IN NEED OF PRAYER

A name is added to this list only with the permission of the person or the person’s family

If you have requested prayers for someone and their status has changed, please let us know (). We like to keep these lists updated, and we ask your help. Thank you.

Link to printable prayer page

Link to printable prayer pages for Leaders, Staff, and Partners

PRAYERS OF COMFORT FOR:

Chris Clark, Katina Snyder and family on the death of Bev Clark, Chris’ step-daughter, Katina’s step-sister

Family of Dr. Terry Stanger who died this past week

PRAYERS OF HEALING FOR:

Elizabeth Doswell’s niece Felicia, who is hospitalized

Mark Leroy

Noah Mattera

Lan Merrill, as he heals from knee surgery

Dee Ruwe’s brother, Duane Warner, who is battling bone cancer

Carlah Schneider, for healing of her neck

Susie Turner, who has a-fib and low blood pressure

Phyllis Wilker as she heals from back surgery. Prayers too for her sister Della at University Village Oak View

We keep these family and friends in our prayers as they have lost their homes in the recent fires. As we learn of ways that we can help them, we’ll pass that on to you. In the meantime, and continually, we will keep them in prayer.

Richard

Shannon, Vince, and Emerson

Amy

Brenda

Vince

Jordan, Eddie, Michelle and her mom

Roxanne and Geoff

The Egge family

The Udko family

PRAYERS FOR SAFEKEEPING:

Scott Clark, U.S. Navy

LCpL. Alexander Daley

Jack Ingles, USMC

Chief Patrick Maccarone, USN

PRAYER FOCUS

For those suffering injustice.

Luke 18

The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my accuser.’ For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

CONTINUING PRAYERS FOR:

Barbara Appleton

Pastor Sharon Amundson

The Aqa family

Kyle Ayers

Alan Baker

Karen Barrows

Maria Bartush

Marie Baur

Dianne Beck

Gloria Benfatto

Bonnie Braaten

Sue Browning

John Burgert

Danny Cameranesi

Mary Cartrett

Christophe

Vicki Calle

Sara Dahl

Donna Corra

Karen Cirks

Gary Crizer

Margo Dameron

Kay Dawson

Julie Delvillar

Nicole East

Jackie Flame

Becky France

Paul Garretson

Jim Gilbert

Martha Glynn

Luke Graves

Eric Guetschoff

baby Marigold Halseth

Kim Harvey

Malia Hassenbein

Barbara Hearne

Chuck Heinrich

Jeff Hines

Peggy Hoge’s daughter, Tori

Penny Hunter

Marcia Jones

Sandy Kane

Aaron Keit

Scott Klipp

Eve Konstantine

Barbara Krum

Dick Krum

Valerie Krum

Judy Lange

RuthAnn Lawrence

Cam Lorentson

Beth Lugo

Baby Magnus and family

Chuck Marshall

Judy Marshall

Sue May

Beth Merrill

Lynne Merrill

Sandi Meyer

Jacob Miller

Kathleen Mullen

Eva Nehring

Ruth Neumann

Mike Nichols

Skip Nirenberg

Valerie Olguin and daughter Kate

Betty Olson

Tracy Olkowsky’s husband, Ken

Ron Peterson

Keith, Laurie, and Trey Peyton

Gary Phillips

Patty Raffy

Logan Redmond

Marilyn Reeves

Patricia Reimnitz

Dorothy Richardson

Marilyn Ripley

Melanie Ristow

Baby Noah Rowe

Dee Ruwe

Jerry Ryckman

Joan Sarmiento

Neida Sanchez

Debbie Saunier

Mary Schurter

Jennifer Schwabauer

Arnold Schwarz

Grace Sica

The Siassi family

Dennis Smith

Jeff and Jan Specks

Karen Swanson

The Julian Swanson family

Pete and Kris Swavely

Kevin Tam

Dorothy Teufel,

Robert Teufel

Jan Timmons

Tony Torelli

Taty Valladares

Todd Wallace

Jane White

Lauren Wilson

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Here are Best Practices for Submitting Your Newsletter Stories

1. Observe 2 PM Tuesday deadline for the following Thursday’s release (unless by advance arrangement).

2. DO NOT PRE-FORMAT MATERIAL. A text or Word file and photos or artwork in jpg or png format, along with any notes you’d like to make about presentation, links, etc. are preferred and will work best to get your message across.

More than HALF of our audience read the newsletter on their phones. The difficulty in reading PDFs on mobile devices was a key reason we switched to the new online format. By presenting information in a PDF, you are making it much harder for them to see it.

3. Keep the number of outside links to a maximum of 3. If your material contains more than three links, we cannot guarantee they will all work.

