Category: Newsletter Articles

A November Filled With Thanks

In early October, Ascension’s Church Council, staff, and leaders met to reflect on the last 22 months and consider the next twelve months of ministry. I am grateful beyond words, for Ascension’s staff and leadership that continue to show up, commit, engage, and pray for the community and ministry of Ascension.

In this month of November, there is so much for which I give thanks to God. A community of faithful members and friends who gather for worship both in-person and online each Sunday; for children, junior and senior high school students and their parents who encourage, and transport and commit to bringing their family members to BLAST, JOLT, and CRASH. For musicians, who have stayed committed to enhancing our worship – choirs, organ, praise band, handbells, and the addition of special moments with additional instruments. Such joy to hear once again after a time of silence.

As we have moved into this month of November, I am reminded that for many, we will gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. I cannot even remember what we did or did not do for Thanksgiving last year. What I do know is that I do not want to take anything for granted. So, I promised myself that for the month of November and into December – I will not take gathering together for worship for granted. I will not take singing together for granted. I will not take the receiving of communion for granted. I will not take seeing the face of students for granted. I will not take the sounds of infants and toddlers for granted. I will not take the laughter and noise of children for granted. I will not take book study participants for granted. I will not take weddings or baptisms for granted. Honestly, hopefully, never again will I gloss over a precious moment of the divine connecting with our humanity.

In the spirit of not taking anything for granted, I am taking a moment to share this moment of reflection with you. I love the holiday of Thanksgiving. A table decorated with everything. There can be brightly colored tablecloths and candles to light. Flowers and place cards might show up. In our house, we pull out the china and the flatware and the crystal and even the 8-year-old gets to drink sparkling cider from the crystal stemware. We cook family recipes a couple of days before, so we only need to reheat them the day of Thanksgiving. Usually, the turkey comes out of the freezer days before or we buy fresh and still need to give the bird time to warm to room temperature before we stuff it with lemons, onions, oranges, rosemary, thyme, and a stick of butter when my wife is not watching.

Last year, the morning of Thanksgiving Day began with the sunrise and was quickly followed by a heavy gray cloud in our home. Setting a place at the table for my mom, even as she would not be present for the celebration. It was one of the holidays that was hardest last year – the table is central – and each of the guests around the table carry the title and importance of honored guests. I was grateful to my wife for setting the table last year, including a place for my mom with a lit candle representing her presence with us. Many of us will be facing this Thanksgiving with the absence of someone we love – because the coronavirus maintains a constant reminder that life is anything but “normal” right now; because travel challenges prevent some from gathering; because job loss or transitions bring financial constraints; because relationships have become more complicated in the lingering pandemic; because the power of death still rises up in this life even as Jesus has overcome the power of death in the life to come. I wonder who will be missing from your table this year. More importantly, I wonder who will be present? For whom will you set a place at the table this year?

Maybe this year, take nothing for granted? Pull out the china and leave the paper plates for the day after Thanksgiving. Unless you buy the fancy paper plates with the Thanksgiving decorations on them – then by all means use the paper plates. Regardless, dear friends, honor this one request from one of your pastors this year. Please, please, please – take nothing for granted in all these days of November that lead up to Thanksgiving. Stop for just a moment and offer a prayer of thanks to the One who blesses us with more than we can possibly imagine.

In the early 1200s, German theologian, Meister Eckhart wrote these words: “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” I am convinced Meister Eckhart is right. Take nothing for granted in this life and say thank you to the one who has never once taken you for granted. Thanks be to God for all of your and for this life with every twist and turn. I am grateful to God for all of this and all that will come in the days ahead. See you in church!

Pastor Chris

Thankful

Practicing Thankfulness

We tend to focus on giving thanks this month because of the Thanksgiving holiday that comes around on the fourth Thursday each November. And typically, Thanksgiving is meant to be a welcomed time to pause, gather, reflect, and give thanks. However, the last eighteen months have certainly tried to upend much of what we look forward to each Thanksgiving.

Politics have left many divided, troubled, and exhausted and the pandemic has left many of us nervous around and isolated from one another. There are many who still wonder if it’s even safe to gather the way we’d like or are used to. And for others, the instabilities and uncertainties that remain have left us more anxious, irritable, and prone to complaining. I suspect for some; this Thanksgiving may feel strangely inconvenient and perhaps even inappropriate.

