March 2023

Beloved Parishioners of the Ascension Cathedral,

We greet you with much love and joy in our Lord’s name! As you can see from the charts below, we are just under $5,000 of our budget and target for the year. Please ensure that your recurring payments are up-to-date with your bank and make giving to your church a priority. We do not pass trays at Ascension because we want everyone to focus on stewardship. You now have the opportunity to make a gift for Pascha as we are called to March forth to infiltrate the world with God’s love through this spiritually uplifting ministry at the place where we come together to worship and share Christ’s message. We are indeed blessed. When we continue to give our best to our Lord he sends his mercies and blessings. Let’s continue to march together to our Lord’s resurrection.

Tomorrow I will be attending a workshop on a study at Villanova University on Catholic parish giving since Covid-19. Here at Ascension we have seen our stewardship giving increase and hope to continue this trend. There will be a series of stewardship talks from parishioners who will personalize what stewardship means to them throughout the remainder of 2023. We pray that the rest of your days during Holy and Great Lent are a spiritual oasis for you, and wish you a blessed and brilliant Resurrection!

In Christ,

John Woods and George Landis

2023 Parish Council Stewardship Team

July 2022

Beloved Parishioners of the Ascension Cathedral,

I want to take a moment to thank those who lead Sunday School, young professionals, the choir, athletics, office volunteers, youth council, altar boys, dance, bible study groups, young adults, senior groups, festival volunteers, chanters, prayer team, and summer camp staff. Your Stewardship is a generous contribution to the diverse make up of our spiritual home and we appreciate your dedication. Our parish, church life, and families are truly blessed!

We are lagging behind our ambitious Stewardship target in this year’s operating budget. Please take a moment and make your donation. Traditionally giving slows down during the summer months, but I am asking that you plan ahead and round up before the activities get rolling in August. The Parish Council presented and the general assembly approved an increase in Stewardship for 2022 so let’s all deliver!  Happy name day to those who celebrate the Prophet Elias and all the Saints!

In the spirit of genuine love,

Your Stewardship Team

April 2022

Beloved Parishioners of the Ascension Cathedral,

Christ is risen! Truly He is risen!

I pray this message finds you and your family as well as we bask in the Resurrection of our Lord! The stewardship committee would like to personally thank the Ascension Liturgical Choir, the organist, the chanters, the altar boys, everyone who decorated the kouvouklion, the youth and their parents for participating in the Good Friday retreat, and those who came together at the parish picnic. Thank you for your Stewardship! Your contribution coupled with our dedicated clergy helped us celebrate each of the services and events held at Ascension. This is precisely what real Stewardship looks like when we spread the Holy Gospel together. We also want to take the time to thank the many volunteers in advance, who will donate their time, talents, and treasures at our festival in May. It’s time to make post pandemic memories together at Ascension.

I encourage you to take a look at your financial contribution to the church and ensure that your recurring payments are being deducted by your bank. It is not too late to complete a pledge card and make a donation for this year.

May the risen Lord who shattered Hades and who freed us all have mercy on us and save us!

In the spirit of love,

Your 2022 Stewardship Team

January 2022

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

Happy New Year and Xronia Polla to all of you and your families. I pray you are healthy and well and this be an enlightened year for all of us! Stewardship was spectacular in 2021 and we met our budgeted target each month. Please take a moment and continue to make this a priority in 2022. If you have not already done so, complete a pledge card and make a donation on line with one of the options below, by mail, or you can call the church office. God gives us the light of Christ and that is an awesome privilege but it’s more than that. It’s a responsibility for us to share that light with everybody else that’s out there in our circle of life. Our call is to see the light and become the light and to embrace that light!

In the spirit of genuine love,

John Woods, Efthalia Allen, and Michael Evans

Parish Council Stewardship Team

December 2021

Beloved Parishioners of the Ascension Cathedral,

This is our one last chance to make our Stewardship mark for 2021.  We would like to thank each and every one of you who have contributed financially to help us strive to seek the Living God in our hearts and lives and reach out to our neighbors in God’s love.  The philanthropic work of this church continues to grow thanks to you!  The support of our parish is a responsibility of every member by giving their time, talents and treasures.  This is OUR CHURCH OUR HOME!  It’s ministries and activities belong to all of us.  Please complete your 2021 pledge and commit to 2022 by making a new pledge.  Please continue with candle and memorial donations, and help burn the mortgage.