4. DO NOT EMBED LINKS. Links in flyers, png’s and pdf’s will most likely NOT WORK in the newsletter. Supply the URL and a link will be added.

5. Let me know what you’d like. I can do the best job possible tailoring presentation of your article or announcement if I know your desires. Email and I will get back to you. As always, your suggestions and constructive criticism are welcome!

Thank you.

Stacy Smith Bosco,

Communications Coordinator

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Attendance & Offerings

Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Offerings to Date

Through January 16, 2021 (week 29 of 52)

FY2022 Received: $742,596

Budgeted: $749,542

Windfall/(Shortfall): $(6,946)

FY2021 Received: $763,747

Budgeted: $745,480

Windfall/(Shortfall): $18,267

Attendance

All three weekend services

Jan 10 – 16

In Person: 143

Online: 185

Jan 3 – 9

In Person: 155

Online: 185

Dec. 27 – Jan 2

In Person: 120

Online: 168

Dec. 20-26

In Person: 826

Online: 397

Dec. 13-19

In Person: 98

Online: 108

Dec. 6-12

In Person: 254

Online: 194

Dec. 4-5

In Person: 236

Online: 179

Nov. 27-28

In Person: 220

Online: 162

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Sam’s Tram Rolls Again

by Brian Festerling, SAM’s Tram Coordinator

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the SAM’s Tram service from Ascension has been pretty quiet. However, now that many of us have vaccines and feel more comfortable being out and about, it’s time to reintroduce the program! SAM’s Tram is Ascension’s Senior Adult Ministries transportation service. We match seniors from our congregation that need rides to local appointments with Ascension volunteers that are willing to drive.

RIDERS

If you’re a senior who needs a ride (or a caregiver for one), please contact me with the ride details. My contact info is at the end of the article. The more lead time you can give me — at least a week or two is best — the more likely I can find a driver for you. I’ll let you know either way. The service is free! If you feel compelled to give something, you can give your driver a dollar to go to Ascension’s Caring Ones to help the needy in our area.

DRIVERS

We’re always looking for more volunteer drivers to add to our roster. There is NO long-term commitment. I blast out detailed ride requests via e-mail to all of our drivers. You need only say “yes” to a ride that works for your schedule, and your only commitment is for that one ride. Many of us work and can only drive occasionally. That’s OK! The more drivers we have on our roster, the more likely we can fulfill a given request, and the workload gets spread around. This is a simple and effective ministry and we’d love to have you join us! Please call or e-mail me if you’re interested.

TESTIMONIAL

“[SAM’s Tram was] a blessing to my mom when she could not drive anymore. The friendly drivers got her to her weekly hair appointments, and occasional other doctor/dentist appointments. The social interaction with the drivers gave her a lift and became a bright spot in her declining life quality. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased when two drivers who were more frequent came to my mom’s celebration of life service. What a dedicated group of people, making a difference in the lives of our elders!” — Excerpt from a thank you note written by the daughter of one of our riders

FAST FACTS

– Pastor Steve started SAM’s Tram in 2011.

– Since 2017 we have had 287 ride requests and fulfilled 220 of them (77%)

– 69% of our requests are for doctor appointments, 9% for worship services, 8% for beauty/barber, and 14% “other”

Please pray for our SAM’s Tram riders and drivers, and contact me anytime if we can be of service to you, or if you you’d like to join us as a driver.

Sincerely,

Brian Festerling SAM’s Tram Coordinator

805-558-8076 (cell)

ps – we’ve had an uptick in requests and could always use new drivers.

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Gifts of Hope 2021 — Virtual Fair Trade Gift Fair

The Virtual Gift Fair debuted last year providing an online opportunity to shop for Fair Trade artisan handcrafts – Fair Trade “wearables & shareables” – from the comfort, convenience and safety of your home. The Gifts of Hope Virtual Gift Fair returns this year bigger & better!

We welcome FAIR ANITA to the Virtual Gift Fair this year providing an opportunity to shop for “cute + ethically-made + affordable” Fair Trade jewelry, textiles and accessories made by more than 8000 changemaking, talented women in 9 countries. These artisan women work to improve the lives of their children and their communities.

The mission of Fair Anita, started in 2015, is to create space for women to feel safe, valued and respected through dignified jobs and Fair Trade relationships. Fair Anita shares that for every dollar a woman makes, between 80-90 cents is reinvested back into her family and community, making sure children are fed and clothed, sending them to school, even putting them through college.

Women’s economic empowerment and leadership is key to overall economic growth and prosperity. More information, including many great photos, will be posted to the Fair Trade page on Ascension’s website. We invite you to check it out and learn more about Fair Anita.

