Ascension Lutheran Church2512 Nash Street NWilson NC 27896-1393Office (252) 243-3825

Website alcwilsonorg

e-mail Office alcwilsonembarqmailcomPresident terryshacklefordgmailcom

June 2015

PTrsquos Ponderings ndash The Courage of Faith (Part 2)

Years ago I read an article in Readerrsquos Digest entitled ldquoDonrsquot Be Afraid to Failrdquo I donrsquotremember the author but I do remember the story-line which said in effect that if we letour fear of failure paralyze us we will never be able to accomplish our full potential

My first experience with fear of failure was very painful I learned to swim my first yearat Boy Scout Camp I had just advanced to the highest level in our swimming area whenI was told by my swimming instructor that I had to jump off the high diving boardldquoExpanding my horizonsrdquo were the words he used That was very first time and the verylast time I ever tried to dive off a high diving board The board was awfully high up andI was awfully afraid I was timidly standing at the edge of the board trying to bolster mycourage when suddenly I was shoved hard from behind I hit the water like a pancake andI stung from the top of my head to the tip of my toes However what really hurt the mostwere the laughs and catcalls of my fellow scouts as I painfully crawled back onto thediving platform To this day I am still ldquoafraidrdquo to jump off a high diving board

Many many years later as a young Navy bachelor I began to take private flying lessonsIn June of 1964 I joined an Air Force Aero Club near Fukutu Japan My flight instructorwas a very wise and patient Air Force Master Sergeant by the name of Bill Gwinn Aftermy solo flight in a Cessna 150 Master Sergeant Gwinn felt that I should ldquoexpand myhorizonsrdquo (I hadnrsquot heard that phrase since my first year in Scout Camp) by flying at leasttwo other aircraft The first aircraft was called an ERCO Ercoupe a low-wing monoplanethat was lots of fun to fly The second aircraft however was an old Stinson L-5 Sentinelwhich had been used by the Army as an observation plane The L-5 scared the livingdaylights out of me because it was old and because it was a ldquotail draggerrdquo Instead ofhaving a tricycle landing gear like the Cessna and the Ercoupe it had a tail wheel Beingvertically challenged (short) ldquotail draggersrdquo were difficult for me to taxi from one placeto the next

To make a long story short I had spent most of the morning making ldquotouch and goesrdquo andwas making my final approach to the field when suddenly my engine stopped dead I couldsee the chain-link fence at the end of the runway coming up fast My first thoughts werereally not printable nor appropriate for a pastor but as I made another check of all of theinstruments I simply said ldquoDear God Help merdquo I then reached down and released thelanding flaps I literally ldquohoppedrdquo over the chain-link fence to make a ldquoperfectrdquo dead-sticklanding As I rolled to a stop on the tarmac MGST Gwinn came running up to thepassenger side of the cockpit hopped in to the seat beside me and said ldquoEdwards ndash Getthis aircraft back into the air ndash NOWrdquo I numbly was able to get the engine going againsoon was airborne After we had made three more touch and goes he signaled me to landand park the plane

Sergeant Gwinn later told me that when he tore open the door of the cockpit I was sittingthere as white as a sheet and in sheer shock He said that if I hadnrsquot gotten that aircraftback into the air when I did I would never have flown again Incidentally that cured meof my fear of the Stinson L-5

Thanks to my flight instructor I had the courage and the faith to continue my flightlessons after that To be sure an occasional intrusive thought like ldquoWhat if this happensagainrdquo would pop into my mind but I was able to dispel these thoughts by affirming thatldquoGodrsquos got thisrdquo I truly believe that God used SGT Gwinn as His Instrument in my lifeGod never promises us that we will always succeed in everything that we undertake Theonly promise we have from God is that nothing mdash absolutely nothing can separate us fromHis love which is Christ Jesus our Lord

As the people of God at Ascension Church stand on the threshold of calling a new pastorremember the words of Pastor Mark Potter who says Faith is the courage to proceed tolive ndash to exist as fully as possible ndash in terms of possibilities and probabilities rather thanabsolutes and certainties Hang on to the Love of God through Christ Jesus Keep an eye

out for possibilities and probabilities in this congregation and in this community and be open to change Never be afraid toldquoexpandrdquo your horizons Be patient with your new pastor He will not be perfect but then remember that neither are any ofus And most importantly donrsquot let the ldquotail draggersrdquo of life scare the living daylights out of you Remember ndash Godrsquos gotthis Grace and peace Pastor Ted

WORSHIP TIME CHANGEWorship moves to 1000starting on SundayJune 7 2015 throughAugust 30 2015

CALLED CONGREGATIONAL JUNE 7

The council announced a meeting ofthe congregation on June 7following worship Since theoriginal announcement it has been become necessaryto change the agenda The call committee believesthey have found the right pastoral candidate Thecouncil has had the opportunity to meet the candidateand is in agreement with the call committeeAgreement on the details of a call has not yet beenconcluded between the call committee and thecandidate The next needed step is a meeting of thecongregation to consider an amendment to the budgetthat would be necessary to make this call possibleThe call committee has proposed this amendment andthe council recommends the amendment to thecongregation The budget amendment will be thefocus of the meeting following worship on June 7

Call Committee Corner

When we began our journey toward calling a newpastor a year ago we said

Now we begin a new journey together There areseveral parts to this it First we look at ourselves and oursituation to develop a vision of what God is calling us toto and be as Christrsquos church in this place at this timeThen we move to call a new pastor to work with us infulfilling that vision

This will take time How much time IT WILL TAKE 40Forty is a meaningful number in Scripture Noah was onthe ark for forty days and forty nights Moses led thechildren of Israel through the wilderness for forty yearsJesus spent forty days and forty nights in the wilderness

after his baptism In each of these God was leading theway to something new and special For Noah it was afresh new world with a rainbow of promise for thechildren of Israel it was the Promised Land and for Jesusit was his life of ministry his death and the wonderfulpromise in his resurrection Forty is not a specific time ndashlike hours or days or weeks or years Forty is the time thatGod takes for the journey to something new and specialAs we go through this process to call a pastor IT WILLTAKE 40 - whatever amount of time that God determineswe need Through the Holy Spirit God will lead us on thisjourney We will learn about ourselves our congregationour Lutheran roots and heritage our strengths and giftsand weaknesses our hopes and dreams This is awonderful opportunity for us as a congregation ndash not justa time to have meetings and fill out forms although wewill be doing that

