October Worship News

Worship at the Farm Oct. 6

Just a reminder that on Sunday, Oct. 6, there will be no late service held at Ascension. Everyone is invited to Green Meadows Farm to celebrate worship with our BLAST families and Latino community. Registration is required. Register online at https://tinyurl.com/RSVPgreen. The cost is $15 per person (under 2 free) and includes sandwich, drinks and petting farm. Please also sign-up for a dish to pass, https://tinyurl.com/ALCGreen24. Please register and pay by Sept. 29. Questions? Contact Pastor Tony, tony@ascensionelca.org.

Introducing a New Youth Choir

We’re beginning a new Youth Choir for students in grades 6-8 on Thursday, Nov. 7, 5:45-6:30. This is a short-term commitment with rehearsals on Nov. 7, 14, 21 and Dec. 5 and 12. The Youth Choir will then sing for the Advent Concert Worship services on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15, at 9:30 a.m. To sign-up, please contact Director of Music Ministries Vicki Taylor, vicki@ascensionelca.org.

Children’s Choir

Children’s Choir for children in grades K-5 returns on Thursday, Nov. 7, 5 to 5:40 p.m. Children’s choir will rehearse on Nov. 7, 14, 21 and Dec. 5 and 12 and will sing for the Advent Concert Worship services on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15, at 9:30 a.m. Email vicki@ascensionelca.org to join. 

Sing for a Season

Love to sing but not sure about a year-long commitment? Sing with the Ascension Choir for the Advent/Christmas season. Rehearsals are from 7:15-8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov 6; Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Wednesdays, Nov. 13 and 20; Tuesday, Nov. 26; Wednesdays, Dec. 4 and 11. The choir will sing for the Advent Concert Worship services on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15. Please contact Director of Music Ministries Vicki Taylor, vicki@ascensionelca.org, with questions or to join!

Pastor Tony: Thank You!

Late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon has a reoccurring bit where he publicly writes thank you cards on his show. I really like the idea of thank you cards, but if I’m being honest, well, my follow through isn’t all that great. Just ask my wife and she can point you to the pile of them on our desk or in my closet that I’ve started writing but are unfinished, or even worse, finished but never sent – a conversation for another day. And while Fallon usually writes his thank you cards for comedic effect; I’m feeling compelled to borrow from his idea and use my article this month to follow through on some thank you’s that have been tugging on my heart.

I’d like to start out by thanking everyone who volunteers. From taking donated items to the Waukesha Food Pantry or Hope Center, to helping prep the monthly newsletter for mailing, or providing a snack for those who attend our grief support ministry, or donating food when we host a funeral, or serving the monthly Healing Hearts meal, or greeting, ushering, reading, or serving communion for worship, there are so many of you who volunteer in so many ways. I just want to make something very clear – you make a difference!

Thank you to those who serve (or have served) on the church council. Since 2020 when I was ordained and called to serve as one of your pastors, we have certainly been through some unprecedented times. When you said yes to being a leader in the church, you likely had no idea just what kind of uncharted waters we would have to navigate through – a global pandemic and the aftermath of a new normal. I am thankful for your leadership and the many ways you show up to lead and move this congregation into a new, exciting, and uncertain future.

Thank you to those who serve and support our children, youth, and young adult ministries. Your help with BLAST projects, college care packages, and support for JOLT and CRASH mission and adventure trips is often incomprehensible. To everyone who has ever dropped a little change in the noisy offering buckets, or read a Bible story in BLAST, or served as an adult leader on retreat – you are invaluable supporters. I believe it’s vitally important that churches create a place for young people where they can feel included, supported, and wanted – and I’m so thankful that so many of you have been so faithful in doing this for the young people of Ascension.

Thank you to those who participate in the various bible and book studies both on and off campus, those led by pastors and those led by other members. After working with young people, my second favorite thing to do in the church is teach and lead these studies. I’m thankful for opportunity to do this and I hope we can continue to learn and grow from one another for a long time to come. It’s also my hope that those of you who participated in a study I’ve led got even half as much out of being a part of them as I got from your insights and our conversations.

Thank you to all those who lead and provide music for worship. Music is very much not a gift of mine. However, those of you who play the organ and piano, sing in the band or one of the choirs, or take part in any of the special musical offerings – you are all so incredibly talented. I am deeply thankful that you share your giftedness, and you make our worship services incredible because of your contributions.

And finally, I’d like to thank all of you. I’m thankful for all of the ways you have supported and encouraged me and my family especially as I’ve shared the various challenges of being a pastor, and I am thankful for your graciousness in the times I may have fallen short. Most of all I’m thankful that as a congregation you truly want to change lives by being God’s instruments of peace and love in the world.And so it will be my ongoing prayer that together we continue to open ourselves to always live into the mission of being God’s transforming presence in our world. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Pastor Tony

Summer Worship at Ascension

Summer Schedule

  • 8:30 and 10 a.m. English Worship
  • 10 a.m. Spanish Worship

Senior Toweling

  • Sunday, June 2
  • 8:30 & 10 a.m.

Vicki Taylor Celebration

  • Celebration and reception for Vicki Taylor’s 40th anniversary of Music Ministry
  • 9:30 a.m. Sunday, June 2

Pastor Edwin Celebration

  • Celebration and reception for Pastor Edwin’s 1st Anniversary of Ordination
  • Sunday, June 23

Outdoor Worship (English)

  • June 23, July 28, Aug. 11, Sept.