Please take a look at the charts below and reflect on the many blessings that have been bestowed on this parish and how we have been able to operate for two years now without our largest fundraiser, the festival.  What would Ascension look like if were able to continue to operate without being dependent on the festival or withdraw from our endowment to balance the budget?

In Christ,

Your Stewardship Team – JD, Efthalia and Michael

November 2021

Ascension Stewardship Update

Beloved Parishioners of the Ascension of our Lord,

Please see the attached charts as we are literally $3,000 off of our budgeted number for 2021!  With God’s blessings we have an opportunity to come together and finish a COVID year wherein we generated zero income from our festival or rental of our facilities.  Please take the time to ensure your recurring payments are being deducted, and consider making generous Thanksgiving and Christmas gifts.  Let us cry out to the Theotokos, “Hail, fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation,” as we celebrate The Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple where she was consecrated to God.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

I also wanted to thank the Ascension Prayer Team who continue to pray on a daily basis for living individuals with special needs and for those who have departed this life.  We will recognize this team in church very soon and reload by bolstering the team to begin worship services for intercessory prayers and needs of the community in 2022.  This is a great opportunity for parishioners to pray for our hierarchs, clergy, church ministries and those with special needs. Please consider introducing this weekly commitment to your child, Grandchild or Godchild.  While we have all of the days of the week covered, the power of communal prayer helps us continue to spread the Gospel by increasing our prayer life at Ascension.

Yours In Christ,

JD, Efthalia and Michael (Parish Council Stewardship Team)

September 2021 Update

Beloved Parishioners of the Ascension Cathedral,

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As you can see from the charts above and below, all of our hard work has paid off and we continue to close the gap on our stewardship target budgeted for 2021. This is a true blessing! I pray that the Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross helps us relish the full glory of the Cross and continue to grant victory to Christ’s people!

Please take the time to ensure that your payments are up-to-date by using one of the methods listed below and consider rounding up to keep the trajectory trending upward. I would also like to take this time to acknowledge the prayer team members who continue to take turns and lift our community up in prayer daily by praying for our hierarchs, past and present clergy, church leadership, and the names submitted for the living and departed.

In the spirit of true love,

JD Woods, Michael Evans and Efthalia Allen

Parish Council Stewardship Team

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August 2021 Update 2

Beloved Brothers and Sisters of the Ascension Cathedral,

I have attached a couple of charts that illustrate we are only $10,546 off of our Stewardship target for 2021.  Please take the time and use one of the payment methods below, and please consider donating what you would have spent at the Greek Festival last May so we can balance the books.  The Parish Council would like to thank you for being a part of a special family at Ascension and for always being there to spread the Holy Gospel with your ministry giving.  Please consider rounding up to the next highest whole number and another one percent in 2022.  As we prepare for the Beheading of the Holy and Glorious Prophet Forerunner and Baptist John, I pray you and your families are healthy and safe  and we all continue to share the gifts God has given us as we reflect on the coming year and the initiatives we want to accomplish. 

Hronia Polla!

JD Woods (Parish Council, Stewardship)

August 2021 Update

Beloved Parishioners of the Ascension Cathedral,

I wish you a blessed feast as we Celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord, and pray that everyone is in good strength as we journey together toward the Dormition of the Mother of God.

We are very close to hitting our goals for this year and will continue to need your support. I want to thank everyone for their attention to financial giving to our church and want to encourage you to keep the momentum going as summer comes to an end. As I have mentioned before, our church leadership is determined to do whatever it takes to bring on the next generation of leaders with love, so we can “grow younger” together and take our ministries to the next level. There are multiple groups working on these projects and we look forward to a robust leadership development and mentor program in the Fall. It has been a true blessing to connect with all of you at church and to see our community begin to come alive again. I want to thank our prayer team who prays for the community on a daily basis, to the families who have helped clean the church grounds, the Liturgical Choir for their inspiration, and to the multiple families who continue to participate in our ongoing meal ministry. Thank you parents for bringing your children to the various GOYA, basketball, dance and other youth-related events. These blessings are true Stewardship in action!

