CONNECTIONS
Ascension Lutheran Church
November, 2014
Special Dates in November
Nov. 1
Holiday Bazaar
Nov. 9
Thankofferng Sunday
Nov. 11
Veteran’s Day: office closed & no Sarah
Circle
Nov. 26 & 27
Church office closed for Thanksgiving
Communion Worship every Sunday-9:30 AM.
Our new members will be welcomed to
our congregation on Sunday, December
7.
New members are invited to participate in an orientation and potluck on
Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 6:30.
If you are interested in joining,
please contact Pastor Doug, Jeanette
Eliason, or the church office.
The Landscape Committee has
designed a plan that will give a more
finished look to the Black Oak and
Barnett corner and establish another
outdoor sitting area outside the sanctuary. This fall, we plan to complete the
corner work with pavers, gravel, lighting on the sign and a color
garden. We will also be planting 4 large trees outside the sanctuary. We are very excited about our progress. If you would like to
donate to our fall project, make a check to Ascension and note
landscaping in the memo. ~Landscape Committee
Some surprising advice
from the past
Pastor Doug Vold
Last week Linda returned from her parent’s home with a collection of mementos from long ago, items saved by Linda’s mom.
Among the items was a worship bulletin from Peace Lutheran
Church in north Portland, the church to which Linda’s family belonged. It was from the day that Linda was baptized, November 4,
1956. Wow.
This bulletin is in the old stencil/mimeograph style that was used
back then, and it’s interesting to think how a Sunday morning
used to operate. The special music is listed in the bulletin, but not
the hymns. Those would have been listed on a hymn board in the
sanctuary. The order of worship includes only references to page
numbers in a hymnal. But there were lots of announcements;
something about Thankoffering boxes – we still use those; a list
of sick and shut-ins, Grandpa’s brother was one of them.
These bulletins were printed on covers that came from the church
publishing house. They included a picture on the front and a message on the back. (We don’t use these at Ascension but you may
still be able to get these.) And this part of the bulletin is what provides the biggest surprise. It is a God and country theme with a
message about responsible voting.
Of course it’s the mid 1950s so the God and country theme
shouldn’t be that surprising. And the first Sunday in November
was the Sunday before Election Day, so maybe that isn’t so surprising either. But I was certainly intrigued by the specifics directed toward “the responsible Christian citizen” and how said
citizen would come to an Election Day decision. They seem interesting enough to pass along.
2
In coming to a decision the responsible Christian citizen (of
1956):
Considers the interest of other persons and groups as
fairly as he/she does his own.
Examines in the light of Jesus’ teachings the claims for
and against the several candidates and issues.
Judges [candidates] and parties not by their professions
of religion but by their performance under the responsibilities
and temptations of power.
Lets the love of Christ for the forgotten and friendless
guide him/her.
Supports conscientious and capable public servants who
act in accord with Christian standards of integrity, justice, and
righteousness.
Looks for [candidates] who would yield themselves to
God and join Solomon in praying for wisdom, knowledge and an
understanding heart.
Studies God’s word and Christ’s example for the message
they bring on the realities of the political decisions he/she must
help to make.
It has been a long time since we talked like this. Some may miss
these old ways. Others are glad for at least some of the ways
we’ve moved along. (I tried to minimize the exclusive male pronouns.) But mostly I’m intrigued to what large extent the responsible Christian citizen is encouraged to think of interests other
than one’s own. Imagine that. That seems like some surprising
advice indeed.
Everyone is welcome … join us
for Family Sunday, on
November 2nd !
We will be meeting in what is
normally the coffee and cookie
area, but it will be closed off into
a room for us.
November’s story is: “Abraham and Sarah”
3
ELCA Youth Gathering 2015
Update
All 11 members of the Detroit
Youth Team are registered ….9 youth
and 2 brave adults!
Their travel arrangements have been secured … not all paid for
but booked. This was possible through the
generous donations of Delta Skymiles donations that allowed us to get 4 free tickets!
Thank-you to our “flying angels”! The required down payment for registration has
been sent!
