Care Ministries Changes

Brenda Lytle, RN
Director of Care Ministries

Dear Friends,

I have been in my position at Ascension as the Director of Care Ministries for almost 10 years. The time has come for retirement. I have been a nurse for 40 years and it has always been my passion to work with and help people.

When I look at retirement, I am comforted with knowing that I could look back with satisfaction. I am proud of the ministries I was a part of here at Ascension, but more importantly, I embrace the relationships that I had with so many people in our church family. I would like to thank all of the Care Ministry leaders for their work and support over so many years! I would not have been able to do my job without all of the people that help “behind the scenes” in ministry. I have always given 100% of myself and I will look to my future with eagerness and continue to live each moment to the fullest!

Living in the Love of Jesus

While I was on vacation last month and then had my time away extended because of an unwelcome covid quarantine, I had lots of time to reflect on the amazing life that has and continues to take place at Ascension.

To be alive is to live the love of Jesus! Love is the heartbeat that pumps life throughout the church. A church that isn’t loving isn’t alive. People of God, we are alive! We are living the love of Jesus! And over the nine years that I have served with you in God’s mission at Ascension, I have seen the love of Jesus alive in you. 

As you faithfully pray for those in your lives and in the world who need love in their life. As you gather to be filled with Jesus’ love through the gift of his body and blood and grow through learning and serving opportunities. As you have named your fears and honored your hopes for your life, for Ascension, and for the world. As you have welcomed new people to our faith family and continue to care for each other in love. And as you have gathered donations and generously contributed to give away the love of Jesus to others. 

It is evident that we are alive and filled with the love of Jesus not only for those within our family of faith but those outside of it. Ascension is alive! There is excitement and positive energy about how much we have grown coming out of the pandemic along with all the possibilities the future holds as we continue living in the love of Jesus!

I would like to take a moment to say thank you for your faithfulness, for the ways you live in love, for the ways you support the ministries of Ascension that spread this love to those who are most in need of receiving it. We would not be alive without each other nor without the love of God flowing in us and through us. So let us continue to focus on the ways that we are alive, that we live the love, that God is at work in and through us. And let us recommit ourselves to each other and to God to remain invested in living in love. 

Part of that investment involves us showing up to receive what we need for life – to be fed and nourished by God in worship and fellowship so that God’s love can flow into us. Part of that investment involves us giving what God has first given us – sharing our gifts and abilities in the life of the congregation and supporting the ministries through financial gifts that not only give life to Ascension but in combination with the gifts of other churches give life to the whole world. Part of that investment involves us making time to grow in faith – to learn more about who God is, who we are as God’s beloved people, and how God wants us to share that love with others; through discipleship and outreach opportunities. 

To be alive is to live the love of Jesus! So show up to receive, give what God has given you, grow in faith, and live God’s love today and always.

~ Pastor Tony

Love Your Church, Love Your World

In the month of February, Ascension celebrates Love Your Church/Love Your World. Each year we spend time spreading the love of God inside and outside the walls of Ascension.

Always and in all ways, we want to say thank you for the tending of our shared ministry through your financial support. In February, we also invite members and friends to support the ministries of our community by providing donations of items to offset the needs of budgeted ministry. We invite you to choose a heart from the windows of the narthex/lobby to purchase items.

Love Your Church

This year, we’re asking for donations to offset the cost of the kitchen remodeling project. Consider making a donations to partially pay for one of the big ticket items below. We’re also asking for donations of office and other supplies.

