to lunch and eventually offered him the post, and he said yes. It was in November of 2011, a dozen years and six months after coming to St. John’s.

“It wasn’t easy,” he recalls. “It was a truly difficult decision. But I believed that what we had built and achieved through the years that the congregation would be able to do new things and continue to grow without me in the picture. I knew St. John’s would continue to thrive, and thrilled that it has happened.”

Madison became the Sorensen’s home. Kathy worked as Coordinator of Part-Time Faculty and as Associate Dean of the Business and Applied Arts for almost four years at the Madison Area Technical College. Kai attended an elementary school.

But Pastor Sorensen learned that Bethel was not St. John’s in some important ways, and in his words, “I wasn’t able to do at Bethel what we were able to do at St. John’s.”

After four years, Kathy had a job opportunity at Consumnes River College.

So, it was time to return to the city they loved.

Scot was offered and accepted a five-year contract to direct a brand new venture at the established Saint John’s Program for Real Change. It was created to assist women offenders in acquiring a path back into society. “I opened it and served as director for five years and then secured another five-year contract for it to continue,” he said. “It was more of a 24-7 job than being a senior pastor.”

Kathy returned as Dean of Science, Math and Engineering at Cosumnes. Three years later, she moved to American River College and for years held various Interim Dean and Dean positions. Now, she is Vice President of Instruction at Woodland Community College. In that role she supports the president in visioning for the future for the college and its students.

“Our goal is to end poverty,” she explained. “To that end, my primary duties are working with faculty and staff to support students in the classroom portion of their college experience and help them reach their educational goals. This is concentrated on hiring, scheduling of classes, and evaluations of faculty.”

Kathy serves as the Accreditation Liaison Officer as the college goes through accreditation this fall and works with faculty on a number of initiatives touching instruction.

When asked what advice, if any, she would pass on to other spouses of pastors, she replied, “So, the advice I was given prior to our marriage was, support Scot in whatever he wants to do as a pastor. Clearly, that person didn't know me very well. I think my advice would be the same for anyone deciding to get married - recognize that marriage is a constant re-negotiation of terms. You will not be the same person in five years (or 10 years or 20 years or 35 years), neither will your partner. You have to be intentional about moving into the future together, or you won't. So, be honest. Don't play games. And start from a place of love...even when you're really ticked off.”

Or as Scot says, “Kathy doesn’t like to fit into the image of what others think a pastor’s wife should be. She has her own ministry outside of the church.”

Kai returned in the middle of his 7th grade year and enrolled at California Middle School. From there, it was on to McClatchy High School where he excelled as a long distance runner on the track team for three years. He is now in his fourth year at Pacific Lutheran University.

“I am studying business with a concentration in accounting,” he explained. “I will be pursuing graduate school next year, but as to which specific degree I will pursue, I am unsure. My hope going forward is to run with my last year of track eligibility while getting my master's degree at whichever school I decide to go to. Long term, I hope to be a CFO.”

“This year will be my last year of cross country competition,” he continued, “but I will not compete for PLU during the track season to save that eligibility for next year. I was on the McClatchy High School team from sophomore through senior year. I have a partial scholarship, all of it is under the academic aid umbrella, due to the fact that Division 3 schools aren't allowed to offer athletic scholarships. What I have learned the most is that the people will truly make or break your experience wherever you go. Outside of a select few universities, the name on your diploma won't matter all that much, but 30 years down the line, you will remember your experiences and how the people you surrounded yourself with made you feel.”

And what would he tell other pastors’ children?

“I would say try to do your best to keep church politics out of your life as much as you can. There will always be people who disagree with what your parent is doing from the pulpit, and that isn't your problem. Live your life as a youth in the church, just like all of your peers, and enjoy each day in the light of the Lord.”

Scot, after his time serving Saint John’s Program for Real Change, chose to work as an interim pastor, serving at three different California churches - Shepherd of the Hills in Vacaville, Christ Lutheran in Visalia, and Our Savior’s Lutheran in Lafayette.

“Congregations love their interim pastors,” he observes. “I had a wonderful experience in all of them. An interim can be a calming presence in a time of anxiety, a time of change, of ensuring the members that there is a future.”

Now, 45 years after entering seminary, 40 years as a serving pastor, Scot is really retiring. He can look back at that long-ago struggle - doctor or pastor - knowing it was the correct one.

Obviously, he has accumulated a list of high points and low points. No one in any profession could serve people as he has done without them.

Here are just a few from the St. John’s years:

The entire process of upgrading the sanctuary, including the generosity of the members, the gatherings in Goethe Hall, now known as The Gathering Place, for Sunday services, sitting in folding chairs and getting to know each other better than before and some for the first time.
Working with members to create a new Mission Statement, “To Live God’s Love in the World,” as well as new Vision and Value statements.
Getting to know Pastor Robert Romeis, who led St. John’s for 40 years, and his children and grandchildren. “Pastor Romeis and I had a great relationship,” he said. “He and his family would have us over for Christmas dinner. He was a great Lutheran and a really good preacher. I used to kid him about the 8 o’clock service. He did it without music. I added music and I would tell him attendance didn’t change with music. I wish he would have lived much longer.”

In his last sermon before leaving for Bethel, he included a memory of Pastor Romeis:

“I remember an October Sunday in 2003 when Kathy and I stood right there, in front of that font and Kai was baptized “There were years when Kathy and I never thought such a day would come….but it did. I almost made it through that baptism without crying…almost.

I remember other baptisms, too. There was Bobby Cloninger’s baptism. Bobby’s full name is Robert Sebastian. He is named after his Great Grandfather, Robert Sebastian Romeis. Pastor Romeis was senior pastor here at St. John’s from 1943 to1983. And after that time, he served as Pastor Emeritus.

It was my great joy to know Pastor Romeis, a great sadness when he died. But since Pastor Romeis’ death, it has fallen to me the privilege to baptize his great grandchildren. I remember holding little Bobby in my arms walking him down the aisle. And the tears started streaming.

Those were tears neither of joy or sorrow, rather I was overwhelmed, simply overwhelmed by the power and Presence of God. There in my arms was the legacy of faith that is handed down generation to generation, and we got a front row seat to watch God at work. I had hope that day, just as I have had hope at every other baptism.”

Being able to spend more time with the lay leadership of the church, invest in them, and then serve with them.
Working with St. John’s members to build homes for Habitat for Humanity and providing shelter and food for the unhoused.
Raising the money in the congregation to build a dormitory for children in Rwanda and being there with three members for its dedication.
High on the list, the congeniality of colleagues through the decades and the lasting friendships in the cities where he has served.
Beyond St. John’s, there was the special memory of the 2000 ELCA Youth Gathering, thousands of young people to hear him tell the gospel.
Telling the gospel to the people in the pews or in the chairs.
The two Easter services at the Memorial Auditorium, especially the one in 2008. It was eight days after Pastor Sorensen’s mother, Patsy, had died. But let Pastor Sorensen tell it as he did in his farewell sermon at St. John’s (full sermon available here) :

“I remember my sermon quoting a children’s book by Walt Wangerin which was a favorite bedtime book I read to Kai.

“Listen, before the hoot owl cries

Before the monsters roll their eyes

Before you fly above the skies,

Or robbers bother with alibis,

I’ll sing you the bestest lullaby

Of all!

Faster that I am, and higher than the stars

Stronger than you are in both of your arms,

Here in your room all night while you’re sleeping

Kinder and wiser and best for safekeeping is God.

That’s the name My Baby true!

That’s the one. Oh, God loves you.

From the brown of the ground to the blue of the sky,

From the golden dawns to the grey of goodbye,

From ear to ear a million years,

And butterflies both your eyes

God loves you; God loves you, even better than I.”

Now, Pastor Sorensen is retiring and he does so with a cathedral of memories collected 45 years after he made his decision - doctor or pastor - memories of baptisms and confirmations and marriages, of deaths and funerals, of preaching and counseling. Memories that will be retained by Scot and the many who interacted with him.

Speaking of which, just days ago, he received a call from a friend who had a message for him. Someone in a conversation had mentioned an illustration Scot had used in their wedding 32 years ago.

Who knows? Perhaps he will create some new memories with his guitar as he becomes a full-time member of St. John’s.

“I will just be a regular member,” he says. “I will be part of the band at 11:30 a.m. when it plays. I will not attend congregational meetings and any comments I may have will be shared only with the Senior Pastor, just as Pastor Romeis did with me.”

He has returned to his old church, which brings back the closing paragraphs of his sermon celebrating the church’s 150th anniversary.

“I know that St. John’s has its imperfections over 150 years. Yet, for all her struggles, she, the church, has a lot going for her. Let’s never forget that. She - we - are still something for which we might very well stand in awe. Not because of what we bring to the table, no. But because of what God has done to us through us in Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because the grace of God has been given to you in Christ Jesus.

May God’s grace, God’s gifts in abundance and God’s guarantee for our future continue to guide St. John’s through the next 150 years.”

It’s been a long journey since that first day in the seminary.

But there’s no question now, an older Scot Sorensen can whisper to a young Scot Sorensen, “you made the right choice.”

A Letter about St. John's Legacy Gifts

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 20:28:58 GMT

Dear St. John’s Members and Friends,

As my time as your Senior Pastor draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the many seeds we’ve planted together in this community of faith. Before I go, I’d like to plant one more— an invitation to consider making a Legacy Gift to St. John’s . A Legacy Gift is a one-time current or future gift offered in addition to your annual pledge - the “life-blood” giving to the General Fund that sustains our ministry yearly.

While a Legacy Gift can be made right now, many choose to include a gift in their Estate Plan. Rhonda and I did this last month, revising our Trust to benefit St. John’s when we pass away. It was simple to do, and it gave us joy knowing we could continue to support this church we love, even after we’re gone.

Legacy Giving to St. John’s can take many forms. Rhonda and I chose to make our gift unrestricted, entrusting the leadership of St. John’s in any era to utilize our gift in the most impactful way. It was quite easy to revise our estate documents, and I hope that is true for you too.

If you feel called to direct your gift toward a specific area, please know that the St. John’s Church Council has approved (or blessed continuance of) several restricted funds to target your Legacy Gift. These allow you to support particular aspects of our ministry and mission, and are:

For example, a legacy gift given now to the “Capital Improvements” restricted fund could help preserve the beauty of our stained glass windows. For over 20 years, Willet Stained Glass Window Company has been a wonderful ministry partner, not only repairing and maintaining our stained glass windows, but creating new ones as well. We have come to trust this company and their assessment that $180,000 would fully repair and protect every window in need. A legacy gift to this fund could ensure that future generations experience the same awe and inspiration these windows bring to us today.

If none of the categories listed above fit the restricted fund you would like to benefit with your gift, let’s talk. A Legacy Gift should be personal; a reflection of your gratitude and your hope for St. John’s.

Here in my last two months as your Senior Pastor, I would love to get together with you to talk about this gift. What do you want your legacy to be and how can St. John’s accompany you in sharing the resources God has given you, whether that be now or in the future? Please give me a call so we can discuss this further. I’ll also be reaching out to schedule time to talk about legacy gifts - and to personally say goodbye to you.

As our partners in ministry at the ELCA Foundation say, “We believe that generosity is holy. It’s not just a transaction. It’s a testimony. Not just a gift. But a story of faith, lived out loud—echoing beyond this lifetime. Because planned and legacy giving is never just about assets. It’s about identity. About hope. About planting seeds you may never see bloom—but knowing, in faith, that they will.”

Thank you for the blessing you are, and can be, to St. John’s!

Blessings and peace,

Pastor Frank Espegren

If you want to coordinate a gift for St. John’s in your Estate Planning, here are a few Sacramento-based Estate Planning Attorneys with deep Lutheran roots, I personally recommend:

Stacey K. Brennan | Boutin Jones Inc.

555 Capitol Mall, Suite 1500, Sacramento, CA 95814

916-321-4444 | SBrennan@boutinjones.com

Robin C. Bevier | The Law Offices of Robin C Bevier

2479 Sunrise Blvd. Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

916-858-0904 | rbevier@rbevier.com

If you want to benefit St. John’s within a more complex Estate Plan, we encourage you to connect with our representative at the ELCA Foundation:

Josh Kerney | Director of Gift Planning, ELCA Foundation

530-520-0142 | josh.kerney@elca.org

June Congregation Matters Meeting Recap

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 22:45:02 GMT

This past Sunday, June 15, the St. John’s Church Council and St. John’s Senior Pastor Call Committee held a Congregation Matters meeting.

The meeting began with Associate Pastor Jon Haug reading the letter announcing his departure from St. John’s and new call to Chaplaincy , coupled with responding to clarifying questions from the congregation. If you continue to have questions regarding Pastor Jon’s departure, please reach out to Pastor Jon directly at jon.haug@stjohnslc.org - he would love to talk with you!

Andrew Ford, Council President, discussed the timing of the pastoral transitions and confirmed the Council’s desire for Pastor Jon to remain in his current position until a new Senior Pastor starts. After a new Senior Pastor begins, a new Call Committee will be formed to seek a new Associate Pastor.

From there, St. John’s Senior Pastor Call Committee Chair, Chris Dawson, shared an update on behalf of the Call Committee.

After Listening Sessions with the Congregation and interviews of staff, the Call Committee collaboratively drafted the Ministry Site Profile (MSP), which describes our Congregation and the candidates we seek. The MSP was reviewed and approved by the Congregation Council at its May meeting. The MSP is now live on the ELCA Mobility Database and visible to rostered ELCA ministers who are seeking a Call.

Now that the MSP is live, our Synod Liaison (Pastor Charlane Lines, Assistant to the Bishop) will receive inquiries from interested pastors, do an initial vetting, and provide a slate of candidates to the Call Committee after the July 4 holiday. The Call Committee expects to conduct interviews over the summer months, with possible site visits later in the summer or fall.

The Call Committee feels like they are still on track to have a candidate to present to the St. John’s Church Council in the fall, around the time of Pastor Frank's retirement. They have put St. John’s in the best position to do so, but remind everyone that we need to have the grace and patience to understand that our next Senior Pastor may not be revealed in the first group of candidates.

Upon Pastor Frank’s Retirement on September 7, a Bridge Pastor will walk with the St. John’s congregation from September through Advent, and into 2026 until we welcome our newly-called Senior Pastor.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to the St. John’s Church Council or St. John’s Senior Pastor Call Committee. If you would like to connect with the Church Council, you can email Andrew Ford, Council President, at thecouncil@stjohnslc.org. If you would like to connect with the Call Committee, you can email them at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org.

A Letter from Pastor Jon Haug

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:11:41 GMT

It’s hard to believe that this August marks 10 years since I was called as your Associate Pastor here at St. John’s. When I arrived in 2015 as the Director of Congregational Life, my oldest child was beginning first grade. This summer, we’ll be touring colleges before she enters her junior year of high school!

My call to St. John’s was clear enough to uproot my family from the Midwest, moving us even further from extended family, to serve as your pastor. I came to this call with a sense of wonder: might I someday be called to serve as a senior pastor in a large ELCA congregation? Working alongside Pastor Frank, who I often say is the best boss I’ve ever had, has given me a front row seat to the role of Senior Pastor and aided my discernment.

Over the past three years, I have gained clarity that I am not called to serve as a senior pastor in a large congregation in this season of life. In fact, I have increasingly felt God leading me in a different direction. Last fall, I asked the St. John’s Church Council to bless my work and time as a chaplaincy student at Sutter Roseville Medical Center as part of my continuing education. This program has affirmed the call that God is moving me towards becoming a hospital chaplain as my next career move.

After 15 years as a congregational pastor, I’ve grown immensely and am deeply grateful for all that I’ve learned. However, if I’m honest, this work has always pressed the boundaries of my family life. I have continued to be drawn toward work that honors the best of my pastoral skills, while allowing me to be more present as a father and husband. As such, I will complete my chaplaincy training and apply for chaplain positions beginning in February 2026. I will depart St. John’s as your Associate Pastor upon accepting a new call as a chaplain.

St. John’s has graciously supported me in integrating chaplaincy education into my work here. I feel immense gratitude towards St. John’s for this and so many other blessings you have given me and my family throughout the years. As I continue this chaplaincy education over the next eight months, I remain committed to supporting a healthy leadership transition. Only God knows when a new senior pastor will begin at St. John’s, but know that the leadership is committed to remaining a two-pastor church. My hope is to model, with you, a meaningful ending.

We trust in the Holy Spirit to guide us!

Pastor Jon

2025 St. John's Scholarship Recipients

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 18:15:23 GMT

Every year, St. John's recognizes outstanding graduating high school seniors who all have one thing in common - exemplary commitment to the St. John's mission of living God's love in the world.

The St. John’s Scholarship program exists to assist qualified students, who are members of St. John’s, based on academic performance, church life, extracurricular activities, and financial need. Every year, graduating high school seniors are invited to apply for the scholarship. The William and Donna Morgan Award honors long-time St. John’s members, who dedicated years to education in Sacramento and served as long time supporters of the Scholarship fund. This award is presented to St. John’s graduating high school seniors, based on community service and the individual’s commitment to living God’s love in the world. Graduating high school seniors are nominated by members of the St. John’s community. And finally, the Lawson Scholarship exists for students pursuing a career in education, through an application process.

