|
|
|
|
|
|
October 11, 2012
Children & Youth
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Renewing the Vision for Children and Youth at Ascension
For years, children and youth have been coming together for fun, prayer, service and other faith formation at Ascension. Our programs serve our children well, and at Ascension they know they are loved by God, their families, and their church.
Periodically programs in the church should be renewed. We should remind ourselves why we are doing what we are doing and consider in prayer if the context has changed and called us in new directions. Our Episcopal seminaries go through an extensive review of their curricula every 10 years. Every three years our General Convention reviews the work of the church at large and prunes programs and redirects resources. Even our Prayer Book, that Episcopal mainstay, goes through revisions-- at least eight since our first!
On September 29 and October 1, parents met to begin a process of renewing the vision for our children and youth programs. They considered what dispositions and characters and skills they wanted their children to have when they graduate high school. They discussed and listened for how their hopes for their children agreed and differed. They began to name some ways in which we would shape these Christian dispositions in and teach this knowledge to our children.
Mindy and I are taking the information gathered from this meeting and beginning to shape it into a coherent "map" for how children travel through Christian Formation at Ascension.
To do this successfully, we need continued input from parents and other parishioners, not simply as a "review" but as researchers and collectors for the good curricula, engaging programs, and creative events that instill the outcomes our parents have named. This will likely include some things we are already doing with children and youth, but we will have a clearer picture of how it fits together and why it is important. Once we have a draft of this map, we will present it to parents and the parish and ask for questions and suggestions to make it better.
If you would like to help with this vision process in any way, please contact Mindy mindy@aechurch.org
or Buff rectorbuff@aechurch.org.
Thank you,
Buff+
|
We have just completed our 1st month of the new, improved Children's chapel and it has been going great. We have begun with many volunteers bringing in snacks at 9:45 and splitting the 2 groups into different age appropriate classes. The Kindergarten thru 2nd have stayed in the Parish Hall and learned a lot about how God shows us his amazing love.
The 3rd thru 5th graders have been going into the library with me and reading the Gospel for the day. We have spent most of our time talking about the healing stories in Mark's Gospel.
Last week we spent some time on their definition of marriage, the special people in their lives and how they solve conflict. We welcome friends & families to come and be a part of this amazing class.
Starting this Sunday we welcome Abigail Squier to Chapel with us. Many of you might know her from the Nursery. She is an 11th grader from the High School who will be teaching children sign language and doing some movement and dance.
This week and the coming week's things will change a bit as the Youth Choir sings and then we go into M.E.A. Here is our schedule:
- 10/14: Youth Choir Sings so both chapel classes will join together and learn about saying grace at mealtimes. We will practice blessing our snacks and have a fun craft as Nancy will remain in church with the choir. The children will have a hand out of many graces for you to practice.
- 10/21: M.E.A. break for all Minnesota school children so again we will have both groups join together. We will discuss prayers, especially The Lord's Prayer thru puzzles and a craft. Nancy will be coming in to Chapel so we will finish with music.
- 10/28: Would like to continue with different forms of prayer, centering prayer, meditative prayers and praying thru coloring Mandalas. Need volunteers for both classes this day.
- 11/4: This is All Saints Sunday so we will talk about this very special service. We will break into 2 groups for our discussion and have music with Nancy.
Thank you to the many people that have volunteered to help this past month. Lori Allaire, Julie O'Reilly, Monica Davis, Darcy Rodriquez, Carole Finneran & Ann Denton. If you are interested in helping with chapel, send me an email and we will get you plugged in. Thanks, Mindy
|
6th Grade Tweeners
The 6th Graders meet the 1st Sunday of every month and are the ushers & greeters for the 10:00 am service. Then they have lunch up at Manwaring from 11:30-1:30pm and group time.
This past Sunday was their 1st meeting and we went to help Valley Outreach do a food drive at Cub. It was cold but they did a terrific job collecting food and donations. Look for their pictures in the Food Shelf Newsletter.
 Gabi & Karolyn
|
|
We are made in God's Image
A Middle School/Jr. High Retreat
6th - 8th Grade
Fri. Nov. 9th - Sun. Nov. 11th 2012
This event is open to all who are able to attend and ends following the 9 am Worship service on Sun. Nov. 11th. @
St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church2175 1st StreetWhite Bear Lake, MN. 55110651-429-5351 X12 Sheila Foster,
Children's & Youth Minister www.stjohnwilderness.orgemail: youth@stjohnwilderness.orgCost: $20 (checks payable to St. John in the Wilderness What to Bring: Sleeping Bag, Pillow, Toiletries, typical overnight gear, snacks to share with all What not to Bring: Please no electronics, phones or valuables Registration is on line @: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FDPY7YW |
|
7th & 8th Grade Youth Group
This is the Wednesday night youth group. They meet every Wed. from 6:30-8:00pm up at Manwaring.