Rather it is a special time for us to learn and grow andcommit ourselves to a new vision and call here atAscension Lutheran Church Praise God for the blessingsof this journey

We have been on this journey for a year now As yourCall Committee we can say that there have been timeswe have felt we were wandering in the wildernesswondering where God was on this journey And therehave been times when we have been challenged tolearn and grow together as we sought the Holy Spiritin our prayers and conversations

We believe we are close to the end of our journey andabout to call a new pastor We still have more to workout with our candidate and ourselves but we honestlybelieve that God has been mightly active in this newrelationship and sent us the gift of someone veryspecial We will share more information at theCongregational Meeting on Sunday June 7 Pleaseth

plan to be there to learn and to share

And please continue to keep the Call Committee ourchurch and the pastor we hope to call in your prayers

Call Committee Nancy Bergeson Bob Austin Heidi Bonner

Ben Coulter Karen Howerin

It Will Take 40Help Make It Happen

Make a Joyful NoiseOur Choir will take a summer break from Junethrough August They have come faithfully everyWednesday night to prepare to lead worship ndash beingfamiliar with all the hymns and changes in ourliturgy and then to offer a special gift of music in theanthem

We may not be many but we sing with joy and faithand enthusiasm Thanks to our sopranos Dalen andSharon Petway our alto Susan Wethington ourtenor Mathias Gabele-Noll our bases Jon BergesonDale Frantz Sheldon LeMay and Hilton PetwayThanks too to Sharon Petway flautist and SusanWethington pianist for their contributions to ourworship as well as special music

We will resume rehearsals again in mid-August andwe WELCOME you to sing with us Some vacationshave been cut short or plans rearranged so that wewould have a full choir It is difficult when there isonly one or two people in a section Pleaseprayerfully consider singing with us in the fall Andthank those in the choir for their faithful leadership

Council NotesMay 5 Council Meeting

Stewardship

We are moving to our summer schedule and a breakfrom some of our activities However worshipcontinues We will gather at 10 am on Sundays hereat Ascension and we hope that when you aretraveling you will pause to worship somewhere elseBring us back a bulletin and tell us about anythingspecial that you experienced

THANK YOU to all of the people who continue tomake our worship experience so meaningful OurWorship and Music team plans for seasons of thechurch year and all the special worship experienceswersquove had They ensure that we have all the supplieswe need

Anne Austin prepares our bulletins and many folksfold them for us The Altar Guild prepares the altareach week posts hymns changes paraments andbanners for the season Ushers Acolytes CrucifersAssisting Ministers Lectors Communion AssistantsTorch Bearers Bible Bearers and Nursery folks alladd to preparing for and leading our worship Folkscount and deposit our offerings A lot of people areinvolved every week

Stewardship is everything I do

after I say ldquoI believerdquo

Again to all those who DO so much to make ourworship happen each week

THANK YOU

- Appointed Susan Wethington chair of the Evangelism Team and Sheldon Lemay chair of the Stewardship Team (Thankyou Susan and Sheldon) - Appointed Jon Bergeson as voting member of synod assembly to replace Terry Shackleford who will be unable to attendmost of the assembly (Thank you Jon) - Voted to call a meeting of the congregation to determine wishes with regard to returning the steeple to the roof - Appointed Lee Howerin and Sheldon Lemay to serve as advisors on Roberts Rules of Order - Approved a proposal by the Property Team to remove a deaddying tree on the front lawn - Noted with appreciation the exceptional amount of work done by members of the Property Team this year several assistingwith the carpet steepleroof repairs HVAC repairs donated by BampJ Plumbing new mailbox post builtinstalled by Hiltongroup staining the picnic shelter and working on the lawn and garden and other individual and group efforts as well as thanksto Mathias for chairing this team - Approved a proposal by the Worship amp Music team to set summer worship at 10 AM (June-August) - Accepted the Forward Together Team Report with appreciation for those serving on this team - Approved a proposal in the Forward Together Report to provide a church camp experience for middle and high school youthand appropriate funds from the Youth Fund and the Thrivent Choice Fund - Noted that a Member Page is now available on the church web site and the password has been distributed to the mailboxes(Thank you Sheldon)

We appreciate the effortsof those who gave timeeffort and thoughtfulnessto the Forward Together

Team As noted in the concluding paragraph this is astarting point for ongoing conversation about renewal Weespecially look forward to picking up from where we arewith this report and going forward in conversation with anew pastor Work toward implementing some of the

recommendations is already under way - TerryForward Together Team Report April 26 2015

The work of the Forward Together team involvedfour team meetings three with Dr Julius Carroll oursynod companion and one follow up meeting in whichteam members reflected and clarified the content of thisreport Team members also made contact with thecommunity agencies with which we partner and someothers to gather information about services and needs inthe community

Discussion yielded three Core Values (or DefiningTraits) to be the emphasis for renewal and identified Goalsand Tactics accordingly In the final reflection session theteam elected to add an additional Core ValueCore Value 1 - Solid Lutheran WorshipGoal To provide a worship experience that celebrates thegrace of God through Word and Sacrament with anemphasis on Lutheran teaching Tactics -Recommend that the Worship amp Music Teamplan one or more worship services before the end of 2015that feature an emphasis on interpreting the meaning andpurpose of the various aspects of the liturgy-Recommend that the Worship amp Music Team planservices for the remaining 5th Sundays in 2015 (August ampNovember) retaining the pattern of Gathering WordMeal and Sending but seeking alternative forms ofcelebration-Recommend that the Worship amp Music Team review thebulletin within the next three months and considerformatting the liturgy in the bulletin providing headingsfor Gathering Word Meal and Sending so as toemphasize the meaning in this patternCore Value 2 - Community Outreach (Social Ministry)Goal To continue the strong program of communitypartnerships and continue to be attentive to unmet needsthat might yield a call to new ministryTactics -Authorize Bob Austin to explore the informationand resources needed to create a community garden on theAscension Property and report findings to the JuneCouncil Meeting-Forward the findings of the agency interviews conductedby Forward Together Team members to the OutreachTeam for review within the next three months-Recommend that the Outreach Team continue to explorestrategies for communicating service opportunities tomembers of the congregation with the goal of increasingthe number of Ascension members who participateregularly by the end of 2015

