The Parish PaperEarly Summer Issue, May–July 2018

Seasonal News, Events, and Inspiration from Church of the Ascension

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Inside this issue...Back to Bolivia .................................................... 2FOMA Future Programs ............................... 2Jesus’ Youth Group .......................................... 3

Meet Pat Wingo ................................................ 3Summer Music Workshops ........................ 3Children and Youth .......................................... 4Ministries .............................................................. 4Calendar ................................................................. 5

Summer Worship A Change of Pace

Exploring Ministries Broadening Your Outreach

The summer worship schedule begins soon. Please make sure to mark your calendars with these time changes effective Sunday, May 27:Early Service - 8:00 amLater Service - 10:00 amThere is currently no summer Sunday School offering for the summer. Please see our weekly e-newsletter or the Sunday bulletin for updates.

In this issue, we feature two particular ministries that are currently seeking new participants, Stephen Ministry and the Greeters Ministry. Each of these ministries resonate to different callings. Perhaps you feel led to them, or maybe you’re curious! Information on both may be found on page 4 and we invite you to begin exploring the many and different ministries here at Ascension.

Check out The Rev. Pat Wingo’s bio on pg. 3!

Salvation for AllA few weeks ago there was a knock at my office door. One of our church vendors had a theological question. He asked, “Do you believe God saves all people, or just a few professing a certain faith?” He explained how he grew up Jewish, but was now an agnostic, and was troubled by the concept of an exclusionary God. He wanted my response.

I considered this for a moment. Here in the Bearden area, one can barely drive a mile without passing a Christian church. As a child, I only had a handful of friends from other faiths, mainly Jewish and Islamic. Being Christian was easy. It was easy because it was socially and culturally acceptable. I then thought about the Muslim goat herder in Yemen, or the pagan in South America? What about them?

The question becomes complicated when reading scripture. An often quoted passage is John 3:16. It says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Some cite this passage as proof that professing Jesus as Lord and Savior is required for salvation. On the other end of the spectrum, others say God is love. God saves all people. That it doesn’t matter whether one is a Christian, or a Hindu, or whatever—in the end God saves all people.

Both perspectives are simplistic, and both make me theologically uncomfortable. They make me uncomfortable because on each end of that spectrum, a human being, not God, is in the judgment seat. This goes against The First Commandment of, “You shall have no other Gods before me.”

When we hold overly exclusionary or overly inclusive beliefs, we effectively make proclamations of salvation. That’s God’s department, not ours. I take great comfort in Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel (10:11-18). There he says, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.” Jesus is the shepherd, not us. Jesus knows his flock. He is the one who gathers. How and when that is done is not up to us.

As Christians, our responsibility is to follow Christ. We follow Christ by proclaiming Christ’s good news of resurrection. Such proclamation does not come through words alone, but through actions. Jesus declared in Matthew 22:38, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Such a command is love in action. We love in action when we forgive. We love in action when we repent. (Repentance means committing one’s self to change.) We love in action when we cultivate relationship with others, especially those of different faith traditions. Love in action is when we let go of our hubris and turn over all questions of salvation to God and God alone.

Ultimately, the answer I gave this Jewish, agnostic vendor was that God alone saves. God alone gives grace and forgiveness. Am I a committed Christian who believes in John 3:16? You bet I am, but I’m more concerned about living a life that discerns what it means to follow Jesus by caring for one another and this world, than by deciding who does and does not merit divine salvation. Our job is love in action. The rest is up to God.

Fr. Christopher

FOMA Future ProgramsBack to Bolivia

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Friends of Music and the Arts wrapped up its seasonal offerings two weeks ago when the Edison Trio performed music for violin, cello, and piano. While planning for next year’s events has already begun, it now ratchets up into a higher gear.The FOMA steering committee is willing to entertain any ideas you may have for the series. As you might imagine, being in the liturgical arts presentation business for nigh on two decades can chew up and run through one’s ideas rather quickly. Keeping certain performers, ensembles, and works of music in a circle of rotation helps maintain freshness (even if just in an illusory way), but hosting programs from time to time that are completely new or different can be crucial for maintaining vigor. Having other church concert series in town fosters a healthy competitive element and guards against coasting. The goal in FOMA’s programming is simply to offer variety such that everyone is feeling stimulated or touched over the course of the program year.Last year’s array of events cost a little more than usual, and thus the coming season will likely be slightly less expensive to produce. That being said, our one ticketed event next year will cost as much as ever. Being a non-profit endeavor, though, FOMA has a goal of being revenue neutral in its operations. Some years end up taking in a little more money than is spent, and in other years the opposite is true. 2016-17’s season would be an example of the former, with the season just ending being a case of the latter. Having a small financial cushion, which FOMA does, allows us to absorb these small ups and downs as a matter of course.Let us know, too, if any of your friends or neighbors would enjoy receiving the fall music brochure. Summer is the time when database updates take place, and we would be happy to include anyone you recommend in our mailing list. Simply give us a call or drop us a line on e-mail. Your input is both valuable and important!Jim Garvey

