Volume 10, Issue #31
July 30, 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.
From Peter's Pen

For the last two weeks, I have written a couple of articles about preaching. This week, I will take a pause and write about reopening Ascension. 

We are blessed, as a parish, to have such a wealth of experienced and caring people! It is as if God, knowing that we had to face this pandemic, brought just the right people here to see us through. We have (just to name a few) specialists in healthcare, health administration, emergency planning, as well as many others. As your Priest, I feel so blessed to work with such a "deep bench" of experts. 

Together we have been talking, planning, and often re-planning how to reopen. Since trends with Covid (rates of infection, etc.) change so quickly, plans that we craft often have to be delayed and rethought.

Our goal throughout is to keep everyone safe and healthy while doing our best to meet the congregation's spiritual needs. 

We have finished drafting a basic plan for reopening Ascension and have a target date of Sunday, September 6, as our date to reopen. (If infection rates continue to rise, this may, of course, delay reopening.) We agree that reopening will hinge on: 1) having enough ushers available to take worshipers' temperatures and give basic directions when people enter the church; 2) having the help we need to clean the sanctuary after worship.

If you can safely help with either ushering or cleaning pews afterward, please let Mona know so that we can keep a list.

The next step in reopening is to submit our plan to the Diocese for approval. Once it has been reviewed, edited, and approved, we will make it available through the eWeekly mailing list, etc. 

We will also continue online worship through Facebook and YouTube for the foreseeable future. Worship participation continues to be strong online: we are currently reaching many more people online than we did when we were offering only in-person worship. 

Once we have figured out in-person worship, we will move on to determining how to manage in-person groups wanting to use the church. For the present, the church continues to be closed to groups, but my hope is that we can begin to offer space to our own organizations (e.g. Benedictines, Brotherhood of St. Andrew, etc.) and from there, to our partner organizations (Scouts, etc.). Again, the goal is to keep everyone safe while finding ways to meet spiritual need.

Please continue to keep myself and the other members of our reopening team in your prayers. 

With Joy,
Peter+

502-661-2742
Join us for Online Worship
on Sunday, August 2

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost:
Proper 13, Year Two - BCP 979

Reminder: All Ascension videos - and several organ and piano performances by John Martin - are now available on our FREE "YouTube Channel." You may subscribe, get notifications, view playlists... click here for more information ... or go directly to the Ascension YouTube Channel Page . This means you can conveniently find all Ascension videos all in one place, without having to scroll and sift through all of our other Facebook group postings. Kudos to Taylor Lunsford for creating and managing our videos!
Interested in participating in our 30 Days of Prayer beginning August 1st? In addition to the prayer and daily scripture readings, we have prepared a list of daily actions (for both people who identify as white and people that do not).

It is our hope that these activities will help us all gain a greater appreciation for our unconscious biases and our place in the system of white privilege that perpetuates racism in our society.

You will need something in which you can keep daily notes and reflections if you will also be participating in the action component of 30 Days of Prayer.

Follow along daily on social media for the scripture readings and actions, and we hope you will share with us your comments about your experience as you go along.

For more information on the 30 Days of Prayer initiative, why we're doing it, how it works, and the materials you will need, please visit our website:

One way or another, a new school year is about to begin. It will look very different in many ways because of the ongoing pandemic, but students will still be studying, learning, doing activities, and using supplies. Our own Deacon Rebecca Saager is collecting school supplies for needy children of Simon House (and others in Frankfort).

You may contribute funds designated specifically for this project, and Deacon Rebecca will do the shopping. Make your check payable to "Church of the Ascension" and mark "school supplies" on the memo line on the check. Mail it to the church no later than August 15 (or drop it into the locked brass mailbox on the parish hall porch nearest the garden).

