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
June 18, 2023
Grace and peace to you my family in Christ,
This week, I am excited to announce that Pastor Chamie will be preaching at all 3 services. The topic will be about hope.
I can attest to the power of hope as we have recently been through the discernment process. In that process we sensed the Holy Spirit was calling her from her position of campus pastor of Ascension Lutheran School to the pastor of North Hollywood Methodist Church.
Her position begins July 1st so I am grateful that she is available to preach before her new job begins. We are looking forward to seeing you this weekend!
Blessings,
Pastor Chamie’s Farewell Post
In the quiet of late night, I finally let myself open cards, reflect on my last chapel at Ascension, and fully feel the grief, the gratitude, and the goodbye.
I began pastoring at Ascension 13 years ago, my children were 4, 6, and 9. My heart is full of gratitude that I got to watch them grow up right in front of me, day in and day out. I was on their schedule to travel to countless weekend soccer games as well as climbing competitions all across the United States. Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday, we were all together. I got to be a mom in the way I wanted to be a mom.
Yet I also got to be a pastor. I am so thankful for years of watching Ascension students grow into teens and young adults and discover that their deepest identity is that they are God’s beloved. I got to work with amazing, beautiful families. Alongside my husband, I got to love the whole community from babies to centenarians.
I am grateful for the incredible people whom I got to work alongside and learn and grow. Ascension gave me some of my dearest friends.
I will go forth into my new calling with a full heart and an overflowing sense of gratitude.
A Grand Finale
To everything there is a season, as Ecclesiastes tells us. Last week, our church and school year came to a close with a march of memorable moments – and a new season began.
At Ascension Lutheran School, there was the bittersweet last chapel with Reverend Chamie Delkeskamp as campus pastor, as she leaves after 13 wonderful years for her new call as lead pastor of North Hollywood First United Methodist Church.
When you add more people to your life, “You don’t love the people you know less, you just keep loving more and adding more,” she said. “And that’s how God’s love works; it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.” Let’s all remember to stand firm on the foundation of Christ and love big!
We also celebrated the return of our middle school, with students bridging to their new grades and AL School alumni on hand, remembering their days here.
Our choir finished out the season on a beautiful note! We thank all the members, director Wyant Morton and our superb organist Margaret Ricci for bringing us the great blessing of soul-stirring worship music.
We also take the opportunity to thank Country Spirit (Nancy Lee and Ken Ypparila) for making every Saturday evening service special with their great voices and musicianship, and Praise Alive (Jeannette Ruggiero, Chris Trytten, Ben Hengst, and Ron Hickling) for rockin’ the joyful Christian contemporary sound at the 11 o’clock Sunday service — and our glorious Carillons, who bring the beauty each time.
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. – Psalm 98:1a
Sunday also saw the opening of the new Fair Trade Lane (story this page).
And last but certainly not least, we are blessed to have had 28 lovely people at the new members’ class Sunday, with a number of AL School families joining the church! Thanks to Worship Coordinator Jenelle Smith for a seamless event.
Photos by Pastor Steve Herder and Jenelle Smith.
June 25
After 9 AM Worship
Congratulations to Mike and Jenifer Marvin, 30 years married this month!
Thank you for your faithful service at Ascension — the years of hosting Senior Luther League gatherings at your home while your lovely daughters were involved, the great support of our youth, countless volunteer hours behind the scenes, service on Church Council and now with Mike on staff as Senior Accountant. It is couples — families — like yours that keep One Ascension going strong.
Fair Trade Lane is Officially Open!
We thank all of the happy Fair Traders who helped us open the doors of Fair Trade Lane last Sunday. Yes, the doors were a bit squeaky but we’d like to think of that noise as a welcome song inviting everyone to visit, learn about, shop & enjoy Fair Trade goodness. We were so very happy to welcome new Fair Traders and we hope we’ll see you again soon. We just love seeing and hearing Ascension Fair Traders share with others their favorite products – chocolate, in its many wonderful forms, tops the list – and why supporting Fair Trade is important. We’re working on the July and August schedule for Fair Trade Lane. Stay tuned! For more information about Ascension Fair Trade, including joining the Ascension Fair Trader email group, drop us a note at .
In Need Of Prayer
Accordionaires Coming to Ascension July 9
Mark your calendars for July 9. Our 9 o’clock worship service will be enhanced by special music from the Los Angeles Accordionaires “Pops” Orchestra. The conductor is Janet Hane, a member of our church.
One of the largest accordion orchestras of its kind on the West Coast, the Accordionaires consists entirely of accordions and percussion instruments.
“Unlike the typical accordion bands that have only accordion sounds, the Accordionaires enjoy duplicating the sounds of a string orchestra by playing individual parts and utilizing specific reeds,” according to an Accordionaires press release. “Included are a few specialized digital accordions used to produce ‘voices’ that further enhance the orchestra experience.”
We can’t wait!
The Silent Ministries
Our congregation has many great, well-known, public ministries. You hear about ones like Fair Trade, the food pantry, the connection to the community through the school and early childhood center, the Global Ministry Team working with refugees, GriefShare, the music program and concerts, Lutheran World relief kits, senior transportation (Sam’s Tram), and many more.
We are blessed to have three wonderful pastors who give powerful sermons, teach classes, build the faith of our youth (and us adults!), and visit the sick. As great as they are, there are not enough hours in the week to provide all the care that people need. That is where the two silent ministries come in. These ministries are ones you don’t see, and often don’t even know are happening. These two “silent” ministries are Stephen Ministry and Eucharistic Ministry.
Stephen Ministry provides confidential, one-on-one caregiving. This can be for a short time, or for a longer time. Stephen Ministry often is Crisis Care, One to One, Woman to woman, Man to man, and “Just having someone to listen to me” in a totally CONFIDENTIAL way. We foster acceptance and trust in our caring relationships. If interested, please contact any of our three Pastors, or email Norm Guetschoff, SM Coordinator at .
Eucharistic ministry provides communion to our members who are homebound or in nursing or residential care facilities. Some people are only in nursing homes or at home for a short time after an injury, surgery or an illness; others may be in care facility for a longer time. If you have not been able to come to worship and not been able to receive Holy Communion, or know someone who has not been able to come to worship, please let the office know or contact Pastor Ron Cox directly at or (805) 807-5257 and one of our Eucharistic ministers will bring this sacrament to them –or to you!
Offerings & Attendance
This summer:
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
July 10-14
We need lots of volunteers for Vacation Bible School!
Did you know:
- We have roles that require zero prep?
- Those 7th grade and up can help!
- Even if you’re not available the week of July 10, we can use you to help us prepare.
- If you think you can’t or you feel a little scared of the idea, remember: that’s often how God’s call feels! 😊
Come and talk to me!
Can you help? Want more info.? Talk to Pastor Julie:
To Sign Up, go to https://vbspro.events/p/events/ascensionvbs2023
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, Julie McCain, and Steve Herder
Don’t miss another TWAA
Pericopes
This Week:
Exodus 19:2-8a
Psalm 100
Romans 5:1-8
Matthew 9:35–10:8
Next Week:
Jeremiah 20:7-13
Psalm 69:7-10,16-18
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39
