The Messenger. From the Pastor. Ascension Lutheran Church, th St., Ocala, FL Ph: OCTOBER 2018.

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1 The Messenger Ascension Lutheran Church, th St., Ocala, FL Ph: OCTOBER 2018 In this issue 1 Pastor s Corner 2 Pastor Chuck Erzkus 3 Council President - 4 Ascension Care Committee/Facebook 5 Credit Card Info. 6 Christian Ed/Articles Deadlines 7 Yard Sale/Daily Grace 8 God s Work/Our Hands 9 Faith in Action 10 Faith in Action 11 Fall Kickoff 12 Celebrations/ Scriptures 13 Assistants 14 Calendar Dear Friends, I From the Pastor t is now official. Ascension Lutheran Church in Ocala has a new pastor, a permanent pastor for the first time in several years. Over the years, you have welcomed a few temporary shepherds. As the most recent shepherd, I want to say thank you. You made me feel welcome from the first moment. Hugs and encouraging words have made me want to do my best for you and Jesus every day. I am sure you will be just as welcoming and encouraging with Pastor Chuck and Cindy. Be patient with him as he gets used to how things are done at Ascension, and when he wants to make a few changes. (All pastors make a few changes!) Thank you for your concern for the community: your generosity toward those in need, and your passion for the school children are commendable. Thank you for the abundance of your occasional meals. I asked for a few brownies and there appeared a table-full of goodies. I will miss you. At the same time, I am looking forward to spending some time with the folks at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Marion Oaks, where I am a member. God bless you all. Peace and All Good! Pastor Lynn

2 PAGE 2 ACE NSI ON LU TH E R AN CHU R CH LOOKING FORWARD For those of you reading this whom I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Charles (Chuck) Erzkus and I m honored that I will be your new pastor. (Due to my last name being difficult to pronounce, during the past 40 years of my being a pastor, most have chosen to call me Pastor Chuck.) I will begin ministry with you on Sunday, October 7 and it is my hope and prayer that together we will become a team, serving God and the world as we tell to all, as the old hymn says, the old, old story of Jesus and his love (Hymn: I Love to Tell the Story ). The story is old, but God is ever new. In the love of Jesus, we are made new. And we boldly proclaim to the world that a new day has dawned for all, because God has shared with us God s only Son. Love, forgiveness, grace, are for real and God is at work bringing new life to a broken world! In the next few months we will be moving forward into wonderful seasons and days of the Church year. Reformation is the end of October followed by All Saints Sunday on November 4. Our National Day of Thanksgiving arrives on November 22, with the last Sunday in the Church year, Christ the King Sunday celebrated on November 25. The wonderful season of Advent begins on the first Sunday in December and in a season of hope, we journey together towards Christmas. I m excited and look forward to our worship, our ministry, our reaching out to the community and world together. So, we begin together, by God s good grace, on October 7. My hope and prayer is that we will be a blessing to others as we serve Jesus together. In Christ Jesus, Pastor Chuck I look forward to being your pastor. Our beginning is going to be a little different in that I ll be with you for a couple of weeks and then gone a couple weeks as Cindy and I look forward to welcoming our second grandchild into the world. Our son Ben and daughter-in-law Courtney (both ELCA pastors in PA) are getting ready for the birth of their first baby, Alice. As I was considered by your Search committee and later the Church Council, they knew we could not miss this wonderful event in our lives, and Cindy and I felt so good about their joy and anticipation and that being gone for a couple weeks would not be any problem.

3 PAGE 3 ACE NSI ON LU TH E R AN CHU R CH It has been a very busy time here at Ascension, but with God guiding us we will make it through. I wish to thank our Call Committee of Lynn Andrews, Greg Phillips, Ralph Whitney, Kathy Keif, Marcia Muncaster, Eddie McCallum, and Lee Funk for all of their work well done on calling of Pastor Chuck. I also wish to thank Pastor Lynn Fanfara for her services and wish her God's blessings. We have had several interim Pastors in the past years; they were Pastor Lee Ecola, Pastor Howard Nielsen, Pastor Ellen Cross, and Pastor Lynn Fonfara. We are very grateful to all of them and we want to sincerely thank them for their services in guiding us through all of these stages. A big thank you to all who have donated food to our breakfasts and luncheons. We have one more dinner, which will be a potluck on Sunday October 7 to welcome Pastor Chuck and Cindy, so get out your favorite recipes and bring a dish or two. The sign up sheet is on the bulletin board. to physically work, please donate some food, such as sloppy joes, hot dogs, soup, potato or macaroni salad, buns, brownies, etc. Please advise me of your donations. The ladies Bible study has begun again and we are using lessons from the ELCA, WELCA and/or the Gather magazine. We studied the Paradox of Prayer. This text was from the book of 1st Samuel chapter 12. Ladies, come join us; we usually meet at noon on the 4th Wednesday of the month. Now that we have a permanent pastor we need to have his name added to our sign out front. Who would like to do this for us??? On December 15, Judi Styger s choral group will be presenting a Christmas concert, so please mark your calendars. Remember that half of the proceeds from the concert will be donated to our church. Look for more details to come. Remember, the spirit leads us and it is for us, God's people to follow. In Christ, Jane Kurtz, President Our Bunco game nights have been lots of fun and I wish more of you would come out and join us. Admission is $5.00 and prizes are awarded. The yard sale is fast approaching; we will need everyone's help if you are able. We will have some sit-down jobs to do also. We like to feed our workers, so if you're unable

4 AS CE N SI ON LU TH E R AN CHURCH ASCENSION CARE COMMITTEE PAGE 4 Seasonal flu vaccines protect against the three influenza viruses that research indicates will be the most common during the upcoming season. About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against the influenza viruses in the vaccine develop in the body. The CDC ( Center for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that people get their seasonal flu vaccine as soon as vaccines become available in their community. Flu season can begin as early as October and last as late as May. Vaccine Side Effects (What to Expect) The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you can not get the flu from the flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are: Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given Fever (low grade) Aches This timely article was re-printed from a previous October newsletter issue, due to Kathy Keif s recent illness. WHO Should Get Vaccinated Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine. It is especially important that the following groups get vaccinated: Pregnant woman Young Children, especially children younger than 2 years old People 50 years of age and older People with chronic medical conditions People who live in nursing homes or longterm care facilities People who live with or care for those at high risks for complications from flu including health care workers, household contacts of per-sons at high risk for complications from the flu and household contacts and out of home care givers of children less than 6 months of age. Check out our new Facebook page which was recently set up for us. We can be found at Ascension Lutheran Church ELCA. Stop by and like us, and also enjoy the pictures that have been added to our page. We think you ll like what you see.

5 AS CE N SI ON LU TH E R AN CHURCH PAGE 5 HERE'S AN ALTERNATIVE TO LETTING A COMPANY KEEP YOUR CREDIT, DEBIT CARD INFORMATION ON FILE: By Teresa Dixon Murray, The Plain Dealer Money Matters QUESTION: I read your column about Sears requesting a credit card up front before coming out for an appliance repair. I occasionally get asked to give a credit or debit card for some company like my dentist to keep on file. I don't like this at all, but what can we do except choose another place to do business with? R.C., Rocky River ANSWER: I've turned to a new solution in recent years. It works for me, at least. I'm not a fan of debit cards, as you know, but I was issued a prepaid debit card that my unemployment benefits are loaded onto. I withdraw all of the money on the card (with no fee through an ATM) except for $2. I purposely leave $2 on the card. The card is not connected to any bank account or credit card I have. That's critical. No purchase will be approved that exceeds $2. Prepaid debit cards are wonderful for cases like dentists who want a card on file, or companies that offer a free trial offer and promise not to charge your card if you cancel before the deadline. In my case, I use it in instances such as when I recently cut the cord and dropped our cable service, and went with Hulu Live with a Roku streaming device (because we don't have a smart TV). Obviously we have to pay Hulu. We made those arrangements directly through Hulu. But to activate the Roku device we bought through Amazon, Roku required a credit or debit card number, which I guess it uses if you ever buy pay-per-view or add another channel that costs money and want to bill it through Roku. We have no intention of doing any of that. So I pulled out my handy-dandy prepaid debit card with $2 on it and gave that information to Roku. Score. Of course, Roku pinged the card for $1 to make sure it was valid, and that's fine. (The $1 fell off.) If Roku did ever try to charge me, the most it could get would be $2.For those who don't already have a prepaid debit card, I know of a couple I can recommend. Most prepaid debit cards carry monthly fees or require direct deposit or minimum balances. Neither of these options carry monthly fees or fees to load or use under m o s t c i r c u m s t a n c e s. A m e r i c a n E x p r e s s B l u e - bird. You can get an account online or buy a prepaid card at most local Walmart stores. It's free if you sign up for the card online; stores like Walmart can charge a one-time fee of up to $5.00. There are no further fees after that.

6 AS CE N SI ON LU TH E R AN CHURCH PAGE 6 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CHRISTIAN EATION A few members have suggested a monthly men s Bible study/gathering. If you are interested, please leave your name and contact information in my church box. And, if you are willing to facilitate this program, let me know that too! Another request for assistants/backups for Children s Church is being extended to the congregation. I know many of us are involved in multiple committees, but for this ministry to continue and hopefully grow, help is needed. There are a few upcoming dates that I can t be at the Sunday service so the need for a backup is crucial for the continuity of the program. Lessons are pre-planned/printed and ready to go. REMINDER We continue playing the popular board game, Bunco in the Parish Hall. The next game night will be on October 23, at 6:00 p.m. Admission is $5.00 and prizes will be awarded. Please call with any questions. Come out and join us for an evening of fun! Also, if anyone has gently used Lego/Mega Blocks or Play Doh tools, Children s Church can use them during the Sunday sessions for hands on activities. Louise McCallon Christian Education Committee PLEASE NOTE THE DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES FOR THE MESSENGER IS THE 15TH OF THE MONTH. PLEASE YOUR ARTICLES TO: OFFICE@ALC.CFCOXMAIL.COM MARK NEWSLETTER IN THE SUBJECT LINE. ARLENE RENZI OFFICE MANAGER

7 AS CE N SI ON LU TH E R AN CHURCH PAGE 7 WELCA ANNUAL YARD SALE WHEN: FRIDAY AND SATURDAY OCTOBER 19 AND 20, 2018 TIME: 8:30 AM TO 2:00 PM WHERE: ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH PHONE: SET UP WEDNESDAY 10/17 & THURSDAY, 10/18, :00 AM TO 3:00 PM EACH DAY Be doers of the word and not hearers only. It s okay to be a hearer of the word in fact, it s necessary. And yet, we are more than ears. We are hands and feet and mouth; we are heart and soul and mind. God calls us to walk in love, to pray constantly, to speak the truth in love, to offer a healing touch to love the Lord our God with all our being and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. In the early 1980s, I was part of a church -sponsored study tour to Mexico. We saw the pervasiveness of poverty and hunger. Yet, we were amazed by the hope and tenacity of the people we engaged. At the end of our journey, someone in our group asked one of the Mexican leaders, The needs are so great. What can we do? She responded, We value your support. Go home and work with your own poor people. What wise advice. From Gather Magazine September, 2018 issue

8 AS CE N SI ON LU TH E R AN CHURCH GOD S WORK. OUR HANDS PAGE 8 For God s Work Our Hands Sunday, our congregation decided to continue to write letters to our servicemen and women for the holiday season. This is an especially rewarding project, since we receive many thank you letters from them; often they will also include pictures. Carol DeHart, Gail Velten, Karen Ahner and Jane Kurtz take a break from writing. Carol Ellicksen and congregation members busy writing. Carol DeHart and Gail Velten The Blosser family, Dave, Melanie and Kathy

9 PAGE 9 Our Faith in Action committee recently sponsored the Eagles Nest program at Ocali Charter School, which is based on. positive reinforcement of the students for work done. Pictured are two notes of appreciation we received from the school. Cindy Richardson and her committee members are very pleased with this project. It is rewarding to inform the congregation how their donations are being used, and this is very fine example.

10 PAGE 10 Hello from your Faith In Action team...just a little update as to what we are doing at the moment. As you know, we took on the Ocali Marion Charter Middle School as our main project this year. Recently, we made up 85 goodie bags which consisted of candy and chips and a mechanical pencil for students who showed improvement on the State Assessment test. We thought it would be nice to show positivity with a little pat on the back. The school was also in need of tennis balls to put on the bottoms of the chairs to save the newly refinished floors. It was suggested that I contact Peggy Aiello who plays tennis weekly and low and behold, we hit the jackpot. Peggy talked with her tennis club and they gave us a box of tennis balls that probably had more than 250 balls in it. So, a we send a big Thank You to Peggy Aiello for her kindness in getting us these balls. Needless to say, the school was overwhelmed with gratitude. Gail Velten is heading up the Bunco games each month and everyone is having a great time. Bring a friend to come along with you and--y all come on out! You are sure to have a wonderful time. Last but not least, I want to give a Big Heart-Felt Shout Out to the best team ever our Faith In Action Team : Gail Velten, Karen Ahner, Eddie and Louise McCallon, and myself. They make it all happen. Thank you all so much and God s Blessings. Cindy Richardson Chairperson GOODIE BAGS THAT WERE DELIVERED TO OCALI CHARTER SCHOOL

