Order of the Ascension announces ministry updates, new class in Benedictine spirituality
Order of the Ascension on retreat 2025
The Order of the Ascension (OA) is a dispersed Benedictine community with a charism of developing parish churches grounded in Anglican pastoral and ascetical theology, especially Benedictine spirituality. The order also draws on the fields of organization development and organizational psychology.
The Order has two primary external ministries: Shaping the Parish and Ascension Press.
Shaping the Parish (STP) is a two-year Zoom-based course in parish development for clergy and lay leaders. There are currently 50 participants from dioceses across the United States and in other parts of the world. International participants have come from Zambia, Mexico, Canada, United Arab Emirates and Haiti. In January, the program will begin a module on Benedictine Spirituality. At that time, we also expect to open registration for a new class that would begin in the fall.
Shaping the Parish in Eastern Zambia is a collaboration between the OA and the Diocese of Eastern Zambia. Fr. Emmanuel Mwale, the diocese’s STP Ministry Coordinator, is working with the five Archdeacons as they lead discussions with the clergy and parish evangelists based on readings in books provided by OA. They began with An Energy Not Its Own: Three cycles of parish life and the purposes of the parish church. The Order of the Ascension has provided a supply of all the books used in the course and agreed that the diocese might use and adapt materials to better fit the situation and culture of the diocese. Sisters Liz and Michelle are available for consultation with Father Mwale as necessary.
All the current Ascension Press books are now available on Amazon. Out-of-print books are available at no charge in the “Older Titles” section of the Press’s webpage. Sister Michelle and Brother Robert are collaborating on a new book on friendship in the church.
There are two related resources available. The articles on “A Wonderful and Sacred Mystery” (Substack) address parish development, spiritual life and social ethics. Shaping the Parish Resources provides hundreds of models and assessments used in parish development work.
Advent & Christmas Activities
Sister Liz is providing her parish, St. Clare’s in Blairsville, GA, with daily Advent meditations through email, some written by members of the parish. The Facebook Morning Prayer officiants use them as a meditation in the office. Brother Lowell will be preaching on 4 Advent at St. Paul’s, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Brother Scott and his wife Kelly will spend Christmastide in Mexico City. At St. Clement’s Seattle Brother Robert will be the celebrant and preacher on Christmas morning. Sister Michelle is conducting an Advent quiet day for the parish. She continues to serve as the parish’s Sr. Warden. At. St. Anne’, Annapolis, soon-to-be Brother Manoj is offering an Advent Forum series led by Dr. Jennifer McNeel on women and motherhood in the New Testament. He expects approximately 2,000 worshippers for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Holy Eucharist services. At Holy Spirit. Harleysville, PA Sister DJ will be offering Lessons and Carols on 4 Advent and preside at both Christmas Eve Eucharists. Sister Jennefer, rector of St. James Episcopal, Louisa, VA will offer the usual Christmas celebrations as well as a Blue Christmas service, that focuses on lament, hope, and healing through quiet prayer, music, and candlelight, close to the Winter solstice. Sister Susan will celebrate and preach on Christmas Eve for two parishes who are currently without rectors – Holy Cross Carlsbad and Trinity Escondido in the Diocese of San Diego.
Zambian Order of the Ascension
Sister Michelle, our Presiding Sister, is working with the Very Reverend Canon Edward Zimba, Vicar General of the Diocese of Eastern Zambia on the formation of an Order of the Ascenstion there. Several priests of that diocese have been in conversation and discernment. The Order of the Ascension has given them permission to use and revise our rule and name if they wish. We have also agreed to engage in occasional conversations if that would be useful.
Novices participate in conflict training
As part of their novitiate Sisters Jennifer and DJ recently participated in the Episcopal Church’s “Managing Yourself During Conflict.” Sister DJ (The Rev. DJ Kiessling) – “The greatest learning for me was reframing conflict as being holy ground. God may have intended conflict to be because something almost always dies so something else can be reborn” And “I appreciated the various tools to help me regulate and manage myself—the only person I can control—through active listening skills to understand, seeking collaboration and partnership” Sister Jennifer (The Rev Jennifer Lazzuri) reported, “The workshop for me, was a reinforcement that conflict is inevitable – our responses to and how we handle the conflict is what makes a difference.” And “As a leader, if we can “complicate the narrative” for others, it may help reduce binary thinking and get a system unstuck” Mother Becky Rowell, one of the trainers, received some of her early conflict management training with Sister Michelle and Brother Robert at training programs offered in the Diocese of Georgia.
Organization development education within OA
Brother Robert conducts training for OA members as part of the Order’s monthly Zoom meetings. In this cycle the focus has been on managing our “demand system” and the use of “survey feedback.”