Celebrating 75 Years

On September 14, 1949, a brave gathering of 24 people hungry to hear the Word of God and to offer their worship and praise to our God gathered for the first time for what would become the community of Ascension Lutheran Church. Ascension’s first sanctuary was built by its first pastor, the Rev. Lee Egloff. The entire sanctuary measured a cozy but adequate 960 square feet. Seventeen years later, in 1966, ground was broken on a 7.5-acre parcel of land, which would become our current location, with a new sanctuary, fellowship hall, and offices built to house a flourishing community of faith.

In the summer of 1976, Pastor Frank Janzow accepted the call to serve at Ascension. In 1979, the Hearth Room, admin hallway, and additional offices/classrooms were added to the building. 1982 brought the arrival of Pastor Jim Bickel to join Pastor Frank in the ministry leadership of the congregation. The need for a larger sanctuary and lobby space brought the addition of a new sanctuary in 1993. As Ascension’s ministries continued to grow, an education wing was proposed and supported by the congregation. In 2007, the congregation opened the doors to a two-story building capable of handling children and adult education, small group and bible study ministries, and a preschool.

In 2010, Pastor Chris Marien arrived with Pastor Frank announcing, “The Mariens are coming, the Mariens are coming!” Just not the “Marines” some might have thought. In the early spring of 2020, the Covid pandemic saw the shut-down of the church campus while we worshiped and gathered virtually as the world came to terms with a global pandemic. Pastor Tony Acompanado accepted the call to join the ministry alongside Pastor Chris in August of 2020. In March 2021, life returned to the church campus, with praise and worship being shared by all in the sanctuary once again. In the summer of 2023, Pastor Edwin Aparicio was called to Ascension and joined the clergy leadership with responsibility for our Spanish language ministry and high-school youth ministry. We have come a long way since 1949.

Now, in 2024, we are preparing to celebrate our 75th anniversary as the community of Ascension Lutheran Church in Waukesha. Over the weekend of September 13-15, we will gather to celebrate 75 years of ministry and mission to the glory of God. We will start festivities on Friday night, Sept. 13, with a concert under the stars in Ascension’s Memorial Gardens, enjoying the music of Ben Janzow and the Dirty Boogie Band. An appetizer potluck and drinks will invite us to feast. Bounce houses will keep the kids entertained and music will fill the air.

On Sunday, Sept. 15, we will gather for worship as one community at 10 a.m. Our musicians from all three worship services will lead us as we gather to worship and give praise to our God. A catered brunch will follow worship, with tickets beginning to sell the week of Aug. 25. Our history will be out in full display, reminding us of where we have come from and the faithful dedication of those who have come before us. We will invite you to bring framed pictures of weddings, baptisms and other celebrations to the weekend of events to be displayed for all to see.

We are excited to have Bishop Paul Erickson, Pastor Frank and Deacon Jan Janzow and Pastor Elisabeth and Jacob Himmelman join us for the celebration. We will gather under the theme of Luke 15:24b – “And They Began to Celebrate!” And celebrate we will indeed. Pastor Jim will join us Friday night and his wife, Paula, will join us on Sunday.

We will need many hands to plan and prepare for the weekend of excitement. If you are willing to share in the preparations, please let the church office know by sending an email to Tamie Greenwood, Tamie@ascensionelca.org, or calling 262-547-8518 and adding your name to the list of those who might be able to help with preparations.

We give thanks to God for God’s faithfulness to this community, and we are excited to imagine the future God is preparing to lay before us. Juntos nos levantamos! Together we rise!

Anticipating the days ahead,

President Amanda Payne , Rev. Christian Marien, Rev. Anthony Acompanado, Rev. Edwin Aparicio, Pastor

Back to School Supplies Collection

In partnership with Hawthorne Elementary, we are once again collecting school supplies for the elementary students. If you are willing to pick-up an a couple of items and drop them at Ascension on Sunday, Sept. 8, or Sunday, Sept. 15 (and of course during the week), the students and teachers will be grateful to receive any of the following:

  • Large backpacks
  • 1-inch binders
  • Over-the-ear chord headphones 
  • Dry erase markers (5 count)
  • Highlighters
  • 1 pkg of 3 glue sticks
  • Gallon-size and sandwich-size Ziploc bags
  • Playdoh
  • Kleenex
  • Crayons
  • Colored pencils
  • #2 pencils 
  • Boxes of black felt tip pens
  • A full change of clothing for a student
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Clorox Wipes
  • Pencil pouch with three holes for binder
  • Plastic folders with holes for binder
  • Regular folders

Look for the bin in the Donation Center to make your donation.

