Serve with Ascension in August

SOPHIA Multicultural Fair

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

Hope Center

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

Ascension Planning a Habitat Build

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

Tutoring News

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

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

New Blessing Box and Little Library

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

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

June Mission News

Mustard Seed Ministry Update

I was so excited about my mustard seed plant growing and thriving on my window seat. I even shared it on the Mission Outreach Facebook page as a way to demonstrate how together we can have a big impact if we each take a step out in ministry. I was so excited to see the little seeds grow into many small plants that grew taller each week. Then, I got busy with the Ministry Fair and other personal things that distracted me from my goal of taking good care of my little plants. My busy schedule made me forget the plants until I went to transplant them into bigger pots. Imagine my shock when they had shriveled and stopped growing. I had only one or two plants that survived my neglect. What a follow-up to our Ministry Fair! So many people with so many fresh ideas and so much interest in our ministries added excitement to the Fair. Then people got busy and distracted and by the time ministry leaders called on them, they were too busy or had forgotten all about the sign-up sheets. Just like the neglected plants, the ministry commitment withered without attention and determination. Busy schedules can be adapted and energy can be recharged so that the mustard seed of faith can grow into something bigger. Together, our mustard seeds of faith can have a huge impact in our own lives, in our church, our community and our world. Where are you planting your mustard seed? 

Shirley Wehmeier, Serve Wing Leader

Hope Center Open House

You have likely heard about the new Hope Center building. You are invited to attend an open house to see all the programs that they offer on June 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be a dedication at 6 p.m. Ascension was one of the founding congregations back when they were located in the M & M building on Main and Maple offering Mission and Ministry. The program has outgrown two buildings and now occupies the entire old Chase Bank at 101 W. Broadway which has been completely renovated to meet the program needs. What a great way to learn more about one of our community partners! You may even find a way you want to serve.

Habitat for Humanity Dream Builders Gala

Habitat for Humanity is hosting their annual Gala at the very site where the dream of home ownership becomes a reality: the Domenica Park Neighborhood, on June 14 at 6 p.m. Garden party attire is recommended. Join Habitat for an inspiring evening beneath a glamorous tent and on the actual build site where homes are being built. Enjoy drinks, delicious food catered by Sendiks, entertainment and a chance to help create real and positive change in Waukesha and Jefferson County. More information and tickets available at https://www.habitatwaukesha.org/dreambuilders.

SOPHIA Multicultural Fair

Save the date for the SOPHIA Multicultural Fair on August 17 at Frame Park, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Several of our members have participated in this in the past two years and have really enjoyed the music, the food, the resources and the dancing. More information will follow but please mark your calendar and take note of the new location.

Tanzania Partnership News

For the past several months, we have been following the sad story of the Tanzanian government taking the land of Galilaya church and the homes of the people that live in the area. They have been promised compensation for their land, although it is far below market value. Since losing the church building, they have worked together to create a new worship space. A member who did not have his land seized, donated some land for a new church. Members saved their money to buy lumber to create a short-term worship space. Church members worked together to build the new temporary space as well as to dig the foundation for a more permanent church.

We also received news that a fourth preaching point has been added to Samaria Parish in May. Kijenge is the newest church that is part of the Samaria parish network. Like Galilaya preaching point, the members of Kijenge are worshipping in a temporary space for now. They have asked for our prayers to support these ministry challenges.

Gracias from the El Salvador Delegates

At the end of July, a multigenerational delegation of twelve Ascension members, alongside five Lake Park members, will travel to El Salvador to visit the ministries of our sister parishes in El Salvador. On May 18, over 100 Ascension members and friends came together to celebrate our partnerships and to raise funds to support this summer’s trip. It was inspiring the way Ascension came together with donations, writing for Thrivent grants, donating food and beverages for the dinner, and bidding on the items, playing games, and joining together in fellowship for the purpose of celebrating our partnerships in Tanzania, and this year, especially in El Salvador. A special thanks for Cynthia Carlson and her team for stepping in at the last minute to takeover the catering.

NAMI

Mental health conditions are common among teens and young adults. Fifty percent of all lifetime mental illnesses develop by age 14 and 75% develop by age 24. A mental health condition isn’t your fault or your family’s fault — these conditions develop for complicated reasons that researchers are only just starting to understand. Ascension partners with NAMI to help understand the scary and confusing aspects of mental health in ourselves or our families. There are a variety of ways that NAMI programs can help us understand more about mental health and the help that is available. See their website for more information. 

Serve With Ascension

November updates include Pastor Julio’s visit, NAMI, a new minsitry, Christmas parade, Christmas Clearing Council, Habitat for Humanity Gingerbread House and Thank You’s.

Pastor Julio Visits Ascension

After many years of brotherhood with the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Usulután in El Salvador, their pastor was finally able to visit and worship together with our community. Pastor Julio had the opportunity to attend one of the Bible studies on Grace that Pastor Tony is conducting. He helped lead JOLT and was part of all of the fun. He toured the Hope Center facilities to learn about this ministry project. In the absence of both Pastor Chris and Pastor Tony for Sunday worship, Pastor Julio was able to accompany Pastor Edwin in the English service and in the bilingual service. He even had the chance to enjoy an early Thanksgiving dinner.