Greetings Ascension Family and Friends!10 years. Can you believe that it has been 10 years? For me, it is definitely hard to believe, but this Summer will mark 10 years of ordained ministry for me, and 10 years of ministry together with the good people of Ascension. I was reflecting on this the other day and thinking about just how much there is going on at Ascension these days; how many opportunities and activities there are and how lengthy our announcements are on Sunday mornings as a result of this. Hahah! It occurred to me also that there is quite a lot that is new or being renewed in our community, and I think that after 10 years together some fresh starts are very fitting.

Ascension’s Kanuga Retreat took place not long ago and it was a huge success! It was such a joy to spend a relaxing, fun, and meaningful weekend together as a community in the beautiful setting of Kanuga retreat center in the mountains of North Carolina. We had around 110 people come for the weekend and we have already

booked Kanuga again for next year, so mark your calendars for 4/26 – 4/28. I know we will have an even bigger crowd next year! Once again I’d like to say thanks to Janet Slabbekorn for taking charge of this project and leading the way. Also, Ascension’s annual A Toast to Bolivia—a wine and food tasting fundraiser for Ascension’s Bolivia mission trip—was a huge success! This is one of my favorite events of the year and I hope you all enjoyed it too. Huge thanks to Priscilla Jenkins and Leo Beale for planning and hosting this fun event. Finally, plans for Ascension’s 2018 Mission Trip to Bolivia are nearing completion. Our team is set and travel and project arrangements have been made. This year we have a team of 13 which includes a small medical mission team. Speaking of fresh starts or new chapters, for Ascension’s 10th mission trip to Bolivia, our team will be embarking on a short excursion to experience a new city and mission site. This year we will be going to the city of Tarija in southern Bolivia where our team will hold medical clinics at the site of a large squatter village as well as participate in some projects around the mission church that exists in that community. We will of course be returning to our home away from home with the Firestone family and the community of La Trinidad in Cochabamba as well as a brief return to the women’s prison in La Paz. Of course, there’s so much more happening even outside of these events. From VBS and children’s education to our youth program and their mission trip this year to Virginia, and from Ascension’s outreach efforts to the welcoming of our new Interim Rector Pat Wingo. You are such an amazing community with so much going on! Thanks for being the great church that you are. God’s Peace, Fr. Brett

Summer Quire

Summer Quire is here! If you have ever considered joining the choir, or thought you might sing for even just a season, Summer Quire is for you. The anthem repertoire is relatively easy and there is no regular Wednesday evening rehearsal. Call or email the music department (865) 588-0589 or jgarvey@knoxvilleascension.org for more information about this seasonal offering.

Pictured above, Anne Parks, Claire Eldridge, and Emily Vreeland enjoying the Kanuga Retreat.

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Meet The Rev. Pat Wingo!Jesus’ Youth Group