For myself, as I have walked the journey with my mom and her battle with cancer, I have found myself spending a considerable amount of time thinking about what is means to truly give thanks to God, to live with a thankful heart, and reflect a thankful life – one that goes beyond a holiday and grows into an everyday expression of thankfulness. But living a life of thankfulness isn’t always easy, and it can be especially difficult during challenging times like the ones we find ourselves in at this moment. So, while living a life of thankfulness isn’t necessarily a complicated task, it does require us to be intentional about making a conscious choice to be thankful.

I think what we need right now is a guide, and when I dwell on who that guide could be, besides Jesus, I can think of no better example than the apostle Paul and his letter to the Colossians. Because despite what he was suffering personally locked away in prison along with the many reasons he had to be angry, fearful, and despairing – he remained thankful. “We always thank God,” he begins (Colossians 1:3). He could have begun his letter with complaining, and instead he punctuates his letter with profound thankfulness (Colossians 1:12; 2:7; 3:15–17; 4:2), and each chapter captures another dimension of healthy, God-glorifying thankfulness.

Giving thanks to God is difficult and generally not our first response in the disappointment, anxiety, and complaining, which are the normal, natural, earthly responses to circumstances like ours. And the apostle Paul knew that all too well. However, there are things that remain to be grateful for. Amid all these challenging things there are still opportunities to laugh, to connect, to work, to love, to care, and to find ways to enjoy life.

And as Paul nears the end of his letter, he is emphatic in stressing the vital and spiritual importance of thankfulness. Notice how he repeats himself: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:15–17)

You can hear him driving home the theme – Let peace rule in your hearts with thankfulness. Let praise rise up from your mouths with thankfulness. Let all you say and do – be done in thankfulness. Whatever you do – even in a global pandemic, even amid political upheaval, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health – do it all in the name of Jesus and do it with thankfulness to God.

My prayer for us as we journey through these uncertain times is that each of us would allow this season of Thanksgiving to be an opportunity to renew our thankfulness to God. Because, no matter what we suffer, or how deeply we suffer, or how long we’re forced to wait for healing and relief, God has made us his in Christ and promised us himself forever – and in this my friends we have endless reasons to be thankful.

I wonder then how you would choose to live differently for the remaining weeks of this challenging year and beyond? What doors might God be opening in the inconveniences, the cancellations, the restrictions, the interruptions, and the disappointments to come? And, if we do all that we do with thankfulness on our minds and in our hearts, then I also think we will be far more likely to recognize the doors as God opens them.

So, allow me to take this opportunity to share with you one of the things I am most thankful to God for, and that is YOU! I’d like to say thank you for your love, your trust, your understanding, your compassion, your partnership, your encouragement, your honesty and your struggling. Most of all for your willingness to continue walking this journey of faith and life together.

I thank God every time I think of you!

Pastor Tony

Thanksgiving

Dia de los Muertos y Santos

Sometimes Americans tend to think of Dia de los Muertos as “Mexican Halloween.” While it is often a national holiday in Latino countries, with days off of school and work, it is also a religious Holy Day. It is a holiday that is both deeply spiritual and sentimental.

As part of Latino traditions and customs, on the day of the faithful departed relatives visit their deceased in cemeteries. They bring their loved ones flowers, clean and paint their graves, weed around the grave and bring food and drinks. It could be said that it is the day in which the community holds a small picnic next to the remains of their loved ones who have passed away.

This tradition is celebrated a little differently in each country and even within some Latin American countries the celebrations vary. As Latinos we don’t even all have the same name for this holiday. In Mexico, it is called Dia de los Muertos. In El Salvador, it is usually called Dia de los Santos, but some regions call it Dia de los Difuntes. As a way of honoring and remembering our deceased loved ones, on November 1 in some places families spend the night in cemeteries. The idea is to sleep and wake up with them on November 2. They eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with them. The foods and drinks that are consumed during this time are all those things that your loved ones liked. In other places, families only have a tradition of visiting the grave, cleaning it, painting it and decorating it. There are families that in addition to going to the cemetery, they also prepare an altar in their homes.

