Backpack Blessing

Written by Sarah Streitwieser on August 19th, 2019August 19th, 2019.

Gather your family together and sit in a circle on the floor or around a table. Ask your child(ren) to hold their backpack(s) in their lap(s).

Reflect:

Today, we hold our backpacks, which we will carry to and from school, every day this school year.

Our backpacks will hold our work, our ideas, and our best creations. Our backpacks will bring home our homework and will return our homework when it is complete. Our backpacks will protect our proudest projects and transport our favorite library books. Our backpacks will carry our notebooks, pencils, pens, binders, rulers, scissors, and glue sticks — and occasionally our forgotten wrappers, crumpled papers, and broken crayons.

Some days, our backpacks will be so full that we can barely carry them. Other days, they will be light and nearly empty. But on each and every day, our backpacks symbolize our work and our effort.

Now, we bring them before God and ask for His blessing.

Pray:

Gracious God, we ask you to bless our family as we enter into a new school year. We are grateful for another year of opportunities to learn and grow together and also when we are apart.

We ask for You to bless our backpacks. They will hold our best work, and occasionally our neglected or rushed work too. They will carry our successes and our struggles; they will carry our treasures and our mistakes. May our backpacks remind us of your invitation to grow and learn in every situation, as a family and as students.

We ask You to make our family like our backpacks — ready to graciously carry each other’s successes and failures, whenever each occasion may arise.

As we carry our backpacks to and from school each day, may we be reminded of Your love, care, and protection. May the straps remind us of the loving embrace of our family, securely wrapped around us as we go.

We pray all of this in the name of Jesus, our Teacher, this and every year. Amen.

Parish Hall

Written by Sarah Streitwieser on August 12th, 2019August 12th, 2019.

Church of the Ascension
9510 W 127th Street
Overland Park, KS 66213

Where to park and Enter Ascension’s Parish Hall:

Porter Hall

Written by Sarah Streitwieser on August 12th, 2019August 12th, 2019.

St. Michael the Archangel Parish
14251 Nall Ave
Leawood, KS 66224

Where to park and enter for Porter Hall:

Becoming One

Written by Sarah Streitwieser on August 8th, 2019August 12th, 2019.

Becoming One is a ministry created by and for newly (and newly-ish!) married couples. We are passionate about loving our spouses, growing in faith, and connecting as a community. Want to join us?

Date: Wednesday, August 28th
Time: 7:00 PM – ???
Where: Kauffman Stadium
What: Royals game and lively conversation
Details: Contact Sarah Streitwieser: sstreitwieser@kcascension.org

Date: Thursday, September 26th
Time: 7-8:30 PM
Where: Pilgrim’s Coffee Shop
What:
Details:
Contact:

Date: Thursday, October 25th
Time: 7-8:30 PM
Where:
What:
Details:
Contact:

Date: Thursday, November 21st
Time: 7-8:30 PM
Where:
What:
Details:
Contact:

Date: Saturday, December 28th
Time: 7:30 PM – ???
Where:
What:
Details:
Contact:

We are on our way; join us!

We are on our way: We are on a journey, moving toward knowing and loving our spouses, our faith, and our community more fully and more passionately. We are actively creating a group — a family of sorts — that is vibrant, authentic, and open to new people and ideas.

Join us: If you are married or engaged and interested in joining or learning more, then we would love to have you! Click the button below to register, and we will reach out to you with more information.

Becoming One

Mother’s Circle

Written by Sarah Streitwieser on August 6th, 2019August 15th, 2019.

We are mothers of teenagers, growing, supporting, learning, and praying together.

If you are a mother of a teenager, then you are invited to join the conversation!

Join us on the second Tuesday of each month, from 7-8:30 PM in the Youth Room; come for speakers, fellowship, and friendly tales of teen-year survival!

Ask a Youth Leader:

When: Tues, Aug. 13th; 7-8:30 PM
Where: Ascension’s Youth Room
Who: Mothers of Teenagers
What: Join us for wine, fellowship, and snacks. Meet, greet, and get to know Lee McMahon and Anna Eftink with creative questions and a few unexpected answers.