Piper Brostrom is a graduate of St. Francis High School in Sacramento, Calif. and will be attending La Salle University this fall, pursuing a degree in Special Education. Piper grew up in the pews of St. John’s; she brought coloring books to the upper transept during worship services, attended and later volunteered as a leader at Holy Week Day Camp, and most recently, served as the only youth member of the 2025 Call Committee. Living God’s Love in the World is an integral part of who Piper is, and has remained her mantra through much of her adolescent years. Piper maintained a rigorous academic course load at St. Francis throughout her four years of high school while competing on the Swim Team, leading as Captain of the Water Polo Team, serving as a Retreat Team leader at school, being President of the “A Touch of Kindness Club” at St. Francis, and working part-time as a nanny - all while navigating the grief and loss of losing her beloved father. Piper’s rock-steady presence at St. John’s, her selfless nature, and vibrant loving spirit make her a recipient of the St. John’s Scholarship and the Lawson Scholarship.

Maggie Oehmke is a graduate of West Campus High School in Sacramento, Calif. and will be attending University of Redlands to pursue a degree in Education, with an emphasis in History. Maggie’s faith journey has led her to embrace both the light and the dark moments of life, while ensuring she centers love and welcome in all that she does. After losing her beloved step-mother, Maggie embraced the challenge that this grief brought by diving deeper into community-centered leadership opportunities, both in her church life and social life. Maggie served as both the Vice President and President of the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (SPSYC), served as an Assisting Minister at St. John’s for nearly two years, was named Santa Lucia in 2023, swam competitively for over 14 years, and served as President of her school’s Mock Trial Club and Vice President of the Drama Club. This past summer, Maggie worked as a Camp Counselor at Mt. Cross Ministries, stretching her leadership skills and growing her passion for teaching. Maggie’s lifetime presence at St. John’s and steady leadership will be missed as she ventures to Southern California this coming fall! We are thrilled to announce her as a recipient of the St. John’s Scholarship and the Lawson Scholarship.

Caroline Montiel is a graduate of McClatchy High School in Sacramento, Calif. and will be attending the University of California, Davis this fall, pursuing a degree in Sustainable Environmental Design on a pre-architecture track. Caroline too grew up in the St. John’s community, attending family camping trips, braiding ribbon bookmarks of the hymnals, and attending the ELCA Youth Gathering. As she said best, “Living God’s Love in the World means loving the change St. John’s has provided me from kindergarten to adulthood.” From a quiet and shy elementary-aged student in the children’s choir, to a blossoming, authentic, well-spoken Assisting Minister, Caroline has truly stepped into her own before our eyes here at St. John’s. The values the St. John’s community instilled in Caroline from a young age have propelled her to be a part of McClatchy’s Visual and Performing Arts Program, paint a mural on the Sacramento State University campus, advocate for public art funding, be commissioned for wedding paintings here in Sacramento, and ultimately serve her community in all that she does. Caroline’s mature and thoughtful presence, and unwavering commitment to embodying the mission of St. John’s, make her an ideal recipient of an additional St. John’s Scholarship.

Cora Lee is a graduate of Franklin High School in Elk Grove, Calif. and will be attending the University of California, San Diego this dall, pursuing a degree in Bioengineering. Throughout her four years of high school, Cora has embraced her creative, analytical, and athletic talents in a multitude of ways. As a four year Cross Country athlete, pianist and percussionist for 10+ years, and consistent 4.0+ GPA student, Cora has developed strong collaborative and leadership skills, and a humble hard-working spirit. Cora walks through life with a deep sense of compassion, shaped mainly through her decade of service with the unhoused here at St. John’s. This service led Cora to enroll into Marshall College at U.C. San Diego, whose philosophy is to develop students into great scholars and citizens. As Cora pursues the medical field, she hopes to bridge the gap between medical needs and public health with underserved groups. We’re humbled to support Cora in this next chapter of her life as she receives an additional St. John’s Scholarship.

Chloe Pop is a graduate of Ponderosa High School in Shingle Springs, Calif. and will be attending Folsom Lake College this fall to transfer to University of California, Santa Barbara next year to pursue either a degree in Biology or Pre-Med, looking to become a Conservationist or Endocrinologist. Similarly, Chloe is a lifelong member at St. John’s and has been graced by the leadership opportunities, meaningful relationships, and opportunities to serve that have contributed to her spiritual growth. Chloe served on the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (SPSYC) all four years of high school, served as an acolyte for 6+ years, and stepped into various leadership roles here at St. John’s - most recently, as one of the Santa Lucias this past year. As Chloe wrote, “As I have gotten older, church became something that was mandatory to something that I look forward to.” As an outdoorsy woman, Chloe has spent most of her youth swimming, backpacking, and hiking - strengthening her desire to be connected to and faithful steward of this planet. Additionally, this past summer Chloe volunteered at the Mather Veteran Affairs Hospital, further learning the intricacies of the medical field as she discerns her future career. Chloe’s deeply spiritual maturity, ability to connect whole-heartedly with loved ones, and joyful presence will be missed here at St. John’s, and we are thrilled to support her in her next endeavor as the recipient of an additional St. John’s Scholarship.

This group of young women are exceptional, and what a gift it is to honor each of them through these scholarships. A special thank you to this year’s scholarship recipients and to the committee members who faithfully discerned this year’s award recipients. May we all be inspired by these young adults who courageously live God’s love in this world!

May Congregation Matters Meeting Recap

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 06 May 2025 19:28:29 GMT

This past Sunday, May 4, the Church Council and Call Committee gathered the St. John's congregation for a Congregation Matters Meeting. This meeting was divided into two parts - an update from the Church Council and an update from the Call Committee.

Here are the key takeaways from the Church Council update:

The new Director of Administration, Kat Thorp, has hit the ground running and is working closely alongside new Treasurer, John Bailey.
The Church Council recently approved the installation of new HVAC units in the Gathering Place and 3rd floor music room - all of which were in critical condition. The Property Committee is spearheading this project, taking into consideration energy efficiency, cost, environmental impact, and longevity. These needed repairs are possible thanks to a generous bequest to St. John's!
The Church Council and Property Committee are in conversation around ongoing maintenance needs for the countless stained glass windows onsite.
Following multiple lease violations, St. John's has terminated our lease with Sal's Kabobs & Gyros at the 1725 L Street property. The Church Council is in the process of preparing the space for a new tenant, and exploring shifting property management responsibilities away from current St. John's staff.
In preparation for Pastor Frank's retirement, the Church Council is in conversation with the Sierra Pacific Synod office around an Interim Pastor - more information to come this summer!

Here are the key takeaways from the Call Committee update:

Following a couple months of listening sessions and interviews, the Call Committee is currently developing St. John's Ministry Site Profile (MSP) - a Senior Pastor job description and overview of St. John's.
The MSP must be approved by the Church Council, likely to happen in May or June, and then will be made "live" by the Sierra Pacific Synod Office to share with potential pastoral candidates nationwide.
The Call Committee is expecting to begin interviewing potential Senior Pastor candidates beginning this summer. Interviews are confidential! Please do not ask a member of the Call Committee to disclose information about the interviews - they won't!

As always, both the Church Council and Call Committee have an open ear to hearing your joys, worries, questions, or insights about the mission and ministry of St. John's. If you would like to connect with the Church Council, you can email Andrew Ford, Council President, at thecouncil@stjohnslc.org . If you would like to connect with the Call Committee, you can email them at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org .

April Update from the Call Committee

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:10:32 GMT

As a key part of our discernment process, the Call Committee has been engaging in a series of Listening Sessions with committees, worship groups, members of the staff, and the congregation at large. At each of these sessions, our prompt has been simple: “Please tell us what you think we ought to know about who our next Senior Pastor should be.”

We’ve done our best to reach all the members of St. John’s, but if we’ve missed you, please reach out to us at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org . We would be happy to meet you in person, by phone or Zoom, or to receive your input by email. We’ll also have one last congregation-wide Listening Session later this spring.

What we’ve heard during these Listening Sessions has told us volumes about the deep love that our members have for our congregation, our community, and our current pastoral leadership. While recognizing the challenges that are part of this transition, we’ve heard your expressions of faith, hope, and optimism that the next chapter for St. John’s will be bright.

The task we turn to now is completing the Ministry Site Profile (MSP), a key document in the process of calling a new pastor, which describes the congregation to interested candidates:

Who we are, including demographic data and trends of the congregation and of our surrounding community.
Our vision for mission within the community and in the Church–our purpose, our values, and our gifts.
What we are looking for in the person who will be our next Senior Pastor.

As the Call Committee discerns and concentrates its work on the MSP, we will continue to update the Congregation on our progress and next steps.

As always, you are welcome to reach out to the Call Committee at any point in the Call Process at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org.

An Update from the Call Committee

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 23:27:08 GMT

Throughout the Call Process, the Call Committee is committed to transparency and sharing information with the St. John's community. As the Call Process is a deliberative process of discernment, each step is completed in the time it takes, and so it is not subject to a hard timeline. We will be giving updates on its progress through various church communications platforms and during Congregation Matters Meetings throughout the Call Process.

Here is a recap and update on the work that the Call Committee has done so far.

October/November 2024

Following Pastor Frank Espegren’s announcement that he will retire in September of 2025, the Congregation Council formed a Call Committee of the following members, which will be responsible for finding our next Senior Pastor:

Piper Brostrom
Chris Dawson
Gary Ely-Grisham
Lynne Gilbertson
Kim Hendricks
Joel Kimmelshue
Bridget Malme
Pam Roberts
Karen Ross
Pr. Susan Scott (Chaplain)

December 2024

The Call Committee met for briefings with the Congregation Council and members of the Transition Committee; envisioned its schedule and elected Chris Dawson as Chair.

January 2025

The Call Committee met with the Rev. Dr. Charlane Lines, Assistant to the Bishop, to gain an understanding of the role of the Synod in supporting the Call Process.

Ongoing Work & What’s on the Horizon

The Call Committee has been meeting regularly to engage its process of study and discernment, as it prepares the Ministry Site Profile for St. John’s, a key document in the calling of a new pastor.
The Ministry Site Profile (MSP) is a document that describes the congregation to interested candidates. The MSP describes who we are, including demographic data and trends of the congregation and of our surrounding community. The MSP describes our vision for mission within the community and in the Church–our purpose, our values, and our gifts. The MSP describes what we are looking for in the person who will be our next Senior Pastor.
In order to ensure that we accurately prepare the MSP and to ensure that it has heard from the Members of St. John’s on what is important to us, the Call Committee is engaging in an on-going series of Listening Sessions. In each Listening Session, our prompt is wide open: “Please tell us what you think we ought to know as we call our next Senior Pastor.”
We have held two congregation-wide Listening Sessions before and between services on Sunday February 9 and 23, with attendance both in-person and via Zoom. We plan to have a third congregation-wide Listening Session on April 27. Please join us then, especially if you have not been able to join our previous Listening Sessions.
We are also engaging in Listening Sessions with many of the committees and ministry groups that engage in “God’s Work – Our Hands” in our church and our community, including: Luminaria, Justice Making, Direct Services to the Unhoused, Worship Leaders, and Music.
The Call Committee is interviewing key members of the Staff of St. John’s to gain their valuable insight.

If you belong to a SJLC-affiliated group, and the Call Committee has not yet reached out to you, and you would like to schedule a Listening Session with us at your next meeting, please contact any of our members or send an email to callcommittee@stjohnslc.org.

You are welcome to reach out to the Call Committee at any point in the Call Process at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org .

Welcoming the New Director of Administration: Katherine Thorp

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 22:44:47 GMT

The leadership of St. John’s is pleased to announce that Katherine Thorp has accepted the position of Director of Administration, effective Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Thorp brings over ten years of professional experience in leadership and accounting, holding a Bachelor of Business Administration. Most recently, she served in a healthcare administration capacity, and we are confident her expertise will contribute greatly to the St. John’s community.

“I am really happy that Katherine is coming to St. John's as our new Director of Administration. Not only does Katherine have all the background experience we could have hoped for to run the small business enterprise that is "St. John's," she also is a delightful person, with strong communication and people skills. I have every confidence that Katherine will continue the excellent administration and financial reporting that keeps St. John's strong, trustworthy and vibrant,” writes Frank Espegren, Senior Pastor.

In her role as Director of Administration, Thorp will be responsible for overseeing all Financial and Administrative aspects of the organization, including, but not limited to:

Manage purchase orders, invoices, payroll, staff benefits, and monthly financial reports alongside the Remote Bookkeeper, Church Treasurer, and Finance Committee
Assist the Senior Pastor and Church Treasurer in the drafting and preparation of annual budget
Provide congregation member financial support
Manage Property Staff & collaborate closely with the Property Committee, overseeing the upkeep, maintenance, and external usage of the property
Support internal operations through calendar management and document and meeting organization
Complete purchasing, manage contracts and relationships with vendors and service providers to address the administrative and property needs of the church
Maintain, file, and manage access to church-wide policies, procedures, and documents

“My goal [in this new role] is to ensure a smooth transition for everyone, while applying my existing expertise and developing new skills along the way. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who played a part in welcoming me to this role. I am truly excited to be here and look forward to getting to know each and every one of you!” writes Thorp.

Outside of work, Thorp finds joy in spending quality time with her son, singing, writing, meditating, and staying active. She has a passion for creative pursuits, such as painting and experimenting with the guitar, but is still honing her skills.

Thorp joins the St. John’s staff as a full-time Director and will predominantly work in the St. John’s office weekdays from 9:00am-5:00pm. Please join the leadership of St. John’s in welcoming Katherine Thorp to the St. John’s community!

A Letter from Linda Baldwin, Andrew Ford, and Pastor Frank Espegren

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 17:13:07 GMT

Dear St. John’s Community,

Over the past few months, you heard Pastor Frank announce his intent to retire in September of 2025. Soon after that announcement, you were updated on planned changes to the administrative staff at St. John’s, sharing that our Bookkeeper, Kat LaTurneau, left at the beginning of October, and that I would be leaving no later than January of 2025.

These announcements have left some of you wondering about what this means for St. John’s - and for me. I want you to know that during the last several months I have been in deep conversation with Pastor Frank and Council President Andrew Ford about all of this. These changes have not been without some difficulty and sadness, for sure. And still, I am confident that St. John’s will continue to be strong and thrive in the coming year and decades, just as it always has. It is my hope and prayer that you, brothers and sisters in Christ, will walk in faith going forward, even when it is awkward or challenging, and continue to support one another along the way.

I have decided that my last day as the Executive Director of Administration and Resources will now be December 31. This is a personal decision, one made with deep thought and prayer, and one that will allow me a “re-set” time before moving in a new direction. Please know that I am leaving with peace received through the Spirit’s transforming work in my life.

Although I will leave the full-time position that I currently hold, I am committed to maintaining the bookkeeping functions through January or until a new Director of Administration is fully trained. The new Director of Administration will have different responsibilities than I had, and I hope for your understanding and patience with them once they begin.

I am looking forward to being in worship with you, not wondering what I should be taking care of, but rather to being present in hearing the Word, and present with you, our people. And I am very much looking forward to what God has in store for my “next” in life, and at the same time, thankful for my time serving you. Know that I am more than ok - I am moving forward with grace and peace.

Linda Baldwin

Dear St. John’s Community,

Linda Baldwin has been an incredible asset to St. John’s, and we are deeply grateful for her dedication and servant leadership over the years. Her tireless contributions, both as an employee and as a volunteer, have had a profound and lasting impact on this community. We are blessed to have had her in this role and are so grateful for her. We also recognize how much she has meant to so many of you, and we are happy that she will continue to call St. John’s her church home, worshiping with us and remaining an active part of our community.

The Transition that we have embarked on as a church goes beyond any single staff member or Pastor, beyond this year and next. This became clear in the fall of 2023, when Pastor Frank first informed the Council of his intention to retire in 2025. Since then, we have been carefully working to chart a faithful path forward through this time of change. We now find ourselves at a pivotal point in this transition, and it is clear that we must focus on creating a more sustainable future for St. John’s. From Sunday School to the front office, from Snack Stop to the choir loft, we must continue to find ways to encourage our people to become more involved, empowered, and active, so that we can continue to offer the programs and ministries that are so vital to this church and community. This is a shared responsibility, and we must all work together to ensure the health and vitality of St. John’s for generations to come.

Navigating these transitions over the past few months has been challenging for all of us in leadership at St. John’s and has given us many opportunities to get it right and to get it wrong. Throughout this process, we have committed to strike a balance between sustainability and continuity in our operations, and to maintain transparency with the congregation while being sensitive to the needs of our staff. We acknowledge that, at times, we may not have gotten everything right, and for that, we ask for your understanding and grace.

We are committed to improving this going forward, which is why you are receiving this update now and why we will be providing more frequent communication in the future. In 2025, you can expect to hear more from church leadership, including the Council and the Call Committee, through multiple channels, including regular Congregation Matters meetings. To begin the year, we invite you to join us for a Congregation Matters meeting on Sunday, January 19 at 10:15 a.m. .

Thank you all for being a passionate, dedicated, and engaged Congregation. Because of your commitment and the grace of God, the future of St. John’s is bright.

