Ascension Anglican is a Christian Church Family that gathers in person and online in an expression of the Anglican Way of Worship – a middle way, or “via media,” between Protestant and Catholic Christian expressions. We are a faith community dedicated to following Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We join with him in proclaiming the Kingdom of God in thought, word, and deed. This Kingdom is defined in
the Bible as: Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit. Ascension promotes Righteousness by supporting healthy relationships, providing counsel and support for marriages and families along with encouragement for all our members. We seek to bring the Peace of God into the brazen conflicts and self-centeredness so prevalent in our world today. Peace that extends beyond mental and emotional calm and applies to the whole of circumstances in life, including basic physical needs and economic health and well-being. The biblical word for this type of comprehensive peace is Shalom. We extend an invitation to live in Joy, a type of resilience which is a far deeper state of being than mere fleeting happiness. Joy comes from the certain knowledge that every person is loved by God and the assurance of his presence with us no matter how difficult the external circumstances of life may become. Being led by the Holy Spirit, we are committed to providing resources to accomplish the tasks listed above in the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Resources that include:
-Prayer for all needs and requests
-Spiritual formation through worship, teaching and nurture
-Counsel and encouragement for those in distress
-Community life where all are valued, respected and discover their gifts and purpose
-Food assistance for the poor
-Companionship for the elderly and infirmed
-Support for marriages, families, and children
What We Believe. We are Christians
We are disciples of Jesus Christ, worshipping God as He has revealed himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We maintain a traditional faith in Jesus Christ as the one savior of humanity, who died on the cross and was resurrected for the forgiveness of our sins. We subscribe to the Creeds of the Early Church, which definitively state the core doctrines of Christianity. We are Catholic
The Anglican Church is a branch of the “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church,” united by faith to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church. We are committed to the maintenance and propagation of the faith once delivered to the saints and lived out in every generation in the power of the Holy Spirit. We rejoice in the faith and heritage we share with our fellow Christians around the world. We are Reformed
Like many Churches, our history is shaped by the events which took place in the Church in Western Europe in the 16th century – the Reformation. The abiding legacy is the conviction that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God and that only those doctrines which are contained in Scripture are necessary for salvation. The Church must constantly ensure that no innovations in doctrine or worship obscure this fundamental truth. We stand in the Anglican Tradition
The word “Anglican” defines us as part of the historic catholic, or universal, church constantly cleansed and renewed by the power of the Scriptures. Our structures, ministry and forms of worship are in direct continuity with the historic expression of the Church of England, and with the present continuation found within the expression of the worldwide Anglican Communion. We are a Sacramental Church
We believe in the Divine Institution of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (also called Holy Communion or Eucharist). It is our practice to baptize infants as well as adults. The Eucharist is our central act of worship in which we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” and “after a heavenly and spiritual manner” partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. We believe in the Unity of the Church
We recognize the oneness of all who are in Jesus Christ. Our dedication to Holy Scripture and to the Holy Spirit requires us to ‘maintain communion with all Christian Churches’ and to set forward “quietness, peace and love among all Christian people.”
We believe in the Ministry of All the Baptized
By the grace of the Holy Spirit every member of the Church is entrusted with the duty and privilege of witnessing to Jesus Christ, and with gifts to use in the service of the Church and the world. Ministry in its fullest sense involves the laity as well as the clergy. We are an Episcopate Church
Episcopate comes from the Greek word in the New Testament Episcopos meaning overseer or guardian. From this we derive the English word Bishop. We affirm and continue the ancient three-fold ministry of bishops, presbyters and deacons. While we are committed to maintaining the historic episcopate, we recognize the validity of other forms of ministry. We are a Liturgical Church
A Book of Common Prayer, virtually identical with that of the Anglican Tradition, is the basic standard for our worship. The latest addition was published in 2019, and is available online at: https://bcp2019.anglicanchurch.net/
Outside our main services, flexible and non-liturgical forms of worship may be used, especially during bible studies and healing prayer meetings. We are a “Via Media” Church
Our unique history gives us many points of contact both with the historic episcopal Churches and with Churches that were organized at the Reformation and afterwards with different structures. In recent years there has been a great deal of consensus reached among the Churches as a result of years of theological dialogue. We believe that we are uniquely placed to assist in putting some of these insights into practice to promote unity amongst the various streams of Christianity. We are an Evangelistic Church
The proclamation of the Gospel of Salvation for all people is central to our identity as Anglicans. We seek to embody the Light of Christ that has come into the world to liberate all from the power of darkness and sinfulness. God’s invitation to Hope and Eternal Life are available to anyone who comes to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are privileged to be ambassadors for Christ, declaring the Good News.