This week they will be going to Valley Outreach to help with sorting and stocking the shelves following the last food drive at Cub
|
|
9th Grade Youth Group
Meet the 2nd Sunday of every month from 11:30-1:30pm up at Manwaring. They have a lunch and then some form of program.
Their next meeting is this coming Sunday, Oct. 14th. We will be walking down to help Valley Outreach with the Stillwater Harvest Fest. We will be asking for donations for the food shelf, helping with the kids programs, costume parade and kid's tractor pull. For those in Honor society, the 2 hours that you will work can be counted for your school hours.
9th graders will be invited to T.E.C. this Nov. 16-18. Mindy will hand out registrations on Sunday.
(Photo will be coming soon!)
|
10th - 12th Graders at Ascension
Meet the 3rd Sunday of every month, 11:30-1:30pm. Next meeting is October 21st. Come in to meet Julie O'Reilly who will be helping this year. T.E.C. (Teens Encounter Christ) weekend is Nov.16-18. Get your applications for leadership in this week.
|
The Caim meditation and contemplative prayer group is planning a 2 day retreat to the Episcopal House of Prayer at St. Johns Abbey, Collegeville, MN, Friday, October 12, through Sunday, (departure time as convenient), October 14, 2012. We would like to invite anyone else interested to join us. Every year we look forward to this quiet time of meditation in the oratory, attendance at services with the abbey monks, hiking the beautiful grounds of St. Johns or pursuing our creative interests. In the evening we gather for wine, good food and spiritual discussion. For cost and further information contact Sally Giese. sally.giese@att.net |
Blessing of the animals!
We had many varieties of very well behaved animals during the Sept. 30th Blessing of the Animals service.  Joey Lottsfeldt and his iguana getting blessed  Myrtle, Katie Keller's dog  Jen Rich and her Kirby  Rick Brown and his dog Sugar  Deb Asch and her dog  Allison Kohtz getting her bees blessed  And even some stuffed animals were blessed!! |
|
Treats to be sent to our friends away at school
The Youth Groups again this year will be sending Halloween treats off to all of our 10 friends away at school. They will be collecting candy to fill small boxes for each person. If you are interested in helping with this, there are many ways to get involved.
Donate a bag of candy to go into the boxes
Donate small gifts to go into the boxes
Sign the cards made by the youth group
Donate money to help with the shipping.
All boxes are sent priority flat rate mail, $5.00 each. Please make checks out to Ascension with 'care package' in memo line. There is a table set up in the Parish Hall to collect donations and to sign cards.
|
|
The fall Yogadevotion session began Tuesday, September 25. Since we reached the minimum of 10 registrations for this session, Yogadevotion will allow anyone interested in attending a half-session (the last four classes, 10/23/10/30, 11/13 and 11/20) for $27.50. Child care is available for $7. Contact Laura Weston if interested, 651-430-9028.
|
 Dear Ascension Members and Friends:
Thank you for your awesome support of the 2012 Jon Francis Foundation Races. Over 1/3 of the 75 volunteers came from the Ascension Community. You helped make it happen! You generously supported a worthy, fun and highly successful community event and your generosity will make a difference in the lives of others. Thank you!
We had 222 runners participate in the inaugural event with high runner satisfaction. They expressed great appreciation and pleasure with the warmth, energy and enthusiasm of the race volunteers. It was a great event. Participants came to Stillwater from 13 states as far as Washington State and Massachusetts. Many of the runners (and winners) came from Ascension.
Thanks to you, we are firmly established on the Minnesota Road Race calendar and schedule. The Francis family and the board of directors of the Jon Francis Foundation are deeply grateful to you for honoring Jon's life, ministry and running accomplishments and helping others through his legacy of service.
Thank you for caring and for sharing your time, talents and abundance.
Sincerely,
David and Linda Francis
|
MN United Conversation Drive- Stillwater
Sign up to participate in a conversation drive with Minnesotans United For All Families!
We are calling to talk to either known supporters or undecided voters. Our calls to supporters are to invite them to a conversation drive in order to build the largest grassroots campaign in Minnesota history. We call undecided voters to have conversations with them about why marriage matters and ask them questions about where they stand on the issue. This is a voter conversation drive unlike any you've ever done before! Each conversation drive includes a training on how to talk to either supporters or undecided voters.