Core Value 3 - Christian Education for Children ampYouth Engaging Youth in MinistryGoal To provide an ongoing and effective means ofChristian education for all children and youth and to helpyouth begin to see themselves as active partners in thechurchrsquos missionTactics -Report to and celebrate with the ChristianEducation Team the fact that Sharon Petway volunteers toteach a middle school class in the fall 2015 SundaySchool- Recommend that the Council take immediate action toconsider a plan for making funds available to supportyouth in attending church camp in 2015 and recommendto the Christian Education Team that a plan be put in placeto interpret and promote church camp opportunities in thecoming yearCore Value 4 - Extending the Invitation and WelcomeGoal To share the good news of Godrsquos love and tospread the word that Ascension is a place where Godrsquoslove is experiencedTactics -Recommend that the Vacation Bible SchoolPlanning Team plan to reach out into the surroundingcommunity with a door-hanger promotion and considerother avenues for extending an invitation beyond thecurrent church family-Recommend that the Vacation Bible School PlanningTeam direct an invitation to full communion partnercongregations-Recommend that the Outreach Team consider how toexpand the use of printed items (such as adding to theSMOW prayer note) or other strategies (such as wearingGodrsquos Work Our Hands t-shirts) to extend an invitationvia outreach activities in the remaining months of 2015-Recommend that the Property Team take action before theend of 2015 to place signs at the restroom doors near thesanctuary indicating that handicap accessible restroomsare available in the fellowship hall-Recommend that the Property Team consider (before theend of the year) placing signs in the parking lot near thefront entrance indicating that certain spaces are Reservedfor Visitors-Recommend that the Evangelism Team take action withinthe next three months to prepare an invitational mailing togo out periodically to new households in the community

The team understands the work that has been done to be astarting point Renewal is an ongoing process of seekingthe guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer andreflecting together in community upon the challenges andopportunities in our midst The team celebrates the richministry that we have today and looks with hope to theministry that is to come as congregation and new pastorpartner in living the vision Godrsquos Work Our HandsBob Austin Sheldon LeMay Jennifer SmithNancy Bergeson Lu-Ann Monson Susan WethingtonAnn Bondley Sharon Petway Alice Hawley

Terry Shackleford Recording Secretary

Outreach At AscensionVeterans Residential Services

Collecting now through June 14We will be collecting the following personal careitems for local veterans Items needed include but arenot limited to

Soap Shampoo Deodorant

Comb Toothpaste Toothbrush

Hand Sanitizer Wash cloths

Collection bins will be in the narthex to collect theitems which will be delivered to Veterans ResidentialServices after Sunday June 14 THANK YOU

ASCENSION MENrsquoS PRAYER GROUP (AMPG)

Monday June 15 - 7 pm (3 Monday each month)rd

All men and any guests you would like toinvite are most certainly welcome to join us

June 8 - 700 pm Puprsquos Steakhouse in the Upper Room

Join us for fellowship and conversation Part of ourconversation will be centered around the followingblogs

Clothed with Power from On High httpwwwelcaorgLiving-LutheranBlogs201505150514-

Clothed-with-power-from-on-high

The Ascension of Our Lordh t t p w w w e l c a o r g e n L i v i n g -LutheranBlogs201305~linkaspx_id=337BF66EAFDD4513B8BA54C8D7D5A2A2amp_z=zamp_ga=116445997612037691358453479

Living Like the Mic is OpenhttpwwwelcaorgLiving-LutheranBlogs201505150512-Living-like-the-mic-is-open

Come enjoy supper dessert a beverage or justfor the fellowship and conversation

ASCENSION FREETIMERS Summer Break

Resumes September 8 - 1130

Freetimers will be taking a break this summer butmark your calendars for the second Tuesday inSeptember We will meet at Something Different Anyone who is ldquofreerdquo for lunch is invited to join usfor good food and fellowship Friends and familyare welcome to join us

CONGREGATIONAL CARE TEAMSMission ldquoTo provide a structure that will nurture

relations meet memberrsquos need and help us to be a morecaring congregationrdquo

Care Teams are created to include each member of thecongregation and to seek ways of supporting one anotherand of building up the ldquoBody of Christrdquo here at Ascension

Care Teams are designed to provide care to membersthrough such means as prayer visitation sending cardsphoning members to see how they are doing offering torun errands making meals during illnesses providingtransportation sitting with someone to relieve caregivermaking minor home repairs helping find resources wherewe are unable to assist

Care Team Leaders Coordinate the needs of the members of their teams byc o m m u n i ca t i n g m em b er needs t o ou rpastorcongregation as appropriate)having regular contact with team members by phone or in personencouraging members to participate in congregational activitiespossibly organizing social eventscommunicating with other Team Leadersserving as a member of the Church Life Team

Care Team Memberspray for one another help one another as needed andable and attend social events

Team One Ann AzerTeenie Andersen Margui amp Shelon LeMay The BuzardFamily Alice amp Dan Heffner Ann amp Chuck BondleyLauren McCall Linda amp Don Oliver Mary Schlegal TheTaylor Family

Team Two Nadine BrownAnne amp Bob Austin Phyllis amp Gabrielle Bidwell BobCollison Sonya amp Dale Frantz Terri amp Randy HooksLynn Lamm Emily amp Jim McGuire Heather OliverJoanne amp Terry Shackleford Sadie Uecker LindaKnighting

Team Three Alice HawleyAudrey Randy amp LauraBeth Edwards Mathias Gabele-Noll The Howerin Family Frances amp Linwood Perry Viamp Cloyd Shiffer The Varnell Family Ronnie Nixon

Team Four Terry ShacklefordEarlene Banks The Bonner Family Phyllis amp Lisa Lisaamp Amber Gardner Billy Kirby The Lewis Family Dalenamp Hilton Petway Susan amp Mark Wethington NancyBergeson

Team Five Lu-Ann MonsonJon Bergeson The Coulter Family Terry amp Royal KleinThe McCall Family The B Oliver Family SharonPetway Mandy amp Travis Wethington

Make a Joyful NoiseOur Choir will take a summer break from Junethrough August They have come faithfully everyWednesday night to prepare to lead worship ndash beingfamiliar with all the hymns and changes in ourliturgy and then to offer a special gift of music in theanthem