El Salvador Delegation Blessing

  • Blessings and sending of El Salvador Mission Team
  • Sunday, July 28

Sing for a Sunday

  • Singers of all ages are invited to sing in an intergenerational choir on Sunday, June 23. We will meet for one rehearsal on Thursday, June 20, from 6 to 6:30 p.m., followed by singing in 8:30 worship on Sunday, June 23.
  • The song can be easily learned by listening and all are welcome!
  • Email Vicki Taylor and say you’ll join us!

Upcoming Worship August/September

Join us for special worship services with varying times over the next few weeks.

  • Aug. 21: 8:30am (Sanctuary) & 10am (Memorial Gardens), 10am Spanish (East Hall)
  • Aug. 28: 8:30 & 10am (Sanctuary), 10am Spanish (East Hall)
  • Sept. 4: 9:30am Combined worship (Sanctuary), 10am Spanish worship (East Hall)
  • Sept. 11: 8:30 & 10am (Sanctuary), 10am Spanish (East Hall)
  • Sept. 18: Welcome Home Worship, 10am Bilingual (Sanctuary) (Rally Day)

So Much to Celebrate! Come and See!

If you have not heard the shouts of joy coming from the rooftop of Ascension, let me share the good news. At the end of July, our mortgage balance finally found life under the $800,000 mark. In 2011, we began the journey of debt reduction with more than $2,200,000. It has been a long journey to this moment, but God has been faithful to us! We give thanks and praise to God for the faithful hearts the Holy Spirit continues to shape within each of you to eliminate the power our mortgage debt holds over Ascension.

We are quickly approaching our fall programming. Sept. 6 welcomes a new Sunday morning worship schedule with the movement of our 9 a.m. service to an 8:30 a.m. start time. Our 10:45 a.m. service remains the same. On Sept. 6 at 10:45 a.m., we will worship outside in the Memorial Gardens to celebrate the beauty of God’s creation. Please joins us. On Sept. 13, we kick-off our new Children’s Ministry programming, which begins at 9:45 a.m. under the ministry umbrella of Tony Acompanado, Director of Faith Formation. We are retiring the legacy of the title Sunday School from our ministry at Ascension and using the title Children’s Ministry. We celebrate the strong energy of volunteers who are coordinating, teaching, storytelling, and helping to shape the fall ministry experiences for our children. Where can you serve? Email Tony, Tony@ascensionelca.org, and he can share a number of short-term or one-time opportunities in which you can be involved to share the gifts God has given you.

We are also re-introducing pastor-led Adult Education on Sunday mornings. On Sept. 13, Tony will share the scope of Faith Formation and the new path for Children’s Ministry. Beginning on Sept. 20, Pastor Angela kicks off our six-week Small Group Campaign, Engaging Scripture Through a Lutheran Christian Lens. I am especially excited to have Ascension offer a pastoral perspective on reading, studying, and interpreting the Bible and then to have small groups dig deeper each week of the campaign. In early November, I will offer three Sundays of education on the book of Luke, which will be our primary preaching text for Dec. 2015–Nov. 2016. There is so much more already being planned and I am excited!

Our Music Ministry is preparing to make a joyful noise in new ways this fall. Please consider taking a leap of faith by joining the choir or ringing a bell. Do you play an instrument? Then, Vicki Taylor, Director of Music Ministries, would love to talk with you about sharing your gift in worship. We are always happy to add communion assistants, readers, ushers to our ministry volunteer lists and we are happy to train you.

Mission Outreach is preparing to offer a wonderful resource and connecting point for members and visitors to share in hands-on ministry outside our church walls. Interested? Keep watching the e-alerts and Facebook for more information. Caring Relationships continues to tend to the connection points in our lives. GriefShare, DivorceCare, and DivorceCare4Kids are all beginning on Sept. 1. These programs offer support structures for people working through some of the most difficult times in their lives. If you know someone suffering through grief or in the midst of divorce, please reach out to Brenda Lytle, Director of Care Ministries, Brenda@ascensionelca.org.

A new member experience called Starting Point begins Sept. 27. I am excited to get to know those who are considering Ascension for their new spiritual home.

And just when it is time for a deep breath – ARISE 2025 is coming together in great ways. The Church Council and ministry leaders have been working on our 2025 vision since last February. We are very excited to watch God shape the years ahead. The council has done much of the behind-the-scenes work and will be ready for the congregation to share in the joy on Sunday, Sept. 27, for a first-round listening/sharing session. The council will revise the visions using comments from the congregation and then be ready to share again at a listening/sharing session on Oct. 25. Finally, with more revision by council, we will hold an unveiling/blessing/acceptance by the congregation at our Annual Meeting on Nov. 8. What a joy to trust in God’s guiding hand.

Finally, on Sept. 13 and 20, we invite everyone to wear nametags to help all of us get to know names and faces – reminders are always a good thing! Speaking of faces, the photo directory is off and running. Have you had your picture taken and updated your information? We are doing the pictures/directory in-house. No pictures to buy! This directory is all about bringing our community together and celebrating the community God has created at Ascension in this time and place.

So much to celebrate! Come and see!

Pastor Chris Marien

(This article was taken from Ascension’s September 2015 newsletter).