For the months of November and December, 2021, Fair Anita will give Ascension a donation of 20% of online purchases made using Ascension’s special code – our code is ALCTO. Ascension will give this gift to ELCA Lutheran Disaster Response. Mark your calendars and make note of Ascension’s special code. Here is the link to Fair Anita’s website for your shopping enjoyment.

We welcome back our friends at SERRV and are happy they are part of our Virtual Gift Fair again this year.

A name tells us much – established in 1949, the initials stood for Sales Exchange for Refugee Rehabilitation and Vocations. One of the first Fair Trade organizations in the world, SERRV now connects to 24 countries working to empower more than 8000 small-scale artisans and farmers through long-term trading partnerships.

With our support, SERRV can continue to combat poverty and work to help artisans and farmers build better lives for themselves, their families and their communities. Letters spell out more than a name. Every letter has a purpose and stands for an important part of SERRV’s mission. Collectively, the letters SERRV describe the commitment to Fair Trade relationships based on dialogue, transparency, honesty and respect.

The word “Sustainable” is foundational and not limited to the environment. We again thank our friends at SERRV for making a gift of 20% of purchases using Ascension’s special ordering link to ELCA Lutheran Disaster Response.

Here is Ascension’s special ordering link. More information and photos from SERRV will be posted to the Fair Trade page on Ascension’s website. The special ordering link is active and ready for your shopping. We will share updates from SERRV as they come in, including special SERRV promotions. Fair Trade Coffee, Tea, Olive Oil, Snacks and of course, chocolate, is available for purchase during the October 2021 Pre-Ordering Window (10/15/21 – 10/31/21).

The October 2021 Ordering Form can be found on the Fair Trade page of Ascension’s website, on Ascension’s calendar, in hard-copy in the church office, and HERE.

You can also send an email to us at and we’ll send out the ordering form to you.

Just as our Gifts of Hope Alternative Gifts provide hope for a brighter future for many, both near and far, our support of Fair Trade in its many wonderful forms provides hope to artisans, farmers, their families and communities around the world.

We remember that with Fair Trade, farmers and artisans are paid first and paid in full; promotions and the special gifts from SERRV and Fair Anita do not affect the fair wages, prices and treatment for those who produce the items and products we enjoy and give as gifts.

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Meet Emma Janzen (continued)

Emma volunteered at middle school and high school at the Lutheran church she attended in Peoria, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. In high school, she worked at a day care center. At Cal Lu, she worked with students via the AmeriCorps fellowship program. And she experienced work in a range of areas of ministry including children’s ministry at a summer program at a Lutheran church in Dana Point.

While her immediate family is in Arizona, Emma does have relatives who live nearby, in the Pasadena area. As far as adjusting to California life, she says she’s loving the weather here “and being so close to the beach is really fun.”

As part of the interview process, Emma says that she and Pastor Julie “had a meeting and talked about the church and all the different goals, and talked about my own spirituality.” Then Emma led some faith-filled fun for 4^th through 6^th graders at the school. And it must have gone well indeed, for now she is jumping into children’s ministry duties at Ascension — already laying plans for Kids in Christ programming (4^th through 6^th grade), Sunday School, and will soon start “putting together the Christmas program.”

Pastor Julie is excited to have someone on board who loves kids and building relationships, has a good sense of children’s ministry, and a deep faith herself. She’ll be an asset! In fact, every reference Pastor Julie called was emphatic that we would be lucky to have Emma on our team, and we shouldn’t let her get away. Emma will be at the elementary school and ECC and in worship—if you see her, welcome her and start getting to know her! And of course, pray for her and our Children’s Ministry, too!

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Pray, Advocate or Take Action this Jubilee Weekend

Jubilee USA needs our help to lift the voices of the faithful in defense of the world’s most vulnerable. Together, we can expand vaccine access across the world, fight climate change and achieve debt relief and increase aid for developing countries for pandemic recovery efforts. We are joining hundreds of faith communities taking action this month through this drive. Everyone can decide how they’d like to participate – from offering a prayer for vaccine distribution or increased aid for developing countries to calling members of Congress, signing a petition, hosting a discussion group or other activities.

As coronavirus wreaks havoc around the globe, we need to make a strong call to bring the world together for a just and equitable recovery. As you are likely aware, Ascension is a Jubilee congregation – and Pastor Steve is Board Co-Chair — and our Southwest California Synod is a Jubilee synod.

Jubilee has been instrumental in the cancellation of more than $130 billion in debt for the world’s poorest countries. These are debts often racked up by malign government actors in these countries but left for innocent citizenry to cope with. Jubilee follows Jesus’ sermon in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 4:14-21) in reading Isaiah 61 and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor, the year of — a year of freedom and debts being cancelled.

