Volume 10, Issue #14 - April 2, 2020
In the name of Christ, we embrace all people to be nourished and empowered by the Holy Spirit to love and serve the world.
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Here we are at the edge of Holy Week! Sunday is Palm Sunday and this time marks a season where we normally gather together at Ascension for a week of beautiful, holy services.
Yet, due to COVID-19, we find ourselves celebrating Holy Week safe at home, socially distanced, and unable to gather together.
Fortunately, prior to all of this, Taylor Lunsford & Daniel Lay began working as our videographer and sound engineers (as part-time, independent contractors). They began by doing some wonderful videos and an autism awareness interview for us.
Check out our latest video on the rituals and meaning of Holy Week - on
Facebook,
on
Ascension's web site,
or on
Ascension's YouTube channel.
Now, however as we have been forced to go immediately and entirely to online worship, Taylor and Daniel are proving to be true blessings.
We just finished an 8-hour filming marathon, recording most of our Holy Week services for broadcast (!), and they were at the center of things: directing and gently, steadily moving us forward in this work.
Now, though we have stopped filming, the work continues for them. They have about five days to turn all of that video into worship services.
Please pray
for them
as they dive into this work, frame-by-frame, deleting the "ums" and "ahs", cleaning up the portions that are too bright or too dimly lit, and turning this into holy worship.
Watch for a separate reminder email about viewing these recorded services, as listed below. That email AND our web page will include PDF versions of each service bulletin. You may want to download or print these ahead of watching the services so you can sing, participate, and follow along as you would in church.
Please know that you are held up in prayer during this time. I hope that you have a blessed and beautiful Holy Week!
With Joy,
Peter+
cell
502-661-2742
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COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, direction from government officials, and leadership from our bishops, there will be no church services or group meetings in the church building until further notice.
If you have questions, concerns, ideas or suggestions to share, or if you have needs that your church family might help to meet, please contact Father Peter to discuss (email
fatherpeter@ascensionfrankfort.org
, or call
502-661-2742
).
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ONLINE WORSHIP @ ASCENSION
- Sundays: Father Peter will lead Morning Prayer at 9.30 a.m. through our Facebook Group Page. Please log in if you're able and invite others to "attend" as well: we can all use a little prayer and community during this time!
- Sundays: Father Peter is continuing to lead Sunday morning Bible study (the Gospel of Mark) through ZOOM (after concluding Morning Prayer). Please text or email him if you want to be added to this group, providing your preferred email address.
- Daily: Father Peter is leading Evening Prayer at 6:30 p.m. on our Facebook Group Page, including a few comments/updates. All are welcome!
- Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: Deacon Sue is leading Compline on our Facebook Group page. Join her and say hello!
- Wednesdays: Todd Elliott is continuing to lead the Lenten Book Study, beginning at 5:30 p.m., using ZOOM. Please text or email Father Peter if you want to be added to this group, providing your preferred email address.
FACEBOOK:
you can tune in LIVE to a service, or watch it later as your schedule permits. Go to
Check it out, and comment to let others know you're watching!
ZOOM:
after contacting the group leader to sign up, you will receive a specific email invitation for EACH meeting, containing a link to click or alternately, a phone number to call.
VIDEOS:
- The first video featured Father Peter discussing, "What is Lent?"
- The second video features Father Peter hosting a discussion with his wife Nicole, a social worker, and Kristi Buffenmyer, of Everyday Matters LLC, regarding AUTISM AWARENESS. There is some really great information here about welcoming and interacting with people at church and elsewhere - please watch!
- The third video features Father Peter explaining the rituals and meaning of Holy Week and Easter services.
ONLINE RESOURCES
- Free Resources for Our Elderly and Homebound Members from Hometouch Ministry: "Our homebound members have been on our minds through this trying time, including those who live alone or are unable to leave their homes due to the ever increasing shelter at home orders. As a way to try and stay connected, we are providing 4 days worth of devotions and activities to send to the loved ones in your lives. We've also included a template that you may want to send to families in your congregation who would like to color a picture and send a note to those who might feel isolated. You may download these free resources for unrestricted, re-distributable use."
Find more resources listed on Ascension's web site, here:
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CHILDREN
For families with children, consider having them create a scrapbook or journal about this historic event. Teach them to pray, to look for the helpers, and to express their questions, their fears, and their gratitude.
