Volume 10, Issue #43
October 29, 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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FROM PETER'S PEN
In the Church, we are winding down the Season after Pentecost. This is the ~5 months that occur between the Feast of Pentecost (end of May - beginning of June) and Advent (last Sunday of November - first Sunday in December). The Season after Pentecost celebrates life and growth, both within the Church and within the world around us. Trees are in full leaf, flowers bloom, crops grow and ripen in the fields.
Sunday is both our first indoor, in person worship in many months, and also the end of Daylight Savings Time. As we change our clocks (and the daylight appears to decrease), it is also a reminder that we are heading into the Season of Advent: the four weeks before Christmas. Advent focuses us on preparing for Jesus' entry into the world. Advent occurs at the time of increasing darkness in the natural world (less daily sunlight, etc.) and is set aside as a time to reflect on Jesus as both the Light of the World, and as light coming into a darkened world.
During these last weeks of the Season after Pentecost, I encourage you to take time each day to see signs of God's presence in your own life: what is growing? What is giving you peace and joy (especially in these often-chaotic times)? God is always at work: our work is to learn to recognize and celebrate this.
With joy,
Peter+
Cell: 502-661-2742
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P.S. It is that time of year when the Ascension Vestry forms a Nominating Committee to seek out candidates for several positions starting in January next year. The Committee is being led by Senior Warden Julia Tyson and is made up of current Vestry members whose terms are expiring at the January 2021 Annual Parish Meeting; they are Laura Buffenmyer, Ginni Fox, Ron Gruzesky, Rick Kurtz, and Shannon Lancaster.
Positions to be filled by election at the upcoming Annual Parish Meeting are (4) Vestry members with 3-year terms. Positions to be filled by appointment are (1) Vestry member with a 1-year term (filling out a term from a resignation), plus members for the Endowment Committee and the Preservation Trust Board (one each).
No one person may serve at the same time on more than one of these three boards/committees. If you are an Ascension member and interested in any of these positions, please contact one of the Nominating Committee members (above), or Julia Tyson, or the parish office, before November 18. All of these roles are important to the church; serving is a fun way to learn more about church operations, to share your time and talent, and to interact with others! (All of these groups currently operate via online ZOOM meetings.)
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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!
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, at 2:00 a.m. |
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ALL SAINTS' DAY
Sunday, November 1
with Holy Eucharist
IN-PERSON SERVICES
AT ASCENSION,
inside the church, at
8:00 a.m. (Rite I) and
10:30 a.m. (Rite II)
Please call or email
We will celebrate All Saints' Day and include an All Souls' candlelight remembrance during both services. Names of the 'saints' in our own lives will be read aloud as we light a candle in memory of each one, concluding with a special prayer.
A recording of the 10:30 service will be posted on Facebook later in the day for those who choose not to attend in person. Here is the service bulletin (PDF) for you to use to follow the service.
Pre-registration, face masks, and social distancing will be required for all who enter the church, and the number in attendance at each service is limited.
ALL SOULS' REMEMBRANCE 2020
Elaine Agne
Max Agne
Thomas Back
Linda Brown
Jimmy Campbell
Mike Campbell
Tony Charters
Tom Cockley
The Rev. Aaron Paul Collins
Shirley Elkins
Rodney Ellis
Victor Fox
Brad George
Barbara Hertzal
Amelia Kaufman
Nedra Lundberg
Leo McGarry
Jane Minter
Ann Molk
Geoff Pinkerton
Janet Reidel
Ruth Saager
Joseph Skaggs
William Spencer
The Very Rev. Dr. Ronald Wayne Summers
Mark Thornewill
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This November, Ascension member Scott Mello is offering free Medicare counseling to the parish. He is a SHIP volunteer and has been doing this each fall for about eight years. Primarily it means helping people re-shop their Part D drug plans and answering other Medicare questions.
There is no charge for this service; Scott is unpaid and not otherwise compensated for doing it. Due to the pandemic, all sessions will be handled by telephone, and by appointment. Each discussion is tailored to your individual situation and needs.
Sessions are available through the parish on Mondays, starting on November 9 through December 7, the last day of open enrollment. To make an appointment, please call Mona Proctor in the parish office at 502-223-0557 to schedule the time most convenient for you.
"Re-shopping for Part D" is necessary because if you don’t do it every year, and instead just let your drug plan roll over into the next year, there is a real possibility that your year-long, out-of-pocket cost will unnecessarily increase substantially. Scott has seen people realize savings of over $25,000 by changing plans - that’s not a typo! In the last few years, he has helped Karen Hoover’s husband Jack; Karen has offered to talk to anybody who wants to confirm this.
(This counseling/selection process is NOT necessary if you are a Kentucky State Government Retiree, because your Medicare Advantage Plan is already better than what is offered in the private market.)
Scott also offers the same service through the Senior Activity Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the open enrollment period, October 15 through December 7.
Don’t delay, because sometimes this process becomes more complicated then you expect, and this enrollment period only happens once a year.
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"Bells of Peace" transforming into an annual tradition.
In 2018, the "Bells of Peace" initiative was launched to create a national bell tolling at 11am local time on 11/11 as a WWI Armistice Centennial remembrance. Tens of thousands of individuals, communities, and organizations participated, including a proclamation from every state in the U.S., every branch of the military service, hundreds of churches, posts, chapters, cities and communities [including Ascension].
While transitioning out of the centennial period, and based on responses and requests, "Bells of Peace" is being promoted as an annual moment of remembrance - to stop and take a few minutes on Veterans Day to reflect, remember, and honor those who served and sacrificed in what was supposed to be "The War to end all Wars" - but instead became "The War that Changed the World."
In this pandemic year, getting a group together for a commemoration may be challenging. This makes the Bells of Peace Participation App even more useful. Available for Apple and Android, the app provides a "virtual bell" and reminds you when to ring it on your device - and also provides more history and details about the project. So you may participate from anywhere!
Ascension's bell is already ringing daily at 10:00 a.m. in memory of COVID victims. For Bells of Peace, the bell is to be tolled slowly, 21 times, with a five-second interval between tolls. If anyone wants to toll Ascension's bell for Bells of Peace on Wednesday, November 11, at 11:00 a.m., please contact Father Peter as soon as possible (fatherpeter@ascensionfrankfort.org or 502-661-2742).
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COVID-19 PANDEMIC
UPDATE 10/29/20
Live Sunday services and meetings in the church are gradually returning as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Watch this newsletter, our web site and Facebook pages for continuing updates about schedules. Our beginning goal is to increase in-person services gradually, once or twice monthly to start.
NEW! Access to the building by small groups (maximum of 10 people) is now available - ALL requiring pre-approval (usually granted on request), signing a space use agreement, and scheduling time and space with the parish office. "Healthy at Work" guidelines apply to everyone who enters the building.
If you want to schedule your small group to meet at Ascension (including "internal" committees and groups for prayer, etc. - all meetings outside of times appointed for worship services) - contact Mona Proctor in the parish office for scheduling. This is required for ALL groups so that we know everyone who has been in the building, in case contact tracing is needed, and to ensure that everyone understands the same rules and expectations during the pandemic and beyond.
Regular office hours remain suspended until further notice; clergy and staff continue to work (mostly) from home. 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).
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includes our church building!
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MONTHLY RECEIPTS
10/2/2020: $3,152
10/7/2020: $20,420
10/9/2020: $2,425
10/15/2020: $3,097
10/16/2020: $4,104
10/23/2020: $2,120
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:
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This web site has an abundance of information and resources - check it out!
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Intercessions for the Church: Province IV of the Episcopal Church Canon Kathryn W. McCormick, Diocese of Mississippi, President; The Rt. Rev. Scott Benhase, Diocese of Georgia, Vice-President.
Recently in need of prayers: Adrianna; Barbara; Bill; Bob; Bobbie Lee; Candy; Correll; Daneen; Debbie; Don; Donnie; Faye & Steve; Fran & Doug; Ginni; Heidi & Ian; Greg; Joe; Jon; Josh; Julia; Kay; LeeAnn & Elizabeth; Linda; Lynda; Madonna; Marilyn; Sandy; Scott & Kathy; Sidney, Suzanne, Tod, Blair & Grant.
Continuing concern: Betty; Carrie & Shawn; Collin; Dan; Darlene; David; Debbie; Dillard; Doris; the Duncan Family; Edith & Marion; Erika; Gillian; Holly; Isaiah; James & Stella; Janet; Janice; Jean; Jinks; John & Willie; June; Linda; Mac; Mae & Frank; 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: 11/8 - Angela Bullock.
Thanksgivings: for a successful Diocesan Convention; for beautiful fall weather; for birthdays and anniversaries; for the many who contribute time and talent to our re-opening process; for Margaret's successful surgery.
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
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The Rev. Peter Doddema, Priest
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The Rev. Dr. William G. Brown, Associate Priest Emeritus
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The Rev. Deacon Rebecca A. Saager, Curate
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The Rev. Deacon Susan E. Kurtz, Deacon
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Mr. John B. Martin, Director of Music & Organist
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Ms. Mona Landrum Proctor, Parish & Financial Administrator
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Mr. David Gierlach, Sexton
Copyright © 2020 Church of the Ascension. All Rights Reserved.
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