We may not be many but we sing with joy and faithand enthusiasm Thanks to our sopranos Dalen andSharon Petway our alto Susan Wethington ourtenor Mathias Gabele-Noll our bases Jon BergesonDale Frantz Sheldon LeMay and Hilton PetwayThanks too to Sharon Petway flautist and SusanWethington pianist for their contributions to ourworship as well as special music

We will resume rehearsals again in mid-August andwe WELCOME you to sing with us Some vacationshave been cut short or plans rearranged so that wewould have a full choir It is difficult when there isonly one or two people in a section Pleaseprayerfully consider singing with us in the fall Andthank those in the choir for their faithful leadership

Council NotesMay 5 Council Meeting

Stewardship

We are moving to our summer schedule and a breakfrom some of our activities However worshipcontinues We will gather at 10 am on Sundays hereat Ascension and we hope that when you aretraveling you will pause to worship somewhere elseBring us back a bulletin and tell us about anythingspecial that you experienced

THANK YOU to all of the people who continue tomake our worship experience so meaningful OurWorship and Music team plans for seasons of thechurch year and all the special worship experienceswersquove had They ensure that we have all the supplieswe need

Anne Austin prepares our bulletins and many folksfold them for us The Altar Guild prepares the altareach week posts hymns changes paraments andbanners for the season Ushers Acolytes CrucifersAssisting Ministers Lectors Communion AssistantsTorch Bearers Bible Bearers and Nursery folks alladd to preparing for and leading our worship Folkscount and deposit our offerings A lot of people areinvolved every week

Stewardship is everything I do

after I say ldquoI believerdquo

Again to all those who DO so much to make ourworship happen each week

THANK YOU

- Appointed Susan Wethington chair of the Evangelism Team and Sheldon Lemay chair of the Stewardship Team (Thankyou Susan and Sheldon) - Appointed Jon Bergeson as voting member of synod assembly to replace Terry Shackleford who will be unable to attendmost of the assembly (Thank you Jon) - Voted to call a meeting of the congregation to determine wishes with regard to returning the steeple to the roof - Appointed Lee Howerin and Sheldon Lemay to serve as advisors on Roberts Rules of Order - Approved a proposal by the Property Team to remove a deaddying tree on the front lawn - Noted with appreciation the exceptional amount of work done by members of the Property Team this year several assistingwith the carpet steepleroof repairs HVAC repairs donated by BampJ Plumbing new mailbox post builtinstalled by Hiltongroup staining the picnic shelter and working on the lawn and garden and other individual and group efforts as well as thanksto Mathias for chairing this team - Approved a proposal by the Worship amp Music team to set summer worship at 10 AM (June-August) - Accepted the Forward Together Team Report with appreciation for those serving on this team - Approved a proposal in the Forward Together Report to provide a church camp experience for middle and high school youthand appropriate funds from the Youth Fund and the Thrivent Choice Fund - Noted that a Member Page is now available on the church web site and the password has been distributed to the mailboxes(Thank you Sheldon)

We appreciate the effortsof those who gave timeeffort and thoughtfulnessto the Forward Together

Team As noted in the concluding paragraph this is astarting point for ongoing conversation about renewal Weespecially look forward to picking up from where we arewith this report and going forward in conversation with anew pastor Work toward implementing some of the

recommendations is already under way - TerryForward Together Team Report April 26 2015

The work of the Forward Together team involvedfour team meetings three with Dr Julius Carroll oursynod companion and one follow up meeting in whichteam members reflected and clarified the content of thisreport Team members also made contact with thecommunity agencies with which we partner and someothers to gather information about services and needs inthe community

Discussion yielded three Core Values (or DefiningTraits) to be the emphasis for renewal and identified Goalsand Tactics accordingly In the final reflection session theteam elected to add an additional Core ValueCore Value 1 - Solid Lutheran WorshipGoal To provide a worship experience that celebrates thegrace of God through Word and Sacrament with anemphasis on Lutheran teaching Tactics -Recommend that the Worship amp Music Teamplan one or more worship services before the end of 2015that feature an emphasis on interpreting the meaning andpurpose of the various aspects of the liturgy-Recommend that the Worship amp Music Team planservices for the remaining 5th Sundays in 2015 (August ampNovember) retaining the pattern of Gathering WordMeal and Sending but seeking alternative forms ofcelebration-Recommend that the Worship amp Music Team review thebulletin within the next three months and considerformatting the liturgy in the bulletin providing headingsfor Gathering Word Meal and Sending so as toemphasize the meaning in this patternCore Value 2 - Community Outreach (Social Ministry)Goal To continue the strong program of communitypartnerships and continue to be attentive to unmet needsthat might yield a call to new ministryTactics -Authorize Bob Austin to explore the informationand resources needed to create a community garden on theAscension Property and report findings to the JuneCouncil Meeting-Forward the findings of the agency interviews conductedby Forward Together Team members to the OutreachTeam for review within the next three months-Recommend that the Outreach Team continue to explorestrategies for communicating service opportunities tomembers of the congregation with the goal of increasingthe number of Ascension members who participateregularly by the end of 2015

Core Value 3 - Christian Education for Children ampYouth Engaging Youth in MinistryGoal To provide an ongoing and effective means ofChristian education for all children and youth and to helpyouth begin to see themselves as active partners in thechurchrsquos missionTactics -Report to and celebrate with the ChristianEducation Team the fact that Sharon Petway volunteers toteach a middle school class in the fall 2015 SundaySchool- Recommend that the Council take immediate action toconsider a plan for making funds available to supportyouth in attending church camp in 2015 and recommendto the Christian Education Team that a plan be put in placeto interpret and promote church camp opportunities in thecoming yearCore Value 4 - Extending the Invitation and WelcomeGoal To share the good news of Godrsquos love and tospread the word that Ascension is a place where Godrsquoslove is experiencedTactics -Recommend that the Vacation Bible SchoolPlanning Team plan to reach out into the surroundingcommunity with a door-hanger promotion and considerother avenues for extending an invitation beyond thecurrent church family-Recommend that the Vacation Bible School PlanningTeam direct an invitation to full communion partnercongregations-Recommend that the Outreach Team consider how toexpand the use of printed items (such as adding to theSMOW prayer note) or other strategies (such as wearingGodrsquos Work Our Hands t-shirts) to extend an invitationvia outreach activities in the remaining months of 2015-Recommend that the Property Team take action before theend of 2015 to place signs at the restroom doors near thesanctuary indicating that handicap accessible restroomsare available in the fellowship hall-Recommend that the Property Team consider (before theend of the year) placing signs in the parking lot near thefront entrance indicating that certain spaces are Reservedfor Visitors-Recommend that the Evangelism Team take action withinthe next three months to prepare an invitational mailing togo out periodically to new households in the community

