Dear Members and Friends of Ascension,

It is with a heavy heart that I send out this message in response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  The words and pictures that we have been seeing on the news and online seem to defy comprehension and are so very sad.  For those of us who have been able to travel to Haiti on one or more of the mission trips these past 4 years, there is no doubt a deep rending of the heart.

Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to the people of Haiti – and to those who are seeking to bring help and relief in the wake of this disaster.  Many of you have asked me about the ministries we have been involved with through the Lazarus Project and also how we might be able to help the Haitian people.  To that end I share the following:

Lazarus Project – With the breakdown of both communication and transportation, there are still many unanswered questions.  Hope House (HH), which is the “home base” for all the Mission Teams, had significant damage, especially to the high walls around the compound which enclose the buildings and grounds.  There was/is a mission team in Haiti at the time of the earthquake.  Fortunately, there was no significant injury to them.  The Little Children of Jesus Orphanage (LCJ) for the special needs kids also had some damage to its buildings but no injury to the kids.  Grace Mission and School (GM) had its church collapse, but fortunately the girls who live upstairs were not injured.  The school seems to be OK and Marie Major’s home is damaged but again no injuries.  To date I have not heard anything about the Village of Hope School (VOH) itself.  But since that is some miles out in the country, I am hoping that there are no significant losses there, but again, we don’t know anything yet.  Certainly the time of day would have had the students gone and most of the staff as well.  But it is with the staff – particularly the teachers and administrators that I am most concerned.  Many of them live in the Port au Prince area, and that is where many of the pictures showing significant damage are being taken.  Unless you have been to Haiti, it is hard to describe how there is building upon building upon building.  And it is many of these “multi-storied” and “stacked” structures that have partially or totally collapsed.  So we eagerly await more news about VOH and the teachers.  If you would like to read more details, please visit: Updates from Debbie Berquist.

How Best To Help? – Right now I would suggest a couple of options.  Here at Ascension, we have established a “Haiti Relief Fund” and each week we will be forwarding the money received in that fund to our Lazarus Project partners for them to disburse on our behalf.  The ELCA International Disaster Relief has mobilized funds as well and you can give through that effort.  (see press release below!)  As more information becomes available, we will add to or alter our response so that we can provide whatever might be needed the most.  Right now, financial donations are the best help we can offer, so please give as God prompts you.  As we become aware of other needs, we will let you know!  (There are no doubt many other good ways to get money to where it is needed, but sadly there will also be “scams” as well.  Please choose carefully and prayerfully!)

CHICAGO (ELCA) — International Disaster Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) announced it will immediately commit $250,000 to support response efforts to the earthquake in Haiti. It will also advance another $500,000 in anticipation of additional gifts from ELCA members. ELCA members can contribute gifts online at Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Haiti Earthquake Relief or call 800-638-3522.

Ascension Member in Haiti – Some of you are aware that Katie Emery, daughter of John & Teresa and a student at Luther Seminary, was on a study trip to Haiti with other seminarians.  They actually arrived in Port au Prince on Tuesday morning but were out of the area when the earthquake hit later that day.  Katie and the others are safe and are awaiting transport back home.  (See the email from John below!)

They are in Jacmel on the north coast, so away from the epicenter. We heard they spent a night outdoors due to damage to their quarters, but have now been placed in a hotel by the UN. They are OK, but unable to get back to Port au Prince due damaged roads and emergency traffic. They are helping the afflicted as they are able and will be sent home as soon as arrangements can be made.

2010 Haiti Mission Trip? – We were exploring the possibility of a mission trip to Haiti in mid to late June but nothing firm had been established.  Obviously now, the circumstances there have changed dramatically and so we will see where God might lead us and what might be open.  If that IS something that interests you, please let me know and we will keep you posted!

One Good News Source – There are so many ways to get news these days, but in case you are interested, I find that the BBC is often a great source for news on the international scene.  Here’s a link you can use: BBC NEWS | News Front Page.

