CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION
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CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION |
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On This Page: WEDNESDAY HEALING SERVICE AND EUCHARIST STEWARDSHIP - Wide-Reach, Community and INREACH CELEBRATE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL PARISH WEB PAGE PARISH TELEPHONE SYSTEM
A t a recent vestry meeting someone asked “What do we mean when we callourselves a ‘Welcoming and affirming parish.’” Essentially it means that we are dedicated to welcoming in and accepting anyone the Spirit brings into our presence. In short, it is simply a restatement of our Baptismal covenant to “seek andserve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself…. and respect the dignity of every human being.” (BCP p. 305)In an article, Becoming an Inviting Church, published in the March 16, 2008, The Living Church, Linda Grenz writes that the real focus in being such a church is “not really on newcomers, but on ourselves and how we interact with each other.” She goes on to say: Visitors see the members interacting in ways that are attractive. People help each other; there is clear affection and concern for one another. People are fully engaged in the service and there isa spirit of joy in the celebration. There is a lack of conflict, even though the members may disagree significantly with each other. The congregation holds God’s mission and their shared ministry above any disagreements. The environment is safe and inviting to others who are drawn by this rather unusual way of being in relationship with each other. (March 16, 2008, The Living Church, page 31.) Do you recognize our parish in these words? I sincerely hope so. Being a “welcoming and affirming” church means more than just advertising and displaying a flag, it is being a place where our Baptismal Covenant is inherent in everything we do. Such a church invites people to come to a place where they are not only accepted for who they are but are shown a new way of being in relationship with one another – a loving relationshipin gratitude for the love, through Christ, God has shown us. Sandra
WEDNESDAY NOON HEALING SERVICE AND EUCHARIST Each Wednesday of the month See Parish Calendar for any schedule alterations
Dear Parish Family:
Sandra and I have made the decision to once again offer a
weekly Wednesday noon service of the Holy Eucharist with Anointing and
Laying on of Hands for Healing. Beginning on Wednesday, May 7, I will
be conducting this weekly opportunity to come to the Lord's Table for
spiritual nourishment and to seek our Lord's healing for ourselves and for
whomever we offer up to God in prayer. This midweek opportunity can also
offer us a time to come and relax and "breath deeply" in the midst of our
weekly journeys . Our Lord said it best: "Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
May God's love and peace be with you.
Ric
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by Barbara Palmer For those of you who don’t already know me, my name is Barbara Palmer. My focus on the vestry is our wide-reach mission. This mission reaches out to people who are either visiting us for the first time and/or someone who is searching for a new place of worship. Helping me with this is Maureen Buck. Of course, it isn’t just the two of us that should be making newcomers welcome. We all have a part in this mission. I know that sometimes I see a new face, but am not sure whether it is someone who has been coming here for years, but to a different service and I’m hesitant to approach them. We can all take a hint from Sandra, who at the end of the service will indicate that there is someone new in church by giving her little “welcome speech.” Hopefully that person will sign our guest book which indicates an interest in knowing more about our church. Sandra will send out all the information that we have and a week or so after that, Maureen or I will contact them to make sure they have received the items, welcome them and answer any questions they may have (if I know the answer). South Kingstown is certainly growing and with the help of all of us, Ascension also can grow. Along with the efforts of our in-reach program which will help to make our church more attractive from the outside, each and every one of us can make our church more attractive inside to the visitor by being a part of our wide-reach program. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please speak to Maureen or me. In the meantime, a simple “Good morning, how are you? Good to see you.” Can make the difference in whether that person or family will return. In this simple way you can help keep our church alive and thriving. I hope the next time you see an unfamiliar face, you will take a minute to say hello.
STEWARDSHIP and THE COMMUNITY SUPPER by Mary Ann Golda I have been asked to speak to you about my experience with Sunday Supper and to relate it to Stewardship. Describing my experience will be easy, the stewardship part…we’ll see. My family started doing Sunday Supper about two years ago. My daughter needed community service hours for her membership in the National Honor Society and at coffee hour Joan Turner told me that she, and Karen Visich, and their children, prepared a meal on the 2nd Sunday of every month for Sunday Supper. It seemed the perfect opportunity. After a few months my daughter had satisfied her community service requirement but we kept coming. Why? Well, I’ll explain how it goes first. The way we do it is one of us prepares the entrée and side dishes, and the others bring appetizers and desserts, and we alternate months. It is stressful to have the entrée duty because you’re never sure you’ll have enough, we’ve had as many as 18 guests, or that you’ve timed everything right, we’ve waited for potatoes to boil, or that everyone will like what you’ve prepared. It is tricky, but it always works out. Everyone gets fed, like the loaves and fishes, we always get compliments on our cooking, and community has formed around our shared experience. We’ve gotten to know and care about the core group, those individuals who come week after week, and they’ve gotten to know and care about each other. Sometimes, if there is room at the table the kitchen help will sit down with our guests. They often times help us set-up or clean-up. One time Sunny, a regular, helped me cook. I look around at the 10 o’clock service and see Sunday Supper guests. This has taken a community outreach activity and made it a part of us. Is this stewardship? Sure, we are using our individual time, talent and treasure, and the resources of the Church, the parish hall, kitchen, electricity and heat to take care of each other in a very basic form, sharing a meal. Will my family keep participating? Yes, it is where we go on the 2nd Sunday of each month.
