Living in the Love of Jesus

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:7-12)

It’s hard to believe it’s February already, but seeing that it is, it means Valentine’s Day is right around the corner (February 14th for all who need the gentle reminder). Couples will exchange gifts, friends and family will send each other cards, and people everywhere will celebrate the gift of sharing life with people we love and who love us in return. And thanks to the gift of mass commercialization, love will be everywhere.

Will it really, though? Because, while romance will certainly be swirling, it seems to me that love is a different story. At least in my opinion, it seems love is much harder to come by these days. Anger, intolerance, and violence seem to be the prevailing news stories, followed by political division, corruption, poverty, hunger, homelessness, and racism…need I go on.

But as people united in Christ, God calls us to a different way of life. We are called to love – even when it’s not the most popular thing to do. Fortunately for us we’ve been given a great resource to help us do this – Jesus. In the midst of the ups and downs of life Scripture reminds us that loving one another with patience and gentleness invites others into our lives and provides intimate ground for relationships to grow. Strangers whom we may stereotype into a category become unique and beautiful people we truly see, know, and appreciate. And loving this way can bring down the walls of fear and conflict that seem to be successful at separating people right now.

Interestingly, on Valentine’s Day this year we’ll begin our annual journey into Lent, and there we’ll see what real love – perfect, unconditional love looks like. In Jesus, we’ll witness love personified and we’ll experience love in the form of stunning self-sacrifice and loyalty, even toward those who don’t reciprocate. Embraced by this kind of love, we are free to love one another in genuine, costly, and meaningful ways.

And this my dear friends is the kind of love that God calls us to offer to the world not only this February or this Valentine’s Day, but every day. So, sisters and brothers, I invite all of us to let this love be our Valentine to the world, but most importantly to God.

~ Pastor Tony

Preparing for Lent

Last month, I had the opportunity to travel with Pastor Chris and Pastor Tony to New Orleans to attend a national church event called The Extravaganza. This is an annual gathering of children, youth and family ministry leaders from across the ELCA. It is so much more than a conference; it’s space to be grow, to worship, to be inspired, it’s learning from colleagues across the country, it’s sharing your insight with others, it’s informative and transformative. This is an event to renew, learn, and connect with others as a way to strengthen our local ministries.

The extravaganza takes place every year in different cities. In the year in which the Youth Gathering is happening, the extravaganza takes place in the same city. This year the gathering was in New Orleans, where the Youth Gathering  will be held in July. More than 800 leaders met to connect, renew ourselves and get to know the city to which we will bring our youth.

I am very grateful to God that I had the opportunity to immerse myself in something new to me as I continued to walk and learn in this new role as a pastor and youth leader in the US. Not only did I learn about the resources available for children, youth and family ministry, but I also learned a little about the city of New Orleans. To be honest, I didn’t know anything about New Orleans before I went. I heard some jokes in our planning meetings about beads, but I had no idea what anyone was talking about.

One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in the city were the colorful souvenirs available. Eventually we had the opportunity to have free time to explore the city. On my walk, I went into the store to buy the prizes for the chili cook-off. Inside the store, I could see that many t-shirts had the word “Bourbon St.” on it. I approached one of the store workers and he explained its the meaning. The worker explained the cultural traditions behind Mardi Gras, but did not explain me the theology behind this celebration. Later, I found out that, this celebration responds to the Christian calendar that begins on Epiphany and concludes the night before Ash Wednesday. During this time, as you all know, people tend to eat as much as possible before they have to deprive themselves of certain foods during Lent.

This tradition reminds me of the call that God always makes to each of us to prepare day after day, not just during Mardi Gras or Lent. God speaks to us, encourages us and reveals to us his great mercy. As we enter into the season of Lent in this month of February, let us think about the things that often try to prevent us from discovering and experiencing God’s love. 

This 40-day journey is a time to reflect and renew as we prepare ourself to remember and celebrate the passion, death, and resurrection of our Savior in “Semana Santa.”  Whether you choose to indulge during the days of Mardi Gras season, or give something up for Lent, or neither, may this time of year help you feel closer to God regardless of your personal journey of faith.