The Rev. Patrick Wingo was born in Birmingham Alabama, and grew up as an active member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Homewood. Although his family were mostly Auburn people, he chose a contrarian route, and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1982 with a degree in Marketing and Business Administration. He graduated from the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas in 1992. Before entering seminary, he worked in banking, equipment sales and construction. Pat served as rector of Church of the Resurrection in Gadsden, AL, and St. Thomas’, Birmingham before beginning his ministry on the diocesan level in Alabama in 2008. In 2012, Pat joined the bishop’s staff in the Diocese of Virginia as Canon to the Ordinary. As a parish priest in Alabama, he served on the Standing Committee, directed summer camps and was a deputy to General Convention. In Virginia, Pat was responsible for supporting the ministry of the bishop as the “first responder” in troubled situations, overseeing transition ministry and the ordination process, and assisting with staff oversight. Pat’s vocational interests are in congregational development, conflict mediation in congregations, and leadership. He also is on the faculty of CREDO, a clergy wellness initiative of the Church Pension Group. Pat’s avocations are exercise, being outdoors, music, and reading. He and his wife, the Rev. Sara-Scott Wingo, have three grown daughters. They have family in Nashville and Birmingham, and are thrilled to be moving to Tennessee.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be in a youth group where Jesus is the Youth Minister. I have a feeling that there are less things like ultimate Frisbee, or games that involve jell-o or marshmallows, and that it wouldn’t be named after some sort of term you probably learned in science class: fusion, osmosis, bolt, surge, edge, etc. It probably wouldn’t have ski trips or lock-ins either. But what WOULD it have?I think youth group led by Jesus would have been similar to modern-day youth ministry. Doing these programs and games and following the same unspoken rules because they sound like a great idea (and we’ve ALWAYS done it that way), and they worked in the past may be awesome, but if they aren’t working now, why are we still doing them?I think Jesus’ youth group would have a time of fellowship and sharing of a meal, a really inspiring message, and a discussion on how to apply their faith to daily life. It would end in prayer, and Jesus would be willing to discuss their spiritual journey further with those that needed additional support or spiritual advice over some hummus and a pita down at the local inn (his treat of course). Jesus would support his teens by helping them work through problems, praying for them, providing them with opportunities for mission, showing up at their events, talking with them when they make mistakes, and becoming a part of their spiritual family. While this sounds wonderful, it might not have been that easy for Jesus.Mark Yaconelli, youth ministry guru (not his real title) says “If you have a group of twelve kids who don’t understand your illustrations and one of them wants to kill you, you have a youth group just like Jesus.” So maybe it’s not all rainbows and ponies, or whatever romanticized idea we have of what life was like at the time of Jesus. Jesus tries and tries to help us understand but more often than not we just don’t get it. Jesus tries everything: healing, preaching, teaching, prophesy, performing straight-up MIRACLES right before our eyes, etc. It takes us a long time to get his message, to really understand. We have to hear it several times. It’s the same way with modern youth ministry.So what is youth ministry all about? I think that at Ascension, it’s about creating a space where they can ask the big questions and providing opportunities to live out God’s call for them. It’s about figuring out how to spiritually feed our teens so that when they go off to college and enter young adulthood, they know where to go when they get hungry, and creating a place that feels like home for them that they can always return to.GiGi Logan

Summer Music Workshops

This summer, two new workshops will be offered in addition to the yearly recurring “camps” for handbells and chant. For more information, email Andrew Morehead at andrew@knoxvilleascension.org.

A new Introduction to Handbells Workshop will be offered on Saturday, August 11, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for those who might want to explore ringing without the intensity or obligation of rehearsals.

Topics will include bell anatomy, how to ring, care and use of bells, and easy to ring music.An Intermediate Handbell Workshop will be offered on Saturday, August 11, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm for those who are currently ringing in the Ascension Handbell Choir, for those who have previous ringing experience, or for those who want to jump in the deep end of the pool!Last year’s “chant camp” was a success and I would like to offer the Introduction to Chant Workshop (on Saturday, August 18, from 9:00 am to 11:30 am) again for those who might be interested in Gregorian Chant or for those who might want to brush up foundational skills, which include the history of chant, the basics of reading Gregorian chant, how to read psalm notation, and the use of chant in a reformed liturgical setting. An Intermediate Chant Workshop will be offered on Saturday, August 18, from 1:00 am to 4:30 pm for those who have gone through the Introduction to Chant Workshop or have experience chanting in other settings. This workshop will include more technical chant theory than that found in the introduction workshop, chironomy, the benefits and challenges of chanting in English, and, for those who might be interested, an introduction to the GABC chant tool. This course will include a significant portion of chant rehearsal for the coming semester.

Parker and Haley Chadwell led Ascension in worship on Sunday, April 29, for High School Senior Sunday.

