On a quiet street just off the main corridors of Citrus Heights, Ascension Lutheran Church gathers the people of the Sacramento suburb around Word and Sacrament twice every Sunday. The congregation is a member of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the rhythms of its life - two Sunday services, a Wednesday morning devotional, a youth program reaching from third grade through high school - all flow from a simple three-part motto: loving God, loving one another, and loving the community.
Two Sundays, Two Musical Styles
Ascension's two Sunday services share the same sanctuary, the same pulpit, and the same Lutheran liturgy, but the music draws from different centuries. Classic Worship at 8:30 a.m. leans on traditional hymns. Modern Worship at 11 a.m. features contemporary songs. Worshipers are welcome at one service or the other, or at both, and the congregation offers Holy Communion at every Sunday gathering as well as at special weekday evening services.
Each week, the service draws on the appointed readings from the lectionary. A recent Sunday, for instance, used Genesis 39:1-23 and Matthew 5:11-12, with Classic Worship singing "Come, We That Love the Lord" (ELW 625), "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" (ELW 834), and "On What Has Now Been Sown" (ELW 550). On Sundays when the music leader preaches, or when a guest pastor is filling the pulpit, the music fits the moment as naturally as the prayers.
Hump Day Hallelujah: Wednesday Mornings at 7 a.m.
Almost every Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. Pacific time, Ascension releases a short devotional video called Hump Day Hallelujah. Each episode features words of wit and wisdom meant to encourage and enlighten listeners for the back half of the week. Lead Pastor Scott Jones is the regular host, and the videos touch on everyday topics such as hospitality, changing relationships, work and play, and the simple practice of sharing what one has been given.
The videos are posted on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, with audio versions published as a podcast. The same series also has its own audio feed for those who would rather listen on a commute. It has become one of the congregation's most recognizable outreach efforts, giving Ascension a regular presence in the inboxes and feeds of people far beyond Citrus Heights.
A Lutheran Identity Rooted in the Confessions
Ascension describes itself as faithful to the Bible and to the Lutheran Confessions. The congregation accepts the Old and New Testaments as the uniquely inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life. It confesses one God, Triune - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and accepts and professes the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds.
In the congregation's own words, no human being exists by accident: each person has been brought into existence by divine intent and for a divine purpose. At the same time, Ascension teaches that all human beings are sinners in need of God's gracious forgiveness, that God loves all people regardless of what they have done, and that God desires all persons to be saved. Salvation is offered as a gift of grace through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the church is understood as the assembly of believers called and gathered by God around Word and Sacrament.
The congregation has also adopted a written Relational Covenant that spells out how members will work through disagreement and misunderstanding. The covenant ties directly into Ascension's three-part mission: as the congregation grows in understanding how much God loves it, the people are equipped to love God, love one another, and love the community even when they do not agree.
The Pastoral and Program Staff
Lead Pastor Scott Jones grew up as a farm kid in Wilton, just south of Sacramento, and worshipped at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Elk Grove before heading to UC Santa Cruz. After thirteen years working in contract food service management at college campuses including UC Davis, Santa Rosa Junior College, UC Santa Cruz, and UNLV, he sensed a call to ministry and moved with his family to Chicago for North Park Theological Seminary. He served Evangelical Covenant churches in Chicago, Illinois, and Cromwell, Connecticut, before being called back to his theological and geographical roots as Ascension's lead pastor. He is a San Francisco Giants fan, drinks his coffee black, and enjoys trips to the coast.
Pastor Bruce Hannem appears regularly as the preacher at Ascension, including recent Sundays in August and early summer. Worship and Media Director Andrea Toven has served Ascension since August 2020, first as technology outreach coordinator and since September 2021 as director of worship and media arts. A graduate of St. Olaf College, she earned a music degree, then an Advanced Technical Certificate in LAN Management from Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College and later studied medieval history and religious studies at UW-Milwaukee before completing an MDiv and MA in Church Music at Trinity Lutheran Seminary and Luther Seminary. She plans worship, leads music, designs graphics, runs the video and social media work, and sometimes preaches.
