Worship:

Saturday 6 PM

Sunday 9 & 11 AM

Wednesday 9 AM

This Week At Ascension

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

March 20, 2022

Friends in Christ at Ascension,

In this instant gratification culture, we don’t much like to wait. I know I get cranky if I have to wait. And if the internet takes more than six seconds to load, I’ve moved on!

So what happens when we have to wait on God? Ponder your own experiences of waiting on God and join us this weekend as we wrestle with these questions alongside Psalm 63 (which is worth a read!) and Luke 13.

In gratitude for all the ways you are the hands and feet of Jesus,

Ascension Prays For Ukraine

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

On Tuesday night, members of Ascension and our local community gathered to pray for all those suffering as the war in Ukraine rages on.

Our pastors felt God’s prompting, and Pastor Tim, Pastor Steve, Pastor Julie, Pastor Paul and Pastor Chamie led the service.

The service was designed by Pastor Steve in the form of a chiasm, like many of the Psalms, with the most important part in the center. That was the time of silent prayer.

Pastor Paul wrote text directed to the current situation in the hymn “The Nation Weeps.”

Our organist, Margaret Ricci, concluded the service with the Ukrainian national anthem.

We were moved to have Sheri and Tim Saucerman’s friends who have family in Ukraine, on hand. One was Yana Sharapova, who spoke briefly.

Click HERE to view the service.

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Ukraine service 1

Ukraine Service 2

Ukraine service cross

Ukraine service basket

ukraine service 5

Ukraine service 4

Ukraine service 3

We continue to support Ukraine through prayer and contributions to any or all of these organizations:

Lutheran World Relief All checks received by ALC designating LWR-Ukraine Crisis will be forwarded by ALC to Lutheran World Relief. Please indicate on the memo line on your check “LWR-Ukraine Crisis.”

Lutheran Disaster Response Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

Jubilee USA, to help with Ukraine’s financial crisis.

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

Cookies Needed For Lenten Fellowship In Founders Hall

The Library Committee needs Cookies each week for the fellowship time in Founders Hall after the Wednesday evening service. The remaining dates this year are March 23, March 30 and April 6. If you want to provide cookies for any of these dates please call Dolores Ledbetter at 805-716-3045 or 805-750-7646.

Welcome, Dianne Beck!

We are so grateful to welcome aboard Dianne Beck, former teacher at Ascension School, who brings her passion for working with youth to her new role as part-time youth director. Please pray for Dianne in her new role, and don’t hesitate to reach out to her: .

In Need Of Prayer

Click Here For The Ascension Prayer List

Adult Ed This Sunday

March 20: Bel and the Dragon. Eric Berg and Pastor Jack will teach on the apocrypha book “Bel and the Dragon.” What is the locked door mystery? What does gluttony have to do with dragon slaying? What was Daniel up to before his encounter in the lions’ den? Eric Berg and Pastor Jack will take us into this Greek apocryphal addition to the Book of Daniel, which is viewed as canonical by both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Join us on Sunday, March 20, for Adult Education hour in Founders Hall at 10:10.

Upcoming Adult Ed

March 27 Art of the Prodigal Son. Ed Klodt will teach on the artwork related to the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15.

Great religious art deepens our faith in amazing ways. Visually, it expands our understanding of biblical events and stories we think we already know well.

Join national speaker and Ascension member Ed Klodt at 10:10 a.m. on Sunday, March 27th, as he discusses his latest book, Inspiring Generosity, and shows us how great art can become an amazing devotional tool in our faith walk. Ed will guide us through several amazing works of art, helping us to become part of the story of Scripture.

Signed hardcover copies of Ed’s book will be available at his author’s discount.

Bowls of Hope is Here!

Support Many Mansions’ work to provide affordable housing for those in need (seniors, veterans, etc.) in the Conejo Valley — and have a tasty time.

Click HERE for tickets and more info.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO AND APPLICATION

Tomato Plants Update!

GARDEN NEWS

Students are tending their little growing seedlings for the Tomato Sale & Garden Festival that will take place April 29-May 1.

Our ECC students, Ascension School students, Sunday school students, confirmation students, and Senior High Luther Leaguers have planted over 900 tomato seeds — which includes more than 30 varieties of tomatoes! More than a third of the seeds have already germinated and our children and youth are tenderly caring for the baby seedlings. Come buy tomato plants, support our young people, and discover the vision of our new “One Ascension Oasis” (Ascension’s outdoor learning, worshiping, and gathering community) at the Annual Tomato Plant Sale and Garden Festival.