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Ascension youthSummer Surprises

Summer break doesn’t mean no fun for Ascension Youth!There are many great opportunities to break up the summer break with Ascension Youth Group (AYG) activities. Below is an outline of the summer offerings:

May 2018May 20: Mission Trip Meeting (12:00 pm Room 209)May 20: AYG End of Year Event (Details TBA)June 2018June 4: First MILKSHAKE MONDAY!July 2018July 21-27 Eastern Shore Mission Trip

Milkshake Mondays // Every Monday from 7:00-8:00 pm in the summer starting June 4 the youth (rising 6th grade-recent graduates) will be welcome to meet GiGi at the Cookout (321 Cedar Bluff Road) for fellowship, sharing of our summer plans, and the enjoying of milkshakes. No need to RSVP, just show up! Contact GiGi, gigi@knoxvilleascension.org, with further questions.AYG High School Mission Trip 2018 // Our Mission Trip for 2018 will be the week of July 22-27 and we will be serving communities along the Eastern Shore of Virginia through YouthWorks. Please be praying for our current Mission Team: Parker, Haley, Brooke, Noah, Clara, Evan, GiGi, and Davis.Dinner Angels // Thank you to those who signed up to serve dinners to our youth this year! The sign-ups for the fall will soon be updated and will be LIVE!Middle School Dinners: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0e4dada922a5ff2-middleHigh School Dinners: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0E4DADA922A5FF2-highGrace Point Camps // Looking for a summer camp? Register for one of Grace Point’s Summer Camp Sessions today! Registration and further information is available online: http://gracepoint.dioet.org

Vacation Bible School - June 11-14 6:00-8:30 pmVenture onto an uncharted island where kids survive and thrive. Anchor kids in the truth that Jesus carries them through life’s storms! Registration is open for participants and volunteers. We will need many volunteers! Go to

the following link to register yourself (different volunteer jobs are listed on the link) or register your children. https://vbspro.events/p/events/ascension2018Summertime with Kindermusik!We will be offering special Kindermusik classes once a month this summer for parents with babies and toddlers to come try it out. We will be starting our fall classes in September but want to give parents (or even grandparents!) a chance to meet our wonderful teacher, Karalyne Ley, and find out the benefits of Kindermusik with children. Please look at the following dates and themes and join us for one or all three!• Cost is $10.00/class or $15.00/family.• You do not have to be a member of Ascension to attend

Kindermusik classes. Pre-registration required at megan@knoxvilleascension.org or call Megan Alden at 865-588-0589. Register by the Monday of the week before the class you wish to attend.

• Childcare offered for siblings not attending the class. Please mention you will need childcare when you register.

June 20-Big Backyard Themes 10:00-10:45amJuly 18-Beach Days Theme 6:15-7:00pmAugust 22-Up in the Sky Theme 10:00-10:45am

This month we celebrated Stephen Ministry and opened enrollment for all those who are interested in following the call to be a Stephen Minister. Stephen Ministry is our congregation’s one-to-one caregiving ministry. God works through Stephen Ministers to plant a seed of hope and healing in people who are faced with challenging life circumstances. The ministry of Stephen Ministers has been a blessing to individuals, to the lay ministers themselves, and to our whole congregation. In order to continue and expand this ministry of care, we are beginning another Stephen Ministry training class this Fall. You can pick up an application from the communications table located in the parish office. Applications must be turned into the church office by July 1st. You may also contact Barb Stephens at 859-391-4924 for more information Take advantage of this opportunity to share the love that God has given you.

Greeters are posted at our front, side, and chapel doors to welcome our parishioners and guests every Sunday. This ministry is a great way to reach out to our parishioners and, most especially, newcomers who may be attending for the first time. Greeters Ministry Coordinator, Sue Peiers, has been fearlessly coordinating this ministry for eight years, starting with just ten greeters and growing it to thirty-eight. It’s an ever expanding ministry with room for more. We are especially encouraging younger couples with small children to participate. If you’d like to serve on the Greeters Ministry, please contact Tristen in the parish office, tristen@knoxvilleascension.org, or Sue Peiers, 865-671-0152, suepeiers@yahoo.com.