Thank-you to all who are
bringing in their M&M
tubes. There is a collection bucket in the office
Southern Oregon Concert Band Presents
Honor and Valor
A Veterans Day Concert
Tuesday, November 11th at 7pm
PrePre-concert at 6pm
The Martin Behnke Sextet plays
Big Band Jazz Arrangements
Admission: Donations
4
THANKOFFERING
Thankoffering Sunday is November 9th. This is the service the
Ascension Lutheran Church Women prepare for the congregation.
What is the “offering” part of this service? This special money
(not part of the regular offering) is sent to The Women of the
ELCA to be used to help women and children world-wide.
This year the women have put their change in a small white
church bank at home, as a visual reminder of the need to support
less fortunate families. On the 9th, we will bring these banks to
church, and put them in a big basket by the entrance to the Sanctuary. The funds will then be sent to WELCA.
If you didn’t get a bank and wish to contribute, a check designated for Thankoffering will be much appreciated.
Thank you!
ALCW
Are you ready for Christmas?
The Detroit Youth Team is preparing to deck our halls with Christmas cheer!! Starting on the 30th of November there will be a forest of beautifully decorated trees up for a silent auction here at
Ascension. All proceeds from the tree auction will go toward the
Detroit Youth Team’s trip to Detroit this
summer!
11/30 Auction opens on trees
12/14 Auction closes after worship
Contact Stephanie Risner with any questions
at 541-773-3594
5
Middle School: Faith Practices
Nov. 2 - Service ProjectHumane Soc
Nov. 9 - Bible Study/Pastor Doug
Nov. 16 -Prayer
Nov. 23 -Community Conversations
Nov. 30 -Thanksgiving - No Class
High School Class:
11/2 - Creation Care/Art Project with
Jim Hutchins
11/9 - OYLO Retreat/ No Class
11/16 -Erin Hedrick/YAGM
11/23 -Theology/Pastor Doug
11/30 -Thanksgiving/No Class
Contact Susan Detwiler at [email protected] or call
the church office if you have questions, need more information or
would like to become involved in this ministry!
Dear Ascension Lutheran Congregation,
Thank you so much for your support through my YAGM
year; it meant so much to me. This experience changed my life
and it could have only happened with your support. I would encourage you to continue to support the YAGM program and its
important work.
~ Blessings, Erin Hedrick
Some of our high school group is
headed to Canby Grove Christian Center for an
Oregon Lutheran Youth retreat. They will
be leaving the afternoon of Noth
vember 7 and coming home on the 9th.
This will be great opportunity for them to connect with other youth that may be attending the ELCA Youth
Gathering in Detroit and the keynote speaker will be Paul Amlin, ELCA Program Director for Youth Ministry… all the way
from Chicago!
Please keep them in your prayers for safe travel and a great experience.
6
Did you know that the Oregon
Synod has a companion synod?
Each ELCA synod has a global
companion synod and ours is
Poland.
Every year our Sunday School
children decide where they want
their offering to go and last year
they decided that they wanted to
help orphans. I made contact
with the Bishops office in Poland
and they put us in touch with an
orphanage run by the Polish Diakonia, the Lutheran Parish in
Dziegielow and Cieszyn county.
We just wired them $513.30 U.S.
dollars!
This year, our children have decided to split their offering between Doernbecher Children’s
Hospital and Camp Lutherwood
… with a special one month emphasis on our local Maslow Project!