OFH Family Ride Run Walk

It’s time to start preparing for the 2024 OFH Family Ride Run Walk on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Join Ascension’s team for a morning of road and trail bike rides, walking and running routes, followed by a picnic lunch and fellowship. To register and join Ascension’s team, click here https://ofhrrw.softr.app/my-registration-info. Or donate to Ascension’s team: https://outreachforhope.kindful.com/?campaign=1294681. On the donation page that follows, add their name in the support column that reads… “Participant (or team) that you are sponsoring (for teams, please include city name).” Please note that there is an Ascension in Waukesha and also Milwaukee and select the correct team.

Please register by Aug. 23 if you want a t-shirt with your team name on it. The Preferred Registration deadline is Sept. 11. After this date, we cannot guarantee a t-shirt or lunch for you.

Thank you! Your support for this event funds grants to life-giving ministries serving low-income communities in the Greater Milwaukee Synod. See all the ministry partners here https://outreachforhope.org/home/ministry-partners/.

Who Is My Neighbor?

The Greater Milwaukee Synod Immigration and Refugee Committee is hosting an informational gathering here at Ascension to help people understand the realities of immigration and refugee resettlement. This special event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Topics to be covered will give you a better understanding of terms like migrants, asylum seekers, refugee resettlement. There will also be a chance to hear myths and factual information so you can better answer questions and more fully act on Jesus’ answer to the question Who Is My Neighbor? Learn how we can live with a better understanding of people who don’t look like us or have the same background as we do.

The hope is to show how we can show Christ’s love in this hostile world. Mary Campbell from ELCA Amparo and our GMS Bishop Paul Erickson, who is on the board for Global Refugees, will be two of the speakers.

Please sign-up to help with hosting duties.

Tanzania School Lunches

We have heard from our partners in Tanzania that they are in urgent need of money for the lunches for the students in the schools. We normally would focus on this appeal during September but due to their immediate need, we are starting early so we can send some money with the Greater Milwaukee Synod wire transfer in early September. We will continue this project until we meet the needs of all 2587 students and 29 teachers. Currently, $4.44 will buy lunches for a full year for a student. Costs for the beans and maize may still fluctuate so we don’t have the final cost, especially with the current market instability. Payments may be made online, through the offerings, or via check or credit card at the Welcome Center on Sunday morning. Please make sure to note “Tanzania” in the memo field.

Serve with Ascension in August

SOPHIA Multicultural Fair

SOPHIA is hosting their 3rd Annual Multicultural Fair at Frame Park on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please note the change in the location of the fair for this year. Enjoy this free-admission event and get to know the many cultures represented in the Waukesha area. There will be international food, arts and crafts, music and dancing, resources and so much more. Stop by the Ascension Multicultural Ministries Display to support our ministries.

Hope Center

A generous donor has issued a mid-year $100,000 matching gift challenge. Make a donation now until the end of September and your donation will be matched. If you pay via check, be sure to put match in the memo line. Send to Hope Center, 101 W. Broadway, Waukesha, WI 53186. To give online, go to https://secure.givelively.org/donate/hope-center-inc-waukesha-wi. All proceeds will go to new building costs.

Ascension Planning a Habitat Build

Ascension will be participating in a Habitat Build on Wednesday, Sept. 25. This event will most likely be at the Domenica Park site, where Habitat is building new homes for 20 families over the next three years. Hours for the event are roughly 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We’ll be assisting the professional construction crew and Habitat Saints on the build site. No prior construction experience is needed. All safety gear will be provided. You must be 18 years of age to participate. If interested, you will need to first create an account at https://habitatwaukesha.volunteerhub.com and then register for the “Ascension Lutheran”; event on 9/25/2024. We need a minimum of five volunteers for this group event. Please let Nick Wagner know if you are planning to participate in this event or if you have any questions, nwagner703@yahoo.com.

Tutoring News

Ascension’s tutoring program has been working quietly in the background the past two years. Individuals have continued to work one-on-one with students who came to us for specific help. This has worked well but has been very limited. Our contact people with the Burmese community are going to check with their families for children or adults in need of support for this fall. We will also encourage our Latino members who need help with learning English, homework assistance for children, school readiness for children, assistance with studying for the written drivers’ test or the citizenship test and help with filling out forms. We will also have the information available at the Multicultural Fair in August.