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IN NEED OF PRAYER

A name is added to this list only with the permission of the person or the person’s family

Link to printable prayer page

PRAYERS OF COMFORT FOR:

Cori Hengst and family

on the death of her grandmother,

Lilia Fortuna

Debbie Schaeffer,

on the death of her father

PRAYERS OF HEALING FOR:

Brandt and Margy Oschner’s grandson Brandt, who is awaiting a heart transplant

Kris and Peter Swavely’s brother-in-law John, hospitalized in Colorado with severe COVID, and for his wife Lisa, Kris’ sister, who also has COVID

CONTINUING PRAYERS FOR:

Lara Abounayan

Kyle Ayers

Karen Barrows

Maria Bartush

The Bauer Family

Addie Behm

Gloria Benfatto

Debi Bing

Dominick Bosco

Skip Brenner

Mary Cartrett

Dominic Cavaliere

David Corra

Helen Cox

Linda Crabill

Diana Doerfler

John Ernst

Becky and Al France

Jane Ganske

Dennis Gillette

Malia Hassenbein

Penny Hunter

Bob Kielhorn

Dr. Allen Leland

Henry Leland

Grace Lugo

Judy Marshall

Sue May

Sandi Meyer

Shirley Meyer

Verlon Meyer

Bill Munn

Helen Nenne

Paul and Betty Olson

Laurie Peyton

Lois Phillips

Mike Ricci

Dave Rosinbum

Pastor David Palma-Ruwe

Dorothy Scholz

Barb Schornstein

Arnold Schwarz

Jan Timmons

Paul and Anne Urlie

Taty Valladares

Todd Wallace

PRAYERS FOR SAFEKEEPING:

Connor Braaten, USMC

Scott Clark, U.S. Navy

LCpL. Alexander Daley

Cody Davidson, US Army

Tim David, US Army

Jack Ingles, USMC

ET1 Patrick Maccarone, USN

Jake Marshall, USMC

Scott Mochatel, USCG

LCJG Caroline Truesdell, USCG

Prayers For Our Congregations In The ELCA

Southwest CA Synod Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and staff

Synod Bishop-elect Brenda Bos

Our Channel Islands Conference:

New Hope, Agoura Hills

Mt. Cross, Camarillo

Christ, Goleta

King of Glory, Newbury Park

Holy Cross, Ojai

Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, Oxnard

Our Savior’s, Oxnard

Trinity, Santa Barbara

Emanuel, Santa Paula

Shepherd of the Valley, Simi Valley

Holy Trinity, Thousand Oaks

Trinity, Ventura

(To learn more, ask one of the pastors)

PRAYER FOCUS:

The work of Jubilee,

that God guides and blesses the efforts toward equitable treatment and relief from debt, famine and disease, especially COVID, for the world’s most vulnerable populations

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Blessing Of The Pets 2021

Thanks to Pastor Steve for the photos!

2022-10-09 11.33.03 (1)

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Attendance & Offerings

Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Offerings to Date

Through October 3, 2021 (week 14 of 52)

FY2022 Received: $292,109

Budgeted: $328,819

Windfall/(Shortfall): $(36,710)

FY2021 Received: $288,878

Budgeted: $329,075

Windfall/(Shortfall): $(40,197)

Attendance

All three weekend services

Sept.27 – Oct.3

In Person: 195

Online: 159

Sept.20 – Sept.26

In Person: 167

Online: 175

Sept.13 – Sept.19

In Person: 202

Online: 176

Sept.6 – Sept.12

In Person: 310

Online: 128

August 30 – Sept. 5

In Person: 168

Online: 180

August 23-29

In Person: 190

Online: 212

August 16-22

In Person: 188

Online: 220

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Packing School Kits For Lutheran World Relief

barnyard

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SLL 1

A recap of the Youth Gathering

High School Youth Group Enjoys Farm Fun, Service, Sunsets, Mountain Tops, and mostly, Lots of Laughter and God’s Hand in it All.

by Dianne Beck

“Sometimes the best way to see God is by looking backwards.”

This was something a speaker at the recent Youth Gathering at Luther Glen said on our last day of camp, and as I look back on our week, I definitely see the hand of God in everything we did.

At Bible Study this past Sunday, as we shared Highs and Lows, each youth who went on the trip, along with myself, listed our trip as a high for the week, recounting the fun times, and admitted that one low was simply the adjustment of coming back home, even though we were all glad to be home and get some rest! I know that in my mind I’ve continued to hear our jokes, sometimes even saying them out loud when no one near me would get it, and have songs like “One Name Under Heaven,” “Reckless Love,” and “Knee, Knee, Clap, Clap” on repeat in my head as well. The week is one that will stay embedded positively in our memories and continue to bring us joy as we think back on it.