Andrew Ford and Pastor Frank

The 2024 Santa Lucia

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 16:45:03 GMT

Chloe Pop is a senior at Ponderosa High School in Shingle Springs, CA and an avid swimmer, reader, musician, Girl Scout, and volunteer. At Pondersona, Chloe is involved in the swim team, waterpolo team, and the Future Farmers of America, and has received the Golden Star Student Award for the past three years. With a deep desire to attend a University of California school to study biochemistry, Chloe intends to have a future in the medical field pursuing a career as a surgeon or scientific researcher.

As a lifetime member of St. John’s, Chloe particularly enjoys the Santa Lucia service. “I think one of the most beautiful aspects of this celebration is the unity of our church. Santa Lucia is a beautiful time of celebration; light floods our church from every corner, filling the sanctuary with a special kind of peace and resilience only found when love is present,” writes Pop.

Chloe is thrilled “to embody this expression of light and love in the church” and looks forward to sharing her light with all who attend this year’s festivities.

The annual Santa Lucia Service will be held at 4:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary at St. John’s Lutheran Church, followed by a Festival at 5:00 p.m. in The Gathering Place.

Job Posting: Director of Administration

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 20:48:25 GMT

Position Title: Director of Administration

Reports to: Senior Pastor

Hours: Full-time, weekends as needed

Salary: $64,000 annually

Benefits: Health, vision, dental insurance, 401K retirement plan with employer match

Position Summary: The Director of Administration is responsible for the financial and administrative areas of

St. John’s Lutheran Church, including supervising property staff and front desk volunteers, collaborating closely

with the staff, Property Committee, Finance Committee, Treasurer, and Council.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Financial

Record all weekly offerings to designated funds as well as other income including commercial

property payments into membership database.

Electronically scan and enter all payments into bank remote system.
Weekly preparation and submission to remote bookkeeper of all invoices, manual check requests,
Manage staff benefit programs including Pastor’s unique payroll and benefits.
Review and submit biweekly payroll to remote payroll processor; submit all payroll changes electronically.
Provide reporting and information in support of Finance Committee, Personnel Committee, Treasurer and Church Council
Provide all relevant administrative functions for Pledge and Capital Campaigns, updating leadership frequently.
Assist the Senior Pastor and Treasurer in preparing monthly financial reports, drafting annual budget for Finance Committee and Council review, and supporting the work related to the Annual Congregational Report and subsequent meeting.
Provide financial and administrative support to all units.
Review, approve and process all purchasing requests within budgeted framework.
Provide congregation member financial support as needed.

Administrative

Manage the Property staff and work closely with the Property Committee to support the activities and events at the church, address immediate maintenance needs, helping to define strategic long- term plans for the maintenance and management of all property, buildings, and physical assets.
Manage front desk volunteers, ensuring consistent training to ensure a welcoming presence to all, in

support of our Mission, Vision and Values

Compliance adherence to all applicable laws for employees and volunteers.
Provide both external and internal users of all facilities with the relevant agreement forms including any applicable fees and requirements.
Maintain St. John’s Master Calendar for internal operations and programs.
Organize meetings, documents, and all other requirements for planning and executing initiatives.
Complete purchasing, manage contracts and relationships with vendors, service providers, and the City of Sacramento to address the administrative and property needs of the church.
Maintain, file, and manage access to church-wide policies, procedures, and documents.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Proven experience with cash-based accounting, accounts payable and receivable, financial reporting, annual budgeting processes, record keeping, and payroll processing.
Proficient in analyzing financial data.
Experience in process management methodologies.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and three to five years of related experience.
Commitment to good interpersonal relationships, teamwork and support of St. John’s internal ministries and community outreach.
Commitment to confidentiality regarding all account records of the church, staff, and members.
A vibrant Christian faith with 1) an appreciative understanding of the theological doctrines and commitments of the ELCA and 2) a commitment to diversity as a gift from God
Provide a sense of hospitality and accessibility.

Requirements:

Completion of mandatory background screening and applicable online training(s)
Able to work long hours at a computer.
Valid CA driver’s license

Please apply on INDEED or send cover letter and resume to Pastor Frank Espegren - frank.espegren@stjohnslc.org no later than November 30, 2024.

For more information about St. John’s, please visit our website at www.stjohnslc.org

Administrative Changes at St. John's

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 16:00:04 GMT

As I contemplate my retirement as Senior Pastor of St. John’s, it has become clear that our community is already in a season of transition. Change is upon us, dear friends, as we navigate the evolving landscape of Christianity both here in America and within our beloved St. John’s community.

In line with our commitment to foster a more volunteer-led organization with a streamlined professional staff, we have recognized the need to adjust our administrative structure. As part of this transition, we will be changing the Executive Director of Administration role. The responsibilities of Chief of Staff will now fall under the new Senior Pastor, while a new Director of Administration will oversee financial, property, and office management.

As such, I have important news to share: Linda Baldwin, our exceptional Executive Director of Administration and Resources, will be leaving the staff of St. John’s no later than January 31, 2025. Linda and I have formed a wonderful partnership here—she has empowered me to focus on pastoral duties, and I have had complete confidence in her management of St. John’s operations. It has truly been a privilege to work alongside Linda in this capacity.

Additionally, in line with our new structure, the role of Bookkeeper will now transition to an independent service, supported by the new Director of Administration. Our valued Bookkeeper for the past eight years, Katherine “Kat” LaTurneau, has left her position at St. John’s and we extend our heartfelt thanks to her for her dedicated service. During these next few months, Linda will work directly with our remote bookkeeper, ensuring that there is no disruption in our stewardship of your generous gifts. While these changes may present challenges in the coming months, I am confident that the leadership of St. John’s is ready to meet them.

Words cannot fully express my profound gratitude for all that Linda has contributed to St. John’s. She will be deeply missed by all of us, and I will feel her absence most acutely as she has been the perfect complement to my leadership in our previous staff structure.

Yet, a new day is upon us, and I firmly believe that God is orchestrating something remarkable at St. John’s. The good news is that Linda will remain an active member of our community, sitting with you in the pews on Sunday mornings and as the spirit moves her to be part of the life of St. John’s. I encourage you to express your gratitude to Linda in the days ahead for all that she has done and continues to do for St. John’s.

Sincerely, and with a grateful heart,

Pastor Frank Espegren

St. John's Catherine Slabaugh Volunteers with the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering Communications Team

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 19:34:50 GMT

Thousands of young people gathered in New Orleans to accept the challenge to be brave, free, authentic, disruptive and, ultimately, disciples of God. The 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering, “Created To Be,” drew to Smoothie King Center nearly 16,000 attendees during its July 13-16 run, including a group from St. John’s Lutheran Church.

There to help ensure that the work and worship done was amplified and shared was one of the leaders of St. John’s, drawing on her own faith, expertise and significant support from the church. It was a story that needed to be shared on many platforms for a national audience, and St. John’s communication director Catherine Slabaugh played a leading role in capturing and illustrating the young people’s four-day journey of discovery, community and faith.

Slabaugh, who became St. John’s communications director in May 2023 and in August 2024 was named director of Communications and Community Engagement, spent two years volunteering as the event’s social media coordinator and team leader. That time was granted to her by St. John’s in furtherance of its broader ministry and support for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

"Working alongside a group of creative communications professionals in the ELCA allowed me to test out new ideas, bring joy and humor into the creative content, and learn from others working in this niche industry,” Slabaugh said.

She led the communications team, which handled all social media content produced before, during, and after the Gathering. The event drew young people from throughout the country to be in one place for the first time in six years. The 2022 Gathering had been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Slabaugh had an array of communication tools and a team of volunteers to work with. In addition to leading the social media team, she managed the ELCA Youth Gathering, Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and the tAble social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok) with more than 60,000 followers.

The work was a labor of love and a way to give back to the larger Lutheran church, Slabaugh said, allowing her to make connections and forge relationships that will endure.

“I think it is the best thing the ELCA does – these national events,” she said.

Slabaugh said she enjoyed being involved in a lay church event on a national stage, which provided a useful and hopeful perspective.

“It’s a good reminder that the church is not dying,” she said. “Youth are invested. It just looks different.”

The Gathering highlighted the “vastness of Lutherans,” she said.

Being part of the Gathering also reignited her creative spark, she said, inspiration that she brought back to Sacramento to use in her key roles at St. John’s.

“It was the culmination of these elements that ignited a creative spark and new confidence in me around communications that I brought back with me from New Orleans,” she said. “I believe this creative energy and passion will carry into my work here at St. John's!"

Slabaugh said she hopes to be part of the planning team for the 2027 ELCA National Youth Gathering, scheduled for June 28-July 2, 2027, in Minneapolis. For the time being, she is concentrating on her communications work at St. John’s and her community engagement responsibilities, emphasizing volunteer coordination and creating relationships with mission partners and community organizations.

Call Committee Appointment Announcement

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 21:11:15 GMT

Dear St. John’s community,

The Church Council of St. John’s Lutheran Church is delighted to announce the appointment of the following individuals to the Call Committee, which will be responsible for finding our next Senior Pastor: Bridget Malme, Chris Dawson, Joel Kimmelshue, Gary Ely-Grisham, Pam Roberts, Karen Ross, Lynne Gilbertson, Piper Brostrom, and Kim Hendricks.

In accordance with the St. John’s constitution, the Church Council was tasked with selecting seven to nine members, including two from the Council itself. The Executive Committee was truly inspired by the overwhelming response, receiving over 25 applications! The depth of thoughtfulness and the diverse array of spiritual gifts displayed in these applications made the selection process both rewarding and challenging. We sincerely appreciate the patience of both the applicants and the congregation during our deliberations.

The nine individuals selected for the Call Committee embody a rich tapestry of diversity in age, gender, race, sexual orientation, and spiritual background, all while representing a wide range of experiences within the St. John’s community. Spanning ages 18 to 80+, this Committee includes lifelong Lutherans as well as newer members, creating an inclusive environment for those who have raised families at St. John’s or consider this community their family. Their unique personal strengths contribute to a well-rounded and effective team.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who expressed their interest in serving on the Call Committee; your dedication and commitment to St. John’s are deeply valued. Thank you!

Regards,

Church Council

Reinvesting in Outreach | Stewardship 2025

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 21:23:25 GMT

The second Sunday of the St. John's Stewardship season centered around reinvesting in Outreach . As a faith community deeply committed to "Living God's Love in the World", serving, accompanying, and boldly living out our faith in the world is integral to our spiritual journey. Hundreds of congregants at St. John's build relationships and serve meals with vulnerable guests, explore questions of gender and faith with people who may have been hurt by a church community, and advocate and lobby for those whose voices are often silenced.

In worship yesterday, the congregation heard from one of these voices, Steve Ruder, who leads the Pilgrimage Meal ministry. Pilgrimage is a hot meal and respite space provided on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Monday of each month for community members in need. A dedicated team of around 15 volunteers help cook, serve, and greet guests.

The St. John's community is committed to "Living God's Love in the World" and do so daily through the various outreach ministries. Here are a few of the current outreach-oriented programs St. John's currently runs:

Pilgrimage Meal
Afternoon Snack Stop
Relationships with Mission Partners (Midtown HART, Sacramento ACT, Lutheran Social Services, Mt. Cross, etc.)
LGBTQ+ 1128 Ministry

Perhaps you find yourself deeply invested in many of these areas already, or perhaps you’re wondering where you might invest at St. John’s. As we continue to hear stories from congregants deeply invested in Outreach, Connections, and Discipleship throughout this stewardship season, we invite you to discern where you might reinvest with the St. John's community.

Reinvesting in Discipleship | 2025 Stewardship Campaign

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:26:19 GMT

Yesterday officially welcomed the first Sunday of the stewardship season! For the 2025 stewardship season, St. John’s leadership is calling on our people to wonder how you might reinvest in the St. John’s community. We’re centering our reinvestment around four focus areas: reinvesting in outreach, our finances, building and furthering connections with each other, and engaging with and deepening our call to discipleship.

In worship yesterday, Kurt Galvez shared the First Glance message where he discussed how each of us can reinvest and deepen our call to discipleship . As a Luminaria leader and current Council Treasurer, Kurt is deeply committed to discipleship and invites each of you to wonder what God-given gift you might be able to share with the world.

The St. John's community is committed to accompanying and engaging with people of all ages through discipleship. Here are a few of the current discipleship-oriented programs St. John's currently runs:

Sunday School, Confirmation, and the High School Youth Group
Luminaria New Member Class
Adult Faith Formation Classes
Wednesday Zoom Bible Study

What is Christian Nationalism? Adult Faith Formation Class

catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org (Catherine Slabaugh) — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 23:10:52 GMT

Class #1 - Sunday, September 22

On Sunday, September 22, Pastor Frank Espegren and St. John's member Gwynnae Byrd led the first class titled, "What is Christian Nationalism?"

The video above is the recording of Sunday's class, and below you'll find a few resources mentioned during the class.

Class #2 - Sunday, September 29

On Sunday, September 29, Pastor Frank Espegren and St. John's member Gwynnae Byrd led the second and final class titled, "What is Christian Nationalism?"

The video above is the recording of Sunday's class, and below you'll find discussion questions mentioned during the class .

Discussion Questions

Introducing the New Associate Director of Volunteer Management

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 01:41:30 GMT

The leadership of St. John’s Lutheran Church is pleased to announce that Joel Barkel has accepted the position of Associate Director of Volunteer Management, beginning September 23, 2024. Joel has transitioned from his role as Property Staff at St. John’s and will begin living into this new role next week.

Catherine Slabaugh, Gwynnae Byrd, and Kurt Galvez interviewed a pool of passionate, faith-driven individuals interested in this role, and after numerous interviews, the hiring committee offered this position to Joel. Many of us know Joel as the helpful staff member unlocking doors, unloading donations from our cars, or singing on Sunday mornings. However, Joel brings over a decade of professional and volunteer experience in the nonprofit and corporate sector to this new position.

During his time in the Peace Corps, Joel served as the Regional Leader for a grassroots Malaria organization, overseeing 25 volunteers throughout the region leading various projects, showcasing dynamic volunteer management experience. While working with the Gates Institute, Joel developed content for the company website and mobile app, experience that will be essential as he becomes the staff liaison and implementer of Realm. And throughout the past three years here at St. John’s, Joel has nurtured countless intergenerational relationships with staff, lay leaders, and congregants that will be instrumental to this new role.

As the Associate Director of Volunteer Management, Joel will help oversee:

Volunteer Coordination and Tracking: help determine volunteer ministry priorities and needs, recruit and coordinate volunteers, and ensure all volunteers are trained, integrated, and thanked throughout their service
Membership Database Management: serve as lead for Realm Database system and establish on-going processes and timelines for maintaining accurate and up-to-date records of church members
Member Engagement and Connection: serve as a first point of contact for congregations seeking to become more engaged in the St. John’s community and facilitate connections between congregants and volunteer opportunities that align with their interests, skills, and availability
Website Support: regularly update the St. John’s website with upcoming events, special programs, or campaigns

The leadership of St. John’s is confident in this transition for Joel and believes he will exude the mission of Living God’s Love in the World in this new role.

“I couldn't be more excited (or possibly a little nervous) to begin this new journey at St. John’s! I am eager to take on new roles and responsibilities, but most of all, I look forward to working alongside this wonderful congregation. My hope is that together, we will bring new energy and excitement to our church community. Whether it’s warmly welcoming new faces or diving into one of our many ministries, an engaged congregation will always be at the heart of St. John’s success. With your support, I believe we can do amazing things together,” writes Barkel.

With this shift from Property Staff to Associate Director of Volunteer Management, the Property Staff at St. John’s will decrease. Matt Balara, Property Manager, and Julius Turner, Property Staff, will continue working diligently to set-up, clean, and maintain this historic property. We encourage you to always reach out to the Property Staff or Linda Baldwin directly if you have any property needs or concerns.

As Joel lives into this new role in the coming weeks and months, we encourage you to reach out and share how you hope to further engage with the St. John’s community. Joel is looking forward to furthering the lay-led ministries active here at St. John’s and incorporating more congregants into this new season!

Announcing My Retirement - Pastor Frank Espegren

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:07:52 GMT

Grace and peace to you this day from God our loving parent and from the one whose words and person lead to eternal life, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen.

I write to you today to share that after serving as your Senior Pastor for the past 12 years and as a Pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church for the past 17 years, I will retire from my role as Senior Pastor on my 65th birthday,

September 7, 2025.

As some of you may know, I am a lifelong Sacramentan with deep roots in the St. John’s community. I attended the youth-led St. John’s Haunted House during Halloween season in the mid 1970s as a High Schooler, worked with Pastor David Peters from 1996-97 during my first year in Seminary as St. John’s was my Teaching Parish, and eventually accepted a call as Associate Pastor in 2007 and Senior Pastor in 2012. Over the past 30 years, the community of St. John’s Lutheran Church has shaped the person and Pastor I am today. These calls with St. John’s have blessed my life; serving as one of your Pastors continues to be my greatest vocational call.

Over the past year, it became clear to me that with the various transitions and changes afoot here at St. John’s, a plan should be implemented for my tenure as St. John’s Senior Pastor to come to a close. I share my retirement with you one year in advance with the hope of a smooth, spirit-filled transition. With a year-long notice, the St. John’s Church Council is able to continue transition work and begin the process of calling a new Senior Pastor while I am still serving. This allows for a shorter transition time with an Interim Senior Pastor. I will not be involved in the call process or discernment work, but am confident that the leadership of St. John’s will manage the transition over the next year exceptionally well.