Please take this time to ensure your recurring payments are being deducted by your bank and you are up to date on your stewardship pledge so we can continue to spread the Gospel at Ascension and make a donation below!

In the spirit of genuine love,

JD Woods (VP Stewardship)

With the technology we have today you can use our online VANCO system to set-up your stewardship payments online, raise your stewardship payment, and /or make a special donation. 

Just go to the church website http://www.AscensionCathedral.com/Stewardship It's all there. 

● Vanco – MOST PREFERABLE! Visit our stewardshipportal. This system allows for recurring or one-time donations from your credit card or checking account. Please visit this link for instructions to set up recurring donations. 

● Venmo – Venmo your stewardship to the email of AscensionVenmo@groca.org or username @Ascension-Cathedral. In the notes section, please enter the word "Stewardship", your Full Name, and your Prish ID number if you have it. This is a “private” account and no information will be shared. If you are sending in a donation in memory of a loved one, just add that to the notes section.

● Bill Pay through your Bank – Please include your Parish ID.

● Check and Cash Donations - If this is what you are most comfortable with, please mail your check to the office. Please do not mail any CASH to the Office.

June 2021 Update

Beloved Parishioners of the Ascension Cathedral,

Christ is risen!  Truly He is risen!   

As we anticipate the Ascension of our Lord, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind donations over the past two months.  As you can see from the chart below, we have closed the gap and are narrowing in on our target as we reach the halfway point in 2021.  Traditionally the summer months are a bit slower relative to Stewardship receipts, so I once again challenge you to round up and be generous.  The prayer team continues to offer intercessory prayers on a daily basis for anyone who has special needs and for friends and family who have departed this life.  Simply send and email to ascensionprayers4700@gmail.com and the names will be added to the list.  It is truly a blessing to pray as a community for each other through this ministry.

Your Stewardship team is determined to fuel a warm community by engaging young people and learning from their experiences and help spark a culture change post-pandemic.  There will be exciting leadership opportunities within the community and a series of programs focused on our young adults.  More details will follow soon.

Please make a donation using this link.

In the spirit of genuine love,

J.D. Woods, Efthalia Gerasimopoulos, and Michael Evans

Parish Council Stewardship Team

May 2021 Update

Christ is Risen! Χριστός Ανέστη!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Paschal celebrations as we begin to return to the church with the strength of God’s message of triumph and love!

This month, please take a moment and consider making a Stewardship donation factoring your annual festival spending. This would help the church get closer to our target for May. Thank you to everyone who made donations during Holy Week, and to those who have checked their Vanco and personal banks accounts to ensure their recurring payments are directed at Ascension. Also consider rounding up this month following His glorious Resurrection and let us live in the light of Christ.

Our year long festivities will focus on the the youth’s presence in the church and how they are the present and the future. The Cathedral grounds will be once again a place for our youth to worship and enjoy fellowship coming out of the pandemic. Together we will enjoy greater degree of freedom and in-person community. Everybody be well and stay safe.

Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen!

Αληθώς Ανέστη! Truly He is Risen!

In Christ,

JD Woods

April 2021 Update

Beloved Fellow Ascension Parishioners,

It has been great to see everyone returning to church and celebrating the services during Lent together and the restrictions continue to ease on places of worship.

We are lagging behind our target for Stewardship and I ask that everyone please take a moment to ensure that your recurring payments to the church are being deducted accurately and are up to date. I’ve heard from multiple parishioners that their 2021 payments were not sent to Ascension through their Vanco. I ask that if you are using Vanco, please ensure your payment dates and methods are in order. You may also use a credit or debit card and donate to the church directly! I’m also encouraging teenagers and young adults to use their cards to make nominal payments as if they were at a coffee house or ordering food with friends. Every bit counts.