Each day was packed with activity and opportunities to connect with each other as well as people from all over California and places as far as North Dakota, Minnesota, Washington, and Hawaii. In this one week, we were able to enjoy farm animals and a new puppy, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, great praise music and speakers, games and conversation, Disneyland, The Palm Springs Tramway, a service day at Helping Hands in San Bernadino, and the local fun of Oak Glen with apple turnovers and axe throwing.
Looking back, I think I saw God most in the way we all connected and got to know one another more and more each day. It’s not easy to hide behind your real self when spending a week together, which I believe is the beauty of going away together. We all see that it’s okay to be who we are and when we are, that’s when God and his love best shine through.

I am truly thankful for every person who went on the trip, every person we met, both near and far, and all the lasting connections and memories made.

If you or a high schooler you know would like to be part of another trip, stay tuned for our plans for an upcoming weekend retreat to Pismo Beach September 23-25th. If interested, contact Dianne Beck at .

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Worship:

Saturday 6 PM

Sunday 9 and 10:30 AM

This Week At Ascension

Called to create opportunities for all people to become devoted followers of Christ

March 23, 2025

Grace and peace my sisters and brothers in Christ,

Repent!

What images and thoughts come to your mind when you hear this word? Is it a heavy one that conjures up John the Baptist-style street preachers? Is it one of those big heavy religious words that is only pulled out for big heavy religious situations?

Martin Luther didn’t think so. In fact, I get the sense that he loved this word. For him, repentance was a deliberate daily process that reminded him that though he tended to want to go his own way, he should go God’s way instead.

This is Jesus’ take on the word too. Repentance is a way of life. To put it another way, it means we are called to walk with Jesus instead of our own way. Or finally another way, when we are walking with Jesus, we are walking in repentance.

I can’t wait to explore this more in worship this weekend.

Blessings,

Click Here to View/Download The Lenten Schedule

Kingdom Builders Are Going Full Steam!

Two weeks ago One Ascension embarked on a bold new endeavor tied into our Be the Blessing emphasis. We gave away $100 bills to 100 individuals and small groups.

The idea was to empower them to whatever ministry the Holy Spirit was calling them to.

They could use the money to fund something new to benefit disadvantaged individuals or populations. They could use their “gift” as seed money for a fundraiser to grow that $100 into something even bigger. They could use their $100 to enlist the help of others to make an even bigger difference in the world.

The idea behind this Kingdom Builders endeavor is to remind us that we serve a God of abundance. He’s a generous God who continually blesses us and then asks us to share our blessings with others.

Those $100 “gifts” distributed randomly to both adults and youth came with strings attached: “Don’t spend this on yourself; invest it in God’s Kingdom. Give it away or use it to raise more funds for an activity or a ministry that the Holy Spirit has placed on your heart.”

As those Kingdom Builders continue to consider how to invest their $100, please keep them and our endeavor in your prayers, asking to God to help them discern how to spend their funds or how to raise even more funds.

If you have any questions about Ascension’s Kingdom Builders project, please contact us at

One Last Time

Fresh from leading his students in concert at Carnegie Hall, Wyant Morton will present one last concert with The Cal Lutheran Choir before he retires. It’s this Sunday, March 23, at 2 PM in Samuelson Chapel, and we hope to see you there. What an elegant coda to his 33 years as conductor and music professor at the university. We are so blessed that he continues to lead our Chancel Choir. Congratulations, Maestro.

This Sunday in Adult Ed: Community Concerns

This Adult Ed class will discuss the role that ALCTO Community Concerns plays in our community. Come and learn more about the mission of ALCTO Community Concerns Team. Learn how we stay connected and support the different church ministries and other local nonprofit organizations in our local community. Chris Daleiden will be leading this class with a few special guests.

At 10:30 AM in the library.

Under the Community Concerns banner are ministries including Ascension’s Food Pantry, which is open to the public most Fridays, between 10 AM and noon, food drives, our Hot Meals Ministry, with volunteers providing and packing food for families in need monthly, and blood drives.

Quilt tying next Tuesday, March 25; 9 to Noon in Founders Hall. If you want to come and see what it is all about you are welcome to come and observe; pick up quilt squares to sew; or see what other ways you can help with this ministry. - 1

adult ed dementia 5

Learning and Helping

We would like to thank Becca Smuck and Dr. Max Fuhrmann for an excellent class on caring for people with dementia.

Becca is now working on a grad degree at the University of Kansas. Dr. Max is a clinical psychologist and gerontologist, and will be joining our congregation. Becca attended our Ascension Lutheran School and Augustana College in Rock Island, IL.

Sponsored by your Senior Adult Ministries Team.