Click HERE for more Garden News

On Tuesday, the staff celebrated the upcoming birth of Arthur, son of staff member Sydney Newmark and her husband, Chris, both members of Ascension! Thanks, Mara Hassenbein, for the delicious brunch. We also welcomed new staff member Cecille in our finance office. We continue to be blessed by God with dedicated workers who know they are called by God to this ministry. (photo/text from Pastor Steve)

This Weekend::

4th Grade Milestone

4th grade families! Join Pastor Julie for the 4th grade milestone class (parents, too!): Sharing Time, Talents, and Treasures This Sunday, March 20, 10:10-10:50, Library. Then celebrate the milestone in worship the following week, Sunday, March 27!

OUR AFGHAN NEIGHBORS

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Matthew 25:35

Many of you have asked “ How can we help Afghans who were evacuated from Afghanistan to the US?” CLICK HERE for complete information.

Thank you to:

Carol Bjelland and Fair Trade team, for your hard work and passionate commitment toward making this a better world through ethical trade for small farmers and artisans.

SAVE THE DATE:

VBS Will be the Week of July 11 in the Mornings

Don’t miss another TWAA

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Pericopes

This Week:

Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalm 63:1-8 (1)
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9

Next Week:

Joshua 5:9-12
Psalm 32
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Best Practices for Submitting Your Newsletter Stories CLICK HERE

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Ascension Lutheran Foundation Scholarships

It’s that time of year for scholarship application submissions. Scholarship applications are now available for high school seniors and continuing college students.

To be eligible, all applicants are required to submit two (2) Scholarship Recommendation Forms (completed by a teacher or other qualified person) which are found HERE.

A. Interested students can apply in two ways:

1. Download the SCHOLARSHIP PACKET and print it out, or pick up a copy at the church office, complete the packet in its entirety, and mail the form to:

Ascension Lutheran Church Attention: Scholarship Committee
1600 East Hillcrest Drive
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

2. Or fill out the application on-line through the Foundation website.

B. When is it due?

1. Deadline for applications is April 22, 2022. If you have any questions regarding how to apply for scholarships, you may email Foundation Grants and Scholarships Chairperson HERE.

C. Distribution The recipients will be recognized in a church service on June 12th, 2022.

Thank you and God Bless.

Ascension Lutheran Foundation Scholarship Committee

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IN NEED OF PRAYER

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

Link to printable prayer page

PRAYERS OF HEALING FOR:

Harry Delkeskamp, Pastor Tim’s father, for successful treatment of his kidney and other ailments

CONTINUING PRAYERS FOR:

Lara Abounayan

Kyle Ayers

Karen Barrows

Maria Bartush

The Bauer Family

Vickie Beard

Addie Behm

Gloria Benfatto

Carl Bohning

Debi Bing

Skip Brenner

Mary Cartrett

Dominic Cavaliere

Beverly Clark

Nancy Coffman

David Corra

Linda Crabill

Carl Dietrich

Diana Doerfler

John Ernst

Becky and Al France

Jane Ganske

Terry Gillette

Malia Hassenbein

Bob Herder

Shaeley Huber

Penny Hunter

Marilyn Johnson

Micky Johnson

Bob Kielhorn

Scott Klipp

Barbara Krum

Valerie Krum

Jim Lawson

Dr. Allen Leland

Grace Lugo

Judy Marshall

Sue May

Colleen McCarthy

Sandi Meyer

Shirley Meyer

Verlon Meyer

Kevin Morrow

Bill Munn

Angela Naginey

Jim Neumann

Paul and Betty Olson

Carol O’Gorman

Orlando Orozco

Brandt Stephen Oschner

Dale Ota

Laurie Peyton

Gary Phillips

Lois Phillips

Mike Ricci

Marilyn Ripley

Dave Rosinbum

Pastor David Palma-Ruwe

Debbie Saunier

Dorothy Scholz

Barb Schornstein

Arnold Schwarz

Margaret Skinner

Jerry Smith

Dan Thiel

Jan Timmons

Taty Valladares

Todd Wallace

PRAYERS FOR SAFEKEEPING:

Connor Braaten, USMC

Scott Clark, U.S. Navy

LCpL. Alexander Daley

Cody Davidson, US Army

Tim David, US Army

Jack Ingles, USMC

ET1 Patrick Maccarone, USN

Jake Marshall, USMC

Scott Mochatel, USCG

LCJG Caroline Truesdell, USCG

Prayers For Our Congregations In The ELCA, Southwest Synod

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and staff

SWCA Synod Bishop Brenda Bos and staff

Our Channel Islands Conference:

New Hope, Agoura Hills

Mt. Cross, Camarillo

Christ, Goleta

King of Glory, Newbury Park

Holy Cross, Ojai

Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, Oxnard

Our Savior’s, Oxnard

Trinity, Santa Barbara

Emanuel, Santa Paula

Shepherd of the Valley, Simi Valley

Holy Trinity, Thousand Oaks

Trinity, Ventura

(To learn more, ask one of the pastors)

PRAYER FOCUS:

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Green and White Minimal Photographic Sleep Health Instagram Multi Page Post

For Outdoor Classroom this week...

