Faith, friendship and fun are the elements of our Women’s Ministry activities. They include:
Book Club – An enjoyable afternoon each month as the group discusses selected novels.
Bunko Evenings – Fun with new and old friends as you play (we will teach you).
Christmas Social – Holiday fellowship, games and fun with requested attendee donations for a selected charity.
Quilting – Quilters gather for fellowship and the sewing of beautiful quilts for donation.
The Women’s Leadership Team is a group of women created in the image of God, called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our commitment is to grow in faith, affirm our gifts, support one another, and engage in ministry and activities that support other women in the church and community. The team meets the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 PM in the church office. If interested in being a part of our team or learning more about any of our events please contact us
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the SAM’s Tram service from Ascension has been pretty quiet. However, now that many of us have vaccines and feel more comfortable being out and about, it’s time to reintroduce the program! SAM’s Tram is Ascension’s Senior Adult Ministries transportation service. We match seniors from our congregation that need rides to local appointments with Ascension volunteers that are willing to drive.
RIDERS
If you’re a senior who needs a ride (or a caregiver for one), please contact me with the ride details. My contact info is at the end of the article. The more lead time you can give me -- at least a week or two is best -- the more likely I can find a driver for you. I’ll let you know either way. The service is free! If you feel compelled to give something, you can give your driver a dollar to go to Ascension’s Caring Ones to help the needy in our area.
DRIVERS
We’re always looking for more volunteer drivers to add to our roster. There is NO long-term commitment. I blast out detailed ride requests via e-mail to all of our drivers. You need only say “yes” to a ride that works for your schedule, and your only commitment is for that one ride. Many of us work and can only drive occasionally. That’s OK! The more drivers we have on our roster, the more likely we can fulfill a given request, and the workload gets spread around. This is a simple and effective ministry and we’d love to have you join us! Please call or e-mail me if you’re interested.
TESTIMONIAL
“[SAM’s Tram was] a blessing to my mom when she could not drive anymore. The friendly drivers got her to her weekly hair appointments, and occasional other doctor/dentist appointments. The social interaction with the drivers gave her a lift and became a bright spot in her declining life quality. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased when two drivers who were more frequent came to my mom’s celebration of life service. What a dedicated group of people, making a difference in the lives of our elders!” — Excerpt from a thank you note written by the daughter of one of our riders
FAST FACTS
- Pastor Steve started SAM’s Tram in 2011.
- Since 2017 we have had 287 ride requests and fulfilled 220 of them (77%)
- 69% of our requests are for doctor appointments, 9% for worship services, 8% for beauty/barber, and 14% “other”
Please pray for our SAM’s Tram riders and drivers, and contact me anytime if we can be of service to you, or if you you’d like to join us as a driver.
Sincerely,
Brian Festerling SAM’s Tram Coordinator
805-558-8076 (cell)
ps - we've had an uptick in requests and could always use new drivers.
Ascension Lutheran Church
