Worship:
Saturday 6:00 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM
This Week At Ascension
Called to create opportunities for all people to become devoted followers of Christ
October 26, 2025
Luther Hammers His 95 Theses to the Door, by Ferdinand Pauwels
Grace and peace, my sisters and brothers in Christ,
This Weekend in Worship: Choose Truth
What is truth? How do we know it—and how does it shape our lives?
This weekend, we’ll explore Jesus’ words: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Pastor Tim will share the story of Martin Luther and the truth that changed his life—and the course of the church forever.
Pastor Chamie will reflect on how we can come to know that Truth in deeper, life-giving ways today.
It’s Reformation Weekend, so don’t forget to wear RED, the color of the Spirit and renewal! We’ll also celebrate the ongoing story of God’s work among us as we give Bibles to our 2-year-olds, 2nd graders, and 6th graders, and hear our Children’s Choir sing at the 9:00 AM service.
Come and experience truth, freedom, and the love of God in community!
Grace & Peace,
Pastors Tim & Chamie
Children, Youth & Family Ministries Corner
by Pastor Chamie
Story-Formed Faith
Our lives are shaped by stories. The stories we hear, read, and tell become part of who we are. For children and youth, stories are especially powerful—they help them make sense of the world and their place in it. That’s why it’s so important that our children grow up hearing and knowing the stories of God—the stories that reveal who God is, how God loves, and how we are invited to live in that love.
This weekend is Reformation Weekend, a perfect time to celebrate the gift of Scripture. Over 500 years ago, Martin Luther wanted every person—not just scholars or clergy—to be able to read and understand the Bible in their own language. It was a radical idea at the time. We might take it for granted that today we can open the Bible in English (and in children’s versions, no less), but hopefully this weekend is a reminder that reading God’s Word is a precious gift.
At Ascension, we mark Reformation Weekend with our annual Bible Milestone. This is a special time when children and youth receive a Bible that fits their age and stage of faith:
- 2-year-olds will receive My First Hands-On Bible, filled with short, interactive stories and activities to help even our youngest children begin to experience God’s Word.
- 2nd graders will receive the Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids by Phil Vischer (creator of Veggie Tales), which tells the big story of the Bible in an engaging and easy-to-understand way, complete with family connections, reflection questions, and prayers.
- 6th graders (and any confirmands who haven’t yet received a Bible) will be given a Journaling Bible—a space where they can write notes, prayers, and reflections as they move through confirmation and into high school.
If your child missed receiving a Bible in a previous year, they are welcome to “catch up” this weekend. Bibles will be given out at all worship services.
The Bible can be challenging at times—but it is also full of beauty, truth, and grace. It tells our story as God’s people, and it forms us as followers of Jesus. May we treasure this gift, read it often, and let its words light our path:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
—Psalm 119:105
Pastor Chamie Delkeskamp
6th-12th Graders are invited to go to the pumpkin patch in Camarillo on Sunday, Oct 26!
Sandwiches and sides will be provided after the 10:30 worship service. Youth will load the bus at noon and then head to the pumpkin patch in Camarillo. Youth will return to church around 2:45 PM.
The cost is $10 and can be given to one of our youth team – Pastor Chamie, Mr. Gottmer, Kaya, or James – on Sunday.
Youth may want to bring extra money if they want to buy anything at the pumpkin patch. Any youth who have not yet completed the bus and activity permission form for the 2025-26 school year should do so HERE.
NOTE – due to our pumpkin patch outing, there will be no regular Confirmation at 4:00 or High School Bible Study at 5:30 on Oct 26.
Adult Ed for October 26:
The Reform Legacy of Leipzig, Germany
Leipzig was a center of reform during the Reformation and beyond. In this presentation, Carol Bartell will trace that history from the time of Martin Luther to the 1989 Monday Demonstrations when this city became the center of peaceful revolt against communist rule. She will also share impressions and highlights from her own visits to this historic and remarkable city and to the church that was the center of the Peaceful Revolution.
10:30 in the Library
Come Tie Quilts for Lutheran World Relief
Tuesday, October 28, 9 – noon.
All are welcome to join in tying the quilts. No experience necessary.
Hearts & Hands & Fair Trade… And, Fun!
The Hearts & Hands & Fair Trade art project continued this week and so did all the fun! In the course of just a few hours over 4 days, almost 400 hands have left their handprint on the art boards and banners! Hands of all sizes – each & every one of them special.
We’re so very happy that the children of Ascension’s Early Childhood Center, students of Ascension’s School, Sunday School, Confirmation Class & High School Youth along with teachers, leaders, staff and volunteers accepted the invitation to “lend a hand” to this special project.
October is Fair Trade Month. Hearts, promoting justice for people and planet, guiding hands that grow, sew, weave, carve and create wonderful Fair Trade products to enjoy and share. We’ll let everyone know when the art is ready to be added to the walls of Founders Hall.