INREACH by JOAN LISI The Sunday two weeks ago, just before I was asked to speak about Inreach, I had prayed that God would show me how I could be of service. I didn’t expect an answer quite so soon. Would I speak about Inreach? The fact was, I wasn’t exactly sure what Inreach was. Joan Turner had asked Sigrid Hewitt to give this talk and Sigrid asked me since she would be out of town . So I asked both of them what it was and got their input and finally met with Sandra at Brewed Awakenings to ask her. Inreach, it seems, is what we do within our congregation, what we do amongst ourselves. It refers to worship, work, education, fellowship, etc. It is how we function as a church family.” Talk about how the Church nurtured you”, Sandra said. My parents were not church goers, although their parents had involved them in the church in their youth. I was baptized in the Episcopal Church as an infant. My father wasn’t pleased, he was a Roman Catholic. There was some attempt to have someone take me to the Primitive Methodist Church. I remember they gave out cards with really pretty pictures. Eventually, St. Alban’s in Centerdale, where I was baptized, became my spiritual home and remained so all through grade school, high school, Sunday School, Junior Choir, YPF, catechism and confirmation. These were all happily shared with friends. As a young family in Pennsylvania, Henry and I found a spiritual home at St. John’s Episcopal church in Sahron. Henry served on the vestry, and I taught Sunday School. We worked at church dinners, the bazaar, and the religious art festival. Our children got a Christian education. We were part of a close church family. I expected that our experience here at Ascension would follow a similar path. We were happy here. We joined a Foyer group and got to know some of the other members better. Henry was elected to the vestry and unfortunately, soon afterward, got lost driving to Wakefield for a vestry meeting. He had Alzheimer’s. So the spiritual journey became mine alone with Adult Education, Sunday Supper, Vestry member, Senior Warden, Search Committee, Commission on Ministry, Bible Study, and ECW. So many opportunities to learn and serve, often at exactly the right time, when I needed them most. I’m so grateful. I recall some years ago being in my garden with my grandson Michael. He said “Grammy, why are we here?” I remember thinking, What a profound question for a little boy! I thought for a moment and answered, “I suppose to love God and to love one another.” We are all asked to work, pray, and give for the spread of His kingdom. I believe my own experiences have touched on many of the ways we work, pray and give. I’m sure yours have also. It seems to me that we always get back as much as we give and much more.
Celebrate Children International A Message from Kim Kimball Hi! As many of my friends know, I am pursuing another adoption, this time from Haiti. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Hunger and poverty are a way of life for many Haitians, including thousands of children. These two sisters are not children I am able to adopt myself at this time, but their situation is apparently a very alarming one. They have no family and are awaiting their ‘forever home’. There really is no one who can care for them at this time. I am hoping that if a few folks would be willing to send humanitarian aid to the sponsoring adoption agency, Celebrate Children, it would be used to help them as they wait and possibly offset some of the adoption expenses for a family who could take them in. They are supposed to be very sweet girls who are caught in a very sad situation. I realize we can’t all ‘save the world’ but we could help save their world! If you would be willing to help them, please send a check made out to: Celebrate Children and note this is for Alexandra and Sandra-Humanitarian Aid. Celebrate Children is a Christian adoption agency in Florida and is very reputable. They are handling my adoption from Haiti as well. Celebrate Children International 1767 W. Broadway St. Suite 5 Oviedo, FL 32765 or you can send it me and I’ll forward it to Florida. Kim Kimball 94 Jennifer Drive Wakefield, RI 02879
Summer Reading Possibilities On the shelf: Jerzy Kosinski – Blind Date Pinball J K Roling - Harry Potter Series Books 5, 6 and 7 Beverly Lewis - The Shunning The Preacher’s Daughter Alexander McCall Smith - 44 Scotland Street The Good Husband of Zebra Drive Carl Hiaasen - Basket Case Andrianna Trigiani - Big Cherry Holler Mark Kriegel – Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich Robert A. Heinlein – Stranger in a Strange Land Ernest Gaines – A Gathering of Old Men Majorie Williams – The Woman at the Washington Zoo Arthur Golden – Memoirs of a Geisha Kathleen Norris – Amazing Grace Barack Obama – Dreams of my Father Stephanie Cowell – Marrying Mozart John Dear – Transfiguration Henri J. M. Nouwen – The Inner Voice of Love Nancy Pichard – The 27 Ingredient Chile Con Carney Murders Christopher Moore – Fluke Gail Godwin – Evenings at Five To finish: Alex Haley – Roots James McBride – The Color of Water Mario Puzo -- The Godfather and last but certainly not least ...... Leo Tolstoy – War and Peace
Susan Vasquez
is looking for a few good men and women and children to participate in
the music ministry at the Church of the Ascension. There are many
opportunities for participation. Please speak with Susan to find out how you too
can be a part of this important contribution to our liturgy.
The Parish has a new menu-driven telephone answering system that will allow you to access appropriate information. Please note that weather-related messages and all special events information will be relayed through this system. In the event of a snowstorm, call the parish office one (1) hour before the scheduled service or event for any information regarding cancellations or postponements. Press #4 for a message in this regard.
Karen Crosby maintains the Church web page. Please feel free to send her any suggestions or comments. Karen also would love to have pictures in any format of Parish activities for display on the web page . Karen can be reached at crosby2@cox.net . |
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