Teen Brain, Explained:

When: Tues, Sept. 10th; 7-8:30 PM
Where: Ascension’s Library
Who: Mothers of Teenagers
What: Join us with Stacie Cordell, an Ascension mom and licensed family Therapist. We will explore the topic of teen brain development.

The Forgotten Virtue of Meekness:

When: Tues, Nov. 12th; 7-8:30 PM
Where: Ascension’s Parish Hall
Who: Mothers of Teenagers
What: Join us with Jennie Punswick, a mother of 6 and teacher with The School of Faith. We will explore meekness — a virtue that our culture has discarded but is necessary for getting our teens to heaven!

Pornography & your Teen:

When: Coming Soon!
Where: Ascension’s Parish Hall
Who: Mothers of Teenagers
What: Join us with Sam & Beth Meier, parents and directors of the Our House initiative, a diocesan program devoted to healing and protection from pornography exposure of youth and families.

Mother & Daughter: from Teen to Adult

When: Tues, Jan 14th; 7-8:30 PM
Where: Ascension’s Youth Room
Who: Mothers of Teenagers
What: Join us with mother-daughter duo, Liz and Mary Whitehead. They will share their experience navigating the teen years and transitioning into young-adulthood. Their story will be shared through an insightful, “double-lens” perspective — with viewpoints from mother and daughter together.

Want to know more about who we are and why we are here? Read our Mission Statement.

Together

Written by Sarah Streitwieser on July 16th, 2019August 19th, 2019.

Church of the Ascension and St. Michael the Archangel Parish have teamed up to co-host Together, a ministry devoted to married couples. Our hope is to provide opportunities for marriages to grow deeper and for our faith communities to grow broader. Through collaborative learning, inter-parish fellowship, and shared faith experiences, you will grow Together with your spouse and be encouraged in your vocation.

Spend your Saturday night Together. Join us for dynamic speaker presentations, fellowship, prayer, drinks, and appetizers. Then, continue the conversation with your spouse, out on a date or back in your home — at at time and place that works for both of you! We will provide simple reflection questions to take with you, as entry points for deeper discussion and personal application.

The topics for each evening will be “served a la carte,” meaning, you do not need to prepare with reading or homework ahead of time, nor do you need attended every available evening (although you are certainly encouraged to do so)! All married couples are invited to come — so bring a friend from your neighborhood or from a neighboring parish. You can expect a comfortable, inviting, and pressure-free atmosphere.

Limited childcare is available for children walking through age 1-10. We recommend you register early if you need childcare; our facilities are limited and are expected to fill quickly!

The cost to register for an evening Together is $15/couple (not per person!), and can easily be completed via the links below. Childcare is $3/child. Scholarships are always available upon request!

A Cord of Three Strands:

When:
Saturday, September 21
6:30 – 8:15 p.m.

Where:
St. Michael the Archangel
Fr. Porter Hall

Who:
Shawna & Brad Davidson

What:
Our marriages we are meant to reflect and proclaim God to the world. How can we grow in love and unity with our spouse and with God? What practical steps can we take to “bind” ourselves together in the context of a society that tends to fracture, separate, and distract us from our families? What strength might we find in greater unity? “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”
–Eccl. 4:12

Love Story:

~~Register Here~~

**More information and registration coming soon!**

When:
Saturday, October 12th
6:30 – 8:15 p.m.

Where:
Church of the Ascension
Parish Hall

Who:
Chad and Carrie Pirotte

What:
Is your marriage the Love Story you always imagined? Have you experienced plot twists that neither you or your spouse would have chosen? Join Chad and Carrie Pitotte as they share their personal story of love, loss, faith, and conversion.

Family Mission Statement:

~~Register Here~~

**More information and registration coming soon!**

When:
Saturday, November 16
6:30 – 8:15 p.m.

Where:
St. Michael the Archangel
Fr. Porter Hall

Who:
Jennie Punswick

What:
“Who are we and what are we doing?” Sometimes the most basic questions are difficult to answer; sometimes the once-obvious answers change with growth and time. Join us for a conversation — or rather, a start-of-a-conversation — between you and your spouse. receive tools and ideas for creating your own working Family Mission Statement. Discover or rediscover your unique identity and purpose, with your spouse — together.