Beginnings

Our story begins in August of 1988, when Pastor Steve Lunning arrived in Fond du Lac and began knocking on doors on the southeast side of town, inviting people to become a part of a new ministry called Ascension Lutheran Church.  In February of 1989, the first worship service was held at Theisen Junior High.  And on May 6, 1990, the congregation was formally organized as a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  In February 1993, Pastor Lunning accepted a call to serve another congregation.  In November of that same year, Pastor Jeff Blain was called to serve with the people of Ascension.

Buildings

Our first building was constructed in 1999 as Ascension members worked alongside Mission Builders to bring this dream into reality. (Mission Builders are retired folk from all over the U.S. who live in their trailers on site during the summer and help with basic construction.) We were able to move into our 10,000 sq. ft. facility a few weeks before Christmas! As you can imagine, there were LOTS of smiles! It was only a few years later, that we realized God had still bigger plans for us. During 2005, we conducted a major capital appeal to raise the raised the needed funds to add on an additional 16,000 sq. ft. of Worship and Education space. Once again using the Mission Builders and member volunteers, work was started in April 2006 and we were able to worship in the new Sanctuary for Easter 2007. We continue to be blessed to worship and learn in this “new” space, even as we joyfully still utilize the “old” space for offices, fellowship, and classrooms

A Big Change

Throughout its 30+ years of history, Ascension has sought to live up to these words from our Constitution: “This congregation believes, teaches, and confesses the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life…” (Chapter 2.03.) Unfortunately, over that same time period, it seemed to several of us at Ascension that the ELCA had continued to drift further and further away from this same commitment to the authority of God’s Word. In 2021, this sad reality led us to engage in a difficult but important time of discussion, discernment, and decision, in which the congregation ultimately voted at two successive special meetings to leave the ELCA and to “dual affiliate” with both Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) and also the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). While we are in our very early days of this new partnership, we look forward to where God will lead us in the next 30+ years.

God’s space, not ours

In our early years, we depended upon the hospitality of others to open their homes, buildings, or churches for our use. That’s probably a big part of what fuels our desire to open up our building space to others who share our vision and values. (After all, it’s not really “our” building, it belongs to God!) Over the years, a whole range of groups have met here, including: Recovery Groups, FdL Piano Teachers, Habitat for Humanity, FdL Historical Society, Teens Encounter Christ, (TEC), Cub Scouts, 4-H Clubs, and even a developing congregation, etc. We have also hosted several piano recitals, baby showers, wedding showers, and birthday parties!

Things to know

The heart of worship

Around Ascension, we like to say “Worship is not a spectator sport.”  Instead, Worship invites all present to join in the thanks and praise of our awesome God who created the universe and who has rescued us from sin and death through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  In Worship, we have the privilege of gathering with others to hear the story of God’s love, to receive God’s mercy and grace, and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to take the Good News of Jesus to a hurting and broken world.  We want everyone involved!

Growing in faith

Christian Education is an important facet of our ministry, with Sunday classes for children as young as 3 years old all the way up to adults.  In addition to what is offered on Sunday mornings, we also have various Bible Studies and Prayer Groups that meet at other times, as well as other opportunities for women, men, couples and mixed groups.  Our long-term goal is to involve every person in ongoing Spiritual Education and Formation.