Copy of SH Study (Poster (US))

Serving Those Who Grow Our Food

Last Sunday, Ascension’s Sunday School Children and Youth learned about the kinds of fruits and vegetables grown in the fields of Ventura County and the more than 40,000 fieldworkers who plant, tend and harvest this bounty. Carolina, a member of the Friends of Fieldworkers Board, shared her experiences as a fieldworker – she started working in the fields at age 7. Many hands filled 100 personal care kit with socks, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, shampoo, soap, granola bars, and a special message sharing God’s love. Fresh strawberries from the fields of Oxnard were enjoyed by all.

Students from Ascension’s First and Third Grade Classes joined in making hand-made special messages to include in the 45 kits they completed this week.

The kits will be given to Friends of Fieldworkers for distribution to fieldworker families next week. We are thankful for Be the Blessing funds and gifts from many that made this opportunity to serve possible.

Thank You Ascension Community!

Equal Exchange, one of our Fair Trade partners, shared last week that for 2024, Ascension was #5 among more than 1000 congregations and organizations in their interfaith/community segment nationwide in purchases of their Fair Trade products.

Thanks – Really, Really, Big Thanks — go out to Ascension’s growing community of Fair Trade Friends for a truly amazing 2024. We love that you love delicious & organically grown Fair Trade tea, olive oil, nuts, dried fruit & of course, chocolate. And, we love that we can meet & greet you on Fair Trade Lane not one, not two but now three times each month! Thank You to the Lunch Bunch Team for the opportunity to open Fair Trade Lane after everyone has enjoyed a delicious lunch & wonderful fellowship.

We thank our partners – Equal Exchange, Mt Meru Coffee Project, LWR & Red Barn Family Farms – for their commitment to Fair Trade & Fair Trade farmers around the globe.

Ascension Fair Trade is so very blessed to be one of many faith groups promoting justice for people and planet through Fair Trade.

For more information, visit us on Fair Trade Lane or send us a note at .

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A Day of Service & Adventure: Moorpark Zoo Trip Recap

Hello Families and Church Congregation!

We kicked off our youth activities this month with a memorable Moorpark Zoo Trip on March 16th!

The day began with our 10:30 AM Worship Service, where we gathered together in prayer and praise. Afterward, our youth participated in a service project to support field workers. Each of the students helped put together care kits, which included essentials like two pairs of socks, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, granola bars, and a heartfelt note to remind the workers how much God loves them. It was a beautiful way to show love and gratitude for those who work so hard.

We were then blessed to hear from our guest speaker, Carolina Guillen, who shared her powerful story. Carolina spoke about her experiences growing up in California, the struggles her family faced, and the incredible strength they found in coming together to persevere for a better life. Her testimony gave our students a deeper understanding of the mission behind this service project and how it will bring hope to families in need.

After the service and project, lunch was provided for our 6th-12th graders, giving everyone a chance to fuel up before heading out on our zoo adventure.

At the Moorpark Zoo, the students had the opportunity to see all kinds of amazing animals—tigers, lions, a 100-year-old tortoise named Clarence, monkeys, emus, owls, birds, reptiles, and more! We also got to enjoy a special show at the Teaching Zoo, where college zoo students shared fascinating facts about the animals they’ve been working with, including a skunk, a hawk in training, and various reptiles and insects.

It was such a blessing to witness the students’ curiosity as they asked questions and learned about God’s incredible creation. They were engaged, excited, and eager to discover more about the world around them.

Be sure to check out the highlight photos from this fun and educational trip!

Looking ahead, we have many more exciting youth events planned. Stay tuned, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!

God Bless,
Jennifer Avalos
Youth Director

SAVE THE DATE:

Kingdom Builders Get Rolling

Kingdom Builders is underway, and one of the projects you’ll be hearing more about is the April 13 Be The Blessing Bike Ride. Stay tuned.

(In cycling, “no drop” means nobody gets left behind.)

Lunch Bunch for April

The March Lunch Bunch was very well received! The sloppy joes were a hit. We served 73 people!

Our next date is April 9th. Signups at church will be March 23rd and 30th and the last date to sign up is April 2nd.

The menu will be Baked Ham, Cheesy Potatoes and Rice Krispy treats.

A simple gift in your will can help continue the mission of Ascension Lutheran Foundation for generations to come. Learn more: Ascension Foundation

Calm in a Storm?

At Wednesday morning school chapel, Pastor Tim and Deacon teach us how to be courageous in the midst of a storm as we learn from Jesus in the Gospel stories!

Thank you for your prayers for our school and Early Childhood Center.

COOKIES NEEDED!

