Third Sunday after the Epiphany

The Church of the Ascension

in the City of New York

12 West 11th Street, New York, NY 10011

212-254-8620 | info@ascensionnyc.org | ascensionnyc.org

View as Webpage

Snow vs. Annual Meeting!

The possibility of a snowstorm looms large this weekend. If the snow passes us by, the annual meeting will proceed as normal after the 11:00 service. However, we will not have it catered this year, so please bring your own lunch.

If the snow does hit us, the Annual meeting will be on Zoom, starting at 1:00 p.m. We will make a decision by 8:00 p.m. Saturday evening and will send out the zoom link - so keep an eye out for this.

Above all, be safe and take care of yourself! Please do not take unnecessary risks.

Dear People of Ascension,

This past Tuesday I was invited to offer a prayer at an interfaith healing service, sponsored by the Beacon on the first anniversary of last year’s presidential inauguration. This is what I said. - Liz

Dear God, it has been a very long year. Who among us could have imagined when we gathered in January of 2025, what wreckage would be wrought in this time? We come to you weary, worn and broken-hearted for ourselves and our neighbors, our country and our world. We pray for immigrants and asylum seekers among us, all threatened with detention, separation and deportation. We pray for those who have lost food, healthcare, jobs, and access to life-saving programs across the globe. We pray for our trans siblings, whose very existence is threatened and denied. We pray for our children and elders, for all who are especially vulnerable in these perilous times and for our precious, endangered earth. We pray for everyone facing hard decisions and those experiencing moral injury.

Holy One, we cry for justice. We pray for wisdom, healing and strength. We commit ourselves anew to honor your divine image in every person, and to let our own lights shine, even when they seem small and flickering, even when we are afraid. Bless these gifts we offer. Ground us in your goodness, grace and love. Nourish us with companionship, care and joy. May our hearts be broken open in courage and fierce compassion for the repair and renewal of your world and the healing of our souls. We pray in your many names.

Amen

Services at Church of the Ascension

Do you like to color? Especially for children and their families- we have copies of “the Sunday Paper” a cartoon version of our gospel each Sunday, along with crayons and clipboards available from the ushers. Please ask for one if your child would enjoy this during the service.

To watch our services via Live Stream

go to Ascensionnyc.org/Webcasts,

Regular Service Schedule

SUNDAY

9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Side Altar)

11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist w/ Music

(Church & Livestream)

6:00 p.m. Meditation & Sacrament (Church)

WEDNESDAY

6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist (Church)

Evening Prayer Every Weekday Evening

via Zoom

Join us each weeknight at 5:30

for Evening Prayer & discussion.

Click this link to join: ascensionnyc.org/eveningprayer.

To call in (voice, no camera), dial 929-205-6099; the meeting ID is 880 1981 1224.

How to Watch Online

Long Term Prayers

Pray for: Pray for Allejandro and Jesus, Barbara, Brielle, Dorothy, Elaine, Ellen, Hannah, Judith, Jurek, Lucas, Stewart, Jen, Bishop Gretchen, Alice & the Kisiya family, Jennifer, Rural and Migrant Ministry, and New York Haiti Project and the St. Luke’s Episcopal School in Martel. We pray for justice and peace in Palestine & Israel, Ukraine & Russia, Sudan, Iran and in our own country.

Please keep these people and intentions from our long-term prayer list in your own prayers. We hope to keep our intercessions in the liturgy both faithful and fresh, as we persist in prayer for those who need it.

Prayers! Did you know you can submit your prayer requests online? Go to ascensionnyc.org/prayers and type in your prayer request. Be sure to add them. Requests submitted by noon on Thursday will be included in the Sunday bulletin. (Any requests after that will be included in the following Sunday bulletin.)

A Prayer for Spiritual Communion

If you are attending any of our services online, we invite you to use this prayer at communion.

In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.

Announcements

Annual Meeting this Sunday - In accordance with the Religious Corporations Law of the State of New York, the Annual Meeting of The Church of the Ascension in the City of New York will be held on Sunday, January 25, 2026, immediately following the 11 a.m. service, for the purpose of electing a Warden for a term of two years, four Vestry members to the Class of 2029, for three year terms, and one Vestry member to the Class of 2027 for the one year remaining in that term, to ratify the Vestry's recommendation to reduce the number of Vestry members from 12 to 9, beginning in 2027, and for the conduct of such other business as should come before the Parish.