For this year, on November 7 we will prepare a small ofrenda inside the Spanish Sanctuary to remember all the deceased loved ones of our members. We have asked for the collaboration of the families to prepare and decorate the altar with flowers and with those things that loved ones liked (this could include fruits, objects, foods, etc.). After our worship, we will have a small lunch as a community with the foods that were favorites of the deceased. We do this with the purpose that families can celebrate and remember their loved ones based on their traditions. Most importantly, we celebrate God’s promise of eternal life on this day.

Edwin Aparicio, Spanish Language Minister & Pastoral Intern

Brothers, we do not want you to be left without knowing what will happen to those who have already died, or to be sad, like those who have no hope. Just as we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also God will raise up with Jesus those who died in him. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

President’s Report

When I was approached approximately four years ago with the opportunity to serve on the Congregational Council executive team, the last thing I could have imagined was that a global pandemic would consume much of my time and energy in that role. Yet we find ourselves more than eighteen months into a pandemic that has taken over daily conversations and life. What that has meant for Council is a constant reflection on our “new normal” and how we care for the health of the congregation.

The pandemic has forced us to accept a pace of change and a daily uncertainty that gives us new reasons to be uncomfortable, exhausted, stressed, and worried. Yet in the midst of this, we have continued to live, grow, learn, and love. This is beautifully evident when Council reflects on the past year in preparation for the upcoming Annual Congregational Meeting.

We see life continue in a new way as we celebrate baptisms, Stepping-Stones, and marriages, while also grieving for losses. It inspires us to continue to seek new ways to be a living community as a congregation.

We see growth when we reflect as leaders on how far we’ve come since our last leadership gathering nearly two years ago. It inspires us to hope for continued growth as we discuss a vision for the coming year.

We see learning on a monthly basis as we discuss how the pandemic is changing and what our response as a congregation should be to the most current information we have. It inspires us to have an open mind and to seek further opportunity to learn.

And we see love in the support that the people of Ascension show each other through ministry, personal relationships, and giving that has kept this community as a beacon of hope in the world. It inspires us all to love as we have been loved.

My hope and my ask of each of you is for each one of us to continue to walk, together, down this uncertain road. There is so much to see along the way and the journey is of unparalleled value. I look forward to seeing you as we worship together, meet together at the Annual Congregational Meeting, and as we continue being the family God has called us to be.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Poling, Council President

church council

Walk With Ascension

Care Ministries

As we cross over into fall, the trees are changing colors, the air is brisk, and we are getting ready for the harvest. Autumn is often a more reflective time, and perhaps we can begin to “harvest” some of the lessons of the past year. Life provides us a process for exploring our lives and finding wholeness. Experiences in our lives helps us to expand our consciousness by looking at the meaning in events, repair our relationships by re-examining past hurts, guilt and regrets. It is important to discover the gifts of a long life by finding purpose in service to others, or create a legacy by sharing our life lessons. We need to accept our current condition by viewing life in a greater context and embrace our mortality by helping us achieve our integrity and self-esteem. People and opportunities come in and out of our lives throughout our life, often for very short periods of time. We can either choose to resent the fact that they are gone, or we can savor the blessing that we experienced when they were with us.

Socrates is credited with saying: “The unexamined life is not a life worth living.” In whatever way you choose to review your life, I encourage you to do so. You will achieve a greater sense of well-being, and will contribute to the growth of the coming generations.

Brenda Lytle, RN, Director of Care Ministries

Be the Village

Chosen In Love is a non-profit organization that assists families in the foster system here in Waukesha. They are hosting their Open Hearts, Open Homes Gala on Saturday, Nov. 13, at the Radisson Hotel.

Ascension’s Be the Village Ministry is helping them with this fundraiser by providing gifts for their silent auction. Our ministry provided four baskets and guitar lessons from Praise Band leader Ben Janzow. Thanks to Ben and this ministry for making a difference in the lives of foster families!

Young at Heart Potluck and Info Session on Senior Scams

Senior Eras Senior Network will be presenting S.T.O.P. Senior Frauds & Scams on Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 1-2 p.m. in East Hall following the Young at Heart potluck.

Blessing Tree

The Friday Women’s Nurture Group is collecting gift cards for three Ascension ministries this Thanksgiving and Christmas season — the Burmese refugees, the Hispanic Ministry, and Be the Village. Take a leaf for the ministry of your choice from the tree, attach it to the gift card and turn it in to the box under the tree or in the office by Nov. 19.