 Pastor Edwin Aparicio

Grow & Walk With Ascension

BLAST

February is the perfect month to focus on sharing God’s love and the many ways we can share that love with others in our world. This month we have continued to focus on using Jesus as our example as we learn about God’s love and plan for each of us. We have several exciting upcoming events as well. 

First Communion Stepping Stones: Preparation for First Communion begins for 4th-grade students and their families. Classes will take place during BLAST on Feb. 4, 11, and 18. Watch for communications from Pastor Tony with details.

Journey to the Cross will take place on Sunday, Feb. 25, between services. Be sure to join us for this amazing time when students learn more about Jesus’ deep love for them through the journey of Lent and Holy Week toward the wonderful celebration of Easter.

JOLT

JOLT will meet on the first two Thursdays of the month, Feb. 1 and 8, 6 to 7:30 p.m. JOLT students and families are invited to Ash Wednesday worship at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 21. During Lent, JOLT students and families are also invited to attend the soup suppers at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 6:45 p.m. There will be no Thursday night JOLT sessions during Lent.

  • Feb. 1, 6—7:30 p.m. JOLT
  • Feb. 8, 6– 7:30 p.m. JOLT
  • Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday Worship
  • Feb. 28, 6 p.m. soup supper, worship at 6:45 p.m.

CRASH

Chili Cook-Off Thank You: We want to thank the competing teams, those who donated baked goods for the dessert auction and those who supported us by attending our chili cook-off. We are very grateful to God for the support we are receiving from all of you as we continue on this journey to achieve our goal of assisting at least 17 students in their journey to New Orleans this summer.

Pizza Night: Noah’s Pizza is hosting another CRASH night on Thursday, Feb. 15. Call the restaurant from 4 to 7 p.m. and tell them you are an Ascension member. Twenty percent of sales will go to the Youth Gathering fundraiser. You can buy anything that is in the menu. The phone number to make your order is (262) 696-8001.

CRASH Dates for February: We will meet at church at 6 p.m. on Sundays, Feb.4 and 18, for CRASH meetings.

GriefShare

If you or someone you love is struggling with the complex and painful experience of grief after the death of a spouse, child, family member, or friend, then we invite you to consider finding help and encouragement through Ascension’s grief support ministry, GriefShare.

GriefShare is a 12-week program led by Pastor Tony meeting on Tuesday evenings from 6-8 p.m., Feb. 6 and concluding April 30. Through the use of video teaching and small group conversation, we seek to provide a safe and supportive space to provide care and encouragement that can be crucial to a person in grief. Sign-up online or by call to the church office.

GriefShare Support: We’re looking for volunteers to provide support to this program with snacks and donations. See the Sign-Up Genius for dates and suggestions. Questions? Please contact Pastor Tony, tony@ascensionelca.org.

Adult Ed: The Chosen, Season 1

Join us in watching this compelling video series on Mondays beginning Monday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m. or 6 p.m. led by Pastor Chris and Pastor Tony. Each week we will begin with a brief introduction, watch the video, and make connections to the Biblical story along with discussing some reflection questions.

Serve With Ascension

The Matthew 25 Promise

Mission Outreach/Serve commits to the words of Matthew 25:  “I was hungry and you fed me, I was a stranger and you took me in…..” These are the words of Jesus as He was preparing to ascend into heaven. He was very clear that out of love for Him, we would share that love with those on earth who were in need. These words motivate us to live out our love for Jesus through our love for others. Ascension has determined that we would provide opportunities to carry this out and to serve those most in need through our partnerships globally and locally.

As we select our Community Partners, we identify agencies or programs that serve those most in need whether it be feeding the hungry, providing shelter to the homeless or stranger, visiting the sick or providing clothes for those in need. We not only give monetary donations out of our budget, we look for ways to be directly involved through in-kind donations and volunteering. This is a true response to the hymn we sang a few weeks ago, Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard You calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart. The opportunities are here, it is up to each of us to respond.

If each person in the congregation pledged to do one small effort of service, we could change our community! We have a lot of special ways to do this coming in the next weeks and months. Watch the e-alerts and bulletin announcements and check out the Mission Outreach Facebook page for opportunities to serve. We update the opportunities regularly.

