Category: Newsletter Articles

Final Fall Semester

Where do I begin? The last 18 months, and in fact the last five and a half years that I’ve been Ascension’s Director of Faith Formation, has gone by so quickly. And here we are – the end of my pastoral internship at Ascension has come, and as I reflect on this wonderful experience, I’d like to share a few thoughts from our journey together.

Throughout my internship, but also since I began seminary in the fall of 2016, and even since I began as Ascension’s Director of Faith Formation in February of 2014, you have patiently walked alongside me, supporting and encouraging me in my journey of pastoral formation. From worship and other church leadership, mission trips, preaching, celebrations, tragedies, and tender moments of pastoral care, we have grown together in our faith and our relationship has deepened along the way. I can recall countless moments where you have reflected the very grace of God that I’ve tried to proclaim in my sermons, and your joy and celebration over my accomplishments as well as support in my struggles has been a crucial piece of my pastoral identity.

Over the past several weeks, many of you have asked what’s next for Ascension; for me; for us. And while I wish I had all the answers for what’s to come, here is what I do know. This month I begin my final fall semester of seminary, while returning solely to my role as Director of Faith Formation. I’m thrilled to focus my energies here once again and walk alongside the children, youth, and families of Ascension – inspiring faith and love for the amazing God I have come to follow even more passionately. And I look forward to building excitement and encouraging the faith formation of Ascension’s families next summer when Ascension begins to look for a new Director of Faith Formation who will love, challenge, support and walk alongside you in faith and life.

I’m eager for my final fall semester to get underway and I’m excited that for the days ahead that we will continue to walk alongside one another. Now, I may not know what the future holds, but what I do know with absolute certainty is that the Holy Spirit is alive and active at Ascension and continues to call us all to a deeper faith and relationship with a God who loves us, desires us, and pursues us every moment of this incredible journey. I know that the Spirit is stirring, and lives are being transformed. I know that whatever God has planned for the future, we will not have to face it alone. And I know that my love for you has grown deeper because of God’s blessing of each day that we have been gifted together.

What I also know is that I am grateful beyond words for your tender care and loving compassion for me, for my family, and for our relationship throughout this journey. I want to encourage us all not to worry about what the future may hold for any of us. God has blessed us with days passed and days yet to come. Jesus our loving Savior has already shown us the way, and now we need to trust and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to faithfully follow wherever we may be led.

Thank you for accepting, loving, challenging, and blessing me as your intern pastor and Director of Faith Formation. Thanks be to God for all that has been, all that is, and all that is yet to come.

Peace and love,

Tony

(Reprinted from the Sept. 2019 newsletter)

newsletter

An Ending & A Beginning

In the immortal words of the lyrics from the Sound of Music, “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” Except we are not solving a MARIA problem, we are solving a TONY problem. And truly, the LAST thing Tony is, to all of us, is a problem!

Yet, we have come this far by faith. Ascension hired Tony in the fall of 2013 and he began his ministry as the Director of Faith Formation in February 2014. Lord, how far we have come. In the spring of 2016, Tony and I started talking about the possibility of seminary. We realized through multiple conversations that Tony had been running from God’s call for a long time. Since Tony was a marathon runner – running was no problem. Yet, God has the power and the stamina to outlast us all, and even Tony could not run forever. So in the Fall of 2016, Tony entered Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, IA. He entered a program that allowed him to work full-time at Ascension while concurrently taking classes full-time. After 18 months of classes he began his internship with us in February 2017.

For the last 18 months Tony has led a double-life as the Director of Faith Formation and Pastoral Intern and somehow kept his head above water in order to also be husband, father, and self-care advocate. It turns out we are coming to the end of Tony’s time as pastoral intern. On Aug. 18, Tony will preach his last sermon as our pastoral intern. We will celebrate the end of his internship with a reception in-between services and give thanks to God for his ministry among us as our pastoral intern. (BUT WAIT – HOLD ON!)