ToyPalooza Collection

Be the Village will have a collection in November called “ToyPalooza” to collect NEW toy donations for foster children. The need we are fulfilling will be for toys 0-24 months, preferably non-battery-operated. We hope to stimulate imaginations not necessarily senses because sometimes there are concerns in foster children with sensory overload. Examples of great toys to donate may be Duplos, nesting cups, blocks, wooden puzzles, quiet toddler or baby toys. These toys will be given to children for the holidays and distributed by Chosen. Donation collection will be in the yellow bins in the narthex Sundays Nov. 7 – 21. Thank you for making a difference in our community!

Waukesha Wellness Clinic

Ascension will be hosting a Waukesha Wellness Clinic on Nov. 20 from 12-3 p.m. Children’s covid vaccines, adult covid boosters, flu shots and blood pressure checks will be offered. Schedule online https://hayatcovidvaccine.as.me/Waukesha. Walk-ins welcome. A second clinic will be held at Ascension on Dec. 11 from 12-3 p.m.

GriefShare

Have you suffered loss and are concerned about how you will survive the holidays? Come and join us 6-8 p.m. in the Youth Room on Tuesday, Nov. 30. We will host a Grief Share video and discussion about ways to cope this time of year. Hope to see you there!

Be the Village Care Ministries Covid vaccines GriefShare Young at Heart

November Mission News

Cross Partnership

Cross provides a Food Pantry twice a month for the community and will continue into the coming months. They have informed us that they do not need food at this time but there is a need for paper towels and toilet paper, Kleenex, hygiene products and plastic grocery bags. Donations can be placed in the marked bins in the Donation Center. Cross depends on their partners to be able to continue their outreach into the community. Due to COVID restrictions, they are not planning to restart the meal program at this time.

Hope Center

This year’s Denim and Diamonds dinner will be held on Nov. 18 from 5-9 p.m. The new venue is the Brookfield Conference Center at 325 S. Mooreland Rd., Brookfield. Tickets: $125/person or $1250 for a corporate table of 10. This is the major fundraiser for the Hope Center, one of our Community Partners. The Hope Center provides for those most in need in our community. Register online at hopecenterwi.org.

SOPHIA Prayer Breakfast

SOPHIA’s annual Prayer breakfast will be held on Nov. 6 from 10 to 11 a.m. in Ascension’s Memorial Garden parking lot. Breakfast by Mama D’s will be provided. The event will be held rain or shine. Bring your lawn chairs or sit in your car to hear the presentation by Carl Fields: Stand Up When It Matters. Buy tickets at: https://tinyurl.com/Nov6SOPHIA. Tickets are $30. Contact Iva Richards or Bob Stoll with questions.

Creation Care

The Waukesha Green Team is a great resource for our Creation Care Ministry. This month we focus on weatherizing our homes. As the air gets chilly, it is time to think winter! Heating our homes is the biggest energy expenditure we have. Save $$ and stay warmer by weatherizing your home now. Prevent heat loss by sealing around your attic door and basement windows. Check doors for air leaks and put plastic on your windows if they are older. Doing these simple tasks can save up to 30% on energy bills and can save valuable fuel. www.waukeshacountygreenteam.org.

Winter Farmers Market Returns

We had a very successful market two years ago when we held our first market and then the pandemic kept us from hosting in 2021. Our market leader, Lynn Parkhurst did such a good job that Food, Faith and Farming Network has hired her to be the coordinator for all the winter markets in the area. That means we are in need of a new leader for our March market. Contact Lynn at weeziewilliams@gmail.com or Shirley Wehmeier shwehmeier@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer. Lynn will be a great helper in the planning.

Refugee Resettlement

Several Ascension members have been meeting with LSS and the synod Immigration and Refugee Task Force to learn as much as possible about ways to assist the refugees who have come to the US from Afghanistan. Congregations are needed to cosponsor families but there is also a need to gather supplies and clothing for the refugees. There are also a variety of ways to assist those who may not be assigned to a new home and who may remain at Ft. McCoy for many months. If you are interested in learning more information or meeting with a group from Ascension who will plan how we can best serve these new refugees, please contact Shirley Wehmeier. Ascension has a long history of being a welcoming congregation to refugees from all over the world for the past 20 years and we want to be ready to serve in the best way possible.