You may have noticed I was not in worship yesterday, and will not be in worship this coming Sunday as I am away on a family vacation. However, the St. John’s Church Council leadership will host a Congregation Matters Meeting this Sunday, September 15 at 10:15 a.m. to discuss their plan around my retirement. I encourage you to attend this meeting to hear about the faithful leadership of this congregation and their plans for a Call Process for a new Senior Pastor.

Rhonda and I love this community of faith; we believe in the mission of Living God’s Love in the World and will miss worshiping, serving, and laughing alongside each of you. Fortunately, we will have many opportunities to say goodbye in meaningful ways over the next year. I look forward to sharing more with you upon my return on Sunday, September 22.

In Christ,

Frank Espegren

Senior Pastor, St. John’s Lutheran Church

A Portal of Peace & Prayer

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:57:50 GMT

Dear Members of St. John’s,

Each one of us experiences our Sunday morning journey to church differently, from the moment we prepare to leave home, to the second we enter one of the doors of St. John’s. Some of us duplicate the same routine week after week, entering the same way, sitting in the same pews and, if available, the same seats.

I, too, am a creature of habit. Every Sunday when I arrive, I light three candles in the corridor just outside my office. It is part of my "checking in and connecting with God." It’s an intentional time when I ask for the divine spirit to guide my work, infuse my calling with greater meaning and purpose, and to ensure that my focus is one of intentional service to others; and that our music and worship experiences deepen our connections with the divine and each other. My Sunday morning candle lighting ritual has become a non-negotiable part of my faith life. When I take this moment to connect with God from within, I feel blessed.

This brings me to the heart and soul of why I am writing to you.

As I think about my own ‘pre-worship’ candle-lighting ritual, I can’t help but feel that providing anyone who walks through this space prior to worship, attending memorial services or other special occasions, wouldn’t benefit from the opportunity to intentionally connect with God.

After a thoughtful conversation with the Church Council, I have been granted permission to seek the necessary funds for an essentially low-cost project that I strongly believe will provide an ongoing and meaningful opportunity for all of us. Not only for us servants of God when we cross into St. John’s, but all those who seek the opportunity to enter into a portal to prayer and peace that only can be found in God’s presence.

This plan will create an intentional space for connection, while also resolving a practical need: There is no debate that the carpet in the elevator corridor needs to be replaced. The current, and well-traveled carpeting has buckled in several places and has become unsightly and a tripping hazard. It has served us well for nearly 20 years! Like all things in this earthly life, its lifespan has come to an end.

Re-forming this space with new carpeting and artwork reflecting specific aspects of St. John’s worship life will create more of a chapel-like extension of the sanctuary; thus elevating everyone’s walk of faith. The new space would be accompanied by a moveable “cathedral” candle lighting station/table that will be placed under the mosaic cross directly across from the elevator; and new, more comfortable cushions for the existing pews located in the corridor for people to sit and pray or just rest in the chapel-like space to become present to the peaceful company of God.

In addition, the old carpeting in the entrance area located off the second floor balcony will be replaced, as well as that in the sitting area next to the main corridor.

This project is a unique opportunity for members of the St. John’s faith community to individually contribute to the purchase of 320 carpet squares that will replace the existing carpeting. The new carpeting is a much more durable and long-lasting product that will serve us well for the next 30+ years.

In order to bring this project to fruition, a collective “buy in” from the generous hearts of St. John’s membership is being requested. Each carpet square costs $50.00. The proposal is that individuals would contribute to the purchase of one or more carpet squares until the goal of 320 squares is reached.

All expenses for labor, removal and installation of new carpeting,and additional supplies needed to transform and augment the purpose of the space are included in the purchasing of 320 carpet squares ($15,000.00 in total).

Together, our individual contributions will secure a lasting prayerful opportunity for the multitude of people who find themselves walking through this portal of prayer and peace.

It is hoped that donations can be secured for the purchase of 320 carpet squares by the end of September 2024. The current plan is to have the space re-formed by Reformation Sunday, October 27, 2024.

Will you take the next step to securing the opportunity for us all to “check in and connect with God?”

Sincerely,

Steven Johnson

Director of Music and Worship

My Calling: People Encountering The Magic of the Divine

Staffing Updates from St. John's Lutheran Church

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 23:05:20 GMT

The St. John’s Vision statement adopted last year by the Congregation points out that we are “living in changing times.” This continues to be true for Christianity in America, for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and especially for our church, including the programming and people within it. But that Vision statement also says that we are “courageous, grace-filled” and that we “seek deeper connections…with one another.” Since the adoption of that Vision, the faithful leaders of our Congregation have entered into prayerful discernment and thoughtful discussion about the future of St. John’s, and how to ensure that it is structured, staffed, and resourced sustainably so it can continue to “Live God’s Love in the World” for the next 150 years.

Last December, the Church Council established a Transitions Committee to continue this work and to propose a future-oriented, sustainable plan for the organization structure and staffing for St. John’s that will guide our decisions going into the future. This plan was presented to the Church Council in June and is being phased in over the next two years.

At the center of this new strategic plan is the ongoing need to transition St. John’s from a predominantly staff-centered posture to a volunteer and lay-centered organization. The Church Council, along with support of the Finance Committee, are confident that St. John’s is now a two-Pastor church and in being so, must foster a more energized and engaged community of lay volunteers. As such, the St. John’s Church Council is recommending the hiring, and transition, of the following positions, effective August 12, 2024:

Three part-time Nursery Attendants
A part-time Youth and Young Adult Ministry Leader
A full-time Associate Director of Volunteer Management
The transition of Catherine Slabaugh’s job from Director of Communications to Director of Communications and Community Engagement

The part-time Nursery Attendants will be responsible for providing age-appropriate care for children ages 0 to 4 on Sunday mornings. With the inclusion of these positions, the St. John’s Nursery will be open and staffed during both worship services every Sunday morning.

The part-time Youth and Young Adult Leader, in partnership with Pastor Jon Haug, will define and direct programming and faith development for high school age youth and young adults through age 35.

The full-time Associate Director of Volunteer Management, in partnership with Catherine Slabaugh, will serve as the system and relational lead in fostering a sense of belonging and engagement within our church community. This position will: develop volunteer coordination, tracking, and training; oversee the Realm membership database; engage with new members; and provide communications support.

The full-time Director of Communications and Community Engagement will serve as the strategic lead for: engagement and connection with St. John’s members, neighborhood and city partners, and fellow nonprofit mission partners; volunteer management and coordination; lay-led ministries and programs (direct services, hospitality, evangelism, etc.); and communications and public relations. This position is an expansion of Catherine Slabaugh’s current role.

Many of these positions are not new to St. John’s, but were previously eliminated for budgetary concerns. The Church Council is excited to bring these roles back to St. John’s in a new capacity that fits the current and future needs of our community. These hires and transitions are targeted to address the increase in young children, increase in young adults, need for ongoing and enhanced lay leadership and volunteer coordination, and strategic oversight for engagement in the community.

With the departure of Pastor Amy Kienzle and vacancies in staffing from 2022 and 2023, personnel funds are available for these hirings and transitions.

The Church Council looks forward to welcoming these new hires to the St. John’s community. As always, we welcome conversation, feedback, and insights as we strive to respond to the life-changing call of “Living God’s Love in the World”.

In Christ,

Andrew Ford

Church Council President, St. John’s Lutheran Church

Job Posting: Youth & Young Adult Ministry Leader

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 23:02:28 GMT

Position Title : Youth and Young Adult Ministry Leader – Part Time

Reports To : Associate Pastor and Director of Youth and Family Ministry

Hours : 20 hours/week to include Sundays 8:30 - 1:00 pm, including some holidays (set hours to be defined)

Compensation : $26,000/annually

Position Summary : This position defines and directs programming and faith development for high school age youth and young adults (through age 35). This person shall seek to foster Christian community through building relationships with youth and their families, and young adults, that strengthen their commitment to the church and their growth in faith in Jesus Christ, driven by the mission, vision and values of St. John’s.

Essential Functions:

In collaboration with the Associate Pastor/Director of Youth & Family Ministries, help define and implement faithful and effective discipleship experiences for high school youth and young adults
Engage and develop young leaders in building a faith community to lead approved events, activities and learning opportunities
Connect with parents of high school youth about periodic programming, education or development of parent led groups or events to equip and support them to be the leader of their high school youth’s faith formation
Organize, implement, and lead ministries and events for high school youth that build fellowship and explore faith, i.e. day trips, retreats, weekly youth group, mission trips, and ELCA youth gatherings
Participate in and support all ages events including Vacation Bible School, Advent Festival, community meals, and service opportunities
Assist in the seamless transition of St. John’s youth from Confirmation into St. John’s Youth programs.
Create ministry opportunities that help high school youth and young adults identify their gifts and empowers them to use these gifts to serve within as well as outside the church walls through community-service opportunities, leadership opportunities, and peer ministry & support
Assist/advocate with the pastoral staff to bridge between confirmation to high school, and high school graduation into young adulthood
Provide outreach to high school youth and their families, and young adults, using Realm and other communication methods to directly hear feedback, communicate about programming, and connect to opportunities
Identify and establish on-going connections beyond Sunday mornings and those we see regularly
Collaborate with leaders around the changing culture of our high school and young adult ministry today, to prioritize and focus efforts to best meet the needs of these audiences

Other Responsibilities:

Identify leadership and volunteer opportunities to align gifts and interests with needs, building a pipeline of leadership to engage in church events & committees, worship service, and synod level activity
Identify volunteer opportunities for high school youth and young adults and communicate them to the Volunteer Coordinator, with understanding, attention and compliance to the Safety of Minors Policy, background check and training requirements
Build a vibrant volunteer community of all ages to support programming, providing training to adult volunteers, including Order of St. John volunteers
Coordinate fundraising activities that support and supplement the budget for this audience (for example, annual fundraising dinner)
Participate in budget development and implementation for high school youth and young adult ministries
Periodically serve in Sunday services as a First Glance speaker Minimum Qualifications, Abilities and Skills:
Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree, prior related experience, or seminary work preferred
A vibrant Christian faith with 1) an appreciative understanding of the theological doctrines and commitments of the ELCA and 2) a commitment to diversity as a gift from God
Ability to teach basic orthodox Christianity and scripture • Experience and desire to work with these audiences
Ability to develop and implement ministry programs that engage and equip the faith of high school youth, their parents or caregivers, and young adults
Ability to focus planning efforts, organize/manage around those efforts, and delegate and leverage volunteers effectively
Interpersonal skills to facilitate the building of strong partnerships and teams
Ability to recruit and work effectively with volunteers within St. John’s, area Lutheran churches, and the community at large
Ability to identify, evaluate, and implement effective and innovative approaches for high school youth and young adult ministries, curriculum and programs
Ability to understand and respect confidentiality and the ability to deal with issues and concerns directly with those involved, seek counsel from a supervisor as needed as outlined in St. John’s Personnel Manual
A team-oriented self-starter with high performance standards who can prioritize effectively and balance time and work commitments
Ability to understand, maintain and respect boundaries between adults and youth

Requirements:

Completion of mandatory background screening and applicable online training(s)
Able to work long hours at a computer
Able to lift up to 25 pounds
Valid CA driver’s license

Application Documents:

Resume
Cover letter which explains how the applicant’s education, training, and experience relate to and satisfy the qualifications, skills and abilities required of this position
References – please include 2 professional references as well as 2 personal references with contact information for each

Please email resume, cover letter, and list of four references to Linda Baldwin at linda.baldwin@stjohnslc.org by close of business on August 23, 2024. For more information about St. John’s, please visit our website at www.stjohnslc.org.

Job Posting: Nursery Attendant

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 22:51:57 GMT

Position Title : Nursery Attendant (3)

Reports to : Associate Pastor and Director of Youth & Family Ministry

Hours : Part time, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm Sundays

Salary : $20/hr.

Position Summary : Provide dependable, safe, and nurturing care for children ages 0 to 4 years in the nursery while their parents and guardians attend church services and other events at St. John’s.

Responsible for providing age-appropriate care which includes feeding, changing diapers, escorting to the restroom, maintaining a safe environment, holding or sitting with, and cheerfully interacting with children through games, stories, play and other activities
Comfort children experiencing separation anxiety
Polite, friendly, and courteous to all children, parents and volunteers
In the event of an emergency, notify parent via nursery pager or cell phone
Abide by the St. John’s Nursery Policies as well as the church-wide Child Safety Policy
Keep the nursery clean, organized and tidy
Communicate with Youth & Young Adult Leader about any broken toys, supplies needed, or any other nursery concerns

Minimum Requirements:

3-5 years of experience working with children 0 – 4 years of age, early childhood education preferred
Complete of mandated background check(s) and digital course(s)
An appreciative understanding of the theological doctrines and commitments of St. John’s Lutheran Church
Interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team
Ability to lift up to 40 pounds
18 years old or older with a High School diploma
Understand and respect for confidentiality
Maintain & respect boundaries between adults & children
Hold current CPR certification

Application Documents:

Resume
Cover letter which explains how the applicant’s education, training, and experience relate to and satisfy the qualifications, skills and abilities required of this position
References – please include 2 professional references as well as 2 personal references with contact information for each

Please email resume, cover letter, and list of references to Linda Baldwin at linda.baldwin@stjohnslc.org by close of business on August 26, 2024. For more information about St. John’s, please visit our website at www.stjohnslc.org.

Job Posting: Associate Director of Volunteer Management

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 22:48:00 GMT

Position Title : Associate Director of Volunteer Management

Reports to : Director, Communication and Community Engagement

Hours : Full-time (hours to be determined, including some evenings and weekends)

Salary : $60,000 annually plus all benefits

Position Summary : The Associate Director of Volunteer Management is the systematic and relational lead in fostering a sense of belonging and engagement within our church community in fulfilling our mission to Live God’s Love in the World. They will share their gifts in coordinating volunteers, managing our member database (Realm), supporting the communications strategy and website development, alongside the Director of Communications and Community Engagement, and facilitating connections between members with our pastors, staff and lay leadership to share spiritual gifts and talents, based on availability and interest.

Essential Functions:

Volunteer Coordination and Tracking:
Collaborate with the Director of Communication and Community Engagement to determine volunteer ministry priorities and needs, establish measurable goals, and develop strategies and action plans consistent with the congregation’s overall ministry plan
Recruit and coordinate volunteers for various church programs, events, and initiatives and communicate back to ministry and event organizers
Ensure all volunteers are communicated with for relevant screening procedures and are tracked through completion for readiness to volunteer
Coordinate communication requests for volunteers with the Director of Communication and Community Engagement
Use our church database to maintain data on volunteer skills, availability, and interests to match volunteers with appropriate opportunities
Provide ongoing support, encouragement and expressions of gratitude to volunteers, ensuring a positive volunteer experience
Work to limit barriers to volunteering, making entry into service easy, keeping in mind our diverse population
Establish consistent routines and ongoing training to meet volunteer needs and enable processes for them to sign up, revise, and back each other up with progressively less guidance
Enable volunteers to easily see and sign up to help by ensuring visibility to events, dates, times, roles, training or materials needed across all ministry and outreach areas
Membership Database Management:
Establish on-going processes and timelines for maintaining accurate and up-to-date records of church members, including contact information, background check status, membership status, involvement in church activities
Learn capabilities available through Realm, leverage and update the membership database to define data needs and ensure updates to membership date is accomplished, while ensuring permissions and appropriate visibility to sensitive member data are in place
Generate reports and insights from the membership database to support decision-making and strategic planning
Member Engagement and Connection:
Facilitate connections between church members, Luminaria and confirmation participants and guests with volunteer opportunities that align with their interests, skills, and availability across all demographic groups
Foster a sense of community and belonging by developing the membership database as a tool to educate new and existing users, enabling key leaders and teams to accomplish meaningful collaborations
Serve as the first point of contact for members seeking information, support, or assistance in connecting with church resources and ministries
Coordinate with ministry and event leadership on volunteer needs that may expand outside of St. John’s membership to request assistance from partner groups and area churches
Communicate and/or present to church members and groups on volunteer opportunities at St. John’s
Website Support:
Under the direction of the Director of Communication and Community Engagement, regularly update the St. John’s website with upcoming events, special programs, or campaigns

Minimum Qualifications:

Technical experience with databases, such as with Realm, Servant Keeper or other CRM systems with the ability to leverage these systems to design efficient processes around volunteer and membership data management including entry, updates, signups and reporting
Experience in, or ability to learn, website management using Refresh Websites (no coding experience needed)
Ability to manage, coordinate, and troubleshoot with vendor (ACS Technologies) to understand and leverage capabilities, maintain and manage the membership database
Excellent interpersonal, oral, communication and presentation skills
Proven ability to apply and document acquired job skills, policies and procedures to complete substantive assignments/projects/tasks of moderate scope and complexity; exercise judgment with defined guidelines and practices to determine appropriate actions
Experience in handling confidential information and an understanding of the importance of maintaining confidentiality to abide by data protection laws, in addition to building and keeping community trust
Project management skills and experience, including work prioritization, planning, and task delegation
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
Organizational management and problem recognition and resolution skills
A vibrant Christian faith with 1) an appreciative understanding of the theological doctrines and commitments of the ELCA and 2) a commitment to diversity as a gift from God
Completion of mandatory background screening and applicable online training(s)

Education or Experience

Bachelor's degree and three years directly related experience preferred

Application Documents:

Resume
Cover letter which explains how the applicant’s education, training, and experience relate to and satisfy the qualifications, skills and abilities required of this position
References – please include 2 professional references as well as 2 personal references with contact information for each

Please send application materials to Linda Baldwin at linda.baldwin@stjohnslc.org by close of day, August 26. For more information about St. John’s, please visit our website at www.stjohnslc.org .