OR bring items directly to Deacon Rebecca at Ascension (so they can be sorted and photographed prior to donation). Rebecca will be at church to receive donations of school supplies personally on Tuesdays from 12-3 p.m. for the next four weeks - July 28, August 4, 11 & 18. Please enter the hallway using the front door nearest the library, wearing a mask; a donation bin will be provided so no personal contact need occur. If you have access to the building at another time, you may leave items in the designated bin beside the library door. Or, you may contact Rebecca to make special arrangements to suit your schedule.

Items that have been requested by Simon House are:

  • Pens and pencils
  • Wide ruled paper package
  • 3 ring binder
  • 2 pocket folders with clips
  • Markers- regular and dry erase
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Facial tissues
  • Disinfectant wipes

Thank you for your help with this important project.
PARISH DIRECTORY -
Have YOU submitted your Directory Response Form? You may just type the requested details in an email, if that is easier for you ( info@ascensionfrankfort.org), or leave a message to request a phone call (502-223-0557).


Please click on the link to print the response form, OR call the parish office (502-223-0557) and leave a message asking for a personal call to review your details. Remember that only those who do respond and give permission will be included in the directory!
COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no worship services or any group meetings in the church building until further notice. Father Peter and the Vestry are working with our diocesan leaders to plan for re-opening safely when the time is right.

Regular office hours remain suspended until further notice; clergy and staff are working (mostly) from home. Access to the building is limited to those with specific permission, and " Healthy at Work " guidelines apply to everyone who enters the building.

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 ). You may also email Deacon Rebecca Saager ( curate@ascensionfrankfort.org ) or Deacon Sue Kurtz ( deacon@ascensionfrankfort.org ).

includes our church building!
MONTHLY RECEIPTS

7/3/2020: $5,513
7/10 & 15/2020: $4,957
7/17/2020: $5,239
7/24/2020: $645
7/30/2020: $562

Thank you for your continuing support. We are working to minimize expenses but still need to pay for upkeep, maintenance, insurance, payroll, etc. Click here to see a letter from our Treasurer regarding the pandemic:

THE BROTHERHOOD OF ST. ANDREW meetings are currently suspended. (Normally meets every other Saturday, in the parish library at 10:00 a.m.) Contact William Legg ( wleggwork@msn.com ) for details.
THE DAUGHTERS OF THE KING are meeting online via ZOOM. (Normally meets on the FIRST Sunday of each month, in the parish library after the 10:30 service.) Contact Judith Spencer for details ( jspencer254@yahoo.com )
Find the Diocese of Lexington online at www.diolex.org
This web site has an abundance of information and resources - check it out!
Intercessions for the Church: The Church of the Ascension, Frankfort - The Rev. Peter Doddema, Priest-In-Charge; The Rev. Dr. William Brown, Assistant Priest Emeritus, Retired; The Rev. Dcn. Rebecca Saager, Curate; The Rev. Dcn. Sue Kurtz, Deacon.

Recently in need of prayers: Adrianna; Barbara; Bill; Bob; Candy; Correll; Daneen; Debbie; Donnie; Edith & Marion; Fran & Doug; Fred; Ginni; Gus; Heidi & Ian; Greg; Joe; John & Willie; Jon; Josh; Lara; Linda; Madonna; Mae & Frank; Marie; Marilyn; Sandy; Scott & Kathy; Sidney, Suzanne, Tod, Blair & Grant.

Continuing concern: Betty; Carrie & Shawn; Collin; Dan; Darlene; David; Debbie; Dillard; Doris; the Duncan Family; Erika; Faye & Steve; Gillian; Holly; Isaiah; James & Stella; Janet; Janice; Jean; Jinks; Julia; June; Linda; Mac; Mary; Melissa; Mike & Susie; Polly; Sherri; and Tom. We also pray for those on active duty in the military: Daniel, Houston, Mary Jo, Nick, Seth, Tanner, and Walter.

Birthdays: 8/5 - Mike Oder.

Anniversaries: 8/7: Rick & Sue Kurtz.

Recently Deceased: Shirley Elkins .

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
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.

Ask in the office or one of the Deacons for a blank form, or download from our web site at: https://www.ascensionfrankfort.org/links
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



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