Meals for Healing Hearts

Healing Hearts, one of our Community Partners, is a program for families who have experienced loss. We will be supporting their work with families in need of support whether through death, divorce, deployment, separation through migration, imprisonment or any other loss. We will be providing a meal for the families prior to their session on Monday, Feb. 19, at First United Methodist Church. We will need donations of soup in a crock pot, bread or crackers, fruit and cookies. Please see the available slots in the Sign-Up Genius and click on your selection for volunteering or donating. Food should be brought to Ascension before 3 p.m. or right before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, when the servers arrive. Servers will be done by 6:15 p.m.

Hope Center

Do you shop at Target? If you shop at Target, you have a chance to help the Hope Center. When you are shopping on the Target Circle app, click on “My Target” then go to Target Circle and under available earnings, click on “Vote for Nonprofits.” Vote for Hope Center. That is all you have to do and your votes will help win support for the Hope Center. What a fun and easy way to support one of our partners!

Hope Center is officially moved into the new building. Check out the pictures on our Mission Outreach Facebook page. They are already serving meals and have a beautiful new Clothing Closet. They will be able to provide many new services for the people of Waukesha. Several of our groups already are serving meals at the Hope Center. Are you interested in serving? Are you willing to help sort the donations? See the Hope Center website for more information about volunteering or contact Shirley Wehmeier.

Food Pantry of Waukesha County

Did you know that one third of the people served through the Food Pantry of Waukesha County are babies and children? They have a special Baby Care program where they offer (when available) baby formula, baby food, diapers, wipes and other hygiene items for children three and younger. This program ensures that families with infants and young children have the foods and hygiene products they need. Food needs increase in the winter as more people are seeking help during this time of year. Donations can be taken directly to the Food Pantry or brought to our Donation Center and placed in the appropriate bin.

Creation Care Ministry

Our county Creation Care/Green Team has many offerings available in their newsletter for congregations and people of faith to live out their faith through how they care for God’s creation. There are a lot of faith-based programs and activities that can enhance our ability to care for creation as a part of our faith life. To find out more about this, go to https://www.waukeshacountygreenteam.org/creation-care-network.  Thank you to everyone who brought in used Christmas lights for disposal, keeping them from the landfills. This simple act makes a difference.

Save the Date! Winter Farmer’s Market

The Food Faith and Farming Network Winter Farmer’s Market is at Ascension on Sunday, March 10. This is always a special event and we will need volunteers to help with a lot of different parts of the day. Watch for announcements and opportunities to help with the day. The day includes a very busy market and a brunch made with ingredients from the farmers.

Goodbye 2023, Welcome 2024

Last year when we discovered New Year’s Day was going to be a Sunday, it created a challenge. New Year’s Eve is perhaps the biggest holiday in Latino culture, with staying out all night being the norm, regardless of age. I wondered what to do about worship that Sunday. Should we move it to Saturday, make it later in the day? Cancelling wasn’t any option for me. I decided that we were going to stay with the 10:45 time, but we weren’t going to even try to have a normal Sunday service. Instead of rows of chairs, everyone was seated at a table. The welcome table had pastries and hot chocolate. We started worship with paper to write prayer requests. At the conclusion of worship, we headed outside where we prayed as we sent our petitions to God in the flames of a fire. Everyone appreciated the worship so much that we returned to a similar format again this year. Those of you who were at 10:45 service this year on December 31 were probably wondering what was happening in the parking lot.

I believe that our New Year’s prayers transcend culture and you can pray them, even if it’s not January 1 on the calendar when you read this article.

Prayers for Letting Go of Pain
In the past year, we experienced moments of both physical and emotional pain. We experienced loss and worry. Living Lord, Your love has held us as you walked alongside us during our moments of suffering. Even in our darkest moments, you never left our side. Now may your hope and healing lead us to a place of restoration. Help us to be strong enough to forgive those who have hurt us. Help us to see that forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. Help us to be free from resentment and anger. As our prayers of pain turn to ash, may we also let go of our pain from this past year and beyond.