Kitchen Appliances
Double wall oven – $2,700
Double oven with range – $1,800
Fire suppression hood – $8,900
Commercial refrigerator – $3,800
Triple-bay sink – $1,400

Supplies
Napkins, paper towels, paper plates (sm & lg)
Ziplock bags (gallon & sandwich)
Press ‘n’ Seal wrap
Clorox wipes
Windex

Office Supplies
Paper (8 ½ x 11)
Legal pads (reg. & mini)
Stamps
Plain envelopes, variety of sizes

Love Your World

El Salvador Baking Project
Spoons – $4
Sugar – $7
Spatula – $10
Flour – $10
Oil – $11
Bowls – $25
Scale – $100
Bakery cart – $200
Commercial mixer – $700

El Salvador Agroferreteria
Rope – $3
PVC pipe – $5
Hammer – $8
Shovel – $10
Livestock vaccine – $12
Gallon of paint – $15
Livestock vitamins – $20
Chicken feed – $25
Cow feed – $30
Wheelbarrow – $35
Aluminum pipes – $50
Stepladder – $100

Donate Online Today

How Is Your Epiphany Going?

The Magi have gone home. The Christmas decorations are all put away…well most of them. Our Nativity is still celebrating the birth of the newborn king, the visit of the shepherds, the gifts of the Wise men, and the humble beginnings of our Savior. During the season of Advent into Christmas, we often rearrange our living room and dining room to allow more space for the Christmas tree. When the tree disappears, the furniture often rearranges. Such is life.

It is no different here at Ascension. We have been on a journey of discovery over the past twelve months. How much can we do, exactly, without a functioning kitchen and the loss of two bathrooms? Well, the answer is ALMOST ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. We have provided for the receptions for several celebrations of life. We have journeyed through Lent while gathering at long tables in the narthex/lobby for soup suppers. We have pushed countless people down the hall to the functioning bathrooms even through the great day of Easter with more than 700 in worship. More platters, bowls, pitchers, and coffee pots have been washed in the kitchenette in the Youth Room and the sink in the sacristy than anyone ever expected. What joy to do all those things with smiles on our faces most of the time. What joy to know we are so close to the end of this chapter of remodeling.

We have countertops ordered for the kitchen with early February as the target date for installation which allows the electrician to return to finish and then the painter returns to finish and then the city inspects and then…well, one can dream. We are so close to completion, and we are indebted to so many to bring these projects to a close and to countless more who have dragged dishes back and forth from the storage room/prayer room/meeting room/ new office space to West Hall and East Hall and back again. We also have several members who have monitored costs and adjusted plans and worked together with contractors and plumbers and painters and installers and appliance companies and HVAC companies. When someone said, “It takes a village.” It truly does. In our case: a community to craft the story to move us to completion.

All that being said, I would also offer that for the month of February we are celebrating “Love Your Church, Love Your World” once again. It continues to be a blessing to offer opportunities for members and friends to tend items that support the ministry of our church while at the same time looking out beyond our walls to support ministry on a local, national, and global scale. The generosity of this community never ceases to amaze me as I am often surprised as many of you say yes again and again to sharing the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

This year, “Love Your Church, Love Your World” will focus on the necessities of day-to-day church ministry, tending the continued work of completing the kitchen, and the continued expansion of ministry through our sister churches in San Jorge and Usulután, El Salvador. The sanctuary windows will once again be filled with hearts to offer you opportunity to share in the work of ministry to the glory of God.

As we enter February, you are invited to join me in providing financial offset to the needs of our kitchen remodel. Certainly, there are those among us who can afford to purchase one of these appliances outright. Lord knows, I am not one of them. BUT, I can afford a portion. I wonder if you would consider a gift of a portion of an appliance. Below is a list of the new appliances for the kitchen and their cost.

  • Double Wall Oven – $2,700
  • Double Oven with Range – $1,800
  • Fire Suppression Hood – $8,900
  • Commercial Refrigerator – $3,800
  • Triple Bay Sink – $1,400
  • Coffee Machine – $1,600 (This has been purchased already – Praise the Lord!)
  • Chest Freezer – $600 (This has been purchased already.)