The team understands the work that has been done to be astarting point Renewal is an ongoing process of seekingthe guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer andreflecting together in community upon the challenges andopportunities in our midst The team celebrates the richministry that we have today and looks with hope to theministry that is to come as congregation and new pastorpartner in living the vision Godrsquos Work Our HandsBob Austin Sheldon LeMay Jennifer SmithNancy Bergeson Lu-Ann Monson Susan WethingtonAnn Bondley Sharon Petway Alice Hawley

Terry Shackleford Recording Secretary

Outreach At AscensionVeterans Residential Services

Collecting now through June 14We will be collecting the following personal careitems for local veterans Items needed include but arenot limited to

Soap Shampoo Deodorant

Comb Toothpaste Toothbrush

Hand Sanitizer Wash cloths

Collection bins will be in the narthex to collect theitems which will be delivered to Veterans ResidentialServices after Sunday June 14 THANK YOU

ASCENSION MENrsquoS PRAYER GROUP (AMPG)

Monday June 15 - 7 pm (3 Monday each month)rd

All men and any guests you would like toinvite are most certainly welcome to join us

June 8 - 700 pm Puprsquos Steakhouse in the Upper Room

Join us for fellowship and conversation Part of ourconversation will be centered around the followingblogs

Clothed with Power from On High httpwwwelcaorgLiving-LutheranBlogs201505150514-

Clothed-with-power-from-on-high

The Ascension of Our Lordh t t p w w w e l c a o r g e n L i v i n g -LutheranBlogs201305~linkaspx_id=337BF66EAFDD4513B8BA54C8D7D5A2A2amp_z=zamp_ga=116445997612037691358453479

Living Like the Mic is OpenhttpwwwelcaorgLiving-LutheranBlogs201505150512-Living-like-the-mic-is-open

Come enjoy supper dessert a beverage or justfor the fellowship and conversation

ASCENSION FREETIMERS Summer Break

Resumes September 8 - 1130

Freetimers will be taking a break this summer butmark your calendars for the second Tuesday inSeptember We will meet at Something Different Anyone who is ldquofreerdquo for lunch is invited to join usfor good food and fellowship Friends and familyare welcome to join us

CONGREGATIONAL CARE TEAMSMission ldquoTo provide a structure that will nurture

relations meet memberrsquos need and help us to be a morecaring congregationrdquo

Care Teams are created to include each member of thecongregation and to seek ways of supporting one anotherand of building up the ldquoBody of Christrdquo here at Ascension

Care Teams are designed to provide care to membersthrough such means as prayer visitation sending cardsphoning members to see how they are doing offering torun errands making meals during illnesses providingtransportation sitting with someone to relieve caregivermaking minor home repairs helping find resources wherewe are unable to assist

Care Team Leaders Coordinate the needs of the members of their teams byc o m m u n i ca t i n g m em b er needs t o ou rpastorcongregation as appropriate)having regular contact with team members by phone or in personencouraging members to participate in congregational activitiespossibly organizing social eventscommunicating with other Team Leadersserving as a member of the Church Life Team

Care Team Memberspray for one another help one another as needed andable and attend social events

Team One Ann AzerTeenie Andersen Margui amp Shelon LeMay The BuzardFamily Alice amp Dan Heffner Ann amp Chuck BondleyLauren McCall Linda amp Don Oliver Mary Schlegal TheTaylor Family

Team Two Nadine BrownAnne amp Bob Austin Phyllis amp Gabrielle Bidwell BobCollison Sonya amp Dale Frantz Terri amp Randy HooksLynn Lamm Emily amp Jim McGuire Heather OliverJoanne amp Terry Shackleford Sadie Uecker LindaKnighting

Team Three Alice HawleyAudrey Randy amp LauraBeth Edwards Mathias Gabele-Noll The Howerin Family Frances amp Linwood Perry Viamp Cloyd Shiffer The Varnell Family Ronnie Nixon

Team Four Terry ShacklefordEarlene Banks The Bonner Family Phyllis amp Lisa Lisaamp Amber Gardner Billy Kirby The Lewis Family Dalenamp Hilton Petway Susan amp Mark Wethington NancyBergeson

Team Five Lu-Ann MonsonJon Bergeson The Coulter Family Terry amp Royal KleinThe McCall Family The B Oliver Family SharonPetway Mandy amp Travis Wethington

We appreciate the effortsof those who gave timeeffort and thoughtfulnessto the Forward Together

Team As noted in the concluding paragraph this is astarting point for ongoing conversation about renewal Weespecially look forward to picking up from where we arewith this report and going forward in conversation with anew pastor Work toward implementing some of the

recommendations is already under way - TerryForward Together Team Report April 26 2015

The work of the Forward Together team involvedfour team meetings three with Dr Julius Carroll oursynod companion and one follow up meeting in whichteam members reflected and clarified the content of thisreport Team members also made contact with thecommunity agencies with which we partner and someothers to gather information about services and needs inthe community

Discussion yielded three Core Values (or DefiningTraits) to be the emphasis for renewal and identified Goalsand Tactics accordingly In the final reflection session theteam elected to add an additional Core ValueCore Value 1 - Solid Lutheran WorshipGoal To provide a worship experience that celebrates thegrace of God through Word and Sacrament with anemphasis on Lutheran teaching Tactics -Recommend that the Worship amp Music Teamplan one or more worship services before the end of 2015that feature an emphasis on interpreting the meaning andpurpose of the various aspects of the liturgy-Recommend that the Worship amp Music Team planservices for the remaining 5th Sundays in 2015 (August ampNovember) retaining the pattern of Gathering WordMeal and Sending but seeking alternative forms ofcelebration-Recommend that the Worship amp Music Team review thebulletin within the next three months and considerformatting the liturgy in the bulletin providing headingsfor Gathering Word Meal and Sending so as toemphasize the meaning in this patternCore Value 2 - Community Outreach (Social Ministry)Goal To continue the strong program of communitypartnerships and continue to be attentive to unmet needsthat might yield a call to new ministryTactics -Authorize Bob Austin to explore the informationand resources needed to create a community garden on theAscension Property and report findings to the JuneCouncil Meeting-Forward the findings of the agency interviews conductedby Forward Together Team members to the OutreachTeam for review within the next three months-Recommend that the Outreach Team continue to explorestrategies for communicating service opportunities tomembers of the congregation with the goal of increasingthe number of Ascension members who participateregularly by the end of 2015