St. John's at the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 19:24:41 GMT

“I, and my colleague bishops, so often get the question, where are the youth and young adults? Well here you are!”

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton’s words rang through the Smoothie King Arena as 16,000 youth, young adults, and adult leaders gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana for the first ELCA Youth Gathering in over six years. Gathering under the theme “Created to Be”, the 2024 Gathering explored how we, as children of God, are Created to Be: Brave, Authentic, Free, Disruptive, and Disciples.

Before the majority of these 16,000 participants arrived in New Orleans, the Gathering held two pre-events: the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and the tAble. MYLE is a three-day pre-event for youth of color or whose primary language is other than english. Similarly, the tAble is a three-day pre-event for youth who live with cognitive, physical, or emotional disabilities. These pre-events welcomed over 750 youth and adult leaders to celebrate the unique individuals God has created, and the joy of being wHoly ourselves.

If you have attended a Gathering in the past, or supported a young person who attended, you might recognize elements of this Gathering. Throughout each day, different groups rotated between a series of experiences, all while enjoying the dewy New Orleans heat.

Accompaniment - centered around three themes - advocacy, action, or awareness. Groups engaged in either a hands-on service project, learned from an organization doing important justice work, or engaged in advocacy alongside a nonprofit.

Interactive Learning - a space where partner organizations, nonprofits, schools, synods, camps, and more set-up booths to share about their ministry in hands-on, engaging ways.

Community Life - during the day, a large convention center hall set-up for participants to PLAY! In the evening, space in various hotels to engage in Q&As with mass gathering speakers, hear from local New Orleans bands, play board games and enjoy quiet time, or dance with friends!

Synod Day - gathering with your fellow synod and region, participants engaged in a youth-led worship service to start their day. Afterwards, groups explored the French Quarter with the help of a Gathering made scavenger hunt! Lagniappe Stations along the way provided rest and air conditioning, as well as local music and storytellers, and a few fun Mardi Gras costumes to try on.

These daytime activities encouraged participants to connect deeply with their groups, other Gathering attendees, and the city and culture of New Orleans.

Youth attendee Chloe Pop shared her joyful surprise in the connectedness of Gathering attendees saying, “there was a feeling of togetherness that made it feel very unifying and joyful, and I loved it.”

Every night, participants gathered in the Smoothie King Arena (the Superdome was under construction) for a sold-out Mass Gathering event. This over three-hour production was led by the House Band, youth and young adult Emcees, keynote speakers, guest musicians, dance troupe, and so much more. Each night centered around that day’s theme (Created to Be: Authentic, Brave, etc.) and brought storytelling, vulnerability, joy, and connection for the 16,000 in attendance.

Adult leader Nicole Oehmke shared that one of her Gathering highlights was hearing Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton preach on Saturday morning during Mass Gathering; “she preached to a literal stadium, but it felt cozy and real”.

While Gatherings include ample structured time for attendees, this year’s Gathering intentionally provided space for attendees to explore New Orleans on their own and connect with their group further. In fact, these moments were some of the favorites amongst St. John’s attendees.

Youth attendee Caroline Montiel shares that, “I experienced community and faith the most when we would go to restaurants together, debrief about our days, and share our highs and lows of the days.”

With an additional day following the Gathering to explore before returning to Sacramento, along with downtime throughout the day, the St. John’s group enjoyed an afternoon at the aquarium, a swamp tour in the bayou, and many traditional local cuisines.

“My highlight was the alligator boat ride, and I was surprised at how good the aquarium was,” shares youth attendee Ella Haug.

Youth attendee Nora Riddle also shares fond memories of the group’s time exploring the Garden District, writing, “I think my favorite moment was running through the garden district to see all the gorgeous houses (it really reminded me of Princess and the Frog which made me so happy).”

As evident in last Sunday’s Beignets from the Bayou event in Oehler Hall, where attendees shared stories and pictures from their time in New Orleans, the time spent in close community wandering, exploring, and laughing with each other are cherished memories that made for a lasting trip.

If you are interested in reading more about the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering, the communications team published a daily blog, “Scenes from the Streetcar”, which can be read here: https://blogs.elca.org/youthgathering/

Pictures courtesy of the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering communications team.

2024 St. John's Scholarship & William and Donna Morgan Award Announcement

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 16:27:17 GMT

Every year, St. John's recognizes outstanding graduating high school seniors who all have one thing in common - exemplary commitment to the St. John's mission of living God's love in the world.

Samuel Mohler is a graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in Sacramento, CA and will be attending Iowa State University this fall, pursuing a major in Mechanical Engineering. Throughout his adolescent years, Sam took on various leadership roles both here at St. John’s and throughout the greater community. In middle school, Sam joined his first Robotics Team and has participated in Robotics every year since, serving as the team captain his final year. Sam joined Scouts in elementary school and served as an assistant patrol leader, assistant senior patrol leader, and was elected to serve as an Order of the Arrow representative. Sam participated in Kennedy High School’s Marching Band all four years, serving as the low brass section leader in his final season. At St. John’s, Sam has progressed through Sunday School, Confirmation, and High School youth group - most notably serving as a team lead in the Order of St. John. Sam’s commitment to Living God’s Love in the World here at St. John’s and through his various extracurricular activities, coupled with an excellent academic record, make him the recipient of the St. John’s Scholarship this year.

Makayla Holeman is a graduate of St. Francis Catholic High School in Sacramento, CA and will be attending California State University, Sacramento this fall, pursuing a major in Communication Science. Makayla was baptized at St. John’s in the fall of 2006, and attended in her early years of high school as her mother, Rev. Katie Holeman, served on the St. John’s staff. Even as her family has transitioned to worship with the congregation her mother currently serves, Makayla continued to claim St. John’s as her home congregation in her many service opportunities with the greater Church. Makayla served on the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (SPSYC) for four years in High School, and served as the Youth Representative to the Sierra Pacific Synod Council. While on SPSYC and serving on Council, Makayla took on various leadership roles and served on numerous synod-wide committees. Additionally, Makayla regularly volunteers with Vacation Bible School and was a member of the Track & Field team at St. Francis. With a combination of years of service both inside and outside of the Church, along with a commitment to justice and care for all people, Makayla will be a recipient of the William and Donna Morgan Award.

A special thank you to this year’s scholarship recipients and to the committee members who faithfully discerned this year’s award recipients. May we all be inspired by these two young adults who courageously live God’s love in this world!

St. John’s Confirmation: 1955 vs. 2024

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 17:58:01 GMT

The St. John’s Confirmation Wall - one of the eye-catching and historically-significant hallways congregants find themselves gazing at time and time again. With nearly every Confirmation class photo from the previous 100 years, this hallway of photographs showcases the thousands of young people whose faith has been shaped by the community of St. John’s and witness of the Lutheran church.

Over the years, the Confirmation curriculum and teaching style has changed drastically. We sat down with longtime member Mike Knoles, who was confirmed at St. John’s in 1955, and new St. John’s member Enzo Martinez-Vaughan, who was confirmed at St. John’s a few weeks back in 2024, to discuss how Confirmation has evolved over the past nearly 70 years, and how it’s remained the same.

“It’s a little difficult to remember experiences over seventy years ago, let alone any details. I do remember riding my bike most Saturday mornings from our home in Curtis Park to St. Johns for Confirmation classes. There were over 25 members in that class held under direction of Pastor Romeis. There were open discussions, questions, and memorizations of scriptures. These classes were held in the basement of what is now Oehler Hall,” writes Knoles.

Representing our current approach to Confirmation, Martinez-Vaughan writes, “For the year I have been in Confirmation I have enjoyed it. I got to learn so much about common, everyday questions that don't have a clear answer. Another thing I liked about this class was the information we learned usually gave us the resources to form our own beliefs about a question, instead of just telling us one answer. I also enjoyed meeting and introducing myself to many other kids my age in the class. The few weeks we joined with Luminaria were also very impactful on me as I heard about some beliefs, opinions, and stories from adults in the church. This part of confirmation was very informative."

One significant change in the St. John’s Confirmation class over the past 70 years is the culmination of the program. Knoles shares, “I believe we were required to repeat a small scripture verse during our Confirmation Service.” Whereas, Martinez-Vaughan writes, ”Confirmation culminated in a 2-day ceremony on the weekend. To be confirmed, we just needed to want to affirm our baptism and do a faith statement. While most were written speeches, one confirmand recorded a dance as her faith statement. This was meant to represent our passion and its connection to Jesus. I greatly enjoyed writing mine.”

“After all these years, I find my faith continuing to be directed by the things taught and learned in those Confirmation classes at St. John,” Knoles concludes.

“I learned a lot about Christianity in confirmation. I took away that there are many misconceptions or varying beliefs about Christianity and I should inform myself and make my own opinions. I also learned a lot and met many kids my age at the church and had a fun time with all of them,” shares Martinez-Vaughan.

While the style of teaching and number of youth may change year to year, one element remains true. The Confirmation program at St. John’s cultivates friendships, accompanies young people exploring their faith, and encourages the next generation to carry on the St. John’s mission of Living God’s Love in the World.

Come visit, or re-visit, the newly updated St. John's Confirmation photo wall the next time you're at church!

Rev. Amy Kienzle Accepts New Call with the Sierra Pacific Synod

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 23:20:54 GMT

Dear St. John’s Community,

I write to you today to share that I have accepted the call as the Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) and Assistant to the Bishop in the Sierra Pacific Synod. I will begin this position June 3, 2024 and my last day at St. John’s will be Sunday, May 19th.

When Bishop Jeff Johnson invited me to apply for the position, it resonated with a years’ long discernment about serving in the role of DEM should a position open in a synod where I felt called to serve. I am excited about this opportunity to share my gifts and experiences in the Sierra Pacific Synod and with the wider church. I am also eager to work with our congregations, including St. John’s, in my capacity as DEM, to develop strategies for a larger Lutheran witness.

Even so, I find it hard to end my time as one of your pastors. I am grateful to the people of St. John’s, who have welcomed and loved Zayd and me these last 5 years. We have been greatly blessed by this community and have formed many meaningful relationships that we will carry with us.

Over the next three weeks, I will work with my fellow directors and key leaders to ensure as smooth a transition as possible, passing along information and a status report of my ministries so they may continue beyond my departure. There will be time for proper goodbyes and I welcome you to reach out to me over the next few weeks.

Grace and Peace,

Pr. Amy Kienzle

With Pastor Amy Kienzle's announcement that she will be leaving her call at St. John's, please join me in thanking her for her service with us. We will miss her inspired preaching, passionate service to those in need, and wide evangelical welcome. We give thanks to God, and to Pastor Amy, for five wonderful years of pastoral leadership in very challenging times. Thank you, Pastor Amy! We will celebrate her many gifts and contributions over the next month - more details on a final "Farewell & Godspeed" celebration for Pastor Amy to follow.

My sadness that Pastor Amy is leaving her role at St. John's is tempered by the fact that she will not be moving away from Sacramento as she starts her new call in the Sierra Pacific Synod Bishop's Office. I believe the Sierra Pacific Synod made a very wise choice in their decision to call Pastor Amy into leadership. This will be a wonderful opportunity for her, and for St. John's to be more connected with our Synod.

Of course, this means that change is upon us here at St. John's. Our Congregational Council is packed with excellent leaders who are working with me, and the other directors of St. John's, to discern the best way forward for us in terms of pastoral and strategic leadership. Even though St. John's has been in existence over 150 years, we are always changing and evolving, and I am confident we will be able to meet this moment faithfully.

In the meantime, please join me over these next weeks as we thank Pastor Amy for all the good work she has done here.

Sincerely,

Pr. Frank Espegren

Special Congregational Meeting Canceled

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 18:26:13 GMT

Voting Members of St. John's Lutheran Church,

Following a request from the St. John’s Feasibility Study Committee, the Special Congregational Meeting called for Sunday, April 21, 2024 has been canceled. To learn more about this cancellation, please see below.

In Christ,

Frank Espegren, Senior Pastor

____________________________

Upon recommendation of the St. John’s Feasibility Study Committee, the Special Congregational Meeting is canceled for the following reasons:

Additional time required to conduct due diligence in the research of the short and long term financial implications of the 601 10th St. property inspection results conducted the week of April 15, 2024.
Additional time to allow any necessary negotiations with the seller of the 601 10th St. property.
Continued discernment of the short and long term financial implications of the unanticipated requested final terms and conditions from the Mission Investment Fund agency for the proposed loan for the 601 10th St. property.

Holy Closure and Thanksgiving for Stephen Ministry at St. John's

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:40:20 GMT

For over 15 years, dozens of faithful lay leaders have served the St. John’s community as Stephen Ministers. A nation-wide nonprofit organization, Stephen Ministries equips and trains congregation members to “provide high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties”. Stephen Ministers have accompanied members through the loss of loved ones, through sudden medical emergencies, and through many ongoing trials and tribulations.

Over the past 15 years, 43 St. John’s members have served as Stephen Ministers or Leaders.

Deborah Adkins, David Adkins, Linda Branning, Cindy Carroll, Glenn Carson, Debra Cribbins, Cheryl Coviello, Candance Cox, Tom Cox, Jack Easton, Rev. Frank Espegren, Amy Gorder, Chris Gorder, Verne Gore, Aileen Florentz, Maryann Hanner, Tom Harris, Rev. Jon Haug, Jo Hoffmeier, Lyla Hanson, Lindalee Huston, Sharon Huckfeldt, Dennis Jones, Gail Jenkins, Nancy Kirchoff, Frances Le Bas, Scott Lumry, Greg Mangrum, Jeannette McClannahan, Carolynn Munson, Elaine Nagel, Kathy Parker, Jeanne Peterson, Kim Peth, Beth Shelburne, Judy Smith, Susan Taylor, Ernie Thompson, Sandy Thompson, Julie Watson, Chuck Wolk, Erika Wright, and Catherine Zanzi.

We extend our sincerest gratitude to these dedicated Stephen Ministers and Leaders for their unwavering commitment and selfless service to this ministry. Their willingness to give their time, energy, and spiritual companionship to community members in need exemplifies the true spirit of Living God’s Love in the World.

A new season of Congregational Care at St. John’s has begun! The way in which St. John’s cares for and walks alongside community members is evolving and continuing, however, the mission and ministry of Stephen Ministers is concluding. To the 43 Stephen Ministers and Leaders from St. John’s; job well done good and faithful servants.

Parish Nurse Suzi Taylor and Senior Pastor Frank Espegren continue to lead Congregational Care here at St. John’s. 2024 will be a year of strategic development in the crucial ministry of Congregational Care. What will not change is St. John’s continuing commitment to care for its people in times of transition and crisis.

This Sunday, April 14 at both the 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. worship services, those who have served as Stephen Ministers will be invited to receive a blessing for their faithful service to the community. We hope the people of St. John’s will join our staff in blessing, thanking, and sending off our Stephen Ministry servants!

St. John's Congregation Council calls a Special Congregational Meeting

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:39:36 GMT

Voting Members of St. John's Lutheran Church,

The St. John's Congregation Council has called a Special Congregational Meeting for Sunday, April 21, 2024, 1:00 p.m. in the sanctuary and via zoom. The purpose of this meeting is to consider the resolution put forth by the Congregation Council of St. John’s Lutheran Church regarding the purchase of the multi-unit dwelling and parcel at 601 10th Street in the City of Sacramento, CA. To learn more, please see below. Please plan to attend.

In Christ,

Frank Espegren, Senior Pastor

Join the Congregational Meeting Here

Meeting ID: 849 5322 7879

Passcode: 882155

Resolution

regarding the purchase of the

multi-unit dwelling and parcel at

601 10th Street in the City of Sacramento, California

Whereas, a lack of affordable housing has reached crisis levels in California in general, and in Sacramento specifically, and;

Whereas, the Congregation Council of St. John’s Lutheran Church (Council) has become aware of an opportunity to purchase a multi-unit dwelling at 601 10th Street, Sacramento, California (601 10th Street), which currently houses 13 tenants at affordable rents, and;

Whereas, after study and discernment of dedicated lay and rostered leaders in the Non-Profit Feasibility Committee, Resources Strategy Committee, Finance Committee, and Executive Committee, the Council has concluded that the purchase of 601 10th Street, and its continued availability of affordable housing, aligns with St. John’s Mission, Vision, and Values, and;

Whereas, after study and discernment, the Council believes that it is appropriate to use funds from the sale of First English Lutheran Church in furtherance of this purchase, as they have been held by St. John's for a good work in our community, and;

Whereas, in its duty to shepherd and protect the corporate body of St. John’s, the Council believes that the creation of a separate legal entity to hold and maintain this property will allow St. John’s to limit its legal and financial liability, while allowing for the use of the property in furtherance of its Mission, Vision, and Values, therefore be it;

Resolved , that the Congregation authorizes the Council and its delegates to negotiate on its behalf for the purchase of 601 10th Street. Specifically, the Congregation authorizes an offer not to exceed $1,425,000, and be it further;

Resolved , that the Congregation authorizes the Council to expend $325,000 from the proceeds of the sale of First English Lutheran Church for this purpose, and be it further;

Resolved , that the Congregation authorizes the Council to form a legal entity to limit the legal and financial liability of St. John’s Lutheran Church under the laws of the State of California, for the purpose of holding real and personal property for beneficial purposes in furtherance of the Mission, Vision, and Values of St. John’s Lutheran Church.