The Library Committee is once again offering cookies following our Wednesday evening Lenten services and we’re looking for help. If you are interested in contributing three dozen cookies or more on any of the six Wednesdays in Lent, please contact Dolores Ledbetter at (805)716-3045 or the church office.

Easter Lily Dedications

You are invited to donate one or more Easter Lilies in honor or remembrance of someone special to you. Fill out a flower envelope in the pew rack and enclose $9 each.

Click HERE To Read or Download

For Men’s Bibles & Brews info. join our mailing list! Email . Put MB&B LIST in the subject line.

Road Trip!

Everyone’s invited to join us for a road trip to the Ten Thousand Villages shop in Pasadena on Tuesday, March 25. The shop is filled with beautiful Fair Trade “wearable & shareable” handcrafts from around the globe – each with a story of hope and celebration. Space is limited. Details in the flier.

Questions? Contact us at .

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS:

Children can attend Sunday school at any time! We have Sunday school during the 9:00 AM worship following children’s time for children ages 3 through 6th grade (nursery care is also provided during this time). We have nursery care with Sunday school for 0’s to 4-year-old’s during the 10:30 worship service.
Join the new Children’s Choir during Lent!!! Children’s choir will take place from 10:10 to 10:30 AM in the kindergarten classroom every Sunday from March 2 through April 6. Children’s Choir is for children age 4ish to upper elementary. They will be singing “Jesus Loves Me” on Sunday, April 13, at the 9:00 AM service. Many thanks to Kari Keit for taking the lead on this!
Special “Jesus Experience” during 9:00 AM Sunday school on April 6 as children learn all about Holy Week and Easter and get prepared for the special upcoming services.
Sunday, April 13, Palm Sunday – a definite “don’t miss” for families! The children’s choir will sing during the 9:00 worship. Everyone will get to wave palms. And then there is the tomato sale and petting zoo from 10:00 AM to noon in the garden. And a special Jerusalem donkey named Chloe will be at the petting zoo.
Sunday, April 20, Easter services at 7:00, 9:00, and 11:00 AM. Another “don’t miss” day! Easter breakfast will be served in the gym during the morning by our youth. An Easter egg hunt will take place between the 9 & 11 AM services.

Let’s Read Together for Lent

We’re doing a special series based on the book Liturgy of the Ordinary. Wednesday evening services during Lent will have a reflection about the book. It’s not too late to join in. We encourage you to purchase the book and read it as you follow the reading plan — then be sure to come to Wednesday night Soup Suppers at 6 PM throughout Lent. You can discuss the book, and delve further by attending worship at 7 PM and hearing sermons that tie in to the week’s themes. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW/DOWNLOAD the reading plan.)

The book is available on Amazon, Thriftbooks, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com and other outlets.

Book Club Notes

The Ascension Book Club meets the 3rd Thursday of the month at 1:30 in the Bethlehem Room, in the office building. The group chooses books based on members’ interest and discussion is led by one of the members. Books vary from popular novels to nonfiction. Please feel free to join us–we are a friendly group.

March: Profiles in Courage by John F Kennedy

April: Symphony of Secrets, by Brendan Slocumb (the One City One Book for Thousand Oaks available at the library)

May: Horse by Geraldine Brooks

June: Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea (This is about the “Donut Dollies ” of WW II)

Books should be available at Libby, local library, Amazon or Thriftbooks.

We need to upgrade our sanctuary’s sound system.

Can you help?

Maybe you noticed just before Christmas that we completed phase 1 of a 2-phase sound upgrade. (with a vision of a 3rd phase in the future) Thanks to a few generous families, we were able to purchase 6 new digital wireless headsets and 6 handheld microphones. I hope that you have noticed that the range of these new microphones is much better and the sound is much richer for the pastors, musicians and kids in chapel!

Phase 2 will involve:

– Switching to “in-your-ear monitors” from the large stage monitors we currently have on the floor
– A new custom fabricated drum cage- which will be much more sound-proof and much more aesthetically pleasing than the current one.
– A new sound mixing board which will give us more inputs and provide more flexibility with adding musicians and voices.

The overall effect this upgrade will have is that the chancel will look much cleaner, transitioning from the 9am service to the 10:30 service will take much less time, the sound at the 10:30 will be much improved, and our school musicals will have more ability to amplify the actors’ voices!

The good news: Not only have we covered the cost of phase 1, but we have also raised 38-48k of the 68k we need to complete phase 2. We would really love to be able to raise this money and purchase this equipment as soon as possible. Maybe we could even get some of this equipment in time for Easter?!

Might you prayerfully consider going above and beyond your regular giving to help us get to the finish line?

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact or email me!

Pastor Tim

Mark Your Calendar!

Tomato Sale,Garden Festival, and PETTING ZOO!