Core Value 3 - Christian Education for Children ampYouth Engaging Youth in MinistryGoal To provide an ongoing and effective means ofChristian education for all children and youth and to helpyouth begin to see themselves as active partners in thechurchrsquos missionTactics -Report to and celebrate with the ChristianEducation Team the fact that Sharon Petway volunteers toteach a middle school class in the fall 2015 SundaySchool- Recommend that the Council take immediate action toconsider a plan for making funds available to supportyouth in attending church camp in 2015 and recommendto the Christian Education Team that a plan be put in placeto interpret and promote church camp opportunities in thecoming yearCore Value 4 - Extending the Invitation and WelcomeGoal To share the good news of Godrsquos love and tospread the word that Ascension is a place where Godrsquoslove is experiencedTactics -Recommend that the Vacation Bible SchoolPlanning Team plan to reach out into the surroundingcommunity with a door-hanger promotion and considerother avenues for extending an invitation beyond thecurrent church family-Recommend that the Vacation Bible School PlanningTeam direct an invitation to full communion partnercongregations-Recommend that the Outreach Team consider how toexpand the use of printed items (such as adding to theSMOW prayer note) or other strategies (such as wearingGodrsquos Work Our Hands t-shirts) to extend an invitationvia outreach activities in the remaining months of 2015-Recommend that the Property Team take action before theend of 2015 to place signs at the restroom doors near thesanctuary indicating that handicap accessible restroomsare available in the fellowship hall-Recommend that the Property Team consider (before theend of the year) placing signs in the parking lot near thefront entrance indicating that certain spaces are Reservedfor Visitors-Recommend that the Evangelism Team take action withinthe next three months to prepare an invitational mailing togo out periodically to new households in the community

The team understands the work that has been done to be astarting point Renewal is an ongoing process of seekingthe guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer andreflecting together in community upon the challenges andopportunities in our midst The team celebrates the richministry that we have today and looks with hope to theministry that is to come as congregation and new pastorpartner in living the vision Godrsquos Work Our HandsBob Austin Sheldon LeMay Jennifer SmithNancy Bergeson Lu-Ann Monson Susan WethingtonAnn Bondley Sharon Petway Alice Hawley

Terry Shackleford Recording Secretary

Outreach At AscensionVeterans Residential Services

Collecting now through June 14We will be collecting the following personal careitems for local veterans Items needed include but arenot limited to

Soap Shampoo Deodorant

Comb Toothpaste Toothbrush

Hand Sanitizer Wash cloths

Collection bins will be in the narthex to collect theitems which will be delivered to Veterans ResidentialServices after Sunday June 14 THANK YOU

ASCENSION MENrsquoS PRAYER GROUP (AMPG)

Monday June 15 - 7 pm (3 Monday each month)rd

All men and any guests you would like toinvite are most certainly welcome to join us

June 8 - 700 pm Puprsquos Steakhouse in the Upper Room

Join us for fellowship and conversation Part of ourconversation will be centered around the followingblogs

Clothed with Power from On High httpwwwelcaorgLiving-LutheranBlogs201505150514-

Clothed-with-power-from-on-high

The Ascension of Our Lordh t t p w w w e l c a o r g e n L i v i n g -LutheranBlogs201305~linkaspx_id=337BF66EAFDD4513B8BA54C8D7D5A2A2amp_z=zamp_ga=116445997612037691358453479

Living Like the Mic is OpenhttpwwwelcaorgLiving-LutheranBlogs201505150512-Living-like-the-mic-is-open

Come enjoy supper dessert a beverage or justfor the fellowship and conversation

ASCENSION FREETIMERS Summer Break

Resumes September 8 - 1130

Freetimers will be taking a break this summer butmark your calendars for the second Tuesday inSeptember We will meet at Something Different Anyone who is ldquofreerdquo for lunch is invited to join usfor good food and fellowship Friends and familyare welcome to join us

CONGREGATIONAL CARE TEAMSMission ldquoTo provide a structure that will nurture

relations meet memberrsquos need and help us to be a morecaring congregationrdquo

Care Teams are created to include each member of thecongregation and to seek ways of supporting one anotherand of building up the ldquoBody of Christrdquo here at Ascension

Care Teams are designed to provide care to membersthrough such means as prayer visitation sending cardsphoning members to see how they are doing offering torun errands making meals during illnesses providingtransportation sitting with someone to relieve caregivermaking minor home repairs helping find resources wherewe are unable to assist

Care Team Leaders Coordinate the needs of the members of their teams byc o m m u n i ca t i n g m em b er needs t o ou rpastorcongregation as appropriate)having regular contact with team members by phone or in personencouraging members to participate in congregational activitiespossibly organizing social eventscommunicating with other Team Leadersserving as a member of the Church Life Team

Care Team Memberspray for one another help one another as needed andable and attend social events

Team One Ann AzerTeenie Andersen Margui amp Shelon LeMay The BuzardFamily Alice amp Dan Heffner Ann amp Chuck BondleyLauren McCall Linda amp Don Oliver Mary Schlegal TheTaylor Family

Team Two Nadine BrownAnne amp Bob Austin Phyllis amp Gabrielle Bidwell BobCollison Sonya amp Dale Frantz Terri amp Randy HooksLynn Lamm Emily amp Jim McGuire Heather OliverJoanne amp Terry Shackleford Sadie Uecker LindaKnighting

Team Three Alice HawleyAudrey Randy amp LauraBeth Edwards Mathias Gabele-Noll The Howerin Family Frances amp Linwood Perry Viamp Cloyd Shiffer The Varnell Family Ronnie Nixon

Team Four Terry ShacklefordEarlene Banks The Bonner Family Phyllis amp Lisa Lisaamp Amber Gardner Billy Kirby The Lewis Family Dalenamp Hilton Petway Susan amp Mark Wethington NancyBergeson