Once we know what the need is, we will have a meeting for interested tutors to identify matches for tutors and students. If you are interested in helping as a tutor, or if you know someone who could benefit from the program, contact Shirley, shwehmeier@gmail.com, so you can be included in the meeting.

New Blessing Box and Little Library

New Blessing Box and Little Free Library are complete and already in use. Please place your donations of food or pantry needs directly in the box or in the bin in the Donation Center. If we have extremely hot weather again, be mindful of the type of foods that are not safe in hot weather. The new boxes are insulated but we can’t accept garden products or other unstable foods. During the extreme temperatures, other basic items are suggested in the handout. See the UMN Extension article on storing cans and glass jars in extreme temperatures, https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/storing-canned-food.

The library books can be for adults or children. Please be mindful that the box belongs to the church and we do not want inappropriate books placed in the box.

Pastor Edwin & the Youth Gathering

What a wonderful experience in New Orleans. After many months of waiting, thousands of young people from all over the country traveled to be part of the 2024 Youth Gathering. As you may know, we had 14 young people representing us, plus leaders. This was a unique experience from start to finish for everyone.

ur journey began with the group of young people who attended the multicultural event. An event in which we were able to interact, dance, and make friends with people of different ethnic backgrounds from all over the country. As students and leaders who attended MYLE, we used a lot of our energy without knowing that what was to come would require much more energy!

One of the things that caught my attention about the MYLE group was their desire to be together with the rest of the Ascension group. On many occasions they told me that they are looking forward to the rest of the group to enjoy the gathering and explore New Orleans together. That is Ascension Waukesha. A Christian community that worships God in two different languages ​​but we are one body, one community. And that was reflected in the mentality of the young people who attended the Gathering.

The rest of the group joined us on Monday night, July 15th. From there, we were together for the rest of the trip. And the first night arrived, the gathering had begun. From the first minutes we entered the arena, with a DJ warming up the show and in a VIP section (Thanks Pastor Tony and Pastor Chris) the students began to take out all their energy together! Seeing the faces of the joyful young people, jumping, clapping, shouting, the leaders could not stay behind. Despite not having a good knee, I joined in the moment that the young people were experiencing. So much was my excitement, that even Sheri approached me and said, “Pastor Edwin, slow down. This is only the first day. Save more energy for the rest of the week.” And I told her, “Sheri, don’t worry, I’ll have enough energy for the rest of the week.”

The week continued with the same levels of excitement. The youth showed an open attitude in all the things we did and with all the people we met on the streets and in the buildings at the event. Our students would say hello, shake hands, and ask “Where are you from?” Some of them would even come up to me and say, “Pastor Edwin, I have a new friend from Los Angeles, Illinois, Houston, New York… and many other cities across the country.” What a wonderful experience to see our youth making new friends from all over the country. They wanted to be seen, they wanted to show everyone who we are as Ascension. All of us leaders felt very proud of our children. Their energy, their open mind, and their desire to enjoy every minute was exemplary. I imagine that you must also feel proud of our young people!

What does the 2024 ELCA youth gathering leave me with? Well, apart from seeing the young people living the moment, I would say that it reminds me that I am no longer a teenager, that for the next Youth Gathering 2027 in Minneapolis, I will have to carry with me a knee brace and some ice packs to put on my knee at the end of each day. We hope that for the next youth gathering we will increase the number of participants. None of the young people who participate regret attending this event. You were all able to see that on Sunday, July 28, when our young people decided to lead our three worship sessions.

On Sunday, July 28, a delegation of young people shared their experience and that same day, another delegation that will visit El Salvador was also blessed. The delegation will be made up of 11 people from Ascension and five people from Lake Park. Pastora Blanca and Pastor Julio are ready to welcome us and enjoy our time together with the families of the community. Good wishes and prayers are welcome as we live together with our sister congregations in El Salvador. Thank you to everyone that supported both groups by participating in various fundraisers throughout the year.

Pastor Edwin

Pastor Tony & the Youth Gathering

The Youth Gathering is truly an experience like no other. A while back as Pastor Edwin was making his preparations to take Ascension’s students to New Orleans, he asked me to help him understand what the Gathering was all about. I shared a few details and some helpful tips for leading a group, but I told him that he wouldn’t fully comprehend it all until he experienced it for himself. 