For our sister churches in El Salvador, we continue to work towards sustainability. Our continued support of the two hardware stores is essential to the partial funding of our sister church in Usulután where Pastor Julio leads the congregation of El Buen Pastor (Good Shepherd Lutheran Church). In San Jorge, we work with Pastora Blanca and the congregation of El Milagro de Dios (Miracle of God Lutheran Church) to support the education of young people and provide the community in San Jorge with a place of safety and strength in the ongoing work of the church among the residents of San Jorge. It is always a moment of amazement to be reminded that most households live on a monthly income of far less than $150. Imagine?! We are excited to begin to plan to send a delegation of Ascension members to El Salvador in 2024.

The windows will be filled with hearts. How will your heart be filled with joy in the month of February? I invite you to join me in tending the ministry and mission of God in the world through “Love Your Church, Love Your World” and everything else that will come as we listen to the call of our Lord Jesus and do our best to follow.

See you in church.
Pastor Chris

Merry Christmas! Welcome 2023!

What a year we had in 2022. Ascension has continued to thrive in telling the story of the love of Jesus and I am grateful for your faithfulness and for your dedication to our God and this community of faith.

We continue to lift the importance of children in our midst. The joy of multi-generational gathering in worship and ministry. We are also celebrating the journey of living in this “holy experiment” of one congregation worshipping in two languages. Our Advent Concert Worship and Children’s Christmas Program Worship were two examples of hearing voices raised in praise of our God in both English and Spanish. One of the highlights of the last part of 2022 was the number of visitors we saw joining our community in worship and at other events. Journey to Bethlehem and Las Posadas offered wonderful opportunities to welcome new faces into our midst to experience the joy of sharing in the excitement of this community of faith.

As we enter the season of Epiphany, we find ourselves reveling in the light of Christ. Where the star of Bethlehem was leading us toward the manger in the season of Advent, the light of Epiphany surrounds us and invites us to live in the light. What joy to gather in these weeks of Epiphany to hear the stories of the life of Jesus and to reflect on how we learn from Jesus how to live and love.

How we live and love is our reflection of God’s light in our lives. I am grateful to be among so many who live out God’s love by inviting, welcoming, and tending those around you. I am humbled to continue to serve God and Ascension as one of your pastors. What joy to hear you tell the stories of introduction and welcome, moments of hospitality and excitement meeting someone new. Dear friends, we should always be ready to tell the story of God’s love, our faith, and the journey God continues to bless. Revel in the light, people of God, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

We expect to welcome new members to our community on Palm Sunday in early April. If you know someone who is considering looking for a church or is ready to join our community, please let Pastor Tony or me know. We are happy to reach out to connect and answer questions.

Blessings to you in these new days of Christmas on our way to Epiphany.

See you in church.

Pastor Chris

Love God & Love Your Neighbor

Happy New Year! Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what’s next? Well, one of the irritating things about a new year is this business of new year resolutions. For many people it’s typical to step into the new year by setting new goals and aspirations. It’s something that tends to require a reordering of priorities and usually involves writing goals down on paper or creating cell phone reminders or encouraging notes on our computer home screen and then aligning our daily habits to those goals. We all make them – or at least feel like we should make them. But like new Christmas toys, too often they soon end up broken and tossed aside.

I think it’s safe to say if we gathered a list of resolutions from Ascension members we’d no doubt see goals ranging from the ever-popular losing weight, to sticking with an exercise program, to developing a more regular prayer life to being more kind, to being a better spouse, parent, sibling, or friend. All things that are intended to improve our lives.

Recently when I led a study on the Book of Joy, I asked group members, “What brings you the most joy?” Their consensus answer was “relationships and connections with others.” If this is indeed true, and I believe it is, then as we look ahead to this new year, I wonder if we might move relationships to the forefront of our minds as we ponder setting our new year resolutions. First in our relationship with God, and then in our relationships with others. Because if I remember scripture correctly this sounds familiar to something Jesus said – love God and love your neighbors.