Children’s Ministry
7
November 20
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
2 All Saints Sunday
Worship-9:30
Education-11:00
Bazaar continues after
worship
3
Budget Mtg.-4:00
Grace Notes-6:00
4
Knitters-12:00
FFEC Mtg.-3:00
5
No Bible Study
Confirmation
Choir-6:30
9 Thankoffering
Sunday Worship-9:30
Education-11:00
10
Finance Mtg.-4:00
Grace Notes-6:00
11
Veteran’s Day
Church office closed
Sarah Circle can-
12
Bible StudyConfirmation
Choir-6:30
16
Worship-9:30
Education-11:00
17
Grace Notes-6:00
18 Knitters-12:00
Com. Chairs-4:15
Women’s Evening
Group-6:30
Council-6:30
19
Bible StudyConfirmation
Choir-6:30
23
Worship-9:30
Education-11:00
24
Grace Notes-6:00
25
Community Dinner5:30
26
Bible StudyChoir-6:30
30 Advent
Worhsip-9:30
8
ovember 2014
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
Holiday Bazaar
No Bible Study
Confirmation-5:30
6:30
Bible Study-9:30
Confirmation-5:30
6:30
Bible Study-9:30
Confirmation-5:30
6:30
Bible Study-9:30
6:30
6
Joyful Noise-9:00
ALCW Board-9:30
Worship Mtg. 5:15
Girl Scouts-6:00
7
13
Joyful Noise-9:00
Martha Circle-12:30
14
15
20
Joyful Noise-9:00
21
22
27
28
29
Thanksgiving
8
GS Masquerade Ball6:00 pm
OLYO High School Retreat
Church Office Closed
9
Baby Class will be meeting November 9th
at 10:45am in our Nursery! Parents and
babies, birth to two years old, are invited
to join Come learn some fun ways to practice faith with your baby.
2 and 3 Year Old Class: Our class for 2 and 3
years olds will be meeting Nov. 9th. They will
join our older kids in our Gathering Room at
10:45am to start with some songs, prayer, offering and birthday celebration. They will then head
to
their own classroom to explore a Bible Story
through activities designed just for them
Parents are welcome to join their children, or children
are welcome to come on their own! This class meets in the first
room on the right in the Sunday school wing
Sunday School: ages 4 years - 5th Grade
November’s Story: “Abraham and Sarah”
November 2: Family Sunday School
November 9: Workshops
November 16: Workshops
November 23: Practice for Children’s
Christmas Program
November 30: Thanksgiving - No Classes
Sunday School is from 10:45am until 11:45. We meet in our
Gathering Room in the Sunday School wing. On Workshop
Sundays and in Blaar Hall on Family Sundays!
Contact Susan Detwiler at [email protected] or
call the church office if you have questions, need more information or would like to become involved in this ministry.
10
ASCENSION LADIES, PLEASE SAVE THIS DATE
Did you see the recent article in the Medford Tribune
about the Hearts with a Mission? It was a full front page praising
this agency for providing housing for homeless youth - the only
one to do so in Jackson County. Now they have added housing
with volunteer parents. What a wonderful service!
Come and learn more about its many services at
our ALCW Women's Advent Lunch on Saturday, December 6 at 11:30a.m. at Ascension.
There will be a delicious catered lunch, devotions and Secret Sister gift exchange. All women
and guests welcome. Details later.
~Shiena Polehn, Mission Coordinator, ALCW
Dear Ascension Lutheran Congregation,
Thank you so much for the generous donation of food to
our food pantry. We so appreciate that tremendous supporters
you’ve been of our work with homeless children and families in
our community. It wouldn’t be possible without your support.
~Warmly, Maslow Project
MASLOW PROJECT: Sarah Circle sends a big
thank you to everyone who participated in the
Maslow Project food drive. Matt and Mollie from
Maslow picked up over one thousand items of food
for the homeless teens and families. Thanks to Sarah
Circle for organizing this event.
•
•
•
•
ALCW DATES
The ALCW Board meeting is Thursday, Nov . 6 at 9:30
Thankoffering Sunday is Nov. 9
Sarah Circle is concelled in November due to the Veteran's
Day holiday.
Martha Cirlce meets Nov. 13 at 12:30.
11
What was the source of Samson’s
strength?
A. His huge muscles
B. The Spirit of God
C. His uncut hair
D. He inherited it from his father
Answer: See Judges 14:19
November Adult Forums
November 2: No Forum. The Bazaar is open after worship.
November 9: What’s Wrong with This Picture? Introduction
of the In-Home, Fall Prevention Assessment Tool that Age
Friendly Innovators Inc (AFI) has designed and is beta-testing.
Discussion of the in-home, fall risk assessment tool with Sharon
Johnson and Mary Ellen Campbell facilitating. Opportunity for
anyone interested to schedule a follow-up in-home assessment
with a team of Certified Aging in Place Specialists (C.A.P.S.)
without cost.