Ascension's Godly Play teacher, Laura Buffenmyer, says, "I love the first paragraph about the story of this time in our lives, “I wonder what your favorite part might be?” or the one that I have thought about most if I were teaching during this pandemic is, “Where do you see yourself in this story?” Those two “wonder” questions are generally the same with every story, along with, “I wonder if we could leave out any part of this story, and have everything we need?”
The responses to those questions are always so interesting from a young person’s point of view. This is a trying time for everyone. I can only imagine the questions the young members of our congregation have at home right now. This is a great way to keep Godly Play going on the home front during Lent. This precious time of reflection is so important."
OUTREACH
While the church is closed, our tradition of serving breakfast on Sunday morning is also suspended. However, there are still other ways that we can continue our mission of outreach.
First to mind is
Simon House
, which we work to support throughout the year. They are in desperate need of:
- sanitization items
- cleaning supplies
- soap and other hygienic items
- baby formula
- baby food
- diapers and wipes
- toilet paper - we have almost 20 people living in the shelter!
Simon House is also being overwhelmed with applications from the community for food boxes, and their residential house full of adults and children all need to eat. Residents do have their own kitchens to prepare food, and Simon House also works to help feed others in the community in cooperation with the Food Pantry, Men's Shelter, and other organizations.
Food items including fresh meat, non-perishable foods, single-serving easy-open foods, breakfast supplies, drinks and snacks for kids would be helpful.
Note: During this critical time, ALL donations should go directly to Simon House.
Note the delivery location of their new office, next to the Singing Bridge. To avoid delays and complications, remember to call ahead; DO NOT take items to the residence house on Campbell Street OR to Ascension, and do not "drop off" items without handing them directly to someone. (If desired, you may put "from Ascension" in the check memo field to let them know a donation is from an Ascension parishioner.) Thank you!
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MEETINGS & OFFICE HOURS
Group meetings of three or more people should NOT be held on church grounds during this time. Investigate using cell phone conferencing, Facebook Live, ZOOM, or other remote meeting options.
Having a key does NOT mean that you are authorized to enter/use the building during this period of mandatory closure. If your group "needs to meet" - CHECK FIRST with Father Peter for authorization or options. Building traffic should be absolutely minimal.
Regular office hours are suspended until further notice.
Father Peter, Mona Proctor, and other clergy and staff may sometimes be working from home, or may be in and out of the office periodically. Our Sexton, David Gierlach, and cleaning person, Anita Rogers, will continue their duties on their own schedules.
Other people are asked not to visit the office/church building without prior authorization from Father Peter. If you do enter the building for any authorized purpose, remember the six-foot social distancing rule at all times. Soap and hand sanitizer is readily available throughout the building - use it!
Our clergy team continues to work to stay in touch with our members who are sick or homebound, but in-person visits will be kept to a minimum during this time.
Please note: Our antiquated phone system will not allow us to update the 'outgoing announcement' voicemail messages! We hope to have the problem corrected at some point, but even if the message you hear is outdated, you may still leave a message. We will hear it the next time we are in the building, whenever that may be. If your message needs immediate attention, please contact Father Peter directly
(email
fatherpeter@ascensionfrankfort.org
, or call
502-661-2742
).
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MONTHLY RECEIPTS
3/1/2020: $4,886
3/8/2020: $2,721
3/15/2020: $5,934
3/22/2020: $65
3/29/2020: $2,682
Thank you all for your continuing pledge payments and donations. They are greatly appreciated. We have had some inquiries about check handling and deposits. Please be assured that we continue to receive, track, and deposit checks in a timely manner every week.
Checks arrive by mail into a locked mailbox. They are retrieved and held in a special bank bag in a locked location. An authorized Counter - who, until the emergency is over is William Legg, Treasurer - copies, counts, documents, and deposits the currency, coin, and checks received in the night deposit of First Financial Bank. Mona later documents and tracks each check in QuickBooks accounting software.
We make one deposit each week. We are currently making our deposit on Friday. It may seem different to you if you were accustomed to seeing a check you gave on Sunday, deposited on Sunday. When you mail in a donation, please allow 7-10 days for the check to clear your bank.
We know this is a time of uncertainty and difficulty for all of us. As you take care of yourselves now, physically and financially, you will be able to help others later.