Pastor Julio is surprised with all the great work Ascension is doing. He believes that many of these things can be implemented in El Salvador, for example work with children and young people. With adults he hopes to implement bible study sessions using the same Max Lucado book, Grace, that Ascension is currently using. Ascension gave him the book in Spanish so that he and Pastora Blanca could read it and decide if they would like to do a Bible study. If they do the Bible study, Ascension will purchase the books in Spanish and send them to them so that the Bible study is a success.

The intention of Ascension is to share with our brotherhood part of the resources that are available. These types of resources are sadly not available to the pastors and leadership of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church. Ascension will continue to be illuminated by the guidance of the Holy Spirit on our journey of sharing his love with another. Thank you to everyone who made Pastor Julio feel welcome during his time here.

Mental Health in Families of Faith

NAMI Mental Health in Families of Faith will be Nov. 14 2 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 631 N 19th St., Milwaukee. Come to hear Meg Kissinger and Kathleen Geuder-Martin bravely share their personal and moving stories of growing up in families with mental illness and how their faith helped them. They will be sharing from their newly-released memoirs. All are welcome.

Mustard Seed Ministry

On October, 5 Ascension members attended the annual SOPHIA Community Prayer Breakfast. What a wonderful day it was to be inspired by people of faith who see that by working together we can accomplish so much more than as individual congregations or even denominations. We were reminded of the great needs in our community for a reformed immigration system and ways to assist immigrants and refugees in adapting to life in this country. Affordable housing is becoming a crisis in the entire county not just for the very poor but increasingly for the younger and the older ends of the age spectrum as new construction tends to meet the needs of the middle. Affordable housing has many barriers that can be overcome. These are just two of many areas of justice and opportunity that SOPHIA is working to resolve. We were challenged by a Moravian pastor to stand and take a step forward and follow Jesus’ parable of planting a mustard seed of faith. When we love and nurture our seed, a giant plant will grow. Would you like to meet to discuss Mustard Seed Ministry? We think Thanksgiving time is a great time to be thankful for the harvest already completed through the work of SOPHIA and now we can take that leap of faith and plant some new seeds that can help grow a field of Ministry Mustard plants that can make a difference in our community. Each small step can lead to a big result. The prayer breakfast closed by a reminder from a Catholic priest that “Whatever we do for the least of these, we do unto Christ Himself.” This just happens to be the motivating force behind all that our Mission Outreach Team is doing. Join us between services on Nov. 19 to discuss the planting strategy for Ascension. “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”( Micah 6:8)

Waukesha Christmas Parade, Dec. 3

One of our goals has been to make the community more aware of Ascension’s unique ministries and how we are bringing the good news of God’s love for all into the community. The Christmas parade provides us with this opportunity. We need your help. We need people to help with the final preparations before the parade. We need candy donations for handing out on the parade route. We need people to hand out candy and keep the candy bins full. We need costumed characters to walk in the parade and we need other people of all ages to walk with the procession as we portray Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay in Bethlehem. It will be a moving Posada! We will be handing out a special invitation with details in English and Spanish about all the worship activities and special events at Ascension during December. See the Signup Genius to volunteer. We need your help to make this community event a success in telling how we share God’s love at Ascension.

Christmas Angel Tree

This year, the Angel Tree will be set up in the narthex from Nov. 2 through Dec 7. The Thursday Afternoon Women’s Nurture Group is coordinating this activity to benefit the Christmas Clearing Council. They are requesting Target and Walmart gift cards of $25 for children and teens over 12. Angel ornaments can be taken from the tree with Target or Walmart on them and placed in the marked box in the office with your gift card. The group will deliver the gift cards to the Christmas Clearing Council in time for them to be delivered to families in need. If you have any questions, contact Linda Hansen, lindahansen@wi.rr.com.

Habitat for Humanity News

Join Habitat for their tiniest, tastiest build of the year! Showcase your sweet skills for a great cause by building a Gingerbread House. All proceeds go towards funding their mission. Build, vote for, or buy one of the gingerbread houses and support affordable housing in Waukesha County! The Gingerbread Build is Dec. 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Corners of Brookfield. Register online, habitatwaukesha.org/gingerbreadbuild.

Getting a new car for Christmas? Did you know by donating your vehicle to Habitat you can help build and repair affordable homes while also helping the environment? Since launching the national vehicle donation program, Cars for Homes, in 2005, Habitat has accepted over 120,000 vehicles for reselling or recycling, raising funds for Habitat to partner with local families to build stability and security that a safe affordable home allows. Cars, trucks, RV’s, vans, SUV’s, boats and motorcycles are accepted whether they are running or not. Towing is free! Donate now.