Team Five Lu-Ann MonsonJon Bergeson The Coulter Family Terry amp Royal KleinThe McCall Family The B Oliver Family SharonPetway Mandy amp Travis Wethington

Outreach At AscensionVeterans Residential Services

Collecting now through June 14We will be collecting the following personal careitems for local veterans Items needed include but arenot limited to

Soap Shampoo Deodorant

Comb Toothpaste Toothbrush

Hand Sanitizer Wash cloths

Collection bins will be in the narthex to collect theitems which will be delivered to Veterans ResidentialServices after Sunday June 14 THANK YOU

ASCENSION MENrsquoS PRAYER GROUP (AMPG)

Monday June 15 - 7 pm (3 Monday each month)rd

All men and any guests you would like toinvite are most certainly welcome to join us

June 8 - 700 pm Puprsquos Steakhouse in the Upper Room

Join us for fellowship and conversation Part of ourconversation will be centered around the followingblogs

Clothed with Power from On High httpwwwelcaorgLiving-LutheranBlogs201505150514-

Clothed-with-power-from-on-high

The Ascension of Our Lordh t t p w w w e l c a o r g e n L i v i n g -LutheranBlogs201305~linkaspx_id=337BF66EAFDD4513B8BA54C8D7D5A2A2amp_z=zamp_ga=116445997612037691358453479

Living Like the Mic is OpenhttpwwwelcaorgLiving-LutheranBlogs201505150512-Living-like-the-mic-is-open

Come enjoy supper dessert a beverage or justfor the fellowship and conversation

ASCENSION FREETIMERS Summer Break

Resumes September 8 - 1130

Freetimers will be taking a break this summer butmark your calendars for the second Tuesday inSeptember We will meet at Something Different Anyone who is ldquofreerdquo for lunch is invited to join usfor good food and fellowship Friends and familyare welcome to join us

CONGREGATIONAL CARE TEAMSMission ldquoTo provide a structure that will nurture

relations meet memberrsquos need and help us to be a morecaring congregationrdquo

Care Teams are created to include each member of thecongregation and to seek ways of supporting one anotherand of building up the ldquoBody of Christrdquo here at Ascension

Care Teams are designed to provide care to membersthrough such means as prayer visitation sending cardsphoning members to see how they are doing offering torun errands making meals during illnesses providingtransportation sitting with someone to relieve caregivermaking minor home repairs helping find resources wherewe are unable to assist

Care Team Leaders Coordinate the needs of the members of their teams byc o m m u n i ca t i n g m em b er needs t o ou rpastorcongregation as appropriate)having regular contact with team members by phone or in personencouraging members to participate in congregational activitiespossibly organizing social eventscommunicating with other Team Leadersserving as a member of the Church Life Team

Care Team Memberspray for one another help one another as needed andable and attend social events

Team One Ann AzerTeenie Andersen Margui amp Shelon LeMay The BuzardFamily Alice amp Dan Heffner Ann amp Chuck BondleyLauren McCall Linda amp Don Oliver Mary Schlegal TheTaylor Family

Team Two Nadine BrownAnne amp Bob Austin Phyllis amp Gabrielle Bidwell BobCollison Sonya amp Dale Frantz Terri amp Randy HooksLynn Lamm Emily amp Jim McGuire Heather OliverJoanne amp Terry Shackleford Sadie Uecker LindaKnighting

Team Three Alice HawleyAudrey Randy amp LauraBeth Edwards Mathias Gabele-Noll The Howerin Family Frances amp Linwood Perry Viamp Cloyd Shiffer The Varnell Family Ronnie Nixon

Team Four Terry ShacklefordEarlene Banks The Bonner Family Phyllis amp Lisa Lisaamp Amber Gardner Billy Kirby The Lewis Family Dalenamp Hilton Petway Susan amp Mark Wethington NancyBergeson

Team Five Lu-Ann MonsonJon Bergeson The Coulter Family Terry amp Royal KleinThe McCall Family The B Oliver Family SharonPetway Mandy amp Travis Wethington

Sharon Petway 6-3

David McCall 6-4

Earlene Banks 6-6

Emily Smith 6-9

Max McCall 6-10

John Hoeferkamp 6-14

Chuck Bondley 6-16

Amy Oliver 6-18

Cloyd Shiffer 6-19

Corie amp Jeff Buzard 6-12

Chris amp Charles Boyette 6-13

Terry amp Joanne Shackleford 6-17

Cloyd amp Vi Shiffer 6-29

Steeple PeopleOur council noted continuing conversation amongmembers of the congregation regarding the steeple somewith significant concern about putting it back up somewith significant concern about not putting it back upsome with questions about the cost and details of puttingit back up and future maintenance In response to that aSteeple Project Committee will be formed This willprovide an opportunity for all those who have asignificant interest in this matter to be directly involved indetermining options and details If you have an interest inserving on this committee please let Terry Shacklefordknow (TerryShacklefordgmailcom or 252 218 1371)The committee will not have responsibility for making afinal decision but input may help the committee incoming up with the best option to propose

Disciples In ActionIf you are Communion Assistant but not crucifer please robe duringafter sharing the Peace

(Zipper robes for assistants are in the closet in the front room off of the narthex)

JUNE June 7 June 14 June 21 June 28Acolyte Sydney Buzard Rubygail Coulter Emily Smith Lilly VarnellCrucifer Terry Shackleford Lee Howerin Lu-Ann Monson Crissy VarnellLector Terry Shackleford Hal Tarleton Terry Klein Lynn Lamm

Communion Sharon Petway Rebecca Coulter Jon Bergeson Sonya FrantzUshers Dan Heffner Hal Tarleton Mark Wethington Lynn Lamm

Alice Heffner Ginny Tarleton Hilton Petway Sheldon LeMayCounters Dan Heffner Hal Tarleton Mark Wethington Lynn Lamm

Alice Heffner Bob Austin Dalen Petway Crissy VarnellDepositor Anne Austin Ginny Tarleton Sharon Petway Linwood PerryNursery Jennifer Smith Lilly Varnell Karen Howerin Marc Bonner

Bulletin Prep Heffners Jon Bergeson Heidi Bonner Hal TarletonAltar Care Lynn Lamm Lynn Lamm Lynn Lamm Lynn Lamm

Assisting Minister Sharon Petway Jon Bergeson Sheldon LeMay Mathias Gabele-Noll

Scheduling is always challengingsummer makes scheduling even more challenging If you know you will be away on certain dates in July and August please let Sharon know