Parish CalendarSummer 2018 (Beginning May 27)

WEEKDAYS7:00 am Morning Prayer 5:45 pm Evening PrayerSUNDAYS8:00 am Holy Eucharist I 9:00 am Summer Quire 10:00 am Holy Eucharist II 11:00 am Coffee HourMONDAYS1:00 pm Play Bridge! 1:00 pm Beginners BridgeTUESDAYS7:00 am Men’s Bible StudyWEDNESDAYS10:45 am Lectionary Study 12:00 pm Healing ServiceTHURSDAYS7:00 am Brotherhood of Saint Andrew 4:30 pm Centering Prayer

MAY20 - Pentecost SundayFamily Promise Arrives 8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I 9:15 am Last Sunday School 10:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite II 11:45 am Daughters of the King12:00 pm AYG Pre-Mission Meeting 5:00 pm Tweens End of Year Party 6:00 pm High School Youth Group21 - Monday8:30 am Trekkers: Sequoyah Greenway 11:00 am Flower Guild Meeting 5:30 pm LAMBS Ministry Meeting 6:00 pm The Sisterhood Dinner23 - Wednesday6:00 pm Parish Supper 6:30 pm Vino and Verses 6:45 pm An Appalachian Dawn, Documentary Viewing24 - Thursday9:00 am FISH Pantry Day 12:00 pm Other Brothers: Lectionary Lunch 6:00 pm EfM27 - Sunday8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II30 - Wednesday6:30 pm Gifts and Talents Workshop31 - Thursday6:00 pm EfM

June1 - Friday10:00 am Stitch in Time 6:00 pm Brotherhood Dinner 6:00 pm Date Night2 - Saturday10:00 am Community Chest Drop-Off3 - SundayBishop Brian Cole visits Ascension Commissioning of Bolivia Mission Team 11:30 am Safeguarding God's Children4 - Monday7:00 pm AYG Milkshake Mondays5 - Tuesday5:30 pm Finance Committee6 - Wednesday8:30 am Ascension Trekkers: Greenbriar 5:00 pm Building and Grounds 6:30 pm Gifts and Talents7 - Thursday6:00 pm EfM9 - Saturday8:30 am Ascension Workday11 - MondayNo Icon Guild or Bridge Groups 6:00 pm Vacation Bible School 7:00 pm AYG Milkshake Mondays12 - Tuesday6:00 pm Vacation Bible School 6:30 pm Vestry Meeting13 - Wednesday6:00 pm Vacation Bible School 6:30 pm Gifts and Talents14 - Thursday6:00 pm Vacation Bible School 6:00 pm EfM17 - Sunday11:45 am Daughters of the King18 - Monday8:30 am Trekkers: Cumberland Mtn. 7:00 pm AYG Milkshake Mondays19 - Tuesday6:30 pm Stephen Ministers20 - Wednesday10:00 am Kindermusik 6:30 pm Gifts and Talents21 - Thursday9:00 am FISH Pantry Day 6:00 pm EfM-Offsite25 - Monday11:00 am Icon Guild 7:00 pm AYG Milkshake Mondays27 - Wednesday6:30 pm Gifts and Talents28 - Thursday9:00 am FISH Pantry Day

July2 - Monday7:00 pm AYG Milkshake Mondays3 - Tuesday5:30 pm Finance Committee4 - WednesdayParish Office and Building Closed6 - Friday10:00 am Stitch in Time7 - Saturday10:00 am Community Chest Drop-Off9 - Monday11:00 am Icon Guild 7:00 pm AYG Milkshake Mondays10 - Tuesday1:30 pm Stephen Ministry Leaders 6:30 pm Vestry Meeting13 - Friday6:00 pm Date Night15 - Sunday11:45 am Daughters of the King16 - Monday5:30 pm LAMBS Ministry 7:00 pm AYG Milkshake Mondays17 - Tuesday6:30 pm Stephen Ministers18 - Wednesday6:15 pm Kindermusik19 - Thursday9:00 am FISH Pantry Day21 - SaturdayAYG High School Mission Trip23 - Monday11:00 am Icon Guild 7:00 pm AYG Milkshake Mondays26 - Thursday9:00 am FISH Pantry Day30 - Monday7:00 pm AYG Milkshake Mondays

August1 - Wednesday5:00 pm Buildings and Grounds

3 - Friday10:00 am Stitch in Time 6:00 pm Date Night 6:00 pm Tweens Youth Group

4 - Saturday10:00 am Community Chest Drop-Off

5 - SundayBlessing of the Backpacks

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�e Episcopal Church of the

Literal about GraceASCENSION

800 S. Northshore Dr.Knoxville, TN 37919

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Knoxville, TNPermit No. 166

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