Prayers of Thanksgiving
In the past year, we have had moments of blessings big and small. Help us to remember to approach life with gratitude. We thank you for the small moments that brought us quiet moments of beauty: a painted sky at sunrise, shared laughter, and a million moments that we have already forgotten. We thank you for the big moments: the arrival of babies, marriages, success at work, and other things we lift up to you. We send our prayers of thanksgiving to you.

Prayers of Hopes and Dreams
Dear God, With the new year, we have the opportunity for a fresh start to achieve our goals and dreams. We ask that you give us the wisdom to make the right choices to achieve these dreams and the strength to persevere. While we hope for a path without obstacles, allow us to learn from the difficulties we face. Teach us to understand that what we hope for may not be what is best for us in the long run, and to have faith in your plan. Help us to maintain our goodness in our efforts to achieve dreams. We know that you want what is best for us and we are grateful for the blessings that will come to us in the next year. In our prayers and in the flames, we send to you our prayers for our hopes for 2024. 

May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141:2)

Happy New Year!

Pastor Edwin

New Beginnings

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”   2 Corinthians 5:17

Do you ever stop and think about why we celebrate New Year’s Day? Afterall, it’s really just another day, so why is it so important for people to mark a date change on a calendar?

I would guess it’s because a new year offers a new beginning, the chance to start fresh. There’s a reason January is the most important month of the year for gyms and diet programs because it seems like a fresh chance to start again and improve yourself. It seems like a natural time for beginning something, which is why I think lots of people make New Year’s resolutions (whether they stick to them or not is another story).

The Christian life offers lots of opportunities for fresh starts, for changing what we’ve been doing or beginning to live differently. In worship, we regularly begin with a time of confession where we admit what we’ve done wrong. We admit to God and to each other that our lives aren’t perfect, that we’re not living the way we should live, that we’re doing things we shouldn’t do and failing to do things we should do.

Then, immediately after confession, we hear God’s response. We hear the good news that because of God’s forgiveness, because God loves us, we all get a fresh start. The slate is wiped clean. We don’t need to carry the weight of our sins or guilt with us anymore. We are forgiven!

And then we run into the next week (or maybe just the next day…or the next couple of minutes) and it doesn’t take long before we stumble again. It doesn’t take long for us to forget about what God has done for us. We take the burden that Jesus has taken from us, and we pick it back up and start trying to carry the weight of our own faults and failings again. But we always have another opportunity to remember God’s love because God never gets tired of forgiving us!

News flash…we don’t have to wait for a new year to have a fresh start. Each day offers us the opportunity to wake up and remember that we are a child of God. We have been claimed, redeemed, forgiven, and set free by Jesus Christ.

Today we have the opportunity to say goodbye to the old and welcome in the new. Today we have the chance to start over again and begin to live a new life in Christ. 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. And perhaps our new beginning can start with learning more about God’s grace and love for us, and then sharing that love with one another.

Blessings on all your new beginnings!

~Pastor Tony

Merry Christmas!

“Still in these first days of this new year we hear the words, Merry Christmas as the church celebrates the season of Christmas through January 6th when the feast of Epiphany arrives, and the Magi arrive at the manger. It is an awfully full schedule–from the travel arrangements to Bethlehem to lost hotel reservations and a stay in a manger to a birthing room without medical insurance or assistance to early visitors smelling of sheep. Finally, just as we expect Mary and Joseph to take some time to rest from their journey—the Magi knock on the door. “More visitors,” shouts Joseph. Mary pulls herself together one more time and pastes on a plastic smile to greet the visitors from the East. The Magi come bearing gifts, but more importantly, they arrive with stories of a star in the sky that appears around the time of the birth of Mary’s son. A star that shines brighter than the rest and calls the Magi to follow. It is the same star that calls us to follow. Once again, we have followed the star to the manger. Once again, we pray for the hope of God to overwhelm us. Epiphany is the season of light. And after 2016, I am in desperate need for the light of God’s promise to continue to call us and the rest of the world—first, to the manger and then to go into the world to tell the story of God’s love and promise.

I find it amusing that the words above were written to you in the first days of 2017. It is amusing that I would easily write these same words to you in these first days of 2024. Apparently, I am still in desperate need for the light of God’s promise to overwhelm us. Some things change. Some things never change. Maybe what is needed to change is me. In that spirit, I offer you this prayer for the new year. No resolutions to promise and break. No, this year, a prayer to “make something new in me, in this year, for God.”