So Many Thank You’s

  • To all those who walked, ran, rode, volunteered or donated to Outreach for Hope
  • To all those who participated in the NAMI Walks to help raise awareness for mental health
  • To all those who donated to the Tend a Teacher Program for Hawthorne School
  • To all those who donated to feed the children at the schools of our parishes in Tanzania
  • To all of those who donated food locally to the Food Pantry or our Blessing Box

What a joy and blessing it is to experience the generosity of a congregation that lives out their faith in big and small ways to accomplish great things! Praise be to God for the gifts and service to Him through the gifts and service to others in need.

¡Gracias! from Hawthorne

Dear Ascension Church,

On behalf of the entire Hawthorne Community, I want to express our sincere gratitude for your unwavering commitment to supporting our school and families. Your generosity and partnership have made a real difference in the lives of our students and families.

From providing financial assistance to supporting our teaching, you have consistently gone above and beyond to create a vibrant and supportive learning environment. You dedication to our school is truly inspiring.

We are particularly grateful for your support in granting our teacher wish lists. Your funding has helped prepare our teachers prepare their classrooms with new items!

We are so fortunate to have you as a partner. Your support helps us to create a school where all students can thrive. Thank you for believing in our scholars and our school.

Sincerely,

Taheréh DeLeón, Principal

Serve With Ascension in 2023

Serve Wing & Mission Outreach

Why do we still refer to this wing in both ways? We do that because it is impossible to separate mission outreach from service. Many people think of mission as only global mission. While this is an integral part of what we do, we can’t forget that serving those within our own community is equally important. Our wing’s ministry leaders have committed 2023 to be a year of helping the members of Ascension to see that they all have a calling to serve through love. Through this service, we will live out the command Jesus gave and will bring others to know Jesus as their Savior. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35)

There was an old praise song that still motivates me to service:

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord, We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love

How can you serve? Watch the newsletter and weekly announcements about simple ways to serve our community partners either by yourself, your family or a small group.

How do you know what is the best way to serve? What are your skills? What are your interests? What is something that you feel drawn to? Take a bold step and try something out to see if you have found a way to serve. If that doesn’t feel comfortable after a few tries, try another calling. God will guide you to the right thing. Please contact Shirley Wehmeier,  shwehmeier@gmail.com, if you or your small group would like to know the upcoming needs. Don’t belong to a small group? It doesn’t have to be a formal group. Gather a group of friends to live out the command to love one another so everyone will know you are His disciples.

Hope Center

We have had a wonderful response to the requests for specific donations for Hope Center. We have collected a large amount of baby needs for the virtual baby shower and the TGIT small group made their own delivery after collecting needed items. This group also serves a meal at Hope Center when needed. Amen ministry responded to the need for long underwear as we move into the winter season. They had a social event and collected the underwear as their winter service project. Service can be fun! Amen also regularly serves a meal at Hope Center. Both the baby items and winter clothes donations will be ongoing as is the need for serving meals.

Christmas Light Recycling

As you taking down your decorations, do you have a set of Christmas lights that don’t work? Are you ready to toss out a few old sets you’re not using? Most electronic products like Christmas lights are not bio-degradable and will not decompose into the earth’s soil after being tossed away and will leach harmful chemicals into the soil. If you want to keep your lights from going to a landfill and do your part to look after God’s creation, recycling your lights is a great way to do it! Place them in the marked bin in the Donation Center and we will properly dispose of them.

Hawthorne School Partnership

We will again be collecting new or very gently used coats, boots, hats and waterproof mittens for Hawthorne School. Outdoor play is encouraged unless it is super cold and many children do not have the proper outdoor clothing. Place donations in the Donation Center.

Habitat for Humanity: Ascension Build Day

Ascension Build Day with Habitat is Wednesday, Jan. 25. We will need a maximum of five volunteers. Volunteers must be at least 18-years-old and willing to complete an online waiver. This is our first build day in five years so we are excited to get back to serving our community in this important mission. They will know we are Christians by our love. Contact Nick Wagner to volunteer, nwagner703@yahoo.com.

Tutoring

After a break during December, tutoring will resume on January 8. We are hoping to have more of a one-on-one approach when possible. We work with preschoolers through adults. We work with young children to be school ready and school age children to assist in homework /classroom needs and to improve spoken and written skills. Our tutors are great at making these fun experiences. We work with adults who are English Language learners and need specific help in learning both spoken and written English. We also assist in preparation for the written drivers’ test and for the citizenship test. Please contact Shirley at shwehmeier@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with students or if you know of someone who may benefit from this program.

Blessing Box

Thank you to all of you who have been helping us keep the Blessing Box filled. As we have more very cold days, please be aware of putting things in the box that might freeze and containers break. We have people checking the box several times a week so that we can monitor that food is fresh and safe. On very cold days, dry products such as cereal, snacks, most canned goods are a good choice. Plastic or glass may break. Fresh produce or bakery will freeze quickly. We also see a little reduction in use when it is very cold so please keep an eye on the weather. If you come to church and you notice items on the ground, please bring them into church or notify the office so one of the leaders can come to take care of the items. We do not want things frozen to the ground this time of the year.