If you have lost a job, need money for groceries or housing, or face some other hardship due to the pandemic, please feel free to talk with Father Peter, Deacon Rebecca, or Deacon Sue. They are 'plugged in' to channels for finding assistance that you might not know.
Please note that during this critical time, obligations of your Parish continue. We must continue to pay for payroll, utilities, facility maintenance, insurance, and more. We want to make sure that our doors can reopen when this crisis is eased. Our 2020 budget is already quite lean, and your gifts of time and treasure are crucial to the mission of the Episcopal Church of Ascension, Frankfort, Kentucky.
In recent years we worked and prayed together to meet serious financial challenges. Please continue your pledge payments and make other donations as you are able.
Address any payments sent by U.S. Mail to Church of the Ascension, 311 Washington Street, Frankfort KY 40601. If you are out of envelopes or stamps to send a paper check, we will be glad to mail you a supply. Email
info@ascensionfrankfort.org
or call 502-223-0557.
You may drop offerings and other paperwork, contained in an envelope, into the locked church mailbox. It is a brass box located on the parish hall porch that is nearest the main church door, mounted on the brick wall to the right of the steps.
If you would like to give "automatically" by authorizing a regular monthly deduction from your bank account, contact the office to get that started.
(You do NOT need a PayPal account to do this - just a credit card.)
If you have questions about the church budget or expenses, talk to any 2020 Vestry member, or to William Legg, Treasurer, or Mike Oder, Assistant Treasurer, or Jim King, Finance Committee Chair.
Please take care of yourselves and shepherd your resources. May God bless us all.
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CENTERING PRAYER
meetings are currently suspended. (
Normally meets every Saturday morning, 10:00 - 10:30.) For more information, contact Scott Kimbel,
kskimbel@yahoo.com
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April 5, 2020
Daily Office Lectionary
Holy Week, Year Two - BCP 957
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Intercessions for the Church:
Church of the Good Shepherd, Lexington - The Rev. Hendree Harrison,
Rector,
The Rev. Jon Hall,
Interim Assistant Clergy
.
Recently in need of prayers:
Barbara; Bill; Bob & Angela; Candy & Tony; Daneen; Donnie; Edith & Marion; Gus; Heidi & Ian; Greg; Jon; Josh; Linda; Marie.
Continuing concern:
Betty; Carrie & Shawn; Collin; Dan; Darlene; David; Debbie; Dillard; Doris; the Duncan Family; Erika; Faye & Steve; Gillian; Ginni & Vic; Holly; Isaiah; James & Stella; Janet; Janice; Jean; Jinks; John; Julia; June; Lara; Linda; Mac; Marilyn; Mary; Melissa; Mike & Susie; Natalie; Polly; Scott & Kathy; Sherri; and Tom. We also pray for those on active duty in the military: Daniel, Houston, Mary Jo, Nick, Seth, Tanner, and Walter.
Birthdays:
4/6 - Kathy Kimbel; 4/9 - Will McKee; 4/10 - Joan Osborne.
NOTICE:
Part of the strength of this congregation is our care and concern for each other. Please help us to do this by letting the church office know when you are ill, hospitalized, or otherwise in need of prayer and/or visitation. We especially want to serve you during these times.
Also, if we don’t have your birthday or anniversary on file, or if it appears incorrectly, please let us know!
Call the office at
502-223-0557
(messages are checked periodically), or email
curate@ascensionfrankfort.org
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Pre-Planning for End of Life
Rite I or Rite II? Eucharist or no? Burial service in the church, or only a graveside committal? Special music, songs, readings, people? Please consider writing your preferences on a “Funeral Information and Burial Instructions” form, for secure long-term storage in the parish office. This confidential information will serve as a guide to the church and your family after your death. A 'Kentucky Living Will Directive and Health Care Surrogate Designation' Form is also available.
Return the completed form(s) to Deacon Rebecca, Deacon Sue, or to the parish office.
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Clergy and Staff
- The Rev. Peter Doddema, Priest
- The Rev. Dr. William G. Brown, Associate Priest Emeritus
- The Rev. Deacon Rebecca A. Saager, Curate
- The Rev. Deacon Susan E. Kurtz, Deacon
- Mr. John B. Martin, Director of Music & Organist
- Ms. Mona Landrum Proctor, Parish & Financial Administrator
- Mr. David Gierlach, Sexton
Copyright © 2020 Church of the Ascension. All Rights Reserved.
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