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12 Page 12 Celebrations for October Daily Scripture Readings for October 1 Psalm 28; Psalm 42; Judges 16:23-31; Exodus 19:9b-25; Matthew:2-8 2 Psalm 80:7-15; Jeremiah 2:14-22; Colossians 2: Psalm 80:7-15; Jeremiah 2:23-37; Philippians 2:14-18; 3:1-4a 4 Psalm 80:7-15; Jeremiah 6:1-10; Exodus 23:10-13; John 7: /2 Eleanor Newton 10/7 Taylor Kurtz 10/9 Tess Winkler 10/12 Mathew Vanderbush 10/13 Ralph Whitney 10/15 Kathy Keif 10/25 Barbara McGrath 10/26 Cindy Richardson 5 Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:7-15; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21: Psalm 144; Ezekiel 19:10-14; 1 Peter 2: Psalm 144; Isaiah 27:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5: Psalm 144; Song of Solomon 8:5-14; John 11: Psalm 23; Isaiah 22:1-8a; 1 Peter 5:1-5, Psalm 23; Isaiah 22:8b-14; James 4: Psalm 23; Isaiah 24:17-23; Mark 2: Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22: Psalm 34; Exodus 19:7-20; Jude Psalm 34; Psalm 97; Amos 9:5-15; Exodus 33:1-6; Philippians 3:13 4:1 15 Psalm 34; Song of Solomon 7:10 8:4; Kings 17:7-20; John 6: Psalm 96:1-9 [10-13]; Judges 17:1-6; 3 John Psalm 96:1-9 [10-13]; Deuteronomy 17:14-20; 1 Peter 5: Psalm 96:1-9 [10-13]; Isaiah 14:3-11; Matthew 14: Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 96:1-9 [10-13]; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22: Psalm 98; Daniel 3:1-18; Revelation 18:1-10, Psalm 98; Psalm 63:1-8; Daniel 3:19-30; Numbers 12:1-9; Revelation 18:21-24 Psalm 98; Psalm 63:1-8; Daniel 6:1-28; Numbers 13:1-2, 17 14:9; Matthew 17:22-27 Anniversaries 23 Psalm 1; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; Numbers 5:5-10; Titus 1: Psalm 1; Deuteronomy 9:25 10:5; Titus 2:7-8, Psalm 1; Proverbs 24:23-34; John 5: /22 Gene and May Duffey 10/30 Bob and Reba Landschoot 26 Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22: Psalm 119:41-48; Psalm 119:41-48; Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 20-25; Numbers 28 Psalm 119:41-48; Deuteronomy 10:10-22; Exodus 34:29-35; James 2: Psalm 119:41-48; 48; Proverbs 16:1-20; Deuteronomy 26:16 27:7; Matthew 19: Psalm 43; 1 Samuel 2:27-36; Joshua 1:1-11; Romans 2: Psalm 43; Ezekiel 13:1-16; Joshua 2:1-14; 2 Peter 2:1-3

13 THE MESSENGER ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH Page 13 DATE GREETERS LECTOR USHERS COMMMUNION October 7, 2018 Gene & May Duffey Jack Richardson Greg Phillips Ralph Whitney Kathy Keif Karen Ahner Gail Velten October 14, 2018 Gail Velten Evelyn Dedinas Lee Funk Greg Phillips Dave Blosser Jank Kurtz Melanie Blosser Jane Kurtz October 21, 2018 Eddie & Louise McCallon Barb McGrath Greg Phillips Bobbie Clarke Ralph Whitney Eleanor Newton Gail Velten October 28, 2018 Harry & Kathy Keif Bonny Pacetti Greg Phillips Eddie McCallon Dave Blosser Melanie Blosser Karen Ahner DATE WORSHIP ASSISTANTS ALTAR GUILD ILD SOUND TECH ENGINEERS October 7, 2018 Eileen Fleming Jane Kurtz Les Muncaster October 14, 2018 Eileen Fleming Jane Kurtz Les Muncaster October 21, 2018 Eileen Fleming Jane Kurtz Anne Hauser October 28, 2018 Eileen Fleming Jane Kurtz Anne Hauser Head Usher: Archie Fiessler, phone: If you have any questions, or cannot serve as indicated above, please call Nancy Hein; phone: Thank you for your service!

14 T HE MESSENGER ASCENSION LUTHERAN CHURCH Page 15 Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat :00 am Quilting Twentieth Sunday of Pentecost 10:00am Worship with Holy Communion Pastor Chuck first service Potluck following 8 9:30 am Council 5:30pm AA :00 am Quilting :00 am Interment Vic Shorette 14 Twenty First Sunday of Pentecost 10:00am Worship with Holy Communion Noisy Offering 15 5:30 pm AA SET UP FOR YARD SALE YARD SALE 21 Twenty Second Sunday of Pentecost 10:00am Worship with Holy Communion 22 5:30pm AA 23 6:00 pm Bunco 24 9:00 am Quilting :00am Worship with Holy Communion 29 5:30pm AA 30 6:00 pm WELCA General Meeting and Potluck supper 31 9:00 am Quilting Noon Ladies Bible Study