Mission Outreach

To Lambeau and Beyond

Well, it was long past due.

A holy pilgrimage to the center of devotion for all Wisconsinites. To the promised land of Lambeau. Where the water runs green and gold and so does the blood that pumps through our veins. Long lines of devoted pilgrims milling about in a sea of green and gold, praying the lines into the stadium moved fast enough to be seated before kick-off. It was a momentous experience.

Our tickets told us to climb as high as one can go in the stadium. Section 748S. So close to Jesus are these seats, that they do not show up on a normal seat map when you pull up the stadium on your laptop. And yet, they were perfect. Chairs with backs and just 22 of our closest friends to share in the experience.

Even Aaron Rodgers showed up on that late September night. Well, the real Aaron Rodgers. The one we celebrated for so many good years – even as we have struggled to be faithful in these last few years of difficult defeats and paltry passing games. Yet Rodgers did not disappoint. Especially in the second half of the game.

And the Pro Shop. Good Lord! If you think Lambeau is overwhelming – steer clear of the Pro Shop. Never have I ever seen such a display of fan fanaticism. What can you buy with a green and gold color scheme? The question is: what can you NOT buy washed in green and gold? They have everything. And so much no one should ever purchase, but to each their own.

Going to my first Packers game was an incredible moment. One I will not forget. Now, how to take that experience and package it into someone’s experience at Ascension? We are going to need fireworks and a jet for a flyover for sure. We will need bigger video screens for sure! And more entrances and metal detectors and bathrooms and concessions and expanded parking. And of course, an Ascension Pro shop where you can buy autographed 8×10’s of Pastor Tony all decked out and ready to preach. We can change the name of the Ascension Choir to the Frozen Tundra Choir and robes have to be green and gold striped like the bib overalls of Packer fame. Pews get switched out for silver benches and we can quit heating the place in the winter for more of the “experience.”

I am kidding and then again maybe not. What if people looked at the experience of worship in celebration of their faith with the same kind of dedication as they put into the planning of their tailgate menu and timing of entrance into the stadium? So grateful to our God that we are reminded that the table of welcome and worship is big enough for everyone not just those with a precious ticket. Grateful, still more, for the people who gather for worship week after week to give thanks and inspire me to reach out in love and hope to a world far larger than Lambeau Field.

I will go back in a heartbeat. Maybe even the same seats. I might skip the Pro Shop and find better food than the hotdog I bought this time around. And maybe not…that hot dog tasted so much better sitting in the stadium then they do at home. Yes, I will go back! I have more research to do!

For now, we will leave the pews in the sanctuary and keep the heat on. But the green and gold choir robes … I could get behind those tomorrow!

Peace to you people of God. Grateful for your presence. See you soon.

Pastor Chris

Reprinted from the Oct. 2021 newsletter.

Packers Pastor Chris

Seasonal Changes

I’m writing this article on the first official day of Fall…just let that sink in for a moment. The weather is quite a bit cooler today than it has been lately and there’s a refreshing crispness in the air. The calendar tells us that the season is beginning to change, but there are also other signs of change that surround us – kids are back in school, work schedules are adjusting, ministries are launching, trees are starting to change color, and favorite seasonal drinks are back in coffee shops once again. In my own life, my mom recently transitioned into home hospice care and that has brought a significant change in the life of my family. Change can be sweet, but it can also be bitter.

The seasons remind us of the many changes that life brings. And if we are being honest, most of us don’t like change in our lives, particularly if it comes with significant challenges. When change comes and interferes with our plans, we feel vulnerable and confused. This is especially true as we enter this Fall continuing to be impacted and inconvenienced by the coronavirus. The result is that we are often overwhelmed by the uncertainty of it all.

And yet, with each season comes its own strength and blessing. In the Fall, cooler weather generally makes it more enjoyable to be outdoors. There’s also a calm that Fall tends to bring to most people’s lives that the summer months filled with chaotic excitement and activity. The winter provides opportunities for cozying up in a favorite chair and reuniting with friends and family over holidays. Spring welcomes the blooming of flowers and trees and the songs of birds as warmth begins to return. And Summer gives rise to the return of barbecues, bike rides, and vacations before the whole cycle repeats itself again.

