"Upward in Christ, Outward in Love": A WELS Congregation on McIntosh Road
Ascension Lutheran Church sits along McIntosh Road in Sarasota, Florida, a few turns west off I-75 at the Fruitville Road exit. The congregation has welcomed families from Sarasota and Manatee County for four decades as a member church of the WELS, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Three things shape its identity: joyful but reverent Sunday worship, an accredited Lutheran school sharing the same campus, and a global mission that reaches from Sarasota classrooms to a Paraguayan village.
The motto "Upward in Christ, Outward in Love" captures the two-fold direction of the congregation. The upward half is growth in Jesus through worship and Bible study; the outward half is sharing that grace with neighbors near and far. Both halves are visible in everything Ascension offers, from its Sunday schedule to its small-group ministries to its mission work in South America.
Sunday Mornings at 9:30
Sunday worship is at 9:30 a.m. and is described as joyful, reverent, and mostly traditional Lutheran. The service is open to the public and is also streamed live on YouTube and Facebook for those at home. A digital worship folder accompanies each service so online guests can follow along, and sermon transcripts are available the week after each broadcast.
At 10:45 a.m., the hour after worship splits into two paths: an on-site adult Bible study and Sunday school for the children. The Bible study offers an optional Zoom link for those who want to join remotely. During the seasons of Lent and Advent, an additional Wednesday evening worship service is held at 7:00 p.m.
First-time visitors will find a family-friendly atmosphere. The sanctuary, classrooms, and parking share the McIntosh Road campus, and child care is available during the Faith Foundations class. From I-75, the drive is straightforward: take exit 210 onto Fruitville Road, head west, turn left (south) onto McIntosh, and the church is about three-quarters of a mile down on the right.
A Lutheran School, Preschool Through 8th Grade
The church and the school share the McIntosh Road campus and a common mission. Ascension Lutheran School is a private, nationally accredited Christian school serving students from preschool through eighth grade. The school holds accreditation through the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) and WELS, and it has earned awards for academic excellence.
Small class sizes are a hallmark. The campus uses monitored and lock-restricted entry, with close communication between teachers and parents and a culture built around honesty, trust, fairness, discipline, and faith. Tuition is described as affordable and competitive, and the Florida Step Up For Students scholarship program is welcome at the school.
Principal David Zank leads a faculty that includes Brooke Carbon in kindergarten, Troy Yerks in grades 1-2, Lexi Fischer in grades 3-4, Cassie Anklam in grades 5-6, and Philip Fischer in grades 7-8. The preschool side, rated four stars, accepts children from age 3 through Pre-K4 under the direction of preschool director Susan Bare. Lead teacher Cathy Yerks and teacher assistants Belkis Bolanos and Kristin Johnson round out the early childhood team. The school office can be reached at 941-371-5909 and the preschool at 941-377-9670.
The school's philosophy lines up with the church's: students learn and live godly principles rooted in the Bible to prepare them for a complex future. Technology, hands-on learning, and a rigorous academic curriculum are delivered in a Christ-centered setting where students are described as a family, "building trust and resilience through the Word of God."
Faith Foundations and Growth Groups
Learning does not stop when the service ends. Ascension runs two kinds of small-group Bible study on top of its Sunday adult Bible class.
Faith Foundations is a free, no-pressure entry point into the Bible for newcomers, curious seekers, and anyone wanting a refresher. Hosted by Pastor Marty Mielke, the class meets on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the church. Over thirteen sessions it covers topics like sin and grace, faith and good works, prayer, baptism, holy communion, the Christian church, and the end times. No questions are off limits, child care is available, and there is no obligation to attend services or donate. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments are part of the evening.
Ascension Growth Groups are smaller communities of ten to fifteen people who meet weekly in homes or other locations. A separate Sermon-Based Growth Group meets twice a month on the first and third or second and fourth Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., running from May through September. These groups discuss the previous Sunday's sermon text, pray for one another, share food, and build the kind of friendships that can carry people through the hard parts of life. The church describes a Growth Group as "a group of friends you can go to when you face temptation, are anxious, worried, feel jealous, give up on marriage", a place to encourage and pray for one another.
The Paraguay Mission
Ascension's outward reach goes well beyond Sarasota. The congregation supports a grass-roots mission in the village of Nueva Alianza, just outside Yataity del Norte in Paraguay, centered on a Mission House whose primary construction was completed in 2018.
The mission is rooted in the story of one of Ascension's own members. Julie (Juliana) Kennel, a native of Asunción who has lived in Sarasota for more than fourteen years, came to know the love and forgiveness of Jesus and wanted to carry that same message back to her friends, family, and community. The work focuses on teaching English as a second language in local schools, training Paraguayan men and women in practical long-term skills that strengthen their regional economy, and building life-long relationships between the youth of Paraguay and the rest of the world. Bible studies and worship services are part of the rhythm, and Ascension members also help train local pastors and assistants. Updates from the field appear at solo-cristo.org.
What Ascension Believes
The teaching at Ascension lines up with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The congregation confesses belief in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and holds that there is one sacrifice for the forgiveness of all sin and only one way to heaven: the sinless life, innocent death, and triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Five points summarize the core teaching: the Bible is entirely true; salvation is a gift; salvation is received through faith; worship is a personal, loving conversation with God; and Christian education is lifelong. Core values include worship, faithfulness to the Word, the means of grace, the church's youth, prayer, excellence, Bible knowledge, family, fellowship, and tradition. Visitors who want a fuller overview can download a free copy of Luther's Small Catechism or read the WELS statement "This We Believe."
Pastor Marty Mielke
The church is served by Pastor N. Martin "Marty" Mielke III. He earned his BA from Northwestern College in Watertown, Wisconsin, and his Master of Divinity from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Before arriving at Ascension he served as a parish pastor, a missionary in Latin America, and on various WELS leadership boards for nearly thirty years. He now leads worship, teaches Faith Foundations, and produces a series of short devotional videos that tackle tough questions, including "Is Hell Real?", "What will Heaven be like?", and "How can we know the Bible is true?", from a Biblical perspective. He can be reached through the church office at 941-371-2978 or at pastor.mielke@ascensionwels.org.
Plan a Visit
The church office is open during the week at 800 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232, with a main number of 941-371-2978. Sunday worship is at 9:30 a.m., followed by adult Bible study and Sunday school at 10:45 a.m. Midweek services during Lent and Advent are at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Worship is livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for those joining from home, and a digital worship folder accompanies each service. Online giving is available.
For four decades, Ascension has been a Lutheran church and school in Sarasota that holds worship, learning, and mission in the same hand. The congregation's prayer is that everyone they touch would come to know their salvation through faith in Jesus, upward in Christ, and outward in love.