Junior Stewards Initiative
Beloved fellow Ascension Parishioners,
It was great to see everyone in Church last Sunday! After hearing the Gospel according to Matthew and the Parable of the Talents, It is my duty to reach out to everyone to use their talents to glorify God and this holy house of worship. Cherish the day the Lord tells you “Well Done! Come and share your master’s happiness!” It is truly amazing what is happening at Ascension. There are so many new opportunities starting to develop and as we begin to “open up,” we look forward to the return of all of the parish ministries coupled with new and exciting ways to share your time, talents and treasures.
In January we introduced the Stewardship Prayer and the Ascension Prayer Team. Now we are blessed to begin a series of stewardship opportunities for our youth. The first will lay the ground work and emphasize the importance of financial giving to the Church. This Fall, a Youth Council dedicated to the mission of Christ will take on leadership roles that mirror the Parish Council, including a formal swearing in service at Church, regular Youth Council meetings, and participating in the decision making processes at the Cathedral.
After all, they are the future Stewards! Consider having your children, Godchildren, grandchildren, nieces and nephews become “Junior Stewards” by making a pledge to the church in the suggested amount of $1 per day and recite the Stewardship Prayer. Then join the prayer team with them as your “special time together,” just as you would watch them play at baseball or soccer games. With God’s blessing, your stewardship will help support the following youth programs in some capacity in 2021: Serving in the altar; Sunday School; summer camp; GOYA; HOPE; JOY; basketball and athletics; prayer team; Greek dance; junior choir; Greek school; and meal ministry.
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, accept our offerings as You have accepted the gifts of Your people throughout the ages. We offer these gifts to Your glory, for the support of the ministries of Your holy Church, for the alleviation of suffering and hunger, and for the proclamation of Your Gospel to the whole world.
Grant us Your blessing, Lord our Savior, that we may always be faithful stewards, continuing to share the gifts You have given us, by the power of Your grace, mercy and love. May Your name be glorified forever. Amen.
Additionally, in February we will begin in-person and video testimonials of parishioners describing “What Stewardship means to me.” All of our time, talent and treasures will be honored throughout the year with opportunities to glorify God with beautification projects at Ascension, a focus on family wellness, and leaving a legacy for the next generation of Orthodox Christians at Ascension.
In the spirit of genuine love,
JD Woods
Stewardship Chair, Parish Council 2021
January 2021 Prayer Initiative
Beloved fellow Ascension Parishioners,
This year we will push out new initiatives each month in an attempt to get the faithful at Ascension excited about sharing their time, talents and treasures. First, let me begin by saying, “Thank you: for your 2021 pledge cards and generous donations!” Since we believe in the “POWER OF PRAYER,” the January stewardship projects include prayer! Below is “the Stewardship Prayer” that we will begin to incorporate in various aspects of our church community…
Beloved fellow Ascension Parishioners,
This year we will push out new initiatives each month in an attempt to get the faithful at Ascension excited about sharing their time, talents and treasures. First, let me begin by saying, “Thank you: for your 2021 pledge cards and generous donations!” Since we believe in the “POWER OF PRAYER,” the January stewardship projects include prayer! Below is “the Stewardship Prayer” that we will begin to incorporate in various aspects of our church community:
Stewardship Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, except our offerings as You have accepted the gifts of Your people throughout the ages. We offer these gifts to Your glory, for the support of the ministries of Your holy Church, for the alleviation of suffering and hunger, and for the proclamation of Your Gospel to the whole world.
Grant us Your blessing, Lord our Savior, that we may always be faithful stewards, continuing to share the gifts You have given us, by the power of Your grace, mercy and love. May Your name be glorified forever. Amen.
Additionally, you can share your time, talents and treasures by joining the newly created Ascension Cathedral Prayer Team, who will pray for you and your loved ones daily by name! Parish Council and dedicated StewardshipCommittee member Michael Evans will be our first ever prayer coordinator and create a team that will, by the beautiful instruction of the Apostle Paul, “pray ceaselessly.”
If you are interested in taking turns praying in your home for the strengthening and progress of all the parish ministries, leaders, volunteers, parishioners of the Ascension Cathedral, their friends and extended families, our priests and hierarchs everywhere, please submit your name to ascensionsprayers4700@gmail.com. Once our team is formulated, the group will keep constant prayer throughout the month, and share their experiences with the community. We will let you know when you can begin submitting names for the prayer list soon.
In the spirit of genuine love,
JD Woods
Stewardship Chair
A Message From our New VP of Stewardship
The time has come to leave our church in better shape than we found it, for our children, grandchildren and Godchildren. Consider increasing your financial contribution during this time of uncertainty. As restrictions ease, this Parish Council will lead the way and be a role model within the Archdiocese and provide a blue print on how to safely return to church programming and the various ministries. Thank you in advance!
May the sanctified waters be for us a healing of soul and body! Na mas fotisi O Theos!
John (JD) Woods
Kali Hronia!
I have accepted the position of Vice President of Stewardship on this year’s Parish Council. I was baptized and raised at Ascension and had the privilege of participating in the following ministries over the past five plus decades: Altar; GOYA; basketball; dance; Greek School; junior choir; Sunday School; summer camp and Parish Council, including the office of President in 2007 and 2008. I hope we all can begin 2021 the right way with thanksgiving and worship! We will be rolling out new Stewardship initiatives this year to continue the momentum you have started. Thank you for your generous contributions over the years and for your 2021 pledge cards. Keep them coming.
The time has come to leave our church in better shape than we found it, for our children, grandchildren and Godchildren. Consider increasing your financial contribution during this time of uncertainty. As restrictions ease, this Parish Council will lead the way and be a role model within the Archdiocese and provide a blue print on how to safely return to church programming and the various ministries. Thank you in advance!
May the sanctified waters be for us a healing of soul and body! Na mas fotisi O Theos!
John (JD) Woods