As we step into this new year I wonder if each of us would consider these words every time we encounter the clerk at the post office, the receptionist at the doctor’s office, the people who clean your office building, and pick up your trash and recycling. The cashier, bagger, or stock person where you buy groceries, or the people who deliver your packages along with every other person in this world regardless of their race, religion, political affiliation, financial status, language spoken, skin color, country of origin or anything else and remember all of them are God’s children and deserving of love, welcome, acceptance, respect, and compassion.

With this in mind, I pray that your resolutions and mine will all lead toward the peace and joy on earth that we celebrate in the birth of Jesus at Christmas. May the joy of Christ be with you always throughout this new year and beyond.

Pastor Tony

Looking Back, Looking Forward

I find myself struggling with trying to decide what to write about this month. Do I write about the exciting aspects of ministry this past December? We had our first early morning celebration of the annunciation. And when I say early morning, I mean 5:30 am worship on a Monday morning. And not just any Monday morning, but the Monday after the Advent concert when nearly all of our families had already been at church both Saturday night and all morning Sunday. We were unsure what to expect, but we had a full sanctuary, including several visitors. We enjoyed worship led by mariachi musicians who sang the traditional songs of the Festival of Guadalupe and shared breakfast together at the end of worship.

Las Posadas

Or what about Las Posadas? It was our fourth year hosting this living advent devotion and celebration and it was bigger and better than ever, even in the cold. We were excited this year to open the children’s pageant to all of Ascension’s children, so we were led by a multicultural parade of Bible characters, sheep, donkeys, and cows. We needed two piñatas for all of the fun! It was a fun night of fellowship between native English speakers and native Spanish speakers, Ascension members and many visitors.

Personally, I finished my seventh semester of seminary and was approved for ordination. There is so much I could write about what it is like to be this close to the end of school!

Perhaps it would be better for me to write a more forward looking article on all of the exciting things to come. On January 3, I will be leaving for sixteen days for a seminary course in Israel. For reasons that I don’t understand, according to seminary I have not had any cross-cultural experiences. While I feel like the work I have been doing as a Salvadoran immigrant in a US seminary should have counted as my cross-cultural experience, I won’t complain too much if it means I “must” go to Israel with experts on the area. I am both excited and nervous about this opportunity.

Maybe this is an opportunity to tell you about our next Holy Day we will be observing.

Los Reyes Magos

The Three Kings will be arriving at Ascension on Sunday, January 8 at 10:45 am. We will welcome them with a potluck lunch after worship. Special music guests, Puerto Rican Band Cache MKE will provide music for worship and lunch.

In several Spanish speaking countries, this is the day children receive their gifts, just like baby Jesus did. The Magi are the ones that bring presents, not Santa. In keeping with the tradition of exchanging gifts on Three Kings Day, there will be a $5 secret Santa gift exchange at lunch. You are invited to bring a gift that matches your category (Girl, Boy, Man, Woman) and participate.

Lunch will include a traditional rosca. If you’ve never eaten a rosca before, it includes a surprising ingredient, plastic baby Jesus. Find out what it means to receive the Baby Jesus in your rosca!

There is so much to celebrate here at Ascension, whether we are celebrating what just happened or looking forward to what is on its way. May you find the moments in your own life to enjoy the memories of the good times of the year that has just ended, or happiness in looking forward to what is to come.

Edwin Aparicio, Pastoral Intern

Walk With Ascension Into 2023

Care Ministries

Happy New Year to all of our Ascension friends! We begin our year with celebration as the New Year marks the beginning of a fresh start for many. A new beginning! As a new year begins, we have new wishes and promises for a brighter future as we say farewell to the past year. I continually want to challenge myself to view the year through a lens of love instead of one of criticism. I stand firmly in my belief in the gift of being kind to ourselves and everybody around us. I think it is so important that we allow ourselves to be wrong, embrace our failures and our imperfections and feel good enough to accept our thoughts, souls and spirits. I believe love within ourselves is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. We should believe in practicing life with compassion, courage and with empathy towards others. We cannot really love and spread love around the world if we don’t first feel good about who we are. My New Year’s resolution some years ago was to start accepting myself truly and find peace in being me. A calmness that wouldn’t overthrow me every time I was struck by a feeling of inadequacy. I was tired of chasing after things that I could not achieve and that were not genuine. It was time for me to fully embrace myself, to treasure the gift of life. Time to show gratitude towards my loved ones just the way they are.