C5.03.G “The Congregation is authorized to acquire real and personal property by gift, devise, purchase, or other lawful means…”

There is a property for sale at 601 10th Street with 13 single residence occupancy units. Since listing, multiple commercial developers have submitted offers that have been rejected by the owners. The building is in good condition and well cared for with a basement that could be finished, expanding the number of housing units or creating a designated community space for residents. The owners are very interested in keeping the property as is and continue to house 13 tenants, rather than have it be developed into 4-5 high-end units.

The purchase of this property aligns closely with nearly every St. John’s value.

This fits well with our values of Justice-Making and Constancy in that it would prevent the displacement of current residents as well as keep affordable housing stock in the city. Additionally, this aligns with our history of taking risks when we see a need, as we did decades ago with what became Saint John’s Program for Real Change. Keeping people safely housed so they can live where they work or where their lives are centered because of access to resources is part of healing and wholeness. This also has the potential to be more targeted in the future toward those who are without housing options. We might choose to work with partners like Lutheran Social Services or others that place people in transitional housing to get them ready for a more permanent place. Humility comes in when we remember we need not do this alone; we must seek partners and others who do this work and can help us be most faithful and successful.

The proposed offer is an offer of $1,425,000, with a down payment of $275,000. As the St. John’s Council has held the proceeds from the sale of First English Lutheran Church for good work in our community, the cash for this downpayment as well as for the appraisal, inspections, insurance and closing costs will be taken from these funds, in an amount not to exceed $325,000. This comprises just over half of the total First English funds available. The remaining $1,150,000 will be funded via a 3-year ARM mortgage loan with Mission Investment Fund at an initial interest rate of 6.5%.

The Executive Committee of the St. John’s Congregation Council will host two information sessions on Sunday, April 14 at 8:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in Oehler Hall. The 12:30 p.m. session will be available both in-person and via zoom through the link below.

Join the Information Session Here

Meeting ID: 893 8888 2205

Passcode: 845639

Lutherans & Lunar New Year

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 20:20:43 GMT

As Christians around the world celebrate the season of epiphany and prepare for Lent, many of our siblings of Chinese-descent are preparing for the Lunar New Year. This year, Lunar New Year falls on Saturday, February 10 and begins a two-week festival celebration welcoming the Year of the Dragon.

Longtime St. John’s members Zhiwei Yu and David Lee, along with their three children Cora, Noah, and Kaiden, share a look into their Lunar New Year preparations and celebrations, and how this significant cultural holiday intersects with their Lutheran faith.

What does the Lunar New Year season look like in your family? How does your family prepare to celebrate?

The Lunar New Year celebration for our family has a similar importance as the Christmas celebration, in that our celebration revolves around togetherness with family, friends, and of course food!

Prior to the new year rolling around, there are many preparations made. Starting with deep cleaning and organizing our home, getting fresh haircuts and shopping for new clothes, gathering symbolic ingredients for the new year eve and new year meal, and preparing pretty red envelopes with cash to give to unmarried children. Though the latest practice has been Venmo’ing the amount to children.

Coming together for the new year’s eve meal is an annual tradition we have. Our meal will consist of some symbolic dishes, such as a whole chicken, whole fish, pork, dumplings, entrées containing ingredients representing good health, prosperity, and posterity for the upcoming new year. The chicken and fish must be whole to represent beginning and end.

When new year's day comes around, it is a practice for us to visit family and friends, bring edible gifts, such as fresh fruits, nuts, and stuff you can now find at the Elk Grove Costco snack section located in the center of the warehouse. The tradition of visiting family and friends is a cultural practice, to see if they are doing okay and to confirm that the “evil” spirits did not come and take them. Hence, the fireworks at midnight to ward off any evil spirits.

How does your Chinese heritage intersect with your Lutheran faith?

The Chinese New Year intersects with the Advent Season, especially true with Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. All of the preparation we do in anticipation of the new year align with Hope and the coming Messiah. The specialty foods we prepare and family togetherness relates to the Joy and Love that the Advent season brings. Health and happiness, and well wishes for peace and abundance, show up throughout the new year theme, which also aligns with the wisemen bringing gifts and well wishes. The common ground of Chinese heritage and Lutheran faith revolves around a community, and what we as a community can do to help the many.

Many St. John's members do not celebrate Lunar New Year. For those interested in learning more about the holiday, do you have any books, podcasts, artists, documentaries, etc. you recommend?

Our family has two favorite Children’s Books we recommend! “Celebrating Chinese Festivals – A collection of Holiday Tales, Poems and Activities” by Sanmu Tang and “Chinese Children’s Favorite Stories” by Mingmei Yip.

Living God’s Love in the World as ELCA Organization Board Members

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 19:50:47 GMT

St. John’s long-standing mission of Living God’s Love in the World is often embodied through serving our neighbors here in the greater Sacramento area. St. John’s members volunteer in worship and with our young people, help serve meals for our unhoused neighbors, and offer their spiritual gifts in music, leadership, and service. However, there are many St. John’s members who Live God’s Love in the World beyond Sacramento, serving in leadership positions within the greater Lutheran Church and with partner nonprofit organizations. This is one instrumental way St. John’s members are giving their time, talent, and treasure to benefit the greater Lutheran Church.

St. John’s member Ann Boynton serves on the Board of Regents at California Lutheran University, Vince Brown serves on the Board of Portico Benefit Services, Dave Cloninger serves on the Board of Saint John’s Program for Real Change, Kara Haug serves on the Board of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, and Lilly Kimmelshue serves on the Board of 1517 Media. Additionally, many St. John’s staff members serve the greater Church in various capacities; Pr. Frank Espegren serves on the Board of the ELCA Foundation, Pr. Amy Kienzle serves on the Board of Mt. Cross Ministries, Catherine Slabaugh serves on the Communications Team for the ELCA Youth Gathering and the Western States Youth Gathering, and Suzi Taylor serves on the Board of Lutheran Social Services of Northern California.

An important Lutheran education partner with longstanding relationships here at St. John’s, California Lutheran University (CLU) and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) help shape young adults and future church leaders for a changing world. Ann Boynton is entering her eighth year on the Board of Regents at CLU, previously serving as Secretary and now serving as Chair of the Board. The Board of Regents is responsible for the financial stability and strategic direction of the University.

As a CLU alumna, Ann believes that “serving as a Regent allows me to use the skills I developed through my professional life to support people… Living God’s Love in the World isn’t only through person to person contact, but can manifest in somewhat more abstract realms, such as governance…Education is a foundational element of Lutheranism: the strength and courage to inquire, to probe, to interrogate are in our theological DNA,” shares Boynton.

As a graduate school of CLU, PLTS is one of the seven seminaries in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), located just one hour from Sacramento. Kara Haug, PLTS graduate, currently serves on the Vision and Strategic Planning Committee of the PLTS Board.

“My time at PLTS was transformative for me, so I want to help it be a place that is transformative to the wider church,” writes Haug.

PLTS is courageously stepping into challenging times in the Church; with a dire need for diverse faith leaders, PLTS launched a Master of Arts in Spirituality and Social Change, “combining spiritual formation and theological education with the training required to effect social change,” and continues to host a thriving Center for Climate Justice and Faith. With PLTS now physically hosting the Sierra Pacific Synod Office of the Bishop, and a recent National Championship win from CLU’s women's soccer team, both Ann and Kara are inspired and enriched through their service to these educational partners.

As members of the ELCA, St. John’s remains close partners with affiliate organizations like Portico Benefit Services, 1517 Media, and Lutheran Social Services of Northern California.

Portico Benefit Services is called to provide retirement and health benefits to rostered ministers, lay employees, and their families in the ELCA, serving roughly 46,000 members. Vince Brown began serving as a Trustee on Portico’s Board in August of 2019 and has since served as Vice-Chair of the Board and Executive Committee, Vice-Chair of the Ad Hoc Executive Search Committee, member of the Finance, Investment, and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, and member of the Audit Committee.

“Serving on the Portico Board of Trustees provides me with the opportunity “give back” to the ELCA and St. John’s because of the health and retirement benefits to Pastors in the ELCA, including Pastors Frank, Amy and Jon. As a Trustee, I have a fiduciary responsibility to all the members receiving benefits, which is a significant faithful responsibility,” shares Brown.

In 2024, the Portico Board of Trustees will center efforts around disce rnment and selection of a new President and CEO of Portico, as well as continue working in close partnership with the new ELCA Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church.

Similarly, 1517 Media serves as an instrumental ELCA-affiliated organization, one that St. John’s works with directly every week. 1517 is the parent organization for three publishing units, Beaming Books, Broadleaf Books, and Fortress Press, and two beloved church resources, Augsburg Fortress and Sparkhouse. Lilly Kimmelshue began serving on the 1517 Media Board about six years ago, currently serving her second of three, three year terms. She currently serves as the Board Secretary, member of the Development Committee, and member of the Executive Committee.

“Being a part of this board connects me more intimately to the greater Lutheran community. Collaborating with like-minded individuals dedicated to upholding Lutheran principles, strengthens my sense of belonging and involvement within the wider Lutheran family. I get to bring my skills and perspectives to the table and learn from others, building a stronger bond around our collected commitment. With over 200 new titles published annually, these resources significantly amplify Christian voices and teachings for worship, faith formation, academics, and professional development. It’s just one of the ways I can live out God’s love in the world,” writes Kimmelshue.

1517 recently launched a new book series called Mouth House , “helping people of faith navigate and respond to critical societal issues together”. Inspired by Martin Luther’s words, “therefore the church is a mouth house, not a pen house,” 1517 has launched the first three books of this new series. These books center around the Minneapolis uprising following George Floyd, allyship with leaders of color in congregations, and honoring land acknowledgments in congregations, all of which can be found here .

Finally, St. John’s Parish Nurse Suzi Taylor serves on the Board of Lutheran Social Services (LSS) of Northern California , a Sierra Pacific Synod affiliated nonprofit who provides housing services from the Oregon-California border down to San Luis Obispo County. Suzi began serving on the LSS Board in 2019 and currently serves on the Executive Committee as the Secretary.

“Serving on the board of LSS has made me more aware of their philosophy and values that are rooted in a deep commitment to social justice. Promoting and supporting the mission and vision of LSS in providing supportive housing, employment counseling, job readiness training, money management, case management and other programs that ensure each person served receives the care and support they need to get their life back on track is one way I Live God's Love in the World ,” writes Suzi.

LSS launched two new housing programs at the end of 2023, an apartment complex in Vacaville for low-income seniors and veterans, and Mutual Housing on the Boulevard in Sacramento for formerly unhoused individuals and families. This month, LSS launched housing and supportive services for 30 students attending all three Shasta College campuses.

The St. John’s community greatly benefits from the service of our members to these local and national boards, entering into deeper community partnerships that ultimately benefit the entire ELCA. This act of service is just one way the people of St. John’s continue to Live God’s Love in the World each and every day.

Pastor Jon Haug Takes on New Role at St. John's

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 18:58:30 GMT

If there’s one element that remains consistent here at St. John’s, it is that the youth are essential to community and wonder, like everyone else, how their faith fits into their everyday lives.

Youth and Family Ministries at St. John’s has undergone quite the transition over the past four years. A shift from two full-time staff members focused on youth and family ministries, with additional part-time support through the nursery and directorial oversight from Pastor Jon Haug, to one sole Pastor in this role. There have been multiple factors that have led to these staffing changes including rising healthcare costs and inflation, a renewed commitment by leadership to pay staff equitably and at market rate, and the necessity to build a sustainable youth and family program for years to come (in the aftermath of changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing cultural pressures on our young families). A new season of Youth and Family Ministries at St. John’s is here!

The St. John’s Church Council has established a standing committee focused on Youth and Family Ministries to include lay leaders in planning, provide continuity in programming, and provide ongoing help to St. John’s in 2024 and beyond. St. John’s has formalized the lay leader role of Sunday School Superintendent. Beginning today, St. John’s is committing Pastor Jon Haug, a full-time Pastor and Director, to oversee Youth and Family Ministries. Pastor Jon’s new job title is Associate Pastor, Director of Youth and Family Ministries.

Here is a brief overview of Pastor Jon’s job responsibilities:

Honing in on families with children, ages newborn-18 years old, and their families
Serving as the strategic lead for Youth and Family Ministries
Partnering alongside lay volunteers serving Youth and Family Ministries, leading the strategy and people who serve

With these changes, there are elements of Pastor Jon’s previous job that have shifted. Many of these areas now fall under Pastor Frank Espegren’s directorate to ensure continuity in support and care to the lives of the congregation. These areas include:

Congregational Care and the Pastoral Care Coordinator
Strategic lead for Visitation and Grief ministry
Manager of St. John’s Parish Nurse, Suzi Taylor, RN

The Pastoral Office continues to be shared equally between Pastor Jon Haug, Pastor Frank Espegren, and Pastor Amy Kienzle. All three Pastors will continue to preach and preside the same amount and oversee specific directorate areas.

Pastor Jon has been living into this change following his return from sabbatical this fall and looks forward to integrating the robustness of families – including grandparents, parents, mentors, and children. Pastor Jon hopes to empower families to have spiritual lives every day of the week and find unique ways to build community and opportunities for faith formation both here at St. John’s and beyond.

If you have any questions about this new role, you can connect with Pastor Jon directly at jon.haug@stjohnslc.org or 916.444.0874.

2023 Santa Lucia

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 17:04:39 GMT

Meet the 2023 Santa Lucias

Santa Lucia Court

Piper Brostrom - Junior, St. Francis High School

Ella Haug - Freshman, McClatchy High School

Charlotte Krause - Sophomore, St. Francis High School

Bella Manley - Sophomore, St. Francis High School

Chloe Pop - Junior, Ponderosa High School

Nora Riddle - Sophomore, Mira Loma High School

Anika Ronning - Freshman, Da Vinci Charter Academy

Synod-wide Faith Formation for High School Youth

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 21:41:24 GMT

The Sierra Pacific Synod is home to around 180 worshiping communities who often share a common goal; accompanying young people in their faith formation as influential, empowered, and equipped members of the Church. Many churches facilitate these formation opportunities through Sunday School, youth group, and summer trips, but here at St. John’s, the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (SPSYC) serves as a pillar for youth to explore their faith through leadership development with other Sierra Pacific Synod youth.

SPSYC is a youth-led, adult-assisted committee of up to 27 high schoolers from throughout the Sierra Pacific Synod elected to serve and come together to host retreats for other youth every year. Members of SPSYC are intended to represent the diversity and vastness of this Synod, serving as voting members at the annual Synod Assembly and helping lead various synodical events.

For over 15 years, youth in grades 3 - 12 from St. John’s have attended weekend retreats led by SPSYC. As elementary and middle schoolers attend the retreats, they become inspired by the high school leaders and often run for a position on the committee. Dozens of high school youth from St. John’s have served on SPSYC since its inception, and five St. John’s youth currently serve on the committee. Mia Hill, Chloe Pop, Makayla Holemen, Bella Manley, and Maggie Oehmke are members of this year’s SPSYC team.

One of the first St. John’s high schoolers to join SPSYC was Christina Espegren. Christina served on SPSYC from 2007-2009, serving as President of the team in her final year.

“SPSYC was the most important community for my faith formation during my high school years - when you are teaching others you learn so much and take a closer look at your own understanding of faith and scripture. SPSYC was the first opportunity I had to explore leadership skills like group facilitation, retreat/event planning, and professional communication,” shared Christina.

Since Christina’s time on SPSYC, the committee has evolved and grown, with 15 current members from half a dozen different churches across the synod. The five St. John’s high schoolers who currently serve on SPSYC continue to be enriched by the leadership opportunities and freedom to explore their faith amongst peers that become close friends.

“SPSYC has helped me understand my own faith a lot more. I always knew that I believed in God, but wasn’t sure how it fit into my life. SPSYC has helped me to know that God is always with me no matter what, which has inspired me to help other youth feel this as well.” shares Makayla Holemen.

In addition to the opportunity to develop their faith, SPSYC provides an enriching and tight-knit community for high school students.

“My favorite memory from SPSYC is the retreats that we go on at Mt. Cross. They’re really fun and really help connect us as a community, since we’re all working together to give people the best time that we can and we’re all working toward a common goal. They really showcase the community and family that SPSYC forms within their members,” shares Maggie Oehmke.

“My favorite memory from SPSYC was the planning retreat we had in October; we all got super close during that time, hanging out and drinking lots of hot cocoa,” writes Mia Hill.

St. John’s continues to faithfully support the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee, and we encourage our elementary and middle school youth to attend the retreats the committee hosts. We strongly believe in the power of peer ministry and look forward to supporting the legacy of youth on SPSYC deeply rooted in the St. John’s community.

You can learn more about SPSYC here: http://www.spsyc.online/

Distinguishing Our Worship Services - The New 11:30am Service

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 16:39:10 GMT

Earlier this fall, the decision was made to transition back to the familiar 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. worship schedule, allowing for more time in-between services from 10:15 - 11:15 a.m. for faith formation and community-building opportunities.

