Serving in October

El Salvador / Tanzania Partnership Meeting

Are you considering traveling to El Salvador or Tanzania with Ascension in the next summer or two? International travel not your thing, but you want to be a part of our partnership? Have you previously traveled with us?

We are meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m. A few things on the agenda include: Rick Frowein’s upcoming trip to Tanzania with the coffee project, discussing financial requests from Pastora Blanca in El Salvador, making initial plans for our next trips and hosting, and hearing the latest on our exploration to begin a chocolate project in El Salvador. Contact Sarah Wehmeier Aparicio if you have any questions, or you are interested but you can’t make the meeting, sarah@ascensionelca.org.

Who Is My Neighbor?

Ascension had good participation in the Greater Milwaukee Synod Immigration and Refugee Task Force event in early September. The response was NOW WHAT? Ascension’s SOPHIA leadership team is taking on the challenge since the topic so closely links to SOPHIA’s goals. Join us on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m. at church if you have questions about immigration and refugee resettlement and how to live out your faith in response. You are invited to attend whether you were at the synod event or not. We will learn together and prayerfully discuss our next steps. Contact Joan Mikecz, joanmikecz@sbcglobal.net, with questions.  

There will be a series of Did You Know? questions and answers on the Mission Outreach Facebook page beginning on October 1 to help us all have a clear understanding of terms and the myths and misunderstandings of the many aspects that impact refugees and immigration. The synod taskforce has provided some good resources that will guide us. Please follow us on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Ascension.ELCA.MO.

Walk for NAMI Oct. 5 

This annual event helps to end the stigma surrounding mental health and to help achieve the goal of mental health for all. NAMI has been an Ascension Community partner for many years. We support their work in areas that impact all of us at some point in life. 

Join Ascension’s team on Saturday, Oct. 5, to walk for NAMI at the Milwaukee County Zoo beginning at 9:30. Sign-up online https://www.namiwalks.org/team/68935 or https://www.namiwalks.org/participant/teamascensionchurch.

Celebrating 50 Years of ELCA World Hunger

Are you aware that Ascension supports the ELCA World Hunger program each month as a part of our budget? When we work with the larger church body, so much more can be done than if we tried to conquer hunger on our own. Through ELCA World Hunger, 66 countries and 41states and territories received support in 2023. Here are ways you can participate in the celebration via the ELCA announcement.

  • World Food Day Celebrating 50 Years of ELCA World Hunger
  • When: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m. Central time
  • Where: Zoom webinar. Register online.

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

Ascension’s Community Partners

We often refer to community partners in our articles in the newsletter, bulletins, and the Ascension Mission Outreach Facebook page. What is a Community Partner? Waukesha is blessed to have many agencies that support the needs of our community. We would love to support them all, but we know it is better when we can have a deeper relationship to make the partnership more meaningful. We also serve to promote the programs within our congregation for those who may have a need.

Our Mission Outreach Ministry leaders selected the partners based on several factors. We need to be able to provide some hands-on experiences as individuals but especially as small groups (volunteering). Volunteering can be either on a scheduled basis or for a one time special event. We provide financial support from the budget and when there is an extreme need, in the form of special offering requests, (financial). The final arm of our partnership is providing in-kind support. We realize not everyone is able to volunteer personally but is willing to provide for the needs of the partner. We have leaders to keep in touch with the agencies who identify their specific needs. Just as we work under the guides for accompaniment for our global partners, we do the same for community partners. Rather than collecting things we think they might need, we work with them to identify their greatest needs. We also agree to promote their services on a regular basis thereby being true partners.

The choice of partners is reviewed each year as we prepare the budget and review how connected we have been in the previous year. Some partners focus more on in-kind. Each of the agencies we have identified provide much needed services within our community. We cannot as a congregation do individually what they can do for the neediest in our community when many congregations all work together. We are working as a team to carry out our Matthew 25 pledge:

“When I was hungry, you fed me, when I was thirsty, you gave me a drink, when I was homeless, you gave me shelter, when I was a stranger, you took Me in. When you took care of the least of these, you did it on to Me.”

NAMI Southeast Wisconsin: Do you love someone struggling with a mental health condition? Join NAMI for this virtual, two-evening session directed towards those who love someone with a mental health condition, or just wants to learn more! NAMI Family and Friends is for any adult who wants to know more about mental health treatment and options for a loved one from someone who “has been there.” This virtual experience will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 14 and 15. Contact Susan, sschoenmarklin@namisoutheastwi.org, to get the link to participate. NAMI has been one of our long time community partners.

Healing Hearts: Healing Hearts has a few program nights in November and December that still need food provisions for families and facilitators in their support program. The comfort and community that a warm meal cultivates is immeasurable. Simple foods are requested such as pizza, tacos, sloppy joes. Contact Shirley Wehmeier for more information on how your small group could do this as a service project.

Hope Center: Hope Center is in the process of restocking their NEW baby items for new and expecting mothers. The most needed items are baby wipes, newborn and size 1 diapers, (although diapers of all sizes are welcomed), hooded towels, burp cloths, receiving blankets, nighttime baby wash, baby wash and shampoo, 0-3 and 3-6 months outfits for boys and girls. The Layette program is geared to provide expectant mothers with items they will need once their baby arrives. It is often described as “a baby shower in a bag”. Donations are accepted Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Hope Center or if you can’t get it there, put your items in the  Hope Center box in Ascension’s Donation Center. Large amounts of donations should go to Hope Center directly.

Waukesha County Food Pantry: Did you know that the Waukesha County Food Pantry ensures that people with chronic medical conditions have the foods they need to stay healthy? As you think about donations, these are often overlooked. The pantry accepts foods that meet special dietary needs: Low sugar, gluten free, vegan and supplemental drinks like Boost or Ensure. Please remember the people who struggle with taking care of their special health needs when you shop or if you find that during this time of inflation, you struggle to get the foods you need for a special diet, you may be eligible for help through the Food Pantry.