Update from Dave Nonnemacher
This past February, you may recall Ascension’s Global Ministries Team hosted Dave Nonnemacher at Ascension and California Lutheran University when he shared with us details of his past humanitarian visits to Ukraine. In response to his visit, the Ascension community responded by funding the purchase of a utility van for the Mariupol Chaplain’s Battalion for delivering of food, medicines, solar light kits, and other essential items to people in Ukraine. Due to the support and effort of many, over 1,500 solar light kits are being used in Ukraine today as winter approaches and infrastructure is fragile.
Here is Dave Nonnemacher’s recent message, photos and video to our Ascension community. Ascension’s AGAPE fund and other individual contributions have been sent to Dave for his use to bring essential items to people he meets in Ukraine in November from the Ascension community. Dave is our Minister of Presence in Ukraine for us, making his 8th humanitarian trip to Ukraine.
Dear friends,
Attached is a video of the van that the ALC Foundation and the good people of ALC provided for the Mariupol Chaplains Battalion. It is hard to know exactly what transpired….I do know that because it was a wire transfer, for some reason, the access to funds and licensing the van was a process. Maybe I’ll get a clearer answer in November. I know that they wanted a Ford, not a Mercedes. That will make Oleh very happy!! The 3 men pictured in the video are my friends. I think of them and pray for them all the time….heroes. Life on the edge, every day.
From the paperwork Oleksandre sent me, it looks like they purchased it in April, but had it delivered and official in Ukraine earlier this week.
Please share this with the appropriate people. It looks like a sweet ride!
Thanks again. The Battalion’s work in Zaporizhzia has expanded greatly to the civilian population of that city, due to the continuous attacks on civilians and their homes. I expect there will be many opportunities for service while I am there. God’s people have responded in amazing ways and I am toting a goodly amount of USD that will go a long way to sharing Christ’s love in tangible, needed ways. God bless ALC for continued and tangible involvement.
Dave Nonnemacher
The Numbers Are In—Thank You One Ascension!
We are excited to share with you that in celebration of Lutheran World Relief’s 80th anniversary, the Ascension community has delivered 113 quilts and 937 various kits to be distributed worldwide through LWR’s distribution system.
Our gifts will bring a whole lot of hope to people in need! You have been part of this ministry of Ascension’s Global Ministry Team.
There are hundreds of children, youth and adults within the Ascension community who had a hand in assembling the kits for LWR. From the families at VBS to Sunday School children to the parents of ECC children to confirmation classes and the youth group to every class at Ascension school to several people within the Ascension community who also many their kits individually, we are so grateful!
Our devoted quilters have stitched and artistically placed colorful fabric pieces into their handmade quilts. They are connected through their love for the recipients who will be warmed and sheltered by their quilts, knowing someone whom they will never meet, cares for them.
We are grateful for the Ascension Foundation for their $2,500 grant that covers our shipping costs of both our quilts and kits to LWR.
In the next few weeks, we’ll be sending “thank you’s” to so many who donated, volunteered, assembled and led this effort at the Ascension church, ECC and school. Without all of you supporting this project, it would not have been possible…and surely not as successful! Our sincere thanks to each of you who stitched, assembled, packed, financially supported, prayed, and organized this ministry of Ascension.
“Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. If you have the gift of speaking, preach God’s message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that brings honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen” I Peter 4:10-11
Soli deo gloria!
Louise Evenson
Friends of Fieldworkers
Each year for our Gifts of Hope in November we support both local and global ministries, as alternative Christmas gifts to family and friends, or simply as a gift of love to a ministry! The weekend of November 8 and 9 we will lift up our local ministries. This year, they are Harbor House and Friends of Fieldworkers. Last week we previewed the great work of Harbor House and this week we are highlighting the caring work of Friends of Fieldworkers.
Launched in 2013 to assist dozens of families who had lost their homes in a fire, Friends of Fieldworkers has grown into a constant helping presence in the community. With programs such as Laundry Love (which provides laundromat use) they aid families in meeting their basic needs, while scholarships support aspirational goals.
The need for Friends of Fieldworkers has skyrocketed this year. As noted in a recent FoF update letter, “Summer was an immensely difficult time in the fieldworker community. Not long after the June tenth raids, hundreds of farmworkers were detained at their place of work on July 10th, with two particular farms being targeted. In the days that followed, our tiny team had phone lines flooded with requests for help from local families who had loved ones detained.
“The stories from these families are heartbreaking. The number of children who realized their parents were not coming home on July 10 is astounding. There are children ranging in age from infants to college students who remain here without their parents, not knowing when or if they will see them again.”
There are stories of young teens attempting to take care of their siblings, field workers struggling to continue after their spouses were detained. One man “shared that he had come to this country looking for a better future for his young daughters and reflected on how quickly they were excelling in school, proudly speaking of the awards they brought home. The glow in his eyes quickly faded as he grappled with his new reality, as his wife had just been deported, and shared that he didn’t know what the future held for his little family. This is just one of many, many families who are immensely hurting,” noted the update.
