Come and join us for worship Sundays at 10:00 AM during the school year and  9:00 AM during the summer. Following the service is Coffee and Conversation. All are invited to enjoy the fellowship and tasty treats.

During the school year our Sunday School program for children under confirmation age is incorporated into worship time. On the first Sunday of the month, the liturgy is youth focused and families are encouraged to worship together. On other Sundays families start the worship together and children are called to the front for a blessing with their teachers. Then the Sunday School leaves worship for their lessons. Children and teachers come back at the Passing of the Peace. This way children receive the liturgical message in a way that is meaningful for them and parents can worship worry free. In addition, there is a cry room where parents can still view the service while their babies and toddlers get a play break.

For information about confirmation classes, please contact Pastor Bill.
 

Holiday Evening Services:
Ash Wednesday 7PM
Joint Lenten Services Wednesdays Throughout Lent (Call church for details.)
Maundy Thursday 7PM
Good Friday 7PM
Christmas Eve Family Service 7PM

Soren Kierkegaard Lenten Bible Study 4PM Sundays

Our Sunday Lenten Bible Study focused on Soren Kierkegaard will finally meet in person on this sunny Sunday afternoon at 4PM. It will continue at this same time through Lent. All St. Ansgar members and friends are invited. No previous experience with Kierkegaard is necessary.

For a fantastic introduction, check out Pastor Bill's You Tube video.

Joint Children's Christmas Pageant Sun, 12/16

Our Children's Christmas Pageant features the children of St. Ansgar and of the Sudanese congregation that worships here on Sunday afternoons. A simple nativity play, traditional Christmas carols, and a hot dog and birthday cake lunch after service. This is always one of the most cherished Sundays of the year. Don't miss it.

Make Some Noise!

Today was the first "noisy" offering led by St. Ansgar's Sunday School students. Proceeds from this loose change offering will go the the ELCA Malaria Campaign. Bring in your change every third Sunday and delight the children as the sound of the offering in the metal cans gets louder and louder. 

At the New England Synod Assembly this past June, churches voted to make the ELCA Malaria Campaign a focus and priority over this next year.  Malaria kills 655,000 people each year, and most of those people are children under five years of age. That means a child dies from this preventable disease every 60 seconds.

The ELCA has committed to raise $15 million to help prevent, treat and educate communities in Africa about malaria and eliminate deaths from this disease.

Donations can also be made on the ELCA's website and in the general offering at St. Ansgar. Be sure to put offering donations in an envelope clearly marked "ELCA Malaria Campaign."

SCUFFY Regional Youth Ministry Event Photos

St. Ansgar hosted the SCUFFY Regional Youth Ministry event on March 13th. Youth from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont were present including 11 from our own St. Ansgar/ Sudanese Nazarene congregations.

Christmas Pageant 2009

Christmas Pageant pics from December 20th! Some are in costume and others were taken during rehearsal. We have the most talented kids on the planet! Thanks to all the folks who helped make this happen.

Reformation Sunday, the Perfect Day for Confirmations

Please join us as we confirm three young men, Kevin, Hilmar, and Matthew, at worship this coming Reformation Sunday, 10/25. How fitting it is that on the birthday of Lutheranism these young men have chosen to renew their baptismal promises and move officially into Christian adulthood.

On a personal note, this is quite a special time for me, as I have not presided at a confirmation ceremony since 1989, 20 years ago. It makes me so thankful to be a pastor today, and to be afforded such an honor by the people of St. Ansgar and these very special young people.

As part of the new confirmation rite, we anoint the forehead with holy Chrism oil. The oil is a symbol of being called and chosen. The oil we will use was blessed by Bishop Payne just this evening in Worcester, as clergy from across New England gathered to renew our ordination vows and our commitment to be faithful ministers of Word and Sacrament.

So come join us, and wear red for reformation! (Even if you don’t wear red, you are most welcome!)

Pastor Bill Barter

Sunday School Bake Sale 2/1

The Sunday School is having a bake sale this Sunday, February 1 to benefit CUP International's orphanage in Hosur, India. Whether you'd like to contribute some tasty morsels or pick up some goodies for munching during the big game, it all goes to help children in need.

Remember too this first Sunday of the month is a Project Feed Sunday and Youth Sunday so we will be accepting food pantry donations during the offering and providing lots of opportunities for children to participate in the worship.

It's a wonderful Sunday to visit. Hope to see you there.

Pictures from the Children's Christmas Program

Thank you to all who helped especially to the children, the "stars" of the show.

Let the Little Children Come to St. Ansgar

This Sunday, October 5th, St. Ansgar will begin a new and exciting worship series. The first Sunday of each month will feature a child-centered service. The children of the congregation as well as visiting children will be encouraged to participate in activities such as the gospel procession and the children's sermon.

Please note that the first Sunday of the month is also Project Feed Sunday. Families might want to consider developing a tradition of choosing items to donate in preparation for this special service.

Hope to see you there!

A Spring Update!

Hello, everyone. The website has not been updated in a while, but please don't think that things came to a halt at St. Ansgar. Your friendly webmaster has been dealing with happy, but busy life changes. While I was away from the site, ......

The Sunday School Christmas Pageant which had been delayed by snow was performed in early January to the delight of the congregation.

Valentine's Day provided lots of opportunities to brighten up the whitest of winters. The Sunday School decorated the church with colorful heart posters. The Sewing Group put together cheerful Valentine's baskets for shut-ins. The congregation exchanged valentines at coffee hour.

Lent was a time of community and prayerful reflection. As is our yearly tradition, we teamed up with First Lutheran, Trinity, and Emmaus for Wednesday evening services. The theme this Lent was finding meaning in work. The services were preceded by soup dinners and a pickup chorus. A somber holy week was followed by our Festive Easter worship. Young and old enjoyed punctuating the alleluias with bells and assembling a cross of fresh flowers. Many attended the Easter Breakfast before service, filling up on pancakes and funding camperships to Calumet for the youth in the congregation.

The Sunday School had another bake sale to benefit the orphanage in Hosur, India.

This Saturday a group of church members and friends came out for a Spring Potluck and Game Night. The food was fantastic, and all enjoyed the games and sing-a-long.

Happy Spring all!

Sunday School Bake Sale Sun, 11/4

During coffee hour on November 4th St. Ansgar's Sunday Schoolers will be selling baked goods to raise money for outreach, activities, and Cup International, an organization that runs an orphanage and medical clinic in Southern India. For such a worthy cause these treats are sure to be guilt free! Enjoy.

CUP International's Website is Up and Running!

Saint Ansgar's Sunday School continues to raise money and awareness for Community Uplift Projects (CUP) International. This organization whose projects serve the greater community of Hosur, India, runs an orphanage, medical clinic, and helps to send village children to school.

Please take a moment to visit CUP's new website and to browse our Sunday School pages for a history of how CUP International was chosen as this year's charity by the Sunday School.

Children Helping Children

Our congregation was moved by Samuel Koilpillai's temple talk about his work rescuing discarded babies in Hosur, a town in Southern India not far from Bangalore. Mr. Koilpillai is retired from the World Health Organization and shares a family connection with St. Ansgar. His daughter, Leela Nowrangi, is our Music Director.

The Sunday School students and teachers have decided to donate the Sunday School offering monies to the organization that runs the orphanage and medical clinic Mr. Koilpillai founded. Please join in the ministry of our Sunday School by making a donation to Mr. Koilpillai's organization, CUP (Community Uplift Projects) International.

Make checks for your tax deductible donation payable to:

CUP International

The address for donations in the United States is:

17517 Queen Elizabeth Drive
Olney, Maryland 20832

Sunday School

Sunday School begins...

SEPTEMBER 9^TH

at 9:30 AM

Music at St. Ansgar

Music is an integral part of our worship service and one of the ways St. Ansgar comes together as a congregation. Volunteers (such as Jim McDonough pictured above) collaborate with our music director providing both instrumental accompaniment and vocals. The Sunday School students are frequently part of the music program singing songs and playing hand chimes.