Through my own experiences as a youth leader who accompanied students, someone who spoke from the main stage, or serving on Gathering planning and leadership teams, I’ve come to realize that the Gathering is so much more than a simply ministry of the church. It’s far more than a collective of colorful t-shirted youth groups from around the country gathering for service, worship, faith formation, friendships, and all the other things one might experience at a Gathering. So, what is it then? Well, I believe that the Gathering is a reflection of the Kingdom of God. The diversity, inclusion, welcome, celebration, abundance, and joy of God’s inclusive grace and expansive love wrapped up in a chaotic and beautiful faith formation event for young people searching, growing, and discovering their faith.

In the days to come, it is my prayer that all of us would long to be engaged in this kind of stirring of our faith. And I don’t know about you, but if this is anything what the Kingdom of God is really like, then give me more, Jesus, give me more! We have been Created To Be: Brave, Authentic, Free, Disruptive, Disciples…so let’s go do this together. 

Pastor Tony

PC & the Youth Gathering

Dear People of God,

What an amazing journey we have traveled over these past two weeks. I could fill this entire newsletter with images that tell the story of God’s love unfolding in the lives of high school students. However, I would rather you ask a high school student at church the next time you see someone and hear their own story. As much as we have been to the mountaintop in New Orleans, we are already looking ahead to 2027 in Minneapolis. I am hopeful that Ascension takes twice as many students. The church is indeed alive and well as these pictures share witness. And now back at Ascension, we are already praying for the safe travels and relationship building continuing to happen as members of Ascension travel to El Salvador. It will be exciting to add their stories of how God is at work in El Salvador to the stories told of serving in New Orleans. God’s richest blessings to each of you as these summer days continue to move swiftly towards fall.

See you in church…

Pastor Chris

The Speed of Summer

Mercy! Summer! Do not fly by too fast!

It appears we were just preparing for the end of the school year and already the first full month of summer has come to an end. I remember rhythms of summer as a child when the days were easy and made for sleeping in and exploring and adventures and last-minute plans and long evenings playing outside.

At our house, summer evenings are often spent in the backyard around the patio table. There are dinners and drinks and appetizers. Long conversations while the dog explores the yard, or the kids decide to play volleyball. In Wisconsin, our yards have no fences, which means we actually talk to our neighbors. I love it all. If the days are still full, at least the nights are a little slower. When summer breezes and the smell of flowers hang heavy in the air. I still want someone to take care of the dishes inside the house while we linger outside but if that is the worst consequence to the lazy evenings, it is worth it.

I wonder if you have shifted into summer rhythms or are still going full speed as July begins. I can only invite you to take advantage of a cool evening sitting next to people who bring you joy. I know this is a privilege for most of us – I try not to take the time for granted.

At Ascension, summer means a slower season of ministry though book studies, bible studies, and small groups continue. Worship has been glorious. Celebrations, music, and the joy of being together as community. I am hopeful we will be back in the Memorial Gardens for worship in July – the grass is slowly starting to grow with the heavy rains over the past weeks. The new cement pour around the pavilion is beautiful and will be a beautiful addition to outdoor activities. Keep your fingers crossed for July 7th worship at 10am outside.

Outside of Ascension, the ELCA across the nation is preparing for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans beginning on July 16 and ending on July 20. Students of color begin on July 13 and end a pre-event on July 16. Ascension has groups going to both events for the first time. Pastor Edwin is doing amazing things with our CRASH students preparing them for New Orleans – for worship, service, interaction, and life-changing possibilities to the glory of God.

I am grateful for your hospitality during the third week of June as Ascension hosted some 45 speakers, musicians, and gathering leaders who were helping us prepare for New Orleans. I ask for your prayers for Pastor Tony and myself who plan and prepare to welcome the 16,000+ high school students, youth leaders, pastors, and bishops. We do not get a lot of sleep, but we are strengthened by the prayerful support of so many of you. Thank you. Your prayers are felt and a strong reminder of this community of faith and the support you offer to young people in the formation of their faith. July will be a glorious month of crazy for myself. I would not change one moment. But I will be ready to return to summer rhythms after July 22!

Blessings to you in these summer days. Take a moment and give thanks to God for summer nights and moments of joy to fill your spirit.

Pastor Chris