Be Hopeful

Grief touches all of our lives. So does joy.  If you would like to join others on their journey forward with grief and joy this group might be for you.

Intentions

  • Honor each other’s grief story and personal journey (we travel at different paces and that’s o.k.)
  • Have opportunities for outreach that helps/supports others in our communities.
  • Have opportunities for learning

Dates

  • Wednesday, Aug. 16, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Ascension (dessert, sharing, and a project)
  • Thursday, Sept. 7, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Ascension (dessert and guest speaker Gail Cullen about her book Owning Grief).

Contact Teri Quam or Pastor Tony with questions.

GriefShare

If you are or someone you know 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 network of 12,000+ churches worldwide, equipped to offer grief support groups. Ascension’s grief recovery ministry offers GriefShare in a series of weekly support meetings designed to offer compassionate conversation along with helpful tools and resources to help you process your grief and rebuild your life after losing a loved one.

The current session of GriefShare is a 10-week program led by Pastor Tony and takes place on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. from March 27 – May 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.

Participants are encouraged to attend all 10 sessions however you are also welcome to begin our GriefShare group at any point. Each session is “self-contained,” so you do not have to attend in sequence, and you will be able to pick up any session you missed in our 10-week cycle.

Please contact the church office to sign up or sign up online. Questions? Please contact Pastor Tony, 262-547-8518 or tony@ascensionelca.org.

The Light Shines in the Darkness

As I reflect on the current state of our world, I find myself overcome by moments of sadness and anger. And I imagine many if not all of you who read this can relate in some way. The level of people’s stress, uncertainty, fear, worry, and anxiety are elevated to unhealthy levels and daily I hear from people at a loss about what to do or where to turn for comfort much less find any answers how to make things better. 

And even though I’m skilled and experienced in dealing with difficult, stressful, and traumatic circumstances I too need to be careful not to allow these things to overwhelm me. From lost jobs, failed relationships, and difficult diagnoses, to parade tragedies, mass shootings in schools and churches, senseless global wars, political division, environmental destruction, and a global pandemic that just won’t go away, it seems there are plenty of reasons for fear, worry and sadness and sometimes it all feels like a lot to take in.

So, what are we to do then? Where will we find rest or relief from these things that pull us further away from the abundant life that God promises? I know that many of you are exhausted and discouraged, and wonder what’s the use in trying, but I urge you not to give up – don’t lose hope – even if you can’t see the light right now. You are not alone in your suffering, and I don’t mean this to be grim or discouraging, instead I want to remind you that you are not alone – that you do not bear your struggles, grief, fear, sadness, or any of it alone.

In this, I hope you will find encouragement to keep moving forward, keep believing in the possibility of a different reality, keep working toward changing and improving – yourself, your family, your workplace, your church, your neighborhood, community, country, and world. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5) God is reminding us that the darkness in our lives can never extinguish the light, there is always hope, there is always possibility. “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

My friends, I pray that you will trust in God’s promise, presence, and strength to be with you and carry you through this and every difficult season of life. Even as I struggle alongside you, please know that I am grateful to be on the journey alongside you holding you and our world in prayer, confident that God is working in all things to bring us the peace, joy, and abundant future God is preparing for us. And I hope that each of us will see the worship, community, and ministries here at Ascension as a beacon of God’s light in the darkness and as we do may we each know God’s peace that passes all understanding.

Pastor Tony

Another Tragedy

Once again the power of death has made itself known in the world as we grieve the loss of life of children and educators at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The city and state are far enough away that we can briefly read those words and quietly dismiss the horror of the tragedy. However, we found out last November that we are not immune from the power of death or instance of tragedy as members of our own community ran for cover, jumped out of the way, assisted with the wounded and the dying, and held vigil for the grief of families in Waukesha.

I have said my prayers this day for the families of children who will never walk through front doors again. Prayers for summer activities ended before they began. Prayers for families who now plan funerals instead of end of year celebrations. And now we sit with our grief and ask ourselves once again: are these children finally worthy of our attention and care to beg for more mental health care resources to be offered, require background checks or waiting periods to purchase firearms, or offer a greater respect for those who put their lives on the line each day to protect our most precious gifts of God, namely our teachers and first responders.

I am not interested in the debate of these things. There is always a time for more words – Lord knows, I use too many words much of the time. My concern is whether the amount of words we use will only delay the inevitable next e-alert as we grieve with another city in another state about another school and the loss of life.

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.

Pastor Chris

October Care Ministries

Pandemic Grief

You may feel distress from loss or change during the COVID-19 pandemic; you may feel grief due to loss of a job; inability to connect in-person with friends, family or religious organizations; missing special events and milestones (such as graduations, weddings, vacations); and experiencing drastic changes to daily routines and ways of life that bring comfort. You may also feel a sense of guilt for grieving over losses that seem less important than loss of life. Grief is a universal emotion; there is no right or wrong way to experience it, and all losses are significant. Here are some ways to cope with feelings of grief:

  • Acknowledge your losses and your feelings of grief.
  • Find ways to express your grief. Some people express grief and find comfort through art, gardening, writing, talking to friends or family, cooking, music, gardening or other creative practices.
  • Consider developing new rituals in your daily routine to stay connected with your loved ones to replace those that have been lost.
  • People who live together may consider playing board games and exercising together outdoors.
  • People who live alone or are separated from their loved ones may consider interacting through phone calls and apps that allow for playing games together virtually.
  • If you are worried about future losses, try to stay in the present and focus on aspects of your life that you have control over right now.

Each Day a Gift

It is hard to believe that fall is here already. The famous “pumpkin spice” returns in our coffees, teas, and candle scents. The leaves are turning and a coolness in the air brings on the changing of the seasons. This is a reminder to me of the verse: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecc. 3:1)

People should try to accept each day as a gift from the hand of God because God has a reason and a time for all things. People may be ignorant of God’s timing, but they are called to enjoy life in the present and trust in God. God offers so much wisdom in the saying, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Our activity in this world is meaningful as we rely on His wisdom, His timing, and His goodness.

Director of Care Ministries Brenda Lytle, RN

(Reprinted from the Oct. 2021 newsletter)