Worship Assistants

Our Worship Teams create a warm, welcoming and orderly environment so that the focus of worship services can remain on worship. Through your participation and service, we are reminded that we are all part of the priesthood of believers and witnesses to God’s love. Volunteering on one of our Worship Teams is a fun fellowship opportunity.

Many opportunities exist to help with worship:

Banner Making

Worship banners add color and texture to our worship services. Our volunteers create a variety of banners for all the liturgical seasons and rotate them throughout the year to continually change the look of the sanctuary. Ascension has some truly beautiful banners and would love your sewing skills.

Communion Assistant

All worship services include a Communion Assistant. A Communion Assistant is assigned to serve as part of a team serving Communion to worshippers. This team consists of the Pastor, a Communion Assistant and an Acolyte. During Communion, the Communion Assistant follows the Pastor and serves the bread, wine or grape juice.

Lay Reader

Lay readers of all ages are needed and invited to read the Word of God in our worship services.

Usher

Because of the large number of worshippers who stream through our doors each weekend, many ushers are needed at each service to ensure a meaningful worship experience and create a welcoming atmosphere for all. Ushers are placed on teams and serve on a rotating basis at our worship services. Ushers are also needed for our special events.

If you are interested in serving as a Banner Maker, Communion Assistant, Lay Reader or an Usher please contact Pastor Paul Gravrock.

Welcome Team

Members of our Welcome Team possess the gifts, talents and enthusiasm for going the extra mile to create a welcoming environment. Ascension is committed to making all people who visit us feel welcome. We want them to know that they are a part of a church family who genuinely cares about one another. We would like our guests and members to know us as a unique community of people who want to serve the Lord and reach out to others in Christian love and care. If you would like to be a part of the Welcome Team please contact Diane Kusnierek.

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Sam's Tram Rolls Again

by Brian Festerling, SAM’s Tram Coordinator

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.

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Worship Assistants

Worship Assistants

Banner Making

Communion Assistant

Lay Reader

Usher

Welcome Team

Ascension Lutheran Church

Worship Times:

ELCA

Sam's Tram Rolls Again