Loving the Body
Embracing the blessing of our relationships and the necessity of every member ministering in the Spirit and humbly receiving ministry in love.
This team exists to engraft new members, to nurture the production of fruit in the life of each member, and to build connection and drive relationships in the direction of discipling relationships.
Loving the Body is the Ministry Area of our church that embraces the blessing of our relationships, and the necessity of every member ministering in the Spirit and humbly receiving ministry in love.
This means that as members, covenant children and regular attenders, we build relationships, comfort and rejoice with one another in due season, and encourage one another to grow in Christian maturity and service to the Lord.
God has called and equipped many lay persons to have leadership roles in various ministries. While Christ is the Head of His Church, and Elders and Deacons exercise biblical oversight, He has given non-ordained men, women and children (in age-appropriate ways) the skills and passions necessary to lead ministries in significant ways. To this end, it’s our hope that non-ordained people will have leadership roles in most of the ministries in this area.
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
I Corinthians 12:7
Four Teams and Ministries:
- Engrafting
- Full Church Connection
- Community Groups
- Family Ministry
- Deacon Bridge
Engrafting
The Engrafting team works to ensure that those people who visit Ascension are warmly welcomed, informed of ministry and connection opportunities, invited to identify their gifts and passions for ministry, and encouraged to proceed down the path towards full membership.
Full Church Connection
The Full Church Connection team works with the Hospitality team to plan and host all-church events that bring the entire body of believers together for events such as potlucks, picnics, etc.
Community group
The Community group ministry seeks to bring smaller groups of believers together at regular intervals to fellowship, deepen relationships, lift each other up in prayer, and study God’s Word. Community groups have a long and rich history at Ascension, with roots going back at least 20 years ago to Green Lake Presbyterian, the church that planted Ascension. There have been 5-6 groups of around 10 people each that meet weekly, biweekly, or monthly at various times. The groups are consciously not segregated demographically, so that people can interact as God has called His people to Him — all ages, genders and walks of life. Most groups include some prayer time and some studying of God’s Word, often in the context of sermon discussion. And all groups include some fellowship time to deepen relationships beyond what’s possible over three minutes at the coffee table after church (although that’s a great ministry too!)
Find a Community GroupFamily Ministry
Family Ministry is made up of Women’s, Men’s, and Youth ministries, as well as combined events for all those groups. There are certain contexts where it’s helpful to have men ministering to men and women ministering to women, and these ministries seek to meet those needs. Youth ministries seek to nurture our young people, and work hand-in-hand with the Christian Education ministry to grow them into mature Christians and full members of the congregation. In all these areas, inclusive fellowship events for each of these ministry demographics can deepen relationships, which should hopefully lead to discipling relationships.
Deacon Bridge
Deacon ministries lead in the coordination and distribution of resources to minister the love of Christ in seeking to meet the material needs of the body and our neighbors.