Nominees are: for Warden, David Cholcher; for Vestry, Dorothy DeCrescenzo, Ned Fitch, Matthew Snow, and Michael Surabian.

The polls remain open until noon, Friday, January 23. If you have not yet responded to the ballot emailed to you, please do so before the deadline. Eligible voters will receive an email invitation to vote.If you have any questions, please contact the church office: 212-254-8620 or info@ascensionnyc.org.

Click here to read the Annual Report.

If the snow does hit us, the Annual meeting will be on Zoom, starting at 1:00 p.m. We will make a decision by 8:00 p.m. Saturday evening and will send out the zoom link - so keep an eye out for this.

Church of the Ascension Social Justice Survey - As part of our ongoing commitment to live out Christ’s call to love one another, Ascension is exploring how our parish can deepen its witness to justice, compassion, and dignity for all people. This brief survey invites you to share your perspectives, hopes, and experiences as we discern how God is calling us to act in our community and beyond. Your voice matters, and your participation will help shape our shared ministry. Follow the QR code or go to bit.ly/3LY9f4y.

Glad Tidings- Ascension has once again received a year end matching grant of $3000 from anonymous donors!

And the match has been met! Thank you, everyone who contributed!

20’s/30’s Group Dinner Rescheduled- This month the 20’/30’s dinner will be on Thursday, January 29, at 6:30 p.m. rather than the usual 4th Thursday. Please join us!

Beyond Gratitude: Adoption, Race and the Church. On Tuesday, February 3 from 7-8:30 pm in the parish hall, Ascension is hosting a conversation and book talk featuring Angela Tucker, Executive Director of the Adoptee Mentoring Society (herself a transracial adoptee) and the Rev. Canon Alissa Newton, who besides being our Canon to the Ordinary is an adoptive parent. All are welcome!

Eyes in Gaza II- Award-winning Photography Exhibition in St. James Chapel in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, January 22- February 12. These photographs are winners of the Lucie Impact Award, given to a photographer who created the most substantial journalistic contributions in a given year. For the first time, in 2023 the award was presented to group of photojournalists and press photographers working in the Gaza Strip, for their documentation of life in the midst of genocide. Mtr. Liz is honored to have helped bring this exhibition to our Cathedral. For more information (and to register to attend the opening), go to https://bit.ly/4sLBX9Q.

Giving Liberates the Soul of the Giver- Our annual pledge drive has concluded, but it's not too late to pledge!

The materials are in the back of the church; please take them if you are interested. We would love for everyone to pledge! If you are not able to make a regular commitment, we warmly invite you to give as you are able, one time or whenever you are here.

We need your help and are grateful for the support of everyone in our community! Thank you for your generosity, and may it be liberating for your soul!

To pay your pledge, please continue using Abundant (ascensionnyc.org/give)

Immigration Legal Support Fund – Recently our diocese announced a new Immigration Legal Support Fund to support immigrant families in our congregations and neighborhoods throughout the Diocese of New York. The Legal Fund will help those navigating immigration under urgent and vulnerable circumstances to access legal resources. We're starting with a $50,000 contribution from the Bishop’s discretionary funds. Help us to match this amount to keep families together. With your support, we can do more so that no one faces the system alone. Your contribution makes possible same-day response, family preparedness, limited-scope appearances, and urgent filings. You can contribute here. To learn more about the Immigration Legal Support Fund Click here.

Your Pantry Needs You!

Ascension Outreach Inc. needs additional volunteer participation. The program is robust and developing in some great ways- and we need more hands-on help. Won’t you consider helping strengthen our service to our neighbors?

Saturday opportunity: 8 to 9:30 am on the first and third Saturday of each month.

Upcoming Dates: January 24; February 7 & 21

If you have questions or wish to join us, please contact Fr. Ed: fatherchinery@ascensionnyc.org – or – 732-910-7017 (c)

Support Church of the Ascension

Open Church Schedule

Open Church - Mondays through Fridays, Noon to 3pm (except as mentioned above). If you would like to volunteer for this ministry, please contact Gretchen Dumler or contact the church office (info@ascensionnyc.org or 212-254-8620.