Throughout the 2023 fall programming, we have welcomed new and returning faces to our in-person and online worship services. We continue to witness the presence of the Holy Spirit as we gather for worship to sing and proclaim God’s holy Word.

With Sunday morning worship at the center of our congregational life, we recognize the need to diversify and distinguish our Sunday morning worship opportunities and to clearly define the unique options both the 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. service have to offer.

Thus, beginning this Sunday, November 12th, the 11:30 a.m. worship service will live into a new way of gathering and worshiping.

In alignment with the values of the St. John’s worship experience, there continues to be significant and meaningful ways you can contribute. Volunteers may choose to serve as a member of the following ministries that foster and support the collective worship experience: The Order of St. John, Lectors, Greeters, Ushers, Altar Guild, singing or ringing in one of the choirs, or leading as a worship assistant. The “Kinder Raum” (children’s area) continues to be a perfect complement for families with young children and provides an engaging opportunity for younger worshipers to engage in faithful activities that meet their needs within the overall worship experience.

9:00 a.m. Embracing Tradition and God’s Grace

Early morning worship is a beautiful way to begin your Sunday connection with God and the faith community of St. John’s. The sanctuary, with its vaulted ceilings, towering pillars, and stained glass windows that depict significant moments in Christ’s life and the journey to the cross, all compliment and create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Our 9:00 a.m. worship service is rooted in historic liturgical practices and rituals, centered on the word, corporate prayer, sacred music, congregational singing, and choral offerings. The central musical “voice” for this service ascends from the choir loft through the various ranks and pipes in the Bedient Opus 80 pipe organ.

Musical offerings from the pipe organ include a variety of masterfully played classical and sacred preludes, postludes, and regal accompaniments that embellish the St. John’s choirs, handbells, and the “collective voice” of all those gathered. The singing of psalms is a treasured moment in worship, often led by cantors with sung responses from the worshiping body of God’s people.

Congregants are encouraged to outwardly express their gratitude and appreciation through their singing of hymns, psalms and the various liturgical acclamations throughout the various church seasons and holy days. St. John’s aspires to deepen one’s encounter with God and each other, thereby illuminating our souls, even if for only a moment, so that we may, more fully, Live God’s Love in the World.

11:30 a.m. Intimate and Engaging

St. John’s late morning worship is an opportunity for worshipers to engage in the essential rubrics of Lutheran liturgical worship. Additional rubrics and rituals will be implemented throughout the church year depending on the seasons and needs of our faith community.

The outline of the Late Morning Worship follows as such:

Preludes will signify the beginning of the gathering rite and often on the pipe organ.
The Gathering Rite will be shepherded by acolytes, worship assistants, cantors, musicians, and clergy.
Singing of Psalms will continue to be led by cantors and musicians, in tandem with the robust singing voice of the congregation.
The reading of the Holy Gospel will be proclaimed by lectors and conclude with a sung acclamation.
Sermons will be delivered from the lectern or at floor level and will embrace a more conversational nature.
Prayers of the People will often be accompanied by a sung invitation to prayer and sung prayer response.
The sacred community meal of Holy Communion will always be celebrated.
Communion Music will reflect the spiritual significance of receiving the body and blood of Christ and the thematic focus of any given Sunday or season.
A Sending Forth Benediction, spoken or sung, will send our gathered assembly on its way.
Sharing of the Peace is the final act of our worship together, emboldening us to Live God’s Love in the World.
A time of fellowship for all before departing the sanctuary.

The primary elements used in facilitating worship, such as the communion table, lectern, and seating of worship leaders themselves, will be brought closer in proximity to the congregation for the purpose of creating a more casual, intimate and formative worship experience.

This late morning worship service aspires to foster community and to evoke spirit filled conversations with new and returning faces, with a duration from 45 minutes to an hour, depending on baptisms or other rites.

You are encouraged to attend whichever worship service makes your heart sing!

St. John's Response to Violence in the Holy Land

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 16:04:52 GMT

As violence in the Holy Land progresses, the St. John's community holds our siblings in Israel and Palestine in deep prayer. We must and do join our Palestinian Christian siblings in condemning the violence Hamas initiated with its attack on innocent Israeli citizens. As a church in solidarity with the people of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), we also condemn the ongoing and prolonged Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian Territories that perpetuates violence and injustice on innocent Palestinians. Violence and vengeance is never the way to lasting peace and stability. For the sake of Israelis and Palestinians, we pray for God to bring an end to war and to open a way forward to justice and peace.

Rev. Amy Kienzle and members of this year's Holy Land trip will host a zoom Prayer Vigil this Wednesday and an Education Hour this Sunday, sharing stories and information to help us understand this ongoing conflict. We encourage all to engage in these important conversations.

We are grateful for the response from Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Elizabeth Eaton, the resources made available for congregations to support and learn more, and the partnership with Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) for immediate relief. You can find all of these resources below.

Rev. Amy Kienzle Pastoral Letter on Violence in the Holy Land

ELCA presiding bishop issues statement on Israel-Hamas war

Statement from Bishop Azar of the ELCJHL

Israel-Hamas War Resources from the ELCA

Lutheran Disaster Response in the Middle East

Giving: by Gregory Favre

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 20:21:59 GMT

Stewardship!

In early Greek writings the word stewardship meant management of one’s estate and it was directly connected to responsibility, to accountability, to caring for those who lived on the estate…all concepts that exist at the core of our ethics and values and commitment to serving and helping others.

Does that sound familiar? St. John’s was founded on those concepts so long ago, a humble beginning for a congregation that would many years later adopt as its core value the dedication to do God’s work with grace, in trust, by faith, through action.

Among the number of reasons Bea and I joined St. John’s more than 20 years ago was its members’ faithfulness to stewardship, as well as what the congregation was doing in the community. And how it was fulfilling its responsibilities to not only grow but to extend its benevolence each year. It’s no surprise that St. John’s is the number one contributor to the Synod.

Year after year, as followers and leaders in fund-raising campaigns, on the council and committees, and for memorial celebrations, we witnessed the congregation respond gracefully to the church’s needs repeatedly; in good times and not-so-good times.

Bea, who passed away almost four years ago, and I had deeply religious parents, Baptist on her side and Catholic on mine, who taught us about the joys of a generous spirit. They lived by the words in the book of good news: “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” And they responded in a sacrificial spirit and as cheerful givers. We always tried to be faithful to their teachings.

From the beginning, we knew St. John’s was more than just a church home. It is a place of purpose, a place of promise, a place that is inwardly strong and outwardly focused. In our sanctuary, grace, peace, tolerance, generosity, forgiveness, reconciliation, hope, energy, creativity, the gifts of God, and the bonds and causes that bring us together, can be found. And beyond our walls, staff and members are dedicated to bringing light to those who are living in the darkness of despair, at home and abroad.

The St. John’s we joined remains a center of care and compassion in the middle of Sacramento, a welcoming home where God’s love is lived in the world, where Jesus’ words are reflected in actions, and where there is a fire fueled by the Holy Spirit.

Generosity in Many Ways: by Rita & Brian Blomster

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 20:19:10 GMT

We first attended St. John’s beginning in 1990 and became members in 1992. Brian grew up in the Lutheran tradition, being confirmed at St. James Lutheran Church in Redding, and Rita became a Lutheran in the early 1980s. We attended a wedding at St. John’s in 1989, and were pretty much hooked on the place from then on.

Beyond worship, we have been active at St. John’s. Rita is a church Council member, works in the snack stop, is former co-leader of Sunday school, is a substitute Sunday school teacher now, organized multiple Summer Blasts, traveled to Mexico with church youth to build homes for two families, works at the annual Thanksgiving community meal, participated in this year’s Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly, helping choose a new bishop, cooked meals for Family Promise, and planned and executed two youth Christmas programs.

Brian was an usher for 15 years, served on the search committee that brought Pastor Jon Haug to St. John’s, served on the Trust Fund Committee, has been a lector for several years, served as cook on the Mexico home-building trip, served on the Family Promise committee, hosted a barbecue for some of our Family Promise guests, worked in the kitchen carving turkeys and performing other tasks for the Thanksgiving community meal for the last 15 years, and currently is a part of the Celebration Singers ensemble.

We believe that generosity is a gift not just to those to whom it is directed, but also to oneself. It fulfills one of Jesus’ teachings and fills the personal spirit. Generosity – of time, gifts, effort, money, friendship – brings us closer to our fellow humans and to God. Growing up, both of our parents provided examples of generosity through giving of their time and talents. We try to make it part of our everyday lives, in what we give and how we interact.

Relative to giving our time, we approach this decision through a realistic assessment of what we can do and accomplish. It always involves both of us in choosing, and most often is determined by the impact the contribution of our time can have, whether that’s handing out lunches to a hungry person or making time to help fill the sanctuary with song. Through this giving of our time, we aspire to share laughter, real connection and community, a sense that we’re all in the right place at the right time.

A Pastoral Letter on Violence in the Holy Land

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 23:20:42 GMT

Dear Members and Friends of St. John’s,

My heart is breaking over the eruption of violence between Hamas and Israel this past week. When I led 25 people from St. John’s on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in January, it was my fifth visit to a place I consider a “homeland.” Since my first trip with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 2005, I have been committed to advocating for a just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis. I have done this through networks like the ELCA’s Peace not Walls Campaign, Churches for Middle East Peace, Sabeel North America and the Southeast Michigan Synod, which is a companion to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).

Over the last 18 years I have watched the situation deteriorate even more, concerned about the loss of hope for any meaningful solutions. Many people I have talked to over the years throw up their hands, dismissing the possibility for peace. “They’ve been fighting for centuries,” they say, or something like that. However, this thinking ignores the foundations of the current situation, the makings of which are only about 100 years old and have deep roots in modern colonialism. It also ignores the role the United States has historically played in perpetuating an untenable and increasingly hopeless situation, when we should use our power and influence to bring Palestinian and Israeli leaders to the negotiating table.

In reality this is not a conflict between peoples – Israelis and Palestinians – nor is it a religious conflict between Muslims and Jews; this conflict involves political factions with ideologies that have moved ever more extreme, including those in the Israeli government. As an Ecumenical Accompanier with the World Council of Churches in 2011, I saw firsthand the destruction of the Palestinian fabric of life under the restrictive and abusive policies of the Israeli government. And, I have talked to Palestinians who recognize the corruption and ineffectiveness of their own leaders to shift the situation in any meaningful way.

We must and do join our Palestinian Christian siblings in condemning the violence Hamas initiated with its attack on innocent Israeli citizens. As a church in solidarity with the people of the ELCJHL, we also condemn the ongoing and prolonged Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian Territories that perpetuates violence and injustice on innocent Palestinians. Violence and vengeance is never the way to lasting peace and stability. For the sake of Israelis and Palestinians, we pray for God to bring an end to war and to open a way forward to justice and peace.

I have friends on both sides of the issue – Jewish friends for whom Israel’s existence as a sovereign nation is a core value and Palestinian friends who have hoped for more than 60 years for sovereignty of their own. There is still hope that both of these realities are possible. Please join me in praying for the people of the Holy Land, both Israelis and Palestinians, particularly those who have lost loved ones in this current spate of violence. Pray also for a way forward that leads to abundance of life for Palestinians and Israelis, side-by-side. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Next Wednesday, October 18 at 5:30 p.m. members of this year’s Holy Land trip and I will host a prayer vigil on zoom. Additionally, on Sunday, October 22 at 10:15 a.m., I will host a conversation to learn more about the situation in the Holy Land. I hope to see you at one of these gatherings as we continue to pray for justice and peace.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Amy Kienzle

You can learn more, including some advocacy actions by clicking the links below.

Statement from the churches in Jerusalem

Statement and Action Items from Churches for Middle East Peace

ELCJHL Statement

Resources from Peace Not Walls

Fall ‘23 Faith Formation for Children and Youth

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 22:21:47 GMT

Beginning Sunday, Oct. 1, the St. John’s Lutheran Church Children and Youth Ministry will launch the fall faith formation opportunities. St. John’s welcomes children and youth from ages 3-18 to gather on Sunday mornings from 10:15-11:15am for opportunities to grow in their faith, wrestle with questions, and explore scripture alongside their peers.

We invite all children and youth to join the faith formation opportunities shared below. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our fall faith formation, check out our website here or email Associate Pastor and Director of Congregational Life, Rev. Jon Haug jon.haug@stjohnslc.org .

Sunday School

This fall, Sunday School will gather Sunday mornings from Oct. 1 - Nov. 26, using elements of Godly Play to explore both the Old and New Testament.

Kim Hendricks, this year’s Sunday School Superintendent and teacher, will lead the Pre-K - 4th grade class this fall. In this class, Kim hopes that students will have fun learning about the Bible and develop a curiosity about their faith, and know that they are a vital part of the church family at St. John’s. Entering her 15th year in the Sunday School classroom here at St. John’s, Kim plans to implement Godly Play curriculum to illustrate stories from the Bible, with space for creative art projects and opportunities that cater to the diverse learning styles of all children.

Scott Mohler, also a longtime Sunday School teacher for the 5th and 6th grade class, will explore the books of Genesis and Exodus. Scott will walk with children as they read a short passage, struggle through pronouncing the unique names found in the Bible, and place themselves in the story, understanding the context and culture that may connect to our lives today. These two years of Sunday School with Scott are intended to prepare youth for the deeper questions and faith exploration that comes in middle school through Confirmation.

A new addition to this fall’s Sunday School is time for music! Eliseo Paniagua, Worship and Music Specialist, will lead music during the Sunday School hour, as students will learn to sing and play fun musical instruments.

Confirmation

Following a child’s time in Sunday School, our middle school youth enter the St. John’s Confirmation class. With over 100 years of rich history, Confirmation offers youth space to learn, discern, question, and have agency in the future of their faith life.

Our Confirmation Class will be led by our three Pastors, the Rev. Frank Espegren, the Rev. Amy Kienzle, and the Rev. Jon Haug. The Pastors will invite youth to think more deeply about their individual faith lives, beyond just what their parents brought them up in. What kind of spirituality might they develop? We do this through asking deep and meaningful questions related to a life of faith, and explore them together with their connection to scripture, tradition, and their own thoughts. We ask questions like, "Who wrote the Bible?", "Why should I follow Jesus; can't I just say I believe in him?", and "Why are there so many different Christian churches?"

In the Lutheran tradition, Confirmation serves as a “first act” of adulthood. Our Pastoral Staff is committed to teaching and learning from our youth, who Jesus himself said were more attuned to the Kingdom of Heaven than adults are. Youth will experience fun activities, deep questions, prayer, time with each of our pastors, and community building while in Confirmation this fall.

High School Youth Group

Our high school aged youth are invited to join young-adult Christina Espegren Sunday mornings at 10:15am for community-building and conversation. Having grown-up through St. John’s and with a wealth of youth ministry experience, Christina is looking forward to accompanying our high school aged youth on Sunday mornings.

The Order of St. John

An additional opportunity for our young people at St. John’s is serving in the Order of St. John, our acolyte program. The Order of St. John serves in both worship services every Sunday morning; they ring the bells, light the candles, lead processions, assist with communion, and many other tasks with the worship team each Sunday.

Led by lay leaders Rob Sawyer and Betsy Long, the Order of St. John is open to anyone ages 10-18, and is a long-standing, beloved tradition here at St. John’s. Youth serve on acolyte teams once a month and are an integral part of the worship leadership team. Both Rob and Betsy hold fond memories of their time as acolytes in their youth, and hope to accompany and mentor acolytes as they gain new perspective on the worship experience and liturgical seasons here at St. John’s. Joining the Order of St. John is a wonderful leadership opportunity that centers our young people in every worship service, as we continually strive to witness the diverse, unique body of Christ in all that we do.

All current and interested acolytes are invited to join this year’s Order of St. John Luncheon and Training, happening Sunday, October 1st from 12:45-4:00pm in Oehler Hall. This important training will begin with a pizza lunch, followed by training and conversation to prepare acolytes for the year ahead. To RSVP or for any question, please contact either Betsy Long ( betsy.c.long@gmail.com ) or Rob Sawyer (sawyer.rob @icloud.com).

St. John’s Students embark on their School Year at an ELCA University

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 18:56:26 GMT

Over the years, the St. John’s community has sent forth hundreds of young adults to countless colleges, universities, trade schools, military deployments, job opportunities, and much more. This year, five St. John’s young adults will attend an ELCA college or university.

The Vision for Lutheran higher education states that, “At ELCA colleges and universities, students will discover through education in body, mind, and spirit that they are called and empowered to serve the neighbor so that all may flourish.”

How are these St. John’s young adults discovering this call? Through a diverse array of classes and academic experiences, enriching spiritual opportunities with fellow Lutherans and people of diverse faiths, and connecting deeply with their new communities across the country.

Below, we hear from Lucy Lindgren and Noah Jansen of St. Olaf College, Kai Sorensen and Sara Atwood of Pacific Lutheran University, and Tyler Chi of California Lutheran University.

Lucy Lindgren is a rising junior at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, studying Psychology and German. Originally drawn to St. Olaf for the beautiful midwest seasons, strong psychology department, and robust musical offerings for students, Lucy spent her first two years in Northfield embracing these strengths of St. Olaf, and many more.