November 16: Scripture discussion with Pastor Doug
November 23: “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” 91 year old
Gail Myers PhD (retired college professor/president) will discuss
his use of the in-home fall-risk assessment tool and his own decision-making process about “aging in place.” As a finale he and
his 91 year old partner, Phyllis Ross (former member of Ascension) will do a few musical numbers—she is on the piano and he
is on the tenor saxophone.
November 30: Scripture discussion with Pastor Doug
Church office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to
3:00 pm and Friday, 8:00 am to noon. We may be closed for
lunch. Beginning June 9, office hours will be MondayThursday, 9:00 to 2:00.
Church website: www.ascensionlutheran.com.
12
The book called Parenting in
the Pew acknowledges that
worship can be “one of those
times when we parents would
like to pay attention to something other than our children”.
But … we bring our
children so that we can be with them before God, not before the
congregation. This is not about teaching your child to be quiet
but teaching them how to pay attention to God.
At Ascension we have had Worship Bags for quite a few years
and now we would like to expand this ministry to help children
pay attention to God…. with their parents help.
There are now 3 levels of bags:
#1 is for our littlest ones. They can put a Worship Buddy
of their choice in it and there will a “no rip” picture book. These
bags will have no little pieces, no writing implements, nothing
that can harm or be harmed
#2 is for our preschool and younger elementary kids.
These will have children’s worship bulletins, Bible finger
puppets, flannel board and felt shapes and more. Again
children are welcome to grab a Worship Buddy too.
#3 is for our older elementary kids. In this bag there will
be supplies to encourage kids to listen, see and hear what is going on in worship and to respond through words or art. Upper
level children’s bulletins and or course they can take a Worship
Buddy too.
All children’s Worship Bags will now be found in the
main hallway, under the congregational photos. Below the shelf
are booster seats and a basket for Worship Buddies that need
washing. Generally the Worship Buddies are washed once a
month, but if your little one is “drippy” with a cold or saliva,
please put them in the “Wash Basket”!
13
Answer: Colossians 4:2, NIV
14
RECAP OF THE 2014 SANCTUARY RENOVATION:
The current work on the sanctuary is complete, and I am
pleased to report the project came in under budget. We had requested and received approval for $33,275 to complete this project, and the final total expenditures were $27, 415.31, which is
17.6% ($5,59.69) under budget. Thank you for your past and
continued support in providing a safe and comfortable environment in which our church family can meet and worship.
Yours in Christ,
Greg Applen
On Our Art Wall: We are reminded to give thanks for the abundance and beauty of fall through the work of three member artists
using three different mediums:
Welcoming us as we enter the vestibule is a lovely wall
hanging of vibrant colors and fall design quilted and shared with
us by Nancy Wilke. The lighted display wall features the work
of two other artists. One is a giclee print of the original watercolor "Pears on Foothill' (the day before harvest) by Judy Bjorlie. It is joined by two original collages composed of natural materials by Jim Hutchins. These three beautiful works are on loan
from Ron and Carole Holzkamp.
The months of December and January include the Church
season's of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. For the display
wall we are going to exhibit art work associated with the word
"REJOICE". If you have artwork that reflects/evokes this emotion/action and you would like it to be considered for inclusion
in a grouping, please have the piece at the Church for the A&S
monthly meeting by Nov.18th at 10:00am. I you have questions
please contact a member directly or leave your name with Carla
and we will connect with you.
We are thankful for members who have shared their art
and talents with us. ~Rose Menge
15
16
We believe that we are called to proclaim the
good news of God in Christ through our words
and especially through our deeds toward
all who live in the greater Rogue Valley
of Southern Oregon.
Our Vision
We are a community of believers, empowered
by the Holy Spirit to support and serve one
another.
Our Mission
We, the members of Ascension Lutheran
Church, gratefully rooted in the Good News
of God’s Grace, proclaim our partnership with
the whole church of God and give ourselves
to worship, witness and service.
Communion Services every
Sunday at 9:30 AM
675 Black Oak Dr.
Medford, OR 97504-8314
541-773-3594
www.ascensionlutheran.com
Ascension Lutheran Church
Return Service Requested
MEDFORD OR
PERMIT NO. 85
PAID
NONPROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE