About Us is another way of saying Who We Are, and who we are is greatly determined by where we have been and where we want to go. Our past and our future are heavily impacted by turning points - key events in our lives.
I recall big turning points in our life together at Ascension over the years: leaving Missouri Synod, adding a second pastor, building a new sanctuary, then a new wing, introducing the Celebration Service, among others. I call them ‘turning point’s because each one turned the congregation toward some kind of new future, further defining who we are as God’s people.
We are now at another huge turning point in our journey - transitioning to a new era of pastoral leadership and moving by faith toward a vision of Ascension that God has in mind for us by the year 2020. While Jan and I will be here for some years, we have prayerfully and intentionally entered a planned succession process. Our wonderful partnership with Pastor Chris is to prepare us all in the best possible way for a smooth transition when that time eventually comes.
The other piece of this big turning point is facing down a Goliath debt that blocks our way to tomorrow. This has been ‘good’ debt because it opened a sanctuary to receive many new worshipers and then a spiritual growth wing which houses many expanded life changing ministries. Still, it’s a Goliath blocking our way to God’s future.
So now we launch Vision Ascension: For the Sake of the Future. This spiritual campaign will immerse the congregation in prayer and giving, all to take down the $2 million debt in our way. The interest on our loans limits our support for ministry. The debt also makes it impossible to move forward with our 2020 Vision plans for a bigger sanctuary and more parking.
You might ask ‘Why keep growing?’ There really is only one answer: because Jesus commands us to reach out and make new disciples; he also declares I will grow my church. And so every faithful church must seek to grow the kingdom.
When I preached at the only ELCA African American Church in Louisiana a few weeks ago, they sang a stirring Gospel song just before the sermon. It’s a prayer. One I boldly ask you to pray with me as we come to another major turning point:
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him,
And say that we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord
And help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus.
Pastor Frank