...Our 5th & 6th Graders went off-site. Mr. Gottmer and Pastor Chamie took the students for a picnic lunch at Wildwood and a hike to Paradise Falls.

Throughout the hike, students played a plant identification game. When they discovered their plants, they got their name entered into a drawing for two hiking prizes — a hiking water bottle and a battery-operated camping lantern.

Students learned that the Chumash used the seeds of the Wild Cucumber to make jewelry (the plant itself is toxic) and that the early settlers would rub California Sagebrush on themselves as this “cowboy cologne” improved their smelliness.

Students identified native plants such as Bladderpod, Arroyo Lupine, Valley Oak, and Toyon, among others.

At Ascension we believe that the more you know about plants - and their names - the more likely you are to care for them. We also believe students need to be exploring outdoors.

In addition to the plant science that students are learning, Garden & Outdoor Classroom is also connecting with English Language Arts in these next few weeks as our 4th-6th graders read Seedfolk, a story of people coming together to create a garden in an abandoned lot in a city. TK-4th grade will be reading various garden books with complimentary curriculum organized by Mrs. Hartson.

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OUR AFGHAN NEIGHBORS

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Matthew 25:35

It’s now been almost six months since the fall of Kabul prompted the largest military evacuation of refugees in history. In a matter of weeks, more than 76,000 Afghans arrived in the US, all but about 10,000 of whom have since been resettled in communities across the country. The sheer number of new arrivals has posed significant challenges both for the government and the nine refugee resettlement agencies tasked with assisting them. It has taken time for us to get the necessary information about how we can help.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is one of the nine resettlement agencies doing this work. We have been in contact with them and joined webinars to learn more about how to help. LIRS is involved on many levels, (and is now monitoring the situation in Ukraine) but is not the resettlement agency for our area. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is the agency helping in the greater Los Angeles area and our friends at LIRS have encouraged us to work through them. Our local Conejo Interfaith Refugee Team is now working with IRC to assist some of the newly arrived Afghan families.

The attached flyer provides a sign-up genius and more detailed information about how you can help. Ways to help:

Donate to Ascension’s Matthew 25:35 dedicated fund for refugees and immigrants and designate for Afghan resettlement OR
URGENT NEED FOR TRUCKS, DRIVERS, FURNITURE MOVERS
Donate to United Methodist Church’s dedicated Fund. (link below)
Give items of need by using the sign up genius. (link below)
Donate to the wish list at IRC (link below).
For more info, contact Ascension’s Global Ministries & Matthew 25:35 Outreach Team Ministry Teams:

NOTE: LINKS ON FLYER ARE INACTIVE

USE LINKS BELOW.

DIRECT LINK TO INTERNATIONAL RESCUE — LA.

DIRECT LINK TO SIGNUP GENIUS TO VOLUNTEER ITEMS OR SERVICES

DIRECT LINK TO UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WESTLAKE

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Attendance & Offerings

Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Offerings to Date

Through February 27, 2022 (week 35 of 52)

FY2022 Received: $922,434

Budgeted: $897,589

Windfall/(Shortfall): $24,845

FY2021 Received: $934,398

Budgeted: $891,700

Windfall/(Shortfall): $42,698

Attendance

All three weekend services

February 26-27

In Person: 264

Online: 165

February 19-20

In Person: 192

Online: 134

February 12-13

In Person: 183

Online: 179

Jan 31-February 6

In Person: 218

Online: 163

January 24-30

In Person: 174

Online: 205

Jan 17-23

In Person: 169

Online: 170

Jan 10 - 16

In Person: 143

Online: 185

Jan 3 - 9

In Person: 155

Online: 185

Dec. 27 - Jan 2

In Person: 120

Online: 168

Dec. 20-26

In Person: 826

Online: 397

Dec. 13-19

In Person: 98

Online: 108

Dec. 6-12

In Person: 254

Online: 194

Dec. 4-5

In Person: 236

Online: 179

Nov. 27-28

In Person: 220

Online: 162

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A recap of the Youth Gathering

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

by Dianne Beck

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

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

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

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

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

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

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