Lutherans Responding to Needs around the World – You might be amazed to learn just how much good work the ELCA does in response to disasters and crises around the world.  Please consider visiting this site from time to time: ELCA Disaster Response – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  Likewise, as Lutherans around the world join together through Lutheran World Relief, you might add this one to your “favorites” as well!  Lutheran World Relief – Disaster Response, Fair Trade, and Advocacy

Persist in Prayer! – Finally I would urge you to keep lifting up prayers for the people of Haiti and for all the relief efforts.  We may never know the extent of the loss and damage, but this long-troubled nation has so many of its people in need and some of the recent gains in stability are certainly going to be sorely tested.  Callous comments about a “pact with the devil” seem to me to offer nothing positive or helpful to a desperate situation.  And since I believe that Jesus died for the people of Haiti as much as he died for you and me I pray that God would bring healing and restoration along with a better future to this “Lazarus” at our door.

Thanks for all that you do in Jesus’ name!

For the week of January 10, 2010… The January 10, 2010 yellow announcement sheet has one correction regarding following us on Twitter. The website is displayed as http://www.twitter.com.AscensionFdL. The correct website should be http://www.twitter.com/AscensionFdL. Thank you.

To bring in the new year, some new features have been added to our website (along with a new look to our Blog site)…mainly around the category of Social Networking:

1. We now have a presence on Facebook.  Anyone can now search for Ascension Lutheran Church and Become a Fan.  You will be updated on your own Home page anytime Ascension updates their “Page” on Facebook.  Check out our website and look for the Facebook button on our home page.
2. Follow us on Twitter!  By going to our website, you’ll see a new link under the section of Resources called Follow Us on Twitter.  This page will show you who we are following and the Tweets we post from time to time.

Both of these Social Networking sites are just another useful way we can communicate messages to you.  We hope you take advantage of these new features.

Dear Members & Friends of Ascension,

I am writing to let you know of 2 more opportunities to gather with others from our congregation to take part in “Step 2″ of the discussion about the decisions made at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly this summer, particularly in the area of same gender relationships.

By way of reminder, this phase of the discussion is designed to let everyone present take a few moments to share their thoughts, feelings and reactions to those decisions.  It is not a time to discuss and debate options or ideas of how Ascension might respond to those decisions.  (That’s what “Step 3″ is all about!)  Instead, this is a time to share your own views and also listen to the views of others.

The sessions will be:

• Thursday, December 17 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 20 at 7:00 p.m.

(We will likely try to hold 1-2 more in early January!)

If you can join us, please do!  And feel free to forward this to others who might be interested.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jeff

Well, do you notice anything different about the blog? That’s right…the theme is Christmas. Over the next few weeks, you’ll see the theme change on a weekly basis…usually on a Sunday. We’ll try and keep everything looking nice and neat for you. Stay tuned to see what might show up next Sunday!

Also, see that “Share / Save” button just below this posting? Well, you’ll find that at the bottom of every blog post now. This is a way for you to share specific blog posts with your family/friends/co-workers/etc. by means of e-mail and/or social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It’s really easy to use, and it’s a great way to share content with one another.

Well, that’s all for now…God bless!

Dear Partners in Ministry,

Sorry for the short notice on this, but I at least wanted to try and get this out to as many people as are listed in my address book.  (There will be other opportunities besides this one, so if it doesn’t work for you, that’s OK.)  Please feel free to share this with other members or friends that you think might be interested!

This coming Sunday evening, we are going to hold our first opportunity for people to come and share their thoughts and feelings about any of the decisions made at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, including the decisions in the area of human sexuality.

Please understand that the intention behind these “Step 2″ Gatherings is not to argue or debate with each other about what we should or should not be doing in light of these decisions – that comes later.  The purpose at this phase is to let everyone who wants to talk about their own thoughts and feelings about these decisions AND to also listen to the thoughts and feelings of others who share.

While it might be hard to do, it is our hope that people with differing viewpoints might feel free to speak if they wish.  We don’t want these gatherings to be a time to “rally the troops” to a particular point of view or position.