For Lucy, a typical day at St. Olaf begins with a walk through the fall-colored leaves, or inches of deep snow, depending on the season, to either Boe Chapel for a morning service or a classroom for an 8:00 a.m. lecture. After a morning of both Psychology and German classes, Lucy spends her afternoon enjoying lunch from Stav Hall, studying, and rehearsing with her Choral ensemble. She wraps up her day with club gatherings, more studying, and time with friends.

In the heart of the Midwest, St. Olaf’s Lutheran identity is palpable in every part of the academic and student life on campus. Lucy shares, “St. Olaf isn’t bashful about being Lutheran, and topics of faith are openly discussed in and out of the classroom. I appreciate that I don’t have to be apologetic for my faith when in a biology class, and can animatedly discuss academics while at church. I love the academic and spiritual breadth that each day has - it feels like every part of me is being fed.”

Photo courtesy of Pacific Lutheran University Athletics.

In a similar season-filled climate, Sara Atwood and Kai Sorensen both enter their sophomore years at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in Tacoma, Washington. Sara is double majoring in criminal justice and social work, with a minor in psychology, and is a member of the International Honors program. Kai is studying business, with an accounting concentration, is also a member of the International Honors program, and a student-athlete on the cross country and track teams.

As a double major and member of the honors program, Sara’s typical day at PLU involves diverse classes such as “work, labor, and capitalism” or “clinical psychology”, a shift working at the Center for Student Success office, intramural badminton games, time with friends, and of course, studying.

As a student-athlete, Kai’s day involves classes, practice and workouts, many trips to the dining haul to re-fuel, and time with friends. Kai was initially drawn to PLU for the perfect combination of strong academics and athletics, giving him the opportunity to earn an MBA in five years, be a part of the honors program, and compete as a college athlete. As a Pastor’s kid, the strong ties to the ELCA were an important addition to life at PLU.

“Everywhere I go, I try to live God's love in the world, and my college experience has been full of experiences where I got to do just that. The fellowship and connection that I've found on this campus is extensive, and getting to meet lots of other people with the same beliefs is such an amazing thing. I've been fortunate enough to work with the Tacoma chapter of Habitat for Humanity through PLU, and there are so many other volunteer opportunities that I have access to here because PLU truly values serving all of God's children,” Kai shares.

Similarly, Sara was drawn to PLU for the strong Lutheran connections that align closely with her values.

“My faith and spirituality is an important part of my identity, which means that at times it influences how I may move through my life. It was really important for me to choose a small university, where I could make connections with my professors, peers, faculty, and community. Small universities are often Christian, and it was important to me that my college would hold similar values to me. I would not have gone somewhere that didn’t believe in loving all of God’s children equally, or that did not want to do the work to ensure all of God’s children and creations were treated with equity, kindness, and respect,” writes Sara.

While these three are well into their college experience, the St. John’s community recently said farewell to two young men who will attend ELCA colleges this fall.

Tyler Chi will attend California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif., studying biology with a pre-med track. Cal Lutheran’s academic, scholarship, and extracurricular opportunities drew Tyler to attend, along with suggestions from friends and family. As he embarks this week, Tyler is looking forward to the Christian community and personable relationships that this small liberal arts college is sure to offer.

“I chose the school because the campus felt inviting and welcoming, just like how St. John’s feels. I am a generational Lutheran; my family has attended St. John’s for decades and it feels like home to us. Suggestions from my family, my peers, and the Espegren family, had assured me that Cal Lutheran was the right choice for me,” writes Chi.

When Tyler graduates from Cal Lutheran, he hopes to obtain “a better understanding of myself, my faith, the world around me, and how to “live God’s love in the world.”

Noah Jansen will join Lucy Lindgren at St. Olaf College this fall, with plans to pursue a degree in physics.

We wish not only these five, but all other young adults beginning the school year this fall, a spiritually enlightening, academically rigorous, and joyful school year!

2023 Fall Programming

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 20:23:44 GMT

2023 Fall Programming

This fall at St. John’s Lutheran Church, we will dive deeper into our vision of being called by Christ to be a courageous, grace-filled community, deeply rooted in Sacramento and living in changing times, seeing deeper connections and healing with one another and all our neighbors. Each month, we’ll focus on a key element of this vision, carried out through intergenerational events, creative worship opportunities, and faith formation for all ages.

Save a few of the important dates listed below, and we hope you’ll join this grace-filled community this fall!

September - “Deeply Rooted”

Throughout September, we will focus on intergenerational gatherings as we explore being deeply rooted in joy, community, service, and faith.

Summer Storytelling & Homecoming for Pr. Jon Haug

Sunday, September 3rd at 10:15am in Oehler Hall

Bring your joy-filled summer memories on Sunday, September 3rd for a summer storytelling gathering. We’ll welcome Rev. Jon Haug back from sabbatical, hear about his summer travels, and invite you to share about yours! We’ll create a slideshow of summer pictures from St. John’s members, so we encourage you to email catherine.slabaugh@stjohnslc.org your favorite summer memories to be included. Join us at 10:15am in Oehler Hall to share about your summer and hear what your St. John’s neighbors have been up to!

Community Pancake Breakfast

Sunday, September 10th at 10:15am in The Gathering Place

What better way to gather in community than with a Pancake Breakfast! On Sunday, September 10th we invite you to enjoy breakfast with your St. John’s community and learn more about faith formation opportunities this fall. Come hear from our Sunday School teachers, adult bible study leaders, and more.

Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly

September 15-17th in Burlingame, CA

The pastoral staff, along with lay voting delegates from St. John’s, will attend the Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly from September 15-17th in Burlingame, CA. The assembly will elect a new Bishop, so we invite your prayers during this time of deep discernment. Business Sessions of the assembly will be livestreamed via YouTube - link to come.

God’s Work Our Hands Sunday

Sunday, September 17th 9:00am Worship ONLY, 10:15am Service Projects

Join us on Sunday, September 17th for God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday! We will have one worship service at 9:00am, then gather for onsite and neighborhood service projects at 10:15am. Service projects will be accessible for people of all ages and abilities. Following the service projects, a light lunch will be offered. If you are able to volunteer for a service project on God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday, please register here . As part of the registration, you will be given the option of purchasing a yellow “Gods Work, Our Hands” sunday shirt to wear during the service day. You must register by Wednesday, August 30th to guarantee a shirt!

Blessing of the Animals

Saturday, September 23rd from 10:00-11:00am

In honoring St. Francis of Assisi, we invite you to bring your beloved pets for Blessing of the Animals! We’ll gather outdoors on Saturday, September 23rd at 10:00am for a blessing for our beloved pets. All cats, dogs, fish, birds, and other pets are welcome - we simply ask that they be contained on a leash or in an appropriate carrier.

“An Old Crow” - A Creation Drama

Sunday, September 24th at 10:15am in Oehler Hall

On Sunday, September 24th, two St. John’s members will perform an original creation drama titled, “An Old Crow”. This thought-provoking story will inspire fruitful conversation in-between our two worship services. Join us in Oehler Hall at 10:15am for the play, after which we’ll have large group conversations and age-specific debriefs.

October - “Courage in Changing Times”

In October, we will focus on age-specific faith formation, stewardship, and fall festivities as we reflect on our courage in these changing times.

Age-Specific Faith Formation - Sunday School, Confirmation, High School Gatherings, and Luminaria

Sundays, October 1-29th at 10:15am

Congregation Matters

Sunday, October 1st at 10:15am

Stewardship Discernment

October 1-22nd at 10:15am in Oehler Hall

“What shall we bring?” - Community Dinner

Tuesday, October 10th and Wednesday, October 11th in the Sanctuary

Trunk-or-Treat

Sunday, October 29th from 3:00-5:00pm

Reformation Sunday

Sunday, October 29th

Adult Bible Study & Portraiture of Saints

October 29-November 19th at 10:15am in Oehler Hall

A Letter from Rev. Amy Kienzle

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 21:49:43 GMT

Dear People of St. John’s,

As you may know, the Sierra Pacific Synod currently has an interim bishop, Claire Burkat, whose contract ends October 31, 2023. The synod will elect a new bishop at its assembly September 15-17, 2023. As part of the election process, the synod asked each conference to meet this past spring to identify people with gifts to serve as our next bishop. After individuals were named from each conference, they were given time to discern moving forward as a pre-nominee for bishop. My name was lifted up by the Capitol Valley Conference, and through deep discernment, I decided to move forward in the pre-nominee process for bishop. Thus, I will be one of the pre-nominees whose names and biographical information will be posted on the synod website August 1st.

Late last year in anticipation of the pre-nomination process, Pastor Frank asked me to consider letting him put my name forward at our conference gathering in June. I told him I would pray about it and let him know by early February. Truthfully, it has been something I have wondered about over the 16 years of my professional ministry, as other trusted colleagues have pointed out gifts in me that they would like to see in a bishop. So, I felt I had to consider this seriously. I began a time of prayer and discernment that is ongoing and has included talking to my partner Zayd, other trusted colleagues and friends, as well as current and former bishops. What I can say with some certainty is that I do feel called to be open to be a pre-nominee and engage in this process.

This means that when the list of names goes up on the synod website August 1, 2023, my name will be there. At the beginning of the assembly the list will come down from the website, so that we can have a true ecclesial ballot. There are up to five ballots over the three-day assembly. On the first ballot any ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament (pastor) of the ELCA may be nominated; not just those on the list of pre-nominees. On subsequent ballots, votes are cast from among the names on the previous ballot. The top seven candidates after the second ballot will have a chance to speak briefly before the third ballot. When the candidates are down to three, each will respond to questions and have more time to speak about their vision and priorities for the synod. A final ballot is cast on Sunday, September 17, after which one person will be the bishop-elect.

During this time of discernment and deliberation, I welcome your prayers for me, the other pre-nominees, and the synod as we move forward together. St. John's will have eight voting members in addition to our three pastors participating in the work of the assembly. Pray for them as well. They will have their own prayer and discernment to do over the election and the other business at hand in September.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Amy Kienzle

A few words from Senior Pastor, Rev. Frank Espegren:

For some time, I have witnessed Pastor Amy’s gracious leadership, innovative ministry ideas, and hope for the future of this church. I strongly encouraged her to discern putting her name forward as a pre-nominee candidate for bishop, and have supported her in this discernment for the last couple of months. I believe Pastor Amy is a gift to our church and to our synod, and look forward to walking alongside her in this bishop election process. I encourage your prayers and support for not only Pastor Amy, but for the entire Sierra Pacific Synod in these coming weeks.

If you'd like to learn more about the role of a bishop and the bishop election process, click here .

St. John's Scholarship & William and Donna Morgan Award Announcement

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 22:24:31 GMT

Every year, St. John's recognizes outstanding graduating high school seniors who all have one thing in common - exemplary commitment to the St. John's mission of living God's love in the world.

The St. John’s Scholarship program exists to assist qualified students, who are members of St. John’s, based on academic performance, church life, extracurricular activities, and financial need. The William and Donna Morgan Award honors long-time St. John’s members, who dedicated years to education in Sacramento and served as long time supporters of the Scholarship fund. This award is presented to two of St. John’s graduating high school seniors, based on community service at the individual’s commitment to living God’s love in the world.

This year, Teaghan Brostrom and Tyler Chi are the recipients of the $3,000 St. John’s Scholarship, and Noah Jansen and Teaghan Brostrom are the recipients of the William and Donna Morgan Award.

Teaghan Brostom is a graduate of St. Francis Catholic High School in Sacramento, CA and will be attending Syracuse University this fall, pursuing a double major in broadcast digital journalism and international relations. Especially over the last four years, Teaghan developed creative leadership skills, particularly as a Peer Minister and Assisting Minister here at St. John’s, as the President of the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (SPSYC), as a member of the ELCA Youth Core Leadership Team, and as a key leader for her school news show, Troubie TV. A combination of her academic excellence, involvement in diverse extracurriculars, and embodiment of the St. John’s mission, Teaghan will receive both the St. John’s Scholarship and the William and Donna Morgan Award.

Tyler Chi is a graduate of Laguna Creek High School in Elk Grove, CA and will be attending California Lutheran University this fall, pursuing pre-med with the intention of becoming a cardiologist. With deep values of serving others, Tyler has remained active in leadership roles both at St. John’s and with his school. Tyler served as an Arch Acolyte, training and raising up younger acolytes, helped serve Thanksgiving Meals to our unhoused neighbors, and has been a key member of Laguna Creek’s Green Energy Technology Academy (GETA) and the wrestling team. While balancing this, Tyler academically excelled and explored a diverse array of STEM classes to develop his passion for science. With the culmination of his work ethic, commitment to service, and hard work in the classroom, Tyler will receive the St. John’s Scholarship this year.

Noah Jansen is a graduate of Del Oro High School in Loomis, CA and will be attending St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN this fall, pursuing a degree in physics. Since seventh grade, Noah has remained an active leader here at St. John’s. Noah served as a Master Acolyte, Peer Minister and Assisting Minister, and served on the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee (SPSYC). Noah’s commitment to living God’s love in the world is expressed through his relationships with others, accompanying siblings in Christ both in church and out in the world. Noah was a member of both the football and tennis team in high school and shared an authentic sense of care and compassion with his teammates. Noah’s deep spiritual life expressed in all aspects of his life led him to be a recipient of the William and Donna Morgan Award.

A special thank you to this year’s scholarship recipients, other applicants, and to the committee members who faithfully discerned this year’s award recipients. May we all be inspired by these three young adults who courageously live God’s love in this world!

On Sunday, July 2nd, Noah Jansen was honored as a recipient of the William and Donna Morgan Award. On Sunday, July 30th, Tyler Chi will be honored as a recipient of the St. John’s Scholarship, and Teaghan Brostrom will be honored as a recipient of the William and Donna Morgan Award and the St. John’s Scholarship. Tyler and Teaghan will be honored at the 9:00am Worship Service on Sunday, July 30th.

2022 Annual Report

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 21:39:22 GMT

Please plan to attend St. John's Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, February 5th at 2:00pm in the sanctuary.

New Paragraph

st-johns-lutheran-churchd376e340

Welcome the the new Associate Director of Youth and Family Ministries - Jeremy Kaetzel

March 2026 Congregation Matters Meeting Recap

Job Posting: Associate Director for Youth and Family Ministries

A New Approach to Unhoused Guests on Sunday Mornings

Imposition of Ashes - Ash Wednesday

Annual Meeting Recap + New Council Officers Elected

The 2025 Santa Lucia: Bella Manley

Welcoming Bridge Organist Dan Nguyen

October '25 Update from the Call Committee

Introducing Bridge Pastor Paul Baglyos

A Letter from Organist Ryan Enright

The Retirement of Pastor Scot Sorensen

A Letter about St. John's Legacy Gifts

June Congregation Matters Meeting Recap

A Letter from Pastor Jon Haug

2025 St. John's Scholarship Recipients

May Congregation Matters Meeting Recap

April Update from the Call Committee

An Update ﻿from the Call Committee

Welcoming the New Director of Administration: Katherine Thorp

A Letter from Linda Baldwin, Andrew Ford, and Pastor Frank Espegren

The 2024 Santa Lucia

Job Posting: Director of Administration

Administrative Changes at St. John's

St. John's Catherine Slabaugh Volunteers with the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering Communications Team

Call Committee Appointment Announcement

Reinvesting in Outreach | Stewardship 2025

Reinvesting in Discipleship | 2025 Stewardship Campaign

What is Christian Nationalism? Adult Faith Formation Class

Class #1 - Sunday, September 22

Class #2 - Sunday, September 29

Introducing the New Associate Director of Volunteer Management

Announcing My Retirement - Pastor Frank Espegren

A Portal of Peace & Prayer

Staffing Updates from St. John's Lutheran Church

Job Posting: Youth & Young Adult Ministry Leader

Job Posting: Nursery Attendant

Job Posting: Associate Director of Volunteer Management

St. John's at the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering

2024 St. John's Scholarship & William and Donna Morgan Award Announcement

St. John’s Confirmation: 1955 vs. 2024

Rev. Amy Kienzle Accepts New Call with the Sierra Pacific Synod

Special Congregational Meeting Canceled

Holy Closure and Thanksgiving for Stephen Ministry at St. John's

St. John's Congregation Council calls a Special Congregational Meeting

Lutherans & Lunar New Year

Living God’s Love in the World as ELCA Organization Board Members

Pastor Jon Haug Takes on New Role at St. John's

2023 Santa Lucia

Meet the 2023 Santa Lucias

Santa Lucia Court

Synod-wide Faith Formation for High School Youth

Distinguishing Our Worship Services - The New 11:30am Service

St. John's Response to Violence in the Holy Land

Giving: by Gregory Favre

Generosity in Many Ways: by Rita & Brian Blomster

A Pastoral Letter on Violence in the Holy Land

Fall ‘23 Faith Formation for Children and Youth

Sunday School

Confirmation

High School Youth Group

The Order of St. John

St. John’s Students embark on their School Year at an ELCA University

2023 Fall Programming

2023 Fall Programming

September - “Deeply Rooted”

October - “Courage in Changing Times”

A Letter from Rev. Amy Kienzle

St. John's Scholarship & William and Donna Morgan Award Announcement

2022 Annual Report

Please plan to attend St. John's Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, February 5th at 2:00pm in the sanctuary.

An Update from the Call Committee