As Christians, it can be hard to find peace in a world filled with so many things to worry about. As humans, our brains are primed to pay attention to our environment. Our minds are constantly scanning to help keep us alive and identify opportunities to make our lives more pleasurable. It is why we are more likely to keep an eye on the oven than our Bible. The sights, sounds, and smells of this physical world just feel more real and tangible than our spiritual world.
 
One possible way to counter this is to focus on praying, reading the Bible, and attending church which can bolster our spiritual focus. However, many struggle to commit these practices to habit. Perhaps just thinking about God, himself, can help shift our focus away from the worries of this physical world to our more enduring spiritual one. What’s more comforting than knowing how our Savior will someday return to welcome us into his arms? Spending just a few moments thinking about God, who he is and what he means to us, can help ease anxiety, alleviate worry, and bring some peace of mind. 

“The Lord gives strength to his people, and the Lord blesses his people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11)

Brenda Lytle, RN, Director of Care Ministries

Pathway to Mental Wellness Event

After a successful first Pathway to Mental Wellness Event, “The Pathway to Peace” in October, we are ready to offer our second event at the end of January on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 12 p.m., “The Pathway to Understanding.” We will gather for a potluck lunch and then hear a presentation from the National Alliance for Mental Illness. The presentation will offer a personal perspective of mental health conditions. The presentation will provide an opportunity to hear open and honest perspectives on a highly misunderstood topic. A chance to ask questions of presenters and information on how to learn more about mental health and get involved with the mental health community.

AMEN No Regrets 2023

No Regrets 2023

Ascension Men — Coming Again to Ascension!

Saturday, Feb. 4, 8am to 1:30pm. Register to watch with us at Ascension, online https://tinyurl.com/AMEN2023 or with this QR code. Password is AMEN.

GriefShare Ministry

We plan to begin another session of Grief Share this winter beginning in February. The details will be announced soon.

Pastoral Assistance and Cancer Care

If you or a family member is hospitalized and would like a visit from a pastor or pastoral assistants, please call the church office at 262-547-8518. Ascension’s Cancer Care Ministry continues to open arms to those in need, helping members of our congregation. If you know of a congregational member or family that could use some assistance walking their cancer journey, please contact, Brenda Lytle at brenda@ascensionelca.org

Young at Heart (55+)

If you are interested in fun outings and fellowship, join us at a Young at Heart Ministry gathering. They meet on the third Wednesday of each month for a potluck lunch and to play cards and games. Come and have fun!

Serve With Ascension in 2023

Serve Wing & Mission Outreach

Why do we still refer to this wing in both ways? We do that because it is impossible to separate mission outreach from service. Many people think of mission as only global mission. While this is an integral part of what we do, we can’t forget that serving those within our own community is equally important. Our wing’s ministry leaders have committed 2023 to be a year of helping the members of Ascension to see that they all have a calling to serve through love. Through this service, we will live out the command Jesus gave and will bring others to know Jesus as their Savior. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35)

There was an old praise song that still motivates me to service:

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

How can you serve? Watch the newsletter and weekly announcements about simple ways to serve our community partners either by yourself, your family or a small group.

How do you know what is the best way to serve? What are your skills? What are your interests? What is something that you feel drawn to? Take a bold step and try something out to see if you have found a way to serve. If that doesn’t feel comfortable after a few tries, try another calling. God will guide you to the right thing. Please contact Shirley Wehmeier,  shwehmeier@gmail.com, if you or your small group would like to know the upcoming needs. Don’t belong to a small group? It doesn’t have to be a formal group. Gather a group of friends to live out the command to love one another so everyone will know you are His disciples.