Tony is not leaving but his ministry among us is changing. After Sunday, Aug. 18, Tony will be away from Ascension from Friday, Aug. 23, through Friday, Sept. 8. The time away is to allow Tony to reset himself into the role of Director of Faith Formation and attend his normally scheduled “Prologue” week at the seminary. Tony’s time away also provides an opportunity for Ascension to reset as well. In September, Tony will return to his role of tending the faith formation and needs of primarily our children, junior high, and senior high populations along with their families. He will be, of course, available to chat and tend all of us as he always has, but he will no longer fulfill the role of pastor in our midst. It is unfair of us to ask Tony to continue in the role of pastor while he continues in his final year of seminary education. It is also unfair of Ascension to ask him to tend us as pastor, when we do not pay him appropriately for that specific role. All that being said…what is next?

At the July council meeting, the timeline for the next call process was introduced. In September, members will be invited to nominate other members to serve on the Call Team. The Church Council will craft the Call Team in October and we will install the Call Team in early November with the expectation that we will be ready to interview in February or March. And in February or March, as in September through November, as in every day of our lives, we will invite the Holy Spirit to tend the ministry of this place and the call process to come. We will pray for Ascension and our future; we will pray for Tony and his family and their future; and we will ask God to let God’s will be done among us. And we will not be singing, “How do we solve a problem like Tony,” we will simply continue to sing our praise to God as we have always done and lift our praise and our prayers to our God.

See you in church.
Pastor Chris

(Reprinted from the August 2019 newsletter)

Pastor Chris Tony Acompanado

The Gift of Time

The months of June and July were filled with our CRASH Graduate Recognition, JOLT Adventure Camp, visiting sick and hospitalized members, catching up with other members and interfaith partners, stepping in to lead worship, and finally taking a much needed vacation with my family. As now, as I reflect on these incredible moments, I’m overtaken with joy by the gift this time with others has offered.

Being invited into the vulnerable moments of those who have been sick or injured and dwelling with them in their pain, suffering, nervousness, and fear continues to open my eyes to the unbelievable compassion Jesus showed those he encountered, and calls us to model just the same. And having opportunities to reconnect with community, synod, and interfaith partners has been a rich reminder of the joy that is found in being part of the worldwide Body of Christ.

And finally, our family had the most amazing and unexpected experience when we went on a dream vacation with my wife’s family. The reconnecting time with each other and the reclaiming of my own self helped me come to the realization that too often in life we take for granted the gift of time with others. Typically, we go about our daily lives, running here and there, thoughtlessly following routine after routine, and as a result we often get disconnected from being fully present with those God gifts to us. I’ve been sharing with many of you that this was the first vacation I’ve ever taken where I’ve totally disconnected from everything but my family – to say being fully present with them was amazing would be an understatement.

As I wrap up my pastoral internship this month and reflect on the countless events of the past 18 months, I’m amazed how they have helped shape me into the pastor that I’m becoming. And I stand in awe at how amazing it has been to walk with you, lead you, comfort you, and celebrate with you throughout your life moments and my journey of pastoral formation. I am deeply grateful for every opportunity to be involved in the life of this congregation and wish to thank you for your partnership, care, support, and encouragement throughout this amazing journey.

These various gifts of time have inspired me to recognize God’s presence in so many unexpected ways and they remind me of the great joy found in answering God’s call to serve and walk alongside others while pointing them to the beautiful abundance of God’s grace and love.

Now, I don’t believe that you have to experience a milestone moment, go on a church trip, or take a family vacation to experience the gift of time. Whatever moment God places before you, you simply have to not be so wrapped up that you miss out on the gift of being fully present and attentive to those God has generously gifted you time with. From time to time put your phone away, set your to do list and your expectations aside and just be present in the moments God is placing before you. Allow yourself to take in the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of these precious moments – and then filled with unimaginable joy, give thanks to our amazing God for such an incredible gift. Enjoy these last few weeks of summer because they’ll be gone before you know it.

Tony Acompanado
Pastoral Intern

(Reprinted from the August 2019 newsletter)

Tony Acompanado

From El Salvador to Seminary

As I am in the process of completing the paperwork to begin seminary in the fall, I thought I would share the story of my path so far. I have always felt that God had a purpose for my life. My childhood was surrounded by the violence of the Salvadoran Civil War. There were many times I could have died, but God watched over me and kept me safe. I always lived my life knowing God must have a purpose for me.