(spetwaygmailcom or 230-8151) If you find that you are scheduled for a week you will be awayplease switch with someone or (as we have been doing) ask for substitutes If you know before

Wednesday please send substitutes to Anne Austin so she can make the change in the bulletin Thank you to those who have already provided a list of ldquounavailablerdquo dates

ON ASCENSIONIf there is something happening in

your life that you would like to share with yourAscension family please send it to Sharon and it willbe included in AIMawards promotions loss of afirst tooth sports accomplishmentsanything that isspecial to you wersquod like to celebrate with you

CONGRATULATIONS

We celebrate with Lu-Ann Monson on the graduationsof her nephews Nathan Ellison graduating fromDePaul University in Chicago and Cory Spawngraduating from Stillwater High School in Minnesota

The Christian Education Team and our new Outreach Team are very excited about

the Bible school plans for this summer We feel this will be a wonderful opportunity

for our kids parents and the rest of the congregation to come together as one to see

and understand how important ldquoldquoHabitat for Humanityrdquo is and what they accomplish

in our community

July 31 through August 2

Encourage your co-workers friends and family members who have children to join

us we want to reach out to as many kids as we can I will have registration forms

available this weekend and we hope to have a link on our website so you can down

load the forms

Please prayerfully consider how we (the congregation) can make this a wonderful

weekend for all of the kids attending I will need Engineers (teachers) Crew leaders-

to guide children to their sessions actors for skits and help with food and

refreshments Some members have already volunteered for crafts and music but

if we have a good turn out they may need help as well

I look forward to hearing from you

Grace and Peace-

Crissy Varnell Contractor

HOPE STATION SUNDAY - June 28 2015(amp the Last Sunday of Each Month)

Help us fill our grocery cart with

non-perishable food items As we

have been blessed with food on our

tables help us bring that blessing to others

AFTERNOON CARD

MINISTRY

Sunday June 28 3-5 pmJoin us on Sunday afternoon for

fellowship as we make cards for ourchurch family

No experience required On the jobtraining is available

June 2015 ndash Worship amp Service Opportunities at Ascension

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

VRS Personal Care

Collection June 7-14

Soap Hand Sanitizer

Comb Toothbrush

Shampoo Toothpaste

Wash Cloth Deodorant

(or any personal care items)

1 Visit of Mary to

Elizabeth

Romans 12 9-16b

7 pm - Finance

2

9 am - Soup Kitchen

7 pm - Council

3

10 am - Prayer Shawl

4

600 Girl Scouts

5 6 1O am AFSMOW

At First Presbyterian

(8 am--6 pm - Picnic

Shelter and Memorial

Hall Reserved)

7 Mark 3 20-35

2 Sunday after Pentecostnd

VRS COLLECTION Sunday

10 am - Holy Communion

11 am - Congregational

Meeting

8

7 pm - Upper Room

Theology at Puprsquos

9

630 - Property Team

10

No Prayer Shawl

7 pm - Girl Scout

Leadersrsquo Meeting

11 Barnabas

Apostle

Acts1119-30 131-3

600 Girl Scouts

12 13

14 Mark 4 26-34

3 Sunday after Pentecostrd

VRS COLLECTION Sunday

10 am - Holy Communion

15

7 pm - AMPG

(Menrsquos Prayer Group)

16 17

10 am - Prayer Shawl

18

600 Girl Scouts

19 20

21 Mark 4 35-41

4 Sunday after Pentecostth

HAPPY FATHERrsquoS DAY

10 am - Holy Communion

22

7 pm-Jr Womanrsquos Club

23 24 John the Baptist

Luke 157-80

10 am - Prayer Shawl

25

600 Girl Scouts

26 27

28 Mark 5 21-43

5 Sunday after Pentecostth

HOPE STATION SUNDAY

10 am - Holy Communion

3-5 - Card Ministry

29 Peter amp Paul

Apostles

John 21 15-19

Jesus said to him

ldquoFeed my lambsrdquo

(v15)

30

ldquoThe Mission of Ascension Lutheran Church is to be a caring and welcoming community of followers of Jesus Christ

proclaiming the Good News sharing our faith and living out Godrsquos Word in our communityrdquo

June 2015 ndash Worship amp Service Opportunities at Ascension

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

VRS Personal Care

Collection June 7-14

Soap Hand Sanitizer

Comb Toothbrush

Shampoo Toothpaste

Wash Cloth Deodorant

(or any personal care items)

1 Visit of Mary to

Elizabeth

Romans 12 9-16b

7 pm - Finance

2

9 am - Soup Kitchen

7 pm - Council

3

10 am - Prayer Shawl

4

600 Girl Scouts

5 6 1O am AFSMOW

At First Presbyterian

(8 am--6 pm - Picnic

Shelter and Memorial

Hall Reserved)

7 Mark 3 20-35

2 Sunday after Pentecostnd

VRS COLLECTION Sunday

10 am - Holy Communion

11 am - Congregational

Meeting

8

7 pm - Upper Room

Theology at Puprsquos

9

630 - Property Team

10

No Prayer Shawl

7 pm - Girl Scout

Leadersrsquo Meeting

11 Barnabas

Apostle

Acts1119-30 131-3

600 Girl Scouts

12 13

14 Mark 4 26-34

3 Sunday after Pentecostrd

VRS COLLECTION Sunday

10 am - Holy Communion

15

7 pm - AMPG

(Menrsquos Prayer Group)

16 17

10 am - Prayer Shawl

18

600 Girl Scouts

19 20

21 Mark 4 35-41

4 Sunday after Pentecostth

HAPPY FATHERrsquoS DAY

10 am - Holy Communion

22

7 pm-Jr Womanrsquos Club

23 24 John the Baptist

Luke 157-80

10 am - Prayer Shawl

25

600 Girl Scouts

26 27

28 Mark 5 21-43

5 Sunday after Pentecostth

HOPE STATION SUNDAY

10 am - Holy Communion

3-5 - Card Ministry

29 Peter amp Paul

Apostles

John 21 15-19

Jesus said to him

ldquoFeed my lambsrdquo

(v15)

30

ldquoThe Mission of Ascension Lutheran Church is to be a caring and welcoming community of followers of Jesus Christ

proclaiming the Good News sharing our faith and living out Godrsquos Word in our communityrdquo