What a blessing it has been to serve this community. Dedicated members of the Prayer Team continue with short intercessory midday prayers for the faithful of this community. The ministries will return with excitement, and a new era at Ascension will begin with continued blessings as we move to post-pandemic times. If you are interested in becoming part of a mentorship project that helps younger parishioners with a career path or a path within church leadership, lease reach out to Fr. Nick or Maria Woods. Details will follow. I pray that your families are all well and cannot wait to see you during Holy Week. May God’s grace touch us as we prepare to celebrate His holy resurrection with true joy!

In Christ,

JD Woods, Stewardship Team

March 2021 Youth & Young Adult Engagement

Beloved Fellow Ascension Parishioners,

We want to start off by wishing you all a Blessed Lent ("Καλή Σαρακοστή!") and a Happy 200th Anniversary of the Greek War of Independence ("Ζήτω η Ελλάς! Χρόνια Πολλα!").

This past few weeks, our Stewardship Committee has been focussing on our Youth Stewardship, with a special emphasis on our young adults currently in their twenties. We met with Dr. Ann Mitsakos Bezzerides (Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College Holy Cross) and Jenny Haddad Mosher (Director of the Telos Project at Holy Cross) to learn more about the Telos Project (www.teloscommunity.org), a grassroots program that has been partnering with parishes across the country to help communities engage our young adults.

Some of the key insights from the Telos Project have been the importance of giving our young adults a stronger voice and an opportunity to share their knowledge and engage within their areas of expertise. This provides an opportunity to involve them in the decision-making in our community, provide a seat for them at the table, and integrate them into community leadership roles. This is important not only to recognize, empower, and energize our young adults but also for our entire community, to continue to cultivate understanding, gratitude, and empathy for our clergy and our community, and to foster an appreciation for what it takes to keep a parish operating and successful.

As the Stewardship Committee explores further how we pursue our outreach and engagement of our young adults, rest assured that you will each have a vital role to play and that we will be including not only our young adults, but parents, the Parish Council, and people in our community who have held leadership and foundational roles over the years, so that we can learn from as many of you as possible. We will be reaching out to you with a formal announcement in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, looking ahead to the month of April, we will start collaborating on a structured mentorship program led by Father Nick Mueller and Dr. Maria Woods targeting youth and young professionals. We are also continuing with our Prayer Team Ministry and welcome you to join us to pray for our community on selected days by emailing ascensionprayers4700@gmail.com. Please also email the Prayer Team to submit the names of those living and departed who you would like to include in our prayers.

Finally, as we end the first quarter, we would like to thank all of you who have made pledges this year. With the help of your generous donations received to date, we are very near our March 30th target of $164,012. If you haven't had the opportunity yet to make your pledge this month, please contact the church office or donate online at www.ascensioncathedral.com/stewardship.

With deep gratitude,

Efthalia

Allen, Stewardship Committee Member

March 2021 Meal Ministry

“…the Greatest of these is Love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

Beloved Fellow Ascension Parishioners,

The love that Saint Paul describes in his letter to the Christians at Corinth is an expression of stewardship. Love and stewardship are inseparable when we consider God’s blessings in our life and the way we use these gifts with love and compassion for others and to honor, worship and give thanks to God.

We are continuing our homeless outreach with Vincent Pannizzo of Mission for the Homeless where a number of families are helping to prepare food to be distributed to the homeless on the streets of Oakland. Our collaborative efforts in working with "Vinnie" and the folks he's helping on the streets have, by the grace of God, brought them to Orthodoxy and were baptized at Ascension. We are looking to expand our outreach in providing meals for the homeless. Please reply to his email if you are interested in helping steward this ministry. Additionally, On Sunday, March 7th our meal ministry lovingly fed single mothers and their children at the Love a Child Mission, a faith-based shelter and recovery center in Bay Point.

Additionally, we have begun the prayer team ministry, which is off to a great start with a lot of involvement. Please email ascensionprayers4700@gmail.com if you'd like to be a part of the prayer team, which requires a commitment of praying for those in our community on selected days as part of the team. Please also email the team if you would like to submit names of those living and departed for whom you would like prayers for.

Continued area of focus is to target young adults returning from college and welcome them as leaders of the church community by capitalizing on their expertise and training.

Please also consider donating appreciated securities that have been held for longer than one year as a way to support the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension in Oakland. Donating securities, mutual funds, and other assets offers you the chance to support our work while realizing important benefits for yourself as you can reduce or even eliminate federal capital gains taxes on the transfer. You may also be entitled to a federal income tax charitable deduction based on the fair market value of the securities at the time of transfer.

In the coming months we expect to launch the following ministry initiatives of being involved with Project Mexico. Please stay tuned for more details.

We ask you to support these worthy ministries. Giving to His Church is a way to thank God for His grace and generosity. The question is not, “What are the dues?” but “How can I thank God for my many blessings?”

Please give prayerful consideration to the commitment you are making to being a steward of our church. A check mailed to the church is most meaningful when accompanied by your presence, by your willingness to serve, by your prayers, and by your commitment. Giving is not a substitute for commitment – it is an expression of your commitment and an expression of thanks for the many blessings in your life.

Finally, be sure to watch Dr. Eugene Bobroff’s Stewardship testimonial following the live stream this coming Sunday!

Yours in Christ,

Michael Evans, Stewardship

February 2021 Update

Beloved Fellow Ascension Parishioners,

On Monday I was blessed to be one of the presenters during a Youth Stewardship Town Hall with the Metropolis of San Francisco.  Efthalia Allen and Michael Evans (both current PC members and part of the Stewardship Ministry Team) were also on the call.  We heard from Dr. Ann Mitsakos Bezzerides, the Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology.  Dr. Ann introduced many of us to the Telos Group, a project that helps assist with technology, finance, and Stewardship in addressing an ongoing problem.  A recurring theme at the center of the town hall meeting was a disturbing study that revealed our young adults leaving the Church at a rate of over 65% after they leave for college.  The Hierarchs, Clergy and parishioners on the call are committed to continued focus on retaining young professionals who can help our parishes get to the next level in a variety of ways.  This population has so much to offer and it is sad to see the trend that continues to hurt the Greek Orthodox Church in America.  I introduced the projects we are kicking off at Ascension and how we are starting to look at Stewardship in a variety of new and different ways. Our Stewardship team will immediately begin to target and show love to our youth through adulthood, provide them with a “guardian angel,” and invite them to have a “seat at the table” from a place of gratitude that will help our community grow with them.

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During the second quarter of 2021, we will look to amplify the meal ministry program which was started by Father Tom and Michael Delvizis, and has now grown to multiple dedicated families.  Soliciting young adult professionals to assist with the expansion of this ministry can help us spread the Gospel by giving ‘alms’ and other acts of charity during Lent.  Additionally we will look to take our charitable efforts on an international level by bringing attention to initiatives focused on stopping human trafficking, modern slavery and humanitarian aid to Greece, England, Syria, and Mexico. This will help our youth become more compassionate toward others and be the voice of Christ in the modern world by selecting specific charities they are passionate about.  Be on the lookout for a survey asking polling our youth for ideas on how they would like to contribute.

Parents and Godparents please begin to share the importance of financial giving to the church and join the prayer team with that special person in your life.  Get them involved early!  I hope you enjoy the ongoing video testimonials at the end of the Liturgy (live stream broadcast only) and in church sermons from faithful parishioners. 

In the spirit of genuine love,

JD Woods

Stewardship Chair

Junior Stewards Initiative

Beloved fellow Ascension Parishioners,

It was great to see everyone in Church last Sunday! After hearing the Gospel according to Matthew and the Parable of the Talents, It is my duty to reach out to everyone to use their talents to glorify God and this holy house of worship. Cherish the day the Lord tells you “Well Done! Come and share your master’s happiness!” It is truly amazing what is happening at Ascension. There are so many new opportunities starting to develop and as we begin to “open up,” we look forward to the return of all of the parish ministries coupled with new and exciting ways to share your time, talents and treasures.

In January we introduced the Stewardship Prayer and the Ascension Prayer Team. Now we are blessed to begin a series of stewardship opportunities for our youth. The first will lay the ground work and emphasize the importance of financial giving to the Church. This Fall, a Youth Council dedicated to the mission of Christ will take on leadership roles that mirror the Parish Council, including a formal swearing in service at Church, regular Youth Council meetings, and participating in the decision making processes at the Cathedral. 