I had many leadership roles with the church in El Salvador. Pastor Julio, my pastor, asked me to become a diaconal pastor. It took me a year to say yes. After that, I was named a diaconal pastor by Bishop Gomez. My dream was to use my business degree to be an advisor to the church.

I worked with the church in El Salvador until March 2013 when I moved to the US to be with my wife. Moving to a new country can be difficult, but my arrival was exciting because our daughter was born within an hour of my plane landing in Milwaukee. I went to the hospital directly from the airport and she was born five minutes after I arrived. It was an amazing way to start my new life in a new country.

I joined Ascension where I was the only Spanish speaker. I studied English and worked as a landscaper, exploring different possibilities for a new career. During this time, family and friends continued to move to Waukesha and attend church at Ascension. Now I was not the only Latino. There were twelve Latinos at Ascension, attending the English service, even though they could not understand what was being said. PC would use Google translate to print his sermon into Spanish to help the people. I was embarrassed. Ascension had long had a dream of starting a Spanish worship service, and now seemed like a good time.

Since beginning Spanish ministry in September, it has continued to grow. Our congregation has grown and we’ve had special events like Las Posadas, the alfombras for Holy Week, and summer cook outs that have strengthened our cultural traditions and connected both communities. It became clear that the time had come for me to accept God’s plan for me to attend seminary. I am grateful for all of the support I have received from Pastor Chris, Tony, and all of the members of Ascension.

Edwin Aparicio
Spanish-Language Minister

(Reprinted from the August 2019 newsletter)

Edwin Aparicio

Our Story, Part 3: 1966-1982

Back to our history lesson. But first a little review. Our first church, no bigger than a modern three car garage held its first service in 1949. By 1955 we had greatly overwhelmed our little church structure and our ever-expanding congregation went looking for larger space. We first purchased property on Moreland and Hawthorn but within a few years realized this did not offer enough space for or future needs, and then purchased 7.5 acres in the Dopp subdivision where our church currently stands. At this same time (1964-1965) Pastor Henry Ebling accepted a call to Ascension after we had suffered the death of our second Pastor, Theodore Heuser, from cancer in 1962.

On July 31, 1966, ground was broken for our new church on these seven and a half acres. This was to be “the church” — bigger, better with office space, a modern design (modern for 1966, remember) with plenty of room to grow and expand. And we did and have ever since. On April 2, 1967, our new church was dedicated. Our church is what most of us now know as East Hall or where the Spanish Ministry Service is held on Sundays. For the time, it was a grand area with tall ceilings and golden glass windows running down each side. It had a raised alter area, as well, running the length of the south side and a grand entrance back where the coat closets are currently located. This was no longer that three car garage but a whole aircraft hangar and then some.

Our old church, built by hand by our first Pastor Lee Egloff, was sadly (looking at it through current eyes), sold to a nearby resident who remodeled it into a three-room boarding house. At a later time, it was remodeled again into a rental apartment but eventually left to deteriorate. The city eventually condemned the structure and razed the building in 1985. Nothing has stood in its place since.

By 1971, Pastor Ebling accepted a call to a Kenosha church and a year later Pastor Ron Daley accepted our call. With our growth continuing, Pastor Daley experimented with adding services and changing service times. As everyone should realize, trying to find the right proportion of praising our Lord in service and having a Sunday day off, is hard work. He tried a 6:30 Saturday evening service which didn’t last long. He tried a 6:45 am Sunday service that again didn’t last long and even threw in a 11:30 Sunday morning service in September 1973.

As one of our congregation told me, having attended a couple of these services, she could not remember any men being there. “And you were darn surprised when you did see one.” Remembering as a child with a sports-minded father, I will have to assume sports, TV and the male characteristic of watching sports on TV, especially in September, probably doomed this service quickly.

By February of 1976, Pastor Daley had decided to move on from Ascension, but by June that same year Pastor Frank Janzow accepted his call to us. At this time our congregation had 937 baptized members along with 590 communicant members. A wee bit more than those original 24 members in 1949. Pastor Frank’s first years were busy. In 1978, after much thoughtful prayer and deep discernment the Ascension congregation voted to drop membership from the Missouri Synod and reside membership with the ALCA (Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches) — English District. Two years later we also, after much prayer and deep thought, decided to add what was then called the education wing to our church. This wing is what currently constitutes that long hallway from the main church office down to the Prayer Room.

