In the early 1980’s, Kim and Joan Perez were looking for a Christian school for their three children. Although this Christian family was not Lutheran, they ended up at St. John's Lutheran School Napa, CA because of its reputation in the community. Joan and Kim soon started volunteering at the school. Joan became a room mom, helping with Vacation Bible School, and other volunteering opportunities. After a while, she started working at the school as an aide then a preschool teacher. As her children all went to the school from 3 year-old preschool through 8th grade, her husband Kim became involved in coaching at all grade levels for St. John’s as well as using his skills as an electrician to pitch in on various programs at the school. Eventually, all three of their children graduated from St. John’s and moved on.
However, they eventually came back as adults. First, their daughter Joy started working as a coach, an aide, and then a teacher in the preschool. Then, son Ben started to help out coaching basketball. Daughter Noel has coached, run the school pizza hot lunch program, and as a cosmetologist, has become the official Lice checker for the school. When all three Perez children started having children of their own, it was clear to them that they would attend St. John’s. Currently, all six Perez grandchildren attend St. John’s in Grade 1 through Grade 8. And finally, daughter Joy was just installed as the new Preschool Director of the school.
The Perez family is a great example of how not only a Lutheran school impacts the lives of community families, but also how these families then become an incredible blessing to the ministry and success of the school. This is just one of hundreds or maybe thousands of examples of how CNH schools contribute to mission and ministry in California, Nevada, and Hawaii!
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