Friday, April 11, 2:30 to 4:30 for ECC & Ascension School Families

Sunday, April 13, 10:00 AM to noon for EVERYONE – Church, School, & Community

The children and youth of Ascension Lutheran Church & School are once again growing tomato plants. All proceeds from the sale of the tomato plants goes to support outdoor/garden campus programs. There will be other garden goodies as well. On the day of the school-only sale, bunnies will be the featured animal. On the day of the Sunday sale, everyone is invited to come to the Ascension garden* after worship to check out all the plants for purchase, tour the garden area, peek in the beautiful new greenhouse, and enjoy a petting zoo.

*The Ascension Garden is located at the far end of the big parking lot where the “bungalow” – the small modular building – sits. Go down the ramp to the right of the bungalow to discover a wonder of plants and goodness!

New Classes Springing from “Bible & Blue Zones” Class

Rev Fit & Rev Well Walk

The 4-week Bible & Blue Zones class led by Pastor Chamie concludes February 6. The class has been exploring the intersection of faith and scripture with nine key attributes of people living long and healthy lives. These attributes include things like going to worship, having purpose, managing stress, eating lots of fresh foods, and moving your body every day. As part of Bible & Blue Zones, church member Dianne Beck shared about the exercise ministry certificate she earned right prior to Covid. Now she hopes to provide the following classes and is looking for input for the best days and times:

What is a Rev Fit Class?

Rev Fit classes are foundationally based upon God’s word, always beginning with a God-centered intention and Bible passage, followed by a warm-up, movement that involves cardio, strength, and flexibility, and then ending with a longer cool-down time that includes guided prayer and meditation on the beginning intention and Bible passage. The classes are designed for all fitness levels, showing modifications for different levels. Class times range from approximately 40 – 60 minutes.

What is a Rev Well Walk?

Similar to the Rev Fit class, each walk begins with a God-centered intention and Bible reading, then some questions to contemplate or talk about with a friend during the walk. The walk ends with a cool down stretch and prayer.

Location:

Rev Fit – Ascension Lutheran Church (Room to be announced)

Rev Walk – a local park, probably Conejo Creek by the Thousand Oaks Library

Instructor: Dianne Beck (Certified Revelation Wellness Fitness Instructor)

Email me anytime with questions or feedback: beckdianne713@gmail.com

What days/times work best for you? Complete This Survey: CLICK HERE.

Ascension Event Calendar

In Need of Prayer

Click here for this week’s Prayer List

Top of Page

Pericopes

This Week

Isaiah 55:1-9
1 Corinthians 101-13
Luke 13:1-9

Next Week

Psalm 32 2
Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

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

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IN NEED OF PRAYER

PRAYERS OF COMFORT FOR:

PRAYERS OF HEALING FOR:

We keep these family and friends in our prayers as they have lost their homes in the recent fires. As we learn of ways that we can help them, we’ll pass that on to you. In the meantime, and continually, we will keep them in prayer.

PRAYERS FOR SAFEKEEPING:

PRAYER FOCUS

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Attendance & Offerings

Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Offerings to Date

Attendance

Sam’s Tram Rolls Again

Gifts of Hope 2021 — Virtual Fair Trade Gift Fair

Meet Emma Janzen (continued)

Pray, Advocate or Take Action this Jubilee Weekend

IN NEED OF PRAYER

PRAYERS OF COMFORT FOR:

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CONTINUING PRAYERS FOR:

PRAYERS FOR SAFEKEEPING:

Prayers For Our Congregations In The ELCA

PRAYER FOCUS:

Blessing Of The Pets 2021

Attendance & Offerings

Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Offerings to Date

Attendance

Packing School Kits For Lutheran World Relief

A recap of the Youth Gathering

This Week At Ascension

Grace and peace my sisters and brothers in Christ,

Click Here to View/Download The Lenten Schedule

Kingdom Builders Are Going Full Steam!

One Last Time

This Sunday in Adult Ed: Community Concerns

Learning and Helping

Serving Those Who Grow Our Food

Thank You Ascension Community!

A Day of Service & Adventure: Moorpark Zoo Trip Recap

SAVE THE DATE:

Kingdom Builders Get Rolling

Lunch Bunch for April

Calm in a Storm?

COOKIES NEEDED!

Easter Lily Dedications

Road Trip!

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS:

Let’s Read Together for Lent

Book Club Notes

We need to upgrade our sanctuary’s sound system.

Can you help?

Mark Your Calendar!

Tomato Sale,Garden Festival, and PETTING ZOO!

New Classes Springing from “Bible & Blue Zones” Class

In Case You Missed It…

Ascension Event Calendar

In Need of Prayer

Pericopes

Our Prayer

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