As Ascension’s life, and the life of our congregation, continued to churn, meld, and take ever-changing shapes, Ascension decided an assistant pastor was needed to help fill the gaps Pastor Frank could not fill. Remember one person is still just one person even if Pastor is part of their first name. In July 1982, Pastor James Bickel accepted his call to Ascension as Assistant Pastor.

And here let us reflect a moment. We, Ascension, have come from the planting of God’s will into an Army Colonel (Pastor Egloff was a Colonel during the Second World War) in the jungles of Panama, to this man coming with his family following the war, to Waukesha, a place he was not completely familiar with. To him building a church, by hand, before there was even a congregation. To having our first 24 members expand our church beyond the walls of our first structure in the first decade of our existence. To building a new church four times the size of our first and filling this with near a thousand baptized members and needing to add even more space … to having two pastors to serve our congregational needs. All this in the first 40 years. And we still have 30 more years to relate to you in our next article in September.

Scott Tenwinkel
Council member, Ascension’s 70th anniversary team

(Reprinted from the August 2019 newsletter.)

History

The Mountain Top

I stood on the top of a mountain in the middle of June.

In the midst of 22 junior high students and four adults, I found myself wrapped in a waist harness and attached to a rope. I walked to the base of the mountain and looked for the first crevices for hands and feet to secure the beginning of my ascent. A couple of attempts met with frustration. And then a ledge for my left foot and a crevice for my right hand and I was on my way up the rock face. Sweat ran into my eyes and every slip of a hand or a foot caused a little skin to stay with the mountain. About half way up the mountain I reached a plateau where I could turn around and sit and rest. Looking out through the thick canopy of trees, I caught glimpses of the river below and the rock formations across the valley. Yet through the canopy of trees, I could not see a clear picture – only momentary glimpses when the wind blew the trees one way or another.

I turned back to the rock face and began again. I learned that the farther up the rock face you climb, the more difficult it is to find crevices for your hands and feet. At the bottom of the mountain there are countless smooth ledges where others have traveled to give you direction. Yet, the higher you climb, the fewer people there are who have gone before you. I was no longer able to depend on the smoothness of edges to tell me where to hold next. So on a wing and a prayer, I climbed upward. At the very top, I found solid footing and stood on the very top of the mountain. When I turned around I could see the entire valley – the river, the cliffs across the valley, and entire canopy of trees – no longer an obstruction but now a carpet to frame the view. If I had decided to stop half way up the mountain I would have never seen the big picture. I am glad for the difficulty of the climb – the view at the top was worth the challenge.

I am always hopeful that I am able to share the big picture with members of the church. Yes, we get caught up in the details every now and again but I am hopeful that much of the time we are able to focus on the bigger picture of who and what makes us church. I am hopeful that we are always focused on God. In our worship, in our study, in our reflection, and in our service that we are always putting God first and always giving God the glory. I am hopeful that we remember that the mission of Ascension – to share the love of God through our Worship; to Grow in our relationship with God; to Walk alongside each other; and to Serve both the community inside our walls and outside our walls is a part of the larger mission that God offers to us. Our ministry, our obedience, our following in the footsteps of our Savior is about joining in God’s mission for the world, specifically: to bring others to the saving knowledge of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There are times when we get caught up in the little details. Sometimes we need to get caught. Are we doing what we can in and through our worship to welcome others? Are we tending the needs of our building so that this house of worship can support the needs of future generations? Are we looking outside our walls to the needs of those around us? In all things, are we always pointing to Jesus as our Savior? Now, there is the big picture item.

As you enter into summer rhythms, I invite you to consider the details when you need to but also to keep your eyes on the big picture. Take the step, climb the mountain, choose to step back and reflect when you find a moment. Enjoy the gifts of God that invite us into precious moments with those we love and tender moments of self-care. Sometimes the big picture moments can be found in the smallest of details.

