Good morning,
We hope you have been enjoying the summer. We are happy to be welcoming you all back to our normal patterns here at Ascension as we embark on this new term together. With a new term, comes lots of news to update you all on:
Staffing Update
We are pleased to welcome Lorna back this month from maternity leave. Lorna and Mac are sharing parental leave which means that Mac is now off to hold the fort at home. Meanwhile, Charlie will be starting in his Ordinand training. He will be training at Trinity College in Bristol, while serving at Ascension. Please pray for all three of them as they adjust to these changes.
Newcomers’ Meal
If you are new to Ascension, we would love to invite you to stay for a meal with us after the 10.45 am service on Sunday 17th September. It is an opportunity to get to know each other and find out more about what goes on at Ascension. There is no cost to attend, but please do sign up via the website to let us know you are coming and any dietary requirements.
Alpha
Our next Alpha course will be starting on Wednesday 11th October. Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Over 8 weeks we will have a chance to share food, make new friends and explore life’s big questions. Please contact Charlie (charlie@ascensionsouthampton.co.uk) for more information.
Edge+ ‘Summer Fun’ Pop Up Event – Feedback from Siara (Ruth)
Remarkably the weather stayed dry for 2 whole days(!), loads of families came and made a lot of beautiful craft things, did some disgustingly messy games and loved the animals at the pop-up farm. We made lots of new friends and hope to see them again at other things. Thank you to all who helped!
Youth Instagram
Luke has set up a new Instagram page focusing on the Youth activities at Ascension: ASCYsouthampton. He will be posting about upcoming sessions and sharing photos of what they have been up to. It would be great for members of the congregation to follow to find out what the youth are up to, even if they do not have a young person attending.
Ride and Stride, Saturday 9th September
Ride and Stride is an event run by Hampshire and the Islands Historic Churches Trust, encouraging people to visit churches in our county and learn about their history and heritage. Participants are sponsored, and the money raised is used for repairs and restoration. John Finney and Helen Pain are organising Ascension being a venue for this year’s event and would like volunteers to help so that the church can be open for toilets and refreshments between 10am and 6pm. Please contact Helen on 023 8055 7972 if you can help. Good luck to John and Tim who will be taking part in the event!
Creation Sunday
At our Creation Sunday service on Sunday 17th September we will joyfully offer thanks to God for his Creation, and remember that he has asked us to look after it as though we ourselves had made it. There will be stations focusing on different aspects of all the planet provides, and how we can best care for it as individuals and as a Church community. These can be used to guide us in prayer during the time of intercession in the 9am service, and as a longer focus for activity and engagement at the 10.45am service.
Lorna’s Ordination and Bring & Share Lunch
On Sunday 8th October we will be celebrating Lorna’s Ordination! Our services will look a bit different that week with just one service at 10am where Lorna will be ordained a priest by Bishop Debbie. We would love the whole church family to be there on this special day. After the service we will share a lunch together. Please do come, bring some food and something to drink. In an attempt to avoid having 40 loaves of bread and nothing to go on it, we a have set up this link for you to sign up to let us know what you will be bringing!
Finally, please do join us this week as we focus our prayers on all our children and youth who are back to school this week – may they feel their Heavenly Father close to them at this time of new beginnings and change.
God Bless,
Ascension Staff Team