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A Reconciling in Christ synod
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Bethany Early Childhood Center - Top 10 Preschool!
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A
holy yippee for Bethany Early Childhood Center at Bethany, Cherry Hills Village, CO for being selected as one of the Top 10 Preschools in Denver last week. They were the only Christian preschool on the list. We are very proud of the hard work of their new director Keith Langford and all of their staff!
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Office of the Bishop - June Monthly Eucharist Service Canceled
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Our monthly Eucharist scheduled for Wednesday, June 14, is canceled.
We invite you to join us for our next worship on Wednesday, July 12 at 11:30 a.m. at the Office of the Bishop.
Worship is the 2nd Wednesday of each month. If you would be interested in leading worship, please contact
Kent Mueller.
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Sanctuary: Intersecting Immigration Stories
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Kristin Carlson (Good Shepherd, Glenwood Springs) offered her gifts as a playwright at the Synod Assembly. Her one-act play, "
Sanctuary," was performed by Trary Maddalone LaMee and Jesse Monsalve during worship. It is about what happens when Edna, who emigrated from Germany after WWII, encounters young Colombian-born Edgar sleeping on a pew at the church building. it is available for your viewing
online here and would be a good invitation for conversations about immigration and refugee resettlement issues.
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Telling our Stories: RMS in the Neighborhood blog
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As a college student there are times when I feel really disconnected from the world and the church. I’m very involved in the Lutheran Campus Ministry (LuMin) at Colorado State University (Go Rams!), but even that feels somewhat separated from the rest of the church. As I began the process of becoming an Intern at the Office of the Bishop I thought of of how I could make it a position of connection. How could I help make the connection of Campus Ministry to the rest of the church more apparent? And even bigger than that, how could I help connect congregations and ministries around the Synod to each other? El Paso is very far away from Fort Collins, but we’re still parts of the same Synod. How can we be connected to each other?
As an English major, the answer was pretty obvious to me: stories. Our stories are what define us and what connect us. If I could share the stories of amazing things happening in our synod, the stories that define us, that could help connect us and also inspire us to try new amazing ministries.
So, this summer I’ll be traveling around to different places to hear your stories and learn about the amazing things that are happening in our Synod.
And,
be checking back to this blog to hear all of these stories! My hope is that these stories of congregations doing amazing ministry can help us to learn from each other, and grow as a church. Hearing other people’s stories can inspire us to do more, maybe start something new, and most importantly, the stories of amazing ministry can inspire us to share God’s love and grace in our communities in new ways. Remember: We are church, better together! Let’s use our connections to do God’s work.
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SAVE THE DATE!
2017 Theological Conference
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September 18-21, 2017
Marriott Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO
Join us in Colorado Springs as we continue our conversation around ReFormation.
Sarah Ciavarri, a trained facilitator in Brene' Brown's work will join us, along with Mike Ward with Stewardship for All Seasons.
NEW! One-day Prayer Retreat
Pastor Sonja Sandquist will lead a contemplative prayer retreat from 9am-3pm on Monday, September 18, at La Foret Conference Center, just north of Colorado Springs. The retreat center will also be open to those who want to get away but not participate in the retreat. Cost is $12 for lunch, plus an additional night of hotel for those who would need to travel on Sunday.
Registration will open June 15.
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RMS Communication Survey - We'd Love to Hear from You!
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Rostered Ministers, Church Administers, Church staff, and council leaders, we want to hear from you! How do you use and share RMS News? Which resources do you currently use? What would be helpful resources for your ministry? Please take this very short survey, click
here.
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Photos from the 2017 Synod Assembly
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We thank Dale Horkey for his excellent photography skills. His photos from our Assembly at the Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs can be viewed here.
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ELCA seeks a
Regional Gift Planner to Support the
Rocky Mountain Synod
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The ELCA seeks a
Regional Gift Planner to support the
Rocky Mountain Synod. The
Regional Gift Planner is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting and securing new and ongoing gifts from individuals in support of churchwide ministries, congregations, synods and related ELCA ministries. Each Gift Planner lives and works within their assigned territory (
home office).
Application and
inquiries may also be confidentially submitted via
email to Gaye Lindfors, the consultant managing the search.
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Installations
Pastor Todd Hawkins
Prince of Peace, Denver, CO
Sunday, June 11, 3:00 p.m.
Color of the Day: White
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Tradescantia occidentalis Commelinaceae
- T. Noirot
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RMS Prayer Cycle
June 2017
Southeast Colorado Conference
Week of June 11 -
First - Burlington, CO
Jeffrey Hanson
Grace - Colorado Springs, CO
Michael Tassler
Holy Cross - La Junta, CO
Mary Hendrickson- ECUSA
Immanuel - Bethune, CO
Bryce Fellbaum
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Download
ELCA Prayer Ventures
for daily guides to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world.
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Sunday, June 11
Trinity Sunday
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Prayer of the Day
God of heaven and earth, before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time you are the triune God: Author of