See you in church.
Pastor Chris

(Reprinted from the July 2019 newsletter)

Our Story: Part Two

In the last segment of our story we learned a little about the city Ascension has called home for the last 70 years. Now, we should figure out how our church home came to be in this beautiful city of Waukesha. If you remember, our first church (we have had three in the last 70 years) was at what is now 803 Madison Street on the corner of Fairview. Our home there, sadly to say, is no longer standing but instead a small park graces the area. What once stood there, however, was a beautiful “chapel”-style church not much bigger than a modern-day three-car garage.
This small church was built from scratch, pretty much, as a do-it-yourself project by our first Pastor, Rev. Lee Egloff. He personally built much of the concrete block building himself, with a $20,000 loan from the Mission Fund of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Most of the construction occurred during the fall of 1948 through the summer of 1949. Although built of concreate block, one of the first construction projects to use this method in Waukesha, the inside has been described as being warm and friendly with a hard wood floor and oak trim throughout. Its foot print measured 24’ by 40’.

We have to assume Pastor Egloff came to Waukesha with a strong vision of the future and with the will of God at hand, as he began constructing his church before he even had a congregation to serve or a name for our future home. Sources such as the Waukesha Freeman and our own previous historical compilations pick the date of the first service at this new church as occurring between April 1949 and November of that same year. Further research is needed to confirm. We do know for sure that by November of 1949 Ascension Lutheran was conceived with a membership of 24. In April of 1950 our founders applied for membership to the Missouri Synod English District. We also purchased property on the corner of Moreland Boulevard and Hawthorne Drive, as already the vision was that this small chapel would not be able to comfortably-support a rapidly-expanding congregation. We offered two services on Sunday mornings, 8 and 11 a.m. The 8 a.m. service was specifically focused for the children of the congregation while the 11 a.m. was directed more for adults. Our first baptism occurred shortly following the first service, in the new church, for baby Marsha Ullsperger (now Marsha James).

In a ten-year span to 1959, this 24 member congregation had grown to 215 with 115 children in Sunday School. Somewhere in these 10 years, church services changed to almost what we have today, 8:15 and 10:45 a.m., with Sunday School between. In that same year, 33 newborns where also added to the swelling numbers of the church. With a strong plan for the future and a growing congregation, Pastor Egloff moved on to accept the challenges of a new congregation by accepting a call to St. Johns Lutheran Church in Oxford, Wisconsin in July of 1962. Theodore Heusar took over the reigns of pastor of Ascension. However, soon after arriving, he became ill and died of cancer in December 1964. During this careworn time, we had several interim pastors with Walter Gauger being the longest serving until the fall of 1965.

Even with the struggles of a suffering pastor and the uncertainty of who would fill the pastoral shoes, our forbearers kept the vision of a strong congregation in sight. In August of 1964, 7.5 acres of land was purchased on Dopp St. with the thought that this land could house not only a church but a fellowship hall along with plenty of parking and the ability to expand further when that time came. The land previously purchased on Moreland was deemed not suitable to fulfill these potential plans and was sold to support the new purchase.

In August 1965 Pastor Henry C. Ebeling accepted the call to Ascension. With no room to expand nor even the ability to park a car nearby for Sunday morning service, ground was broken at the new site on Dopp St., on July 31, 1966. Construction crews began building the new church and fellowship hall in August of that same year. What took $20,000 to build in 1949, took $125,000 to build in 1966, albeit on a much larger scale to accommodate a much larger congregation and expanding community.

As you can see, we have been a church community in fluid motion since our beginnings. We have never been a congregation to just sit on our heels and accept what we are in that place and time. We have always thought of the future, not only of our current members but on future members and the community we occupy, as well. With God as a guide we move forward, remembering our past but not living in our past.

Our next journey in looking back will take us from the ground breaking of our second church to the wonders of expansion into the spaces we now occupy.

The answers to last month’s quiz — 1.Who was the President of the United States back in 1949? (Harry S. Turman) 2. How many Presidents have there been since Ascension came to be? (13) 3. Who was our State Governor? (Oscar Rennebohm) 4. How many church buildings has Ascension been in from 1949 to today? (3) Bonus question for those looking for an A+, how many Pastors have we had in the last 70 years? (7)

Remember this is not a history of a building or things and objects, it is the history of people, of you, of us. If any of you have memories of our time as a congregation in our first church and the ground breaking of our second church we would love to hear from you. You can send an email, leave a written note at the church office or find myself, Roger Norberg or Linda Hansen and tell us. We would love to compile your memories of Ascension and be able to share with all.