Youth Director William Barker has been part of Ascension since 2002, when he joined G1 Youth as a teenager, and now leads the program that shaped him. Assistant Youth Director Justin Carballar grew up at Ascension from age six, spent a year studying the Bible at Lutheran Bible Institute in Irvine, California, and has been on staff since 2008.
Youth Ministry for Third Through Twelfth Graders
Ascension runs a youth program for students in third through twelfth grade, organized around the G1 Youth tradition that has shaped generations of Ascension young people. The program is led by William Barker and Justin Carballar, who plan a calendar of events published in monthly youth newsletters. Confirmation is offered as part of the congregation's broader ministry to young people preparing to affirm their baptism.
The youth ministry's heartbeat is described simply by the staff: love working with kids of all ages and sharing the love of Jesus that has been freely given. Families interested in signing up for events can use the online event sign-up system, with the same forms available on paper in the narthex.
Worship and Sermon Podcasts
Each Sunday sermon is released as a podcast, alongside reflections, homilies, and meditations from midweek and special services. Recent episodes include sermons from the 17th Sunday after Pentecost on Genesis 12:1-9 and Matthew 28:19-20, the 16th Sunday after Pentecost on Genesis 6:5-22 and Matthew 8:24-27, and a homily and lectio divina from the 14th Sunday after Pentecost. A separate Trinity Sunday reflection was preached by Andrea Toven, and a centering prayer reflection from the 13th Sunday after Pentecost was a joint sermon by Pr. Scott Jones and Pr. Bruce Hannem.
Listeners can subscribe to two feeds: a Sunday sermons feed and the Hump Day Hallelujah audio feed. Video versions of recent Sunday services are available on Ascension's YouTube channel, with separate playlists for Classic Worship and Modern Worship.
Loving the Community
Ascension frames its outreach in the example of Jesus' earthly ministry: feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and comforting the grieving, with no exception made for gender, ethnicity, or background. The congregation lives this out through food and clothing donations, volunteer hours at local food banks, and sponsorship of neighborhood events. The church's annual report, newsletter, and event sign-ups all give members ways to plug into this work, and the church office welcomes calls Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for anyone who wants to learn more.
Ascension also opens its campus for outside groups. A Facility Use Request Form on the church's site allows neighbors and partner organizations to schedule meetings and recurring gatherings, with requests accepted up to a year in advance. The system is built around one-hour slots, and recurring meetings can be set up by noting that in the appropriate box.
Livestream, Social Media, and Giving
Worship is livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube every Sunday, and recordings remain available afterward through the church's YouTube playlists for Classic Worship and Modern Worship. The congregation maintains a presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok under the handle ascensioncitrusheights, and the church's newsletter is published monthly as a downloadable PDF.
Giving is available online through a dedicated giving page, and prayer requests can be submitted through the church's prayer page. The annual report and ministry support materials are posted in plain view for members and visitors who want a fuller picture of the congregation's life.
What to Expect on a First Visit
Ushers stand by the main doors each Sunday to welcome newcomers and answer questions. The sanctuary sits just to the right as visitors enter the main doors. Dress is comfortable and varied: jeans, sandals, and shorts are common, and "Sunday best" is just as welcome. Visitors are not expected to put anything in the offering plate - it is fine to let the plate pass by.
Parking includes designated guest spots only a few steps from the main entrance, along with handicapped parking for those who need it. Holy Communion is offered at both Sunday services, and visitors who want to learn more about Lutheran worship, the congregation's beliefs, or ways to get involved can ask an usher or follow up by phone during office hours.
Joining the Sierra Pacific Synod Family
Ascension's ties to the wider Lutheran tradition run through the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The congregation is one of many ELCA communities across Northern California and Nevada, connected to neighbors who share a common confession of faith and a common pattern of worship. Through its synod and the larger church, Ascension shares in a wider ministry that extends well beyond the Citrus Heights city limits.
The congregation's invitation is plain: come as you are, worship in the style that fits, and discover a community shaped by three loves - for God, for one another, and for the neighbors who live just beyond the church's doors on Garden Gate Drive.