From Guerrillas of Grace by Ted Loder …

Patient God, the clock struck midnight and I partied with a strange sadness in my heart, confusion in my mind.

Now, I ask you to gather me, for I realize the storms of time have scattered me, the furies of the year past have driven me, many sorrows have scarred me, many accomplishments have disappointed me, much activity has wearied me, and fear has spooked me into a hundred hiding places, once is which is pretended joy.

I am sick of a string of “have-a-nice-days.” What I ant is passionate days, wondrous days, dangerous days, surprising days. What I want is you!

Patient God, the day teeters on the edge of waiting and things seem to slip away from me, as though everything were only memory and memory is capricious. Help me not to let my life slip away from me. O God, I hold up my life to you now, as much as I can, as high as I can, in this mysterious reach called prayer. Come close, lest I wobble and fall short. It is not days or years I seek from you, not infinity and enormity, but small things and moments and awareness, awareness that you are in what I am and in what I have been indifferent to. It is not new time, but new eyes, new heart I seek, and you.

Patient God, in this teetering time, this time in the balance, this time of waiting, make me aware of moments, moments of song, moments of bread and friends, moments of jokes ( some of them on me) which, for a moment, deflate my arrogance; moments of sleep and warm beds, moments of children laughing and parents bending, moments of sunsets and sparrows outspunking winter, moments when splinters shine and rocks shrink, moments when I know myself blessed, not because I am so awfully important, but because you are so awesomely God, no less of the year to come as of all the years past; no less of this moment than of all my moments; no less of those who forget you as of those who remember, as I do now, in this teetering time.

O Patient God, make something new in me, in this year, for you. Amen.

Perhaps this can be your prayer, as well, in this new year. Happy New Year People of God. Be Well!

Pastor Chris

A Month of Service

December was an amazing month for Mission Outreach activity. So many people were involved in a variety of outreach events. We thank the group involved in planning the parade Moving Posada for all the work. We especially thank Carol and Steve Spieker for their dreaming, planning and coordinating this new event for getting Ascension out into the community in a fun way to emphasize our multi-cultural congregation. Thanks for all the hard work.
Thank you to the Marien family for serving the Healing Hearts meal in December. The participants loved the pizza. This is the third monthly meal for Healing Hearts that Ascension has provided. Thank you for the generous donations and the friendly servers.

Thank you to the AMEN ministries for the 55 pairs of men’s and women’s long underwear that were donated to the Hope Center. AMEN also serves meals at the Hope Center twice a month with two to four men helping each time.

Thank you to Linda Hansen’s Thursday Nurture Group for coordinating the Giving Tree for the Christmas Clearing Council. $1500 of gift cards were presented to the Christmas Clearing Council to help families have gifts for their children. This was the best year ever for this outreach.

Ascension sent $2300 to El Salvador to provide Christmas kits with basic food staples to allow the families in San Jorge to have a simple meal for Christmas. Thank you to everyone that has contributed to our appeal for backpacks and tennis shoes as the children in San Jorge prepare to begin a new school year in January.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED IN ANY WAY!

Community Outreach Meeting: Community Outreach Committee will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 6:30 to plan outreach activities for 2024. If you have an interest in outreach, please join us. New ideas are always welcome. Community Outreach involves: Reaching Out, Inviting In, Gathering In and Walking With. This is our opportunity to get involved in the community, invite others to Ascension activities or services, seek out those who have not been in worship for a while and become more deliberate in our ways we welcome visitors. Contact Shirley Wehmeier, at shwehemeier@gmail.com, or just show up for the meeting.

Follow the Mission Outreach Facebook page to keep up with our community and global partners and our outreach events.

El Salvador Trip Information Meeting: After a long five years since our last trip to visit our sister parishes in El Salvador, we will be returning in the summer of 2024. We will be there for about a week at the end of July /beginning of August. It will be a time of learning about the ministries of our sister parishes, exploring opportunities for future shared projects (which likely will include eating lots of chocolate), cultural excursions, and building friendships with the members of San Jorge church. We have our first informational meeting on Sunday, Jan. 14, following late church. Contact Sarah Wehmeier Aparicio, sarah@ascensionelca.org, with any questions.