Scott Tenwinkel
Council board member, Ascension’s 70th anniversary team

Reprinted from the June 2019 newsletter.

History

Christ Is Risen

Christ Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Still the words of resurrection hope and promise ring in our ears as we make our way towards the last days of the season of Easter and are about to be overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit’s presence in the coming season of Pentecost. If you are having trouble remembering the story, the disciples are together in once place – Jesus has ascended into heaven – and the disciples are at a little bit of a loss even as they have received their direction from Jesus to, “go into all the world and baptize in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” And as the disciples are gathered, the winds of the Spirit begin to blow and tongues of flame rest over each of the disciples and scripture says, “all were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.” There is so much more to the story, but what is important to me is the end of that verse where Luke talks about speaking in other tongues.

We so often hear those words and immediately begin to imagine other languages. I am led to believe that “other tongues” also references different expressions of who we are as the People of God together. As I write these words, I am reveling in the preaching and worship of colleagues who gather each year for the Festival of Homiletics. An Olympics of preaching if you will – preaching not for title or crown – but for the encouragement and conviction and upbuilding of fellow preachers in the Church. I use Church with a Capital “C” because there are Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Salvation Army, Catholic, Episcopalians, African Methodist Episcopalian, and Baptist preachers all together in once place. And the “other tongues” I am experiencing are preaching and proclaiming God’s Word in some incredible ways.

All that being said, I am wholly aware of this life and calling as pastor that always invites me to moments of reflection on who I am as pastor and who we are as the community of Ascension. I am overwhelmed with what the Holy Spirit has been doing around Ascension. The Mission Outreach dinner and fundraiser was really a tremendous outpouring of both God’s love and the Spirit’s presence. Yes – we raised a lot of money to tend travel costs for delegates from Tanzania and assist with travel costs for delegates heading to El Salvador; BUT we also saw the gifts of fellowship, education, partnership, and multi-generational community. It truly was a sight to behold. More than 140 members of Ascension, family, and friends gathered to help us walk the journey of accompaniment together.

In the midst of such joy, I am also excited and a little bit overwhelmed by the growth and ministry happening with our Spanish Language Worshipping community. Edwin Aparicio, Ascension’s Spanish Language Minister, has been providing for and tending a fledging community of native Spanish speakers that is now firmly standing alongside our English speaking worshipping community. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit’s work. Five years ago, if you had asked me if Ascension would be sharing in the development of a Spanish language worshipping community within our own walls I would have laughed and said, “probably not!” Except – God knew better. God knows better. And our ideas and hopes and dreams are but one side of the coin when we step into sharing God’s mission and ministry in the world.

In less than a year, our Spanish language worship has grown from 12 to 27 in average worship attendance. A Spanish language Bible study is meeting weekly with 7-12 in attendance. Edwin is preparing to begin first communion classes. It is a wonderful expression of the “other tongues” that Pentecost introduces not simply in language but in ministry and action and faithful following of our God.

I am a firm believer that a church expecting to not just survive but actually succeed in sharing the story of God’s love and the saving power of Jesus needs to be open to what God is doing in the world. A church, like Ascension, knows better than most that to give glory to God means to focus on worship – giving our very best to God. We are committed to tending people – young and old and everyone. We are confident and unapologetic in our telling the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We are excited to be about God’s work in our church, our neighborhoods, our city, and our world. We know, and I am happy to remind you, that each of us carries a tongue of fire above our heads. We reflect God’s light into the world. We are “other tongues” telling the story of death and resurrection through our words, our actions, and our willingness to learn, reflect, and engage with the people we love – the enemies we need to love – and all those we have yet to meet. Thank you for being an “other” tongue of fire. Thank you for being another tongue of fire, added to other tongues of fire at Ascension and around the world that speak and live out words of hope to our world.

Blessed Pentecost to you! You are called to follow in this season of fire and freedom – where God unleashes the Holy Spirit’s power on you and all the world to the great glory of God.

See you in church.
Pastor Chris

Reprinted from the June 2019 newsletter.