Chapter 3 from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament reminds us that for everything there is a season. I find that it is important to remember that with every seasonal transition comes both an end and a new beginning. So, as we close the book on summer and take time to reflect on our experiences, I wonder if we might also pause and pay closer attention as this new season begins and ask ourselves how God might be calling us into something new. In what new direction or to what new thing might the Spirit of God be leading us?

Life’s changes are inevitable, and no matter how hard we try we can’t avoid or prevent them. So then what are we to do? Well, I think the best thing we can do is embrace them as opportunities to allow the grace and love of God to shine in our lives. Slowing down and listening for God offers endless opportunities for us to place our faith in our amazing God who never changes. Because regardless of what season of change we may be experiencing in our life; God is constantly calling each of us to trust in God’s promises that God will be with us always – no matter what. So, while the seasons and so much in our lives may bring uncertainty and change, God’s love will never change.

People of God, each one of us have been created with wonderful and unique gifts for such a time as this. I look forward to each of us discovering all that God has in store for us and the countless ways we will use our gifts to the great glory of God. So, take a deep breath, fall is here – most importantly, God is here. I am grateful that we are walking this messy, beautiful, and difficult journey together.

Peace be with you,

Pastor Tony

Reprinted from the Oct. 2021 newsletter

changes Ecclesiastes faith fall foreverythingthereisaseason

Paid in Full: Organ Renewal

We are thrilled to announce that the recently completed organ renewal project is the fully funded to amount of $64,000 as of Sept. 26, 2021. Thank you for the generous gifts from 17 families and individuals that made this project possible.

More information about our organ from Vicki Taylor, Director of Music (Reprinted from the May 2021 newsletter):

Thirty-five years ago members of Ascension sacrificed time and treasure to make our magnificent pipe organ a reality. We have had more than 32 glorious years of leading worship with this beautiful instrument of praise, and anticipate many more to come, as a well-built and appropriately maintained pipe organ is designed to last for centuries.

The organ was designed and built by the Berghaus Organ Company located in Bellwood, Illinois specifically to meet the worship and music needs of Ascension. It was originally installed in late 1988 in what is now known as East Hall. Several years later, as the current sanctuary was under construction, the organ was dismantled and placed in storage while new construction and renovations to the building took place. The instrument was subsequently moved to its current location and voiced for the new space. The complicated process of voicing an organ takes into account the specific acoustical environment, and ensures all the pipes sound balanced and blended when played together, allowing the instrument to “speak” appropriately in the room.

The mechanical key and stop action of our instrument employs the same basic principles used by organ builders for over 400 years; in other words, there are no electronics involved. The keys are connected mechanically to the sliders that open to allow wind to enter the pipes. The blower, which forces air into the pipes, runs on electricity.

The organ consists of two manuals, or keyboards, plus pedals. The manual natural keys and pedal sharp keys are made of rosewood. Boxwood provides the contrasting material for the manual sharp keys, and maple for the pedal natural keys. The organ includes pipes made of copper, wood, and other metals; most all of the pipes were built in Germany. There are a total of 18 stops (knobs used to activate a rank, or set of pipes that create a specific sound, i.e. flute, reed, etc.), 22 ranks, and 1,098 pipes. Think of it as 18 musicians playing 22 different instruments with 1,098 valves or positions on the instruments to create varying pitches and timbres.

While our organ is relatively young, it does require an extensive cleaning and minor restoration approximately every 25 years to keep it in shape and maintain its longevity. This process includes the removal, cleaning, and minor repair of the pipework, which will improve tuning stability and tonal clarity; polishing the facade pipes; cleaning, adjusting, and lubricating all moving parts; cleaning the interior of the case of more than 30 years of built up dust and dirt; repairing the wind supply bellows. The cleaning and restoration process will take place off-site in the Berghaus shop. Once the organ has been reassembled, Berghaus artisans will spend a week on-site in the sanctuary working with every pipe to ensure proper tone and timbre throughout the instrument. The project is estimated to take 6-8 weeks, during which time the instrument will not be playable. The estimated replacement value of our organ today is between $650,000 and $700,000, making it the largest resource of the church outside the building and property.

organ project