Please understand that these gatherings could become emotional – and that is OK.  Some might just need the space and time to vent.  That’s part of what we hope will happen.  In order to move on to Step 3, which will be a thoughtful discussion about what, if any, action we might take individually or collectively, we need to give people a chance to share their thoughts and feelings and just get some of the “stuff” out.

Hopefully this all makes sense to you and you will able to come and take part in one of these “Step 2″ sessions.

The one this Sunday will begin at 7:00 p.m.  For starters we will meet in the Zone and see whether we need to move elsewhere.

Again, please “spread the word” to other Ascension members and friends on your email list.

Thanks!

Pastor Jeff

Ascension’s new website is “live”! If you’re a member of Ascension, make sure to create a free account for yourself through My ALC (top right corner of the new site). Enjoy!

On November 22, 2009 during the Sunday School hour (9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.), John & Teresa Emery and Pastor Jeff Blain held an informational meeting with members regarding the recent decisions made at this year’s ECLA Churchwide Assembly (CWA).  The audio recording is now available for you.

Please note: In the first 30 seconds of this audio recording, Pastor Blain discusses the ”steps” we will take as a congregation as we seek to discern what action, if any, God might be calling us to take in light of these decisions.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In addition to this audio, John Emery included a PowerPoint presentation which you may download and use as you listen to this recording.

Finally, a document called Resources on the Web was distributed at this meeting.  Please look through this document as well.

The following was distributed to member mailboxes at Ascension earlier this month:

Dear members of Ascension Lutheran Church…

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new website on Friday, November 27, 2009. If you have visited our site before, you will notice a considerable change on November 27th. Here are some items of importance:

• If you have created a free Username/Password on our current website, we are asking that you re-register on the new site after November 27, 2009. Once registered on the new site, we will permanently delete your account on the current site.
• Introducing My ALC (My Ascension Lutheran Church). My ALC is an area where you can edit your personal profile and get access to some additional items that are not available to the general public. You will find the My ALC Login/Logout button at the top right corner of the new website.
• Be sure to check out our new Photo Gallery! We’ve got a whole new interface for the photo album. Once logged in, you will be able to comment on, rate, and download photos…features that are not available on our current website.
• You will be able to sign up for events and activities at Ascension directly on our website throughout the year. This is a new feature to the site which has been requested by Ascension staff.
• The Discussion Board, Kunena, will again be available. This is a “members only” area of the site. We encourage you to check this out and get some conversations started! We want this area to be a safe and inviting place for all!

We hope that you like the changes that will be coming at the end of November. We are excited about finally making our new site “public” for all! New features will be added down the road. In the meantime, keep an eye on our blog for website updates. (Note: You can comment on our blog postings as well if you have a Username and Password.)

Thank you, and enjoy the new site!

Dear Friends in Christ at Ascension,

As you may be aware, the ELCA held its Churchwide Assembly (CWA) this past August in Minneapolis.

At that gathering, the 1,045 voting members from across the country made some significant decisions in several areas of the life and ministry of our denomination. And while the decisions in the area of human sexuality have probably received the widest publicity, there were many others which are also important to know about.

As people across the ELCA attempt to sort through what all of these decisions might mean, our Church Council has outlined a process for us to use here at Ascension so that we can try to think and talk and pray through things together.

The first step in the process is simply making sure that everyone has access to the same basic information.

To this end, I am sending out this email to invite you to consider attending either of the “Information Meetings” that we are offering this weekend.

The first one will be on Sunday morning between services. The second one will be Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m.

Please understand that the purpose of these gatherings is NOT to argue or debate about any of the decisions. (That step comes later!) Rather, the purpose is to make sure that people get to hear about the various decisions so that they can then ponder, reflect and pray so that we can move together to Step #2 which is when we can share our thoughts and feelings about these decisions and then seek to dialogue further (Step #3) to determine if there might be any actions or decisions we want to take (Step #4) as a result of these decisions.

Please consider joining us at one of these gatherings. And help us spread the word about them!

Your Partner in Ministry,

Pastor Jeff