Hope Center

We have had a wonderful response to the requests for specific donations for Hope Center. We have collected a large amount of baby needs for the virtual baby shower and the TGIT small group made their own delivery after collecting needed items. This group also serves a meal at Hope Center when needed. Amen ministry responded to the need for long underwear as we move into the winter season. They had a social event and collected the underwear as their winter service project. Service can be fun! Amen also regularly serves a meal at Hope Center. Both the baby items and winter clothes donations will be ongoing as is the need for serving meals.

Christmas Light Recycling

As you taking down your decorations, do you have a set of Christmas lights that don’t work? Are you ready to toss out a few old sets you’re not using? Most electronic products like Christmas lights are not bio-degradable and will not decompose into the earth’s soil after being tossed away and will leach harmful chemicals into the soil. If you want to keep your lights from going to a landfill and do your part to look after God’s creation, recycling your lights is a great way to do it! Place them in the marked bin in the Donation Center and we will properly dispose of them.

Hawthorne School Partnership

We will again be collecting new or very gently used coats, boots, hats and waterproof mittens for Hawthorne School. Outdoor play is encouraged unless it is super cold and many children do not have the proper outdoor clothing. Place donations in the Donation Center.

Habitat for Humanity: Ascension Build Day

Ascension Build Day with Habitat is Wednesday, Jan. 25. We will need a maximum of five volunteers. Volunteers must be at least 18-years-old and willing to complete an online waiver. This is our first build day in five years so we are excited to get back to serving our community in this important mission. They will know we are Christians by our love. Contact Nick Wagner to volunteer, nwagner703@yahoo.com.

Tutoring

After a break during December, tutoring will resume on January 8. We are hoping to have more of a one-on-one approach when possible. We work with preschoolers through adults. We work with young children to be school ready and school age children to assist in homework /classroom needs and to improve spoken and written skills. Our tutors are great at making these fun experiences. We work with adults who are English Language learners and need specific help in learning both spoken and written English. We also assist in preparation for the written drivers’ test and for the citizenship test. Please contact Shirley at shwehmeier@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with students or if you know of someone who may benefit from this program.

Blessing Box

Thank you to all of you who have been helping us keep the Blessing Box filled. As we have more very cold days, please be aware of putting things in the box that might freeze and containers break. We have people checking the box several times a week so that we can monitor that food is fresh and safe. On very cold days, dry products such as cereal, snacks, most canned goods are a good choice. Plastic or glass may break. Fresh produce or bakery will freeze quickly. We also see a little reduction in use when it is very cold so please keep an eye on the weather. If you come to church and you notice items on the ground, please bring them into church or notify the office so one of the leaders can come to take care of the items. We do not want things frozen to the ground this time of the year.

Advent & Christmas 2022

Las Posadas Dec. 17

Las Posadas remembers the journey of the holy family through the streets of Bethlehem where they were turned away again and again until an innkeeper took pity on their plight. This event hosted by our Spanish speaking members continues to grow year after year. Incredible food, a mariachi band, and a piñata round out the night. It is a glorious gathering of the community of Ascension. It begins at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17, with hot cocoa and coffee. Children of all ages are welcome to be in costume. This year’s event will have a special offering for the Waukesha Parade Memorial. Mark your calendars.

“Come & Adore Him!” Children’s Christmas Program Dec. 18

The BLAST Sunday School children will share the story of Jesus’ birth in worship Sunday, Dec. 18, at the 10:45 a.m. service. Dress rehearsal for BLAST children is Saturday, Dec. 17, 9-11 a.m. Our 8:30 a.m. worship will be our regular 4th Sunday of Advent Worship.

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Dec. 24 & 25 

Christmas Eve Worship on Saturday, Dec. 24, will be at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m. (Spanish) and 9 p.m. Candle-lighting, communion, and glorious music will be shared at all the services. If you can help with acolyting, ushering or communion – please contact he church office. Christmas Day worship will be Sunday at 10 a.m.