Outreach Team
The Outreach Team reaches out to our community to invite others to know Christ and to grow in faith by worshiping with our congregation at Ascension Lutheran Church. Outreach welcomes and responds to visitors and to those who inquire about our church, and we help assimilate new members into the life of our congregation, to include organizing new member receptions and identifying and assigning new member sponsors. Outreach leads members in reaching out to and reactivating inactive members. The team also extends Christian compassion and helpfulness to our members who are ill or are facing difficult times and to all persons in need of aid in body or soul. Our Outreach Team strives to keep the congregation informed of people’s needs and encourages members and organizations of the congregation to meet these needs by participating in the many opportunities Ascension offers to serve our members and our community.
Prayer Shawl Ministry - On behalf of the prayer shawl ministry, we would like to thank the dedicated knitters who have faithfully donated their time and talent in adding their special touch to their shawls. Team members work on the shawls at their home, at their leisure. For those of us making these, the rewards are many. The process becomes a way to find quiet time for self-reflection, to engage in a spiritual practice and give a part of ourselves to others. If needed, the cost of your yarn will be reimbursed. Labels and small crosses are provided.
ALL SHAWLS ARE WELCOME, KNITTED OR CROCHETED.
If you would like to participate, or have any questions, please call the church office.
Servant Ministry Team
Covers a variety of local, national, and international activities serving individuals, families, and communities. Year-round ministries include knitting and quilting groups, food drives for the South Brevard Sharing Center, food rescue drivers, prayer chain, Community of Hope, and serving at the Daily Bread. Seasonal recurring ministries include Lutheran World Relief - Hygiene Kits (January-February), the Superbowl of Caring (February), Care and Share with the South Brevard Sharing Center (March), Blood Mobile (May), School Supply Drive (July - August), Good Samaritan Project Christmas Child (September -October), and the Toy Drive (December).
Lutheran World Relief Personal Care Kits and Quilts - Thank you to all the people involved in putting together 108 personal care kits. THANK YOU to Adric, Leah, Siggi, Pastor Rob, Siggi, Steve and Rick for loading the 3270 lbs. and let's not forget to thank Calum and Phil for taking time from their busy schedules to drive the U-Haul to the next drop off site, Clermont. They delivered: 638 Quilts, 36 Baby Care Kits, 17 Fabric Kits, 116 Personal Care Kits, 202 School Kits. We had 8 churches involved: Advent, Ascension, Concordia, Good Shepherd, Joy, St. Andrews, St. Paul, and St. Timothy. God bless all of our volunteers!
Souper Bowl of Caring - The North side (Eagles) with their stout defense and grinding ground game wore down the South side (Chiefs) defenses in the second half to win the 2025 Souper Bowl. 395#’s to 278#’s of perishable food all destined for the Sharing Center’s pantries. Commissioner Little in awarding this year's Championship Banner, commended each sides Captains on a game well played and stated there were no loser’s, only winner’s, particularly those who look to the Sharing Center to provide food for their families!
Daily Bread/Providence Place – The Daily Bread Soup kitchen is closed now and will be replaced by Providence Place. Providence Place is a 119-unit multi-family housing community scheduled to break ground on South Apollo Blvd by the end of 2025 and open in the Summer of 2027. The community will include wrap-around services to help residents overcome challenges and be successful in housing. While the Daily Bread’s Fee Ave campus will eventually close when Providence Place opens, the mission of “ensuring that no one faces hunger of homelessness alone” will live on with a commitment to the three pillars of food distribution, supportive housing, and homeless outreach. Ascension Lutheran has been actively involved since the beginning and has an active food rescue team since 2006.
Bread Ministry News - The money from your purchase of Pepperidge Farms Bread went directly to help alleviate hunger in Brevard County through DAILY BREAD Ministry. Many thanks to Gordy Anderson for his generous attention to this ministry. As they return north Matt Saab
jumped in to keep it going through the summer. We who are fed with the Word of the Lord, pray that none might go hungry.
World Hunger collection box – You will see this box in the fellowship hall at every meal we share. When we share a meal, we should always think about the less fortunate in this world. The collection will be sent monthly to the ELCA World Hunger Fund. Thank you for your compassion for those in need.
South Brevard Sharing Center – Thanks to all of you that bring in food donations every week. A Big Thank You to Merle and Pam Steward and to Carole Mall for taking the donated food over to the Sharing Center weekly. We delivered 162 lbs. of food last month. The Food Pantry will now operate by appointment only every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 am –noon and 1:00pm—4:00 pm. You can schedule an appointment at www.tinyurl.com/SBSC-Pantry or by calling 321-727-8584 during business hours. The Thrift Shop reopened Monday, August 5 at 9 am.
Community of Hope
(COH) needs you! COH provides a wonderful way to serve others by helping end homelessness in our community. Community of Hope is a faith-based,
ecumenical 501(c)3 that provides housing for families.
Ascension Lutheran has been a partner with the Community of Hope since 2015. During those past 10 years their housing inventory increased immensely and has helped many homeless families to get back on their feet. It all started with one home in Downtown
Melbourne and now expanded to 34 housing units and are currently building more in Titusville. They offer:
- A short-term family shelter program
- Permanent supportive housing
- Traditional Transitional Housing (2-year program)
- A program to help families safely reunify after having had dependency court issues
- Offering mentoring and case management
- Held financial assistance classes
- Partnered with other agencies to serve our families and fight family homelessness in Brevard County
The Shepherd's Center provides a variety of classes for adults over the age of 55 from a
variety of life experiences and faiths. We are people coming together
and putting into action the supportive message of the Twenty-third Psalm
to sustain and celebrate life. There are three 8-week terms: Fall,
Winter and Spring. Class schedule is available on the Shepherd's Center Website. In addition to attending classes, members are welcome to volunteer to teach and support this program.
Prayer Chain is a group dedicated to lifting our
members, family, friends, and community in prayer and thanksgiving to
the Lord. If you have any prayer needs or would like to volunteer for
the important ministry, please go to our serving opportunities tab or send an email
to ourchurch@cfl.rr.com.
The
Military in Our Prayers – We ask members and visitors to remember all
who are serving in the military overseas and at home. A list of
individuals is available in our weekly bulletin.
Ascension Quilters - The Ascension Quilters will gladly, at any time, appreciate donations of any items listed that you may be looking for a 'new home" to place them: Quilted bedspreads (good condition, no stains), Fabric (cotton, corduroy or flannel), Thread, Embroidery floss, Crochet thread ONLY cotton yarn.
We also would be THRILLED to have more helping hands - please feel free to join us any Tuesday morning at 9:30 am! For more information, please chat with Pam, Sue, Cecelia, Sally or Beatrice.
New Life Ministry - Since 2009, New Life Mission has equipped homeless mothers with the skills and knowledge to transform their families in a Christ-centered environment. New Life Mission works to permanently break the generational cycle of homelessness by providing homeless women with children safe shelter, onsite childcare, in-house mental health counseling, access to health care, transportation, education, nutrition, job training, life skills education and more.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God.