Ascension has a long-time association with Friends of Fieldworkers, and we are glad to spotlight this organization as a Gifts of Hope recipient
Lunch Bunch Note
There will be no Lunch Bunch in December. We will resume our schedule in January on the second Wednesday of each month.
Book Signing
Allen Carter will be signing copies of his book, “Weeds in the Garden of the Soul,” between services October 26 on the patio.
From Allen’s book description: “Race relations in America continue to trend in a downward trajectory, sometimes spiraling out of control as if in free fall. That is a concern for me, as it should be for all men of goodwill. Attempts to mediate differences between warring factions appear futile and, in some cases, have exacerbated tensions. Weeds in the Garden of the Soul addresses the disconnect that occurs when man removes himself from God and charts his own course.
Christmas Greenery Sales
The Carillons are selling Christmas greenery on the patio between Sunday services. There are many items to choose from for your home and as gifts for your family and friends. If you have a business, these make wonderful client gifts.
You can preorder greenery now through Wednesday, 11/5. Please come by and take a look at our table on the patio.
If you prefer to shop at home, check out our website.
Orders will be ready for pick up on the church patio in early December. If you have any questions, please call Matt Cahill. Thank you for your support!
JOB OPPORTUNITY
We are looking for a new Hospitality Coordinator to set up and host our coffee and refreshments, help with room and audio-visual setups, and be a welcoming presence around our worship service times. If you’re interested, please check out the details HERE.
New Member Class
Would you like to take another step in your spiritual journey with God and our church? If so, we would like to invite you to be a part of our next New Member class, Sunday, November 2, from 12-2:30 PM in the church Library. Lunch will be provided. The class focuses on the basics of the Christian faith and on the ministry of Ascension. There will be an opportunity to ask any questions that you might have and to get to know others. To RSVP or with questions, please call the church office at (805) 495-0406 or email .
Ascension Youth Going Strong
Our Confirmation (middle school) and High School Youth Groups are going strong. They meet most Sundays on campus: Confirmation from 4:00 to 5:30 and High School from 5:30 to 7:00 – though Sunday they are all going to the pumpkin patch together at noon after worship. New friends are always welcome. Last Sunday, both groups participated in the Fair Trade art project.
Contributors Wanted for 2025 Advent Devotional
Writers and anyone with a bent for writing, you’re invited to contribute to this year’s Advent Devotional.
You’ll recall that each year, students from Ascension Lutheran School provide the artwork and members provide devotions for the booklet, edited by Dan Lareva, that has been a special part of the season here for many years.
It’s a welcome way to share Advent together and set our minds each day on the reason for the season. Follow THIS LINK to check out this year’s selections of scripture passages and to sign up.
Upcoming Calendar Highlights
(On campus unless otherwise noted. For details see individual items.)
Sunday School 9 and 10:30 AM
Children’s Choir— Oct.26, 9 AM service
October 26, Reformation Sunday— Don’t forget to wear red!
Let’s Go To The Pumpkin Patch— Sunday, Oct 26, after 10:30 worship.
October 26, Adult Ed: The Reform Legacy of Leipzig, Germany, 10:30 in the Library
Alan Carter Book Signing— Oct 26, between services, on the patio
Help Tie Quilts, Tuesday, Oct.28, 9 – noon
Habitat Playhouse Build — Saturday, Nov. 1, 7:45 AM & 3 PM
New Member Class — November 2, from 12-2:30 PM in the church Library
November 2, All Saints Sunday
November 5, Men’s Bible & Brew, 7 PM, Tarantula Hill
How Do We Respond To Ice — Nov.10, 6:30 PM, Holy Trinity Church
Lunch Bunch — Nov 12, 12- 2 PM
Fair Trade Lane Open –Wednesday, Nov. 12, 12:45 – 1 PM
Fair Trade Lane Open — Thursday, Nov. 20, 2:30 – 4:30 PM
Fair Trade Lane Open — Saturday, Nov.22, 5:45 – 6 PM & 7 – 7:15 PM
Fair Trade Lane Open — Sunday Nov. 23, 8:30 – 9 AM & 10 – 10:30 AM
HABITAT PLAYHOUSE BUILD BLITZ
Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County is holding its fourth Playhouse Build Blitz Saturday, November 1, 2025 in Westlake Village. The aim is to build as many as 20 playhouses and raise funds for Habitat Ventura’s construction programs. Volunteers and teams are welcome!
In Need of Prayer
Click here for this week’s Prayer List
Top of Page
Pericopes
This Week
Psalm 46
John 8:31-36
Next Week
Job 19:23-27a
Psalm 17:1-9
Luke 20:27-38
Our Prayer
We pray that you may once again meet the Risen Christ through the Word and Sacrament ministry, and through the fellowship of this family of faith.
If you do not have a church home, we would like to invite you to worship with our Ascension family again.
All people who are baptized and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are welcome to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
May God bless you in your worship!
Pastors Tim Delkeskamp, Chamie Delkeskamp, and Steve Herder