Community Partners
Ascension has multiple community partners, which are agencies within the community that carry out the Matthew 25 promise: “Whatever you do for the least of these, you have done unto Me.” As we follow Jesus’ words, we realize we can often do it better by joining with others who are similarly focused. We will be lifting up our community partners over the next months.

Our current community partners are: Waukesha County Food Pantry, Hope Center, Hebron Housing Services, Hawthorne School, Habitat for Humanity, SOPHIA, NAMI, Healing Hearts, and the Christmas Clearing Council. One of the things we look for is that the agency does not just expect financial donations but that there is an opportunity for in-kind donations and for volunteer service. We want to be able to build a relationship with the partner and respond to their needs not just our perception of what they might need. We practice accompaniment with local community partners just the same as with our global partners. We feature their specific needs through our Mission Outreach Facebook page so that there is always a timely request. Watch also in the e-alerts and bulletin for announcements as needs arise. We are always looking for leadership for the partners so if you have a real passion for a partner, please contact Shirley Wehmeier, shwehemeier@gmail.com, so we can link you up with a partner. We would like to develop Partnership Pals where each partner has two or more people who become the champion for the partner.

Healing Hearts
Healing Hearts is one of our community partners. Healing Hearts provides free, local peer groups for children, youth and families who grieve a loss due to death, divorce, addiction, incarceration, deportation or military deployment. Healing Hearts has been providing services since 2009 and depends on trained volunteers to provide the support the children, youth and families need. They also depend on volunteers to provide quick meals the night of their groups so that families are fed before participating in the group. Ascension has been asked to commit to serving meals on a regular basis. The meals need to be quick to serve so that they can get to their sessions. Ascension served three times in 2023 and volunteers reported that it was a great experience. We use a sign-up genius to get food donated from the congregation. This has been a successful way to include people who may be looking for a simple way to get involved. Our first meal included 5 new members who either served or donated food. Watch the announcements for the dates of our next meals. Teri Quam is coordinating this opportunity.

Advent & Christmas at Ascension

Join us for special worship and activities to celebrate the Advent and Christmas season.

Fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 24, 8:30 a.m. :

We will celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24, before we move to Christmas Eve worship in the afternoon.

Christmas Eve Worship Dec. 24

Christmas Eve Worship on Sunday, Dec. 24, will be at 3, 5 and 9 p.m. Candlelighting, communion, and glorious music will be shared at all the services. If you can help with ushering or communion, please contact Tamie, tamie@ascensionelca.org, in the church office. 

Christmas Day Worship Dec. 25

The joyful sounds of Christmas Day worship is at 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 25.

PAST EVENTS

Welcome to Advent Worship Nov. 29

Join us on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 6:30 p.m. for a beautiful worship service as we enter into the season of Advent. We will gather around the music of Holden Evening Prayer.

Deck the Halls Dec. 2

Deck the Halls of Ascension begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, to prepare the church campus for the season of Advent and Christmas. 

Advent Concert Worship “Rejoice and Sing!” Dec. 9 & 10

Choirs, handbells, praise band, and instrumentalists will present Rejoice and Sing! on Sat., Dec. 9, 6 p.m., and Sun., Dec.10, 9:30 a.m. followed by a potluck brunch. Invite a friend and join us in concert worship!

Annunciation Worship and Breakfast Dec. 12

Celebrate the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary on Tuesday, Dec. 12, with a 5:30 a.m. Spanish-language worship led by mariachis, followed by a potluck breakfast.

Las Posadas Dec. 16

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 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, with hot cocoa and coffee. Children of all ages are welcome to be in costume.  

Children’s Christmas Program Children Run Joyfully! Dec. 17

The BLAST Sunday School children will share the story of Jesus’ birth in worship on Sunday, Dec. 17, during worship at 10:45 a.m. Dress rehearsal for BLAST children is Saturday, Dec. 16, 9-11 a.m.  The 8:30 a.m. service will be regular worship.