After all, they are the future Stewards! Consider having your children, Godchildren, grandchildren, nieces and nephews become “Junior Stewards” by making a pledge to the church in the suggested amount of $1 per day and recite the Stewardship Prayer. Then join the prayer team with them as your “special time together,” just as you would watch them play at baseball or soccer games. With God’s blessing, your stewardship will help support the following youth programs in some capacity in 2021: Serving in the altar; Sunday School; summer camp; GOYA; HOPE; JOY; basketball and athletics; prayer team; Greek dance; junior choir; Greek school; and meal ministry.

Lord Jesus Christ, our God, accept our offerings as You have accepted the gifts of Your people throughout the ages. We offer these gifts to Your glory, for the support of the ministries of Your holy Church, for the alleviation of suffering and hunger, and for the proclamation of Your Gospel to the whole world.

Grant us Your blessing, Lord our Savior, that we may always be faithful stewards, continuing to share the gifts You have given us, by the power of Your grace, mercy and love. May Your name be glorified forever. Amen.

Additionally, in February we will begin in-person and video testimonials of parishioners describing “What Stewardship means to me.” All of our time, talent and treasures will be honored throughout the year with opportunities to glorify God with beautification projects at Ascension, a focus on family wellness, and leaving a legacy for the next generation of Orthodox Christians at Ascension.

In the spirit of genuine love,

JD Woods

Stewardship Chair, Parish Council 2021

January 2021 Prayer Initiative

Beloved fellow Ascension Parishioners,

This year we will push out new initiatives each month in an attempt to get the faithful at Ascension excited about sharing their time, talents and treasures. First, let me begin by saying, “Thank you: for your 2021 pledge cards and generous donations!” Since we believe in the “POWER OF PRAYER,” the January stewardship projects include prayer! Below is “the Stewardship Prayer” that we will begin to incorporate in various aspects of our church community:

Stewardship Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, our God, except our offerings as You have accepted the gifts of Your people throughout the ages. We offer these gifts to Your glory, for the support of the ministries of Your holy Church, for the alleviation of suffering and hunger, and for the proclamation of Your Gospel to the whole world. 

Grant us Your blessing, Lord our Savior, that we may always be faithful stewards, continuing to share the gifts You have given us, by the power of Your grace, mercy and love. May Your name be glorified forever. Amen.

Additionally, you can share your time, talents and treasures by joining the newly created Ascension Cathedral Prayer Team, who will pray for you and your loved ones daily by name! Parish Council and dedicated StewardshipCommittee member Michael Evans will be our first ever prayer coordinator and create a team that will, by the beautiful instruction of the Apostle Paul, “pray ceaselessly.” 

If you are interested in taking turns praying in your home for the strengthening and progress of all the parish ministries, leaders, volunteers, parishioners of the Ascension Cathedral, their friends and extended families, our priests and hierarchs everywhere, please submit your name to ascensionsprayers4700@gmail.com. Once our team is formulated, the group will keep constant prayer throughout the month, and share their experiences with the community. We will let you know when you can begin submitting names for the prayer list soon.

In the spirit of genuine love,
JD Woods
Stewardship Chair

A Message From our New VP of Stewardship

Kali Hronia!

I have accepted the position of Vice President of Stewardship on this year’s Parish Council. I was baptized and raised at Ascension and had the privilege of participating in the following ministries over the past five plus decades: Altar; GOYA; basketball; dance; Greek School; junior choir; Sunday School; summer camp and Parish Council, including the office of President in 2007 and 2008. I hope we all can begin 2021 the right way with thanksgiving and worship! We will be rolling out new Stewardship initiatives this year to continue the momentum you have started. Thank you for your generous contributions over the years and for your 2021 pledge cards. Keep them coming.

The time has come to leave our church in better shape than we found it, for our children, grandchildren and Godchildren. Consider increasing your financial contribution during this time of uncertainty. As restrictions ease, this Parish Council will lead the way and be a role model within the Archdiocese and provide a blue print on how to safely return to church programming and the various ministries. Thank you in advance!

May the sanctified waters be for us a healing of soul and body! Na mas fotisi O Theos!

John (JD) Woods