Worship:
Saturday 6 PM
Sunday 9 & 11 AM
This Week At Ascension
Called to create opportunities for all people to become devoted followers of Christ
January 8, 2023
Baptism of Jesus
Grace and peace to you my family in Christ,
Baptism. When we baptize in church, we gather around the font, we say some big words, we splash some water on the person being baptized, then we say some more words and then all who are present rejoice in what just happened.
Have you ever thought about what a baptism must look like from an outsider’s perspective? It must seem so strange. And yet, with all the ways the church has changed over the years—this ancient ritual has not.
Have you thought about the importance of your baptism lately? Have you tapped into the power of the wonderful promise you received when you were baptized? Let’s talk more about this at worship this weekend!
Blessings,
Calendaring Retreat:
Setting 2023 to Life-Giving Rhythms
Saturday, January 7, 2023, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
$50, Lunch Provided
You are invited to join us for another calendaring retreat as we set life-giving rhythms for 2023. We will be gathering on Saturday, January 7, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Ascension Lutheran Church. If you have gone on a calendaring retreat before, you will experience both old and new things. If this will be your first calendaring retreat, I hope you will find it rich and meaningful. This is about looking at our calendars as coming out of our “being” – who we are – first and foremost. Then we decide what things we want to be doing. The ancient Christian church has much to say about how we order our days in ways that draw us closer to God and to the people God made us to be. The cost of the retreat is $50 and covers lunch and materials. If you want to come with an immediate family member – like your spouse or your teen or college student – ask me about reduced rates. You can sign up simply by emailing me at . Here are a few photos from a calendaring retreat in January 2020 before everyone’s calendars went topsy turvy. But no matter what the next year might bring, prayerfully pondering how we want to spend our days is a really good place to start.
Ascension’s New Member Class
Would you like to take another step in your spiritual journey with God and Ascension Lutheran Church? If so, we would like to invite you to be a part of our next New Member class on Sunday, January 22 from 12-2pm. This meeting will focus on the basics of the Christian faith and on the ministry of Ascension. Childcare is available and lunch will be provided.
To RSVP, please call the church office at (805) 495-0406 or email Janelle Smith at .
In Need Of Prayer
Here’s Your Chance to Join Our Bell Choir!
Carillon rehearsals are every Tuesday at 7 PM in the sanctuary.
Beginning Bell Class will also be every Tuesday, beginning on January 10th, at 6 PM in the Sanctuary.
ROSE PARADE FUN:
Lauren Godfrey led a team from Ascension in helping cover Rose Parade floats in petals. Don’t miss her terrific video of the event!
Creation Care Tips
Packing up the decorations:
Protecting delicate items sustainably when packing up possessions can be challenging, as neither bubble wrap nor styrofoam is recyclable. A way around this, however, is to try and use containers that’s already lying around the house, such as suitcases, handbags and plastic boxes when preparing items for storage. You could also wrap delicate items in towels, blankets and clothing or even biodegradable bubble wrap or newspapers.
Thinking ahead to Spring in your Garden:
Create a bee-friendly garden in your backyard or on your balcony.
Also. remember to not use pesticides in your garden and allow nature to take care of the “pests”.
Think ahead and plant Native Narrow-leaved Milkweed for the Migrating Monarch’s coming very soon.
Remember “If you plant it they will come!”
Our “Wet Season” is here in our Mediterranean Climate so be sure to collect and use the rain water!
News Briefs
Sunday School
Sunday School: for age 3-6th grade, with a focus on hands-on activities and fun! Children are dismissed after the Children’s Message in 9 am worship, and your child is welcome to join mid-year.
Adult Education
Sunday morning classes for adults will begin again on January 15th with an Author and Poet Faire (see flyer above). The remainder of January will focus on the church of the future. February will focus on the church in the world. All sessions begin after the conclusion of the 9:00 am service.
B I B L E 2 0 2 3
In case you missed Pastor Steve’s post, here are some tools for reading the Bible in 2023 – or focusing on one book of it.
This year in worship we are hearing from the Gospel of Matthew. Perhaps you’d like to read five Psalms each day and pray the whole Psalter each month. Maybe you’d like to study the Old Testament prophets this year or simply the books of Acts?
If you’d like to listen to the Bible, download the app Bible.is.
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4
bible 2
bible 1
Bible 4
Bible 3
Our Prayer
We pray that you may once again meet the Risen Christ through the Word and Sacrament ministry, and through the fellowship of this family of faith.
If you do not have a church home, we would like to invite you to worship with our Ascension family again.
All people who are baptized and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are welcome to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
May God bless you in your worship!
Pastors Tim Delkeskamp, Steve Herder, & Julie McCain
Don’t miss another TWAA
Pericopes
This Week:
Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalm 29
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 3:13-17
Next Week:
Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42
