Wine and the Word: St. John's Napa Celebrates Its First Annual Event

It was years in the making though delayed by a pandemic and postponed by the busy rhythms of congregational life, but this spring, St. John's, Napa finally uncorked a vision that had been waiting patiently for its moment.

The inaugural "Wine and the Word" event brought together church members and guests for a time of spiritual reflection, community building, and pure fun. For a congregation rooted in the heart of wine country, the gathering felt long overdue. 

"We just felt that being in the Napa Valley, we really should do something that focused on our wine country identity," Pastor Mike Schmid said.

Vineyards and wine appear throughout Scripture as images of discipleship, abundance, and warnings of judgment, and the hope was that engaging those themes in the surrounding landscape would deepen participants' faith. Church leaders also envision the event growing into an outreach opportunity; the kind of evening that's easy to invite a friend or neighbor in the wine community to attend.

The evening featured winemaker Andy Schweiger of Schweiger Vineyards, who delivered an entertaining talk on wine-making in ancient Israel, followed by Pastor Schmid's overview of how Scripture presents and talks about wine. 

Plans for next year are already underway. Pastor Schmid opened the evening by declaring it "The 1st Annual Wine and the Word Event" — a signal that this event is poised to grow and expand its reach in the coming years.