This is the most important work you can be doing at this point!
Every Monday and Tuesday night, from now until the election!
Location:
Office of Ascension Episcopal Church, Manwaring
215 N 4th St N
Stillwater, MN, 55082
Start time: 6:30pm
End time: 9:30pm
Hosted by: Minnesotans United for All Families
|
Ashland Productions
Proudly Presents Joseph! The story of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of family, hope, and acceptance. With a cast as young as 7 and as old as ..., this productions brings together all ages to put on a truly inspiring show.
Yes, Christof Krumenacker is in this production! He plays one of the brothers, Dan. It is a fun and colorful show that I'm sure you would enjoy!
Showtimes:
October 26, 7:30pm
October 27, 7:30pm
October 28, 2:00pm
November 2, 7:30pm
November 3, 7:30pm
November 4, 7:30 pm
November 9, 7:30pm
November 10, 7:30pm-- DINNER THEATER
November 11, 2:00pm
I hear they are going fast!! |
|
|
 Ignatius of Antioch Bishop and Martyr (17 OCT 107) After the Apostles, Ignatius was the second bishop of Antioch in Syria. His predecessor, of whom little is known, was named Euodius. Whether he knew any of the Apostles directly is uncertain. Little is known of his life except for the very end of it. Early in the second century (perhaps around 107 AD, during the reign of the Emperor Trajan), he was arrested by the Imperial authorities, condemned to death, and transported to Rome to die in the arena. When the prison escort reached the west coast of Asia Minor, it halted before taking ship, and delegations from several Asian churches were able to visit Ignatius, to speak with him at length, to assist him with items for his journey, and to bid him an affectionate farewell and commend him to the grace of God. In response he wrote seven letters that have been preserved: five to congregations that had greeted him, en masse or by delegates (Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Philadelphians, and Smyrnaeans), one to the congregation that would greet him at his destination (Romans), and one to Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna and disciple of the Apostle John.
His letters are available in several modern translations. Perhaps the most accessible is the Penguin Paperback, Early Christian Writings, translated by Maxwell Staniforth. The themes with which he is chiefly concerned are (1) the importance of maintaining Christian unity in love and sound doctrine (with warnings against factionalism and against the heresy of Docetism -- the belief that Christ was not fully human and did not have a material body or really suffer and die), (2) the role of the clergy as a focus of Christian unity, (3) Christian martyrdom as a glorious privilege, eagerly to be grasped. He writes: I am God's wheat, ground fine by the lion's teeth to be made purest bread for Christ. No early pleasures, no kingdoms of this world can benefit me in any way. I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth. He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire. The time for my birth is close at hand. Forgive me, my brothers. Do not stand in the way of my birth to real life; do not wish me stillborn. My desire is to belong to God. Do not, then, hand me back to the world. do not try to tempt me with material things. Let me attain pure light. Only on my arrival there can I be fully a human being. Give me the privilege of imitating the passion of my God.
|
Altar Flowers
If you are interested in sponsoring altar flowers for 2012, please contact Barb Smolik at 651-275-3533 or the office at 651-439-2609 for sign-up. Get your names on the dates you wish before they fill up.
|
Ongoing Events
 Our Community KitchenTuesday and Thursday mornings 7 - 10 am @ Ascension's Kitchen and Fellowship Hall.
Come and meet your community and have a delicious breakfast!
|
Ongoing Groups:
Scripture Reflection and Prayer GroupFirst & Third Thursdays from 9 - 10:30 am in the Library
Thich Naht Hanh study/meditation group
Thursday nights at 7 pm in Parish Hall
Zen style Meditation group
Saturday mornings at 7 am in Small Chapel
Healing Touch
2nd Saturday every month in the Sanctuary at 9 am
Youth Choir Wednesday nights at 4:45 pmfor more info contact Nancy Whipkey @ 651-439-2609
Adult Choir
Wednesday nights at 7:15 pmfor more info contact Nancy Whipkey @ 651-439-2609
YogaDevotion & Tai Chi
Yoga began 9/25, Tuesdays at 7 pm
Tai Chi was cancelled for the Fall, to be rescheduled at a later date.
There will be no more Tai Chi Practice at Washington Park, Saturday mornings at 8 a.m.
Contact Laura Weston if interested in Yogadevotion at 651-430-9028
Centering Prayer Groupfor more information on meeting times contact Lois Welshons @jonlos@aol.com |
|
Ascension Episcopal Church
E-Newsletter CommunicationsLynn Raarup To submit an article or question please e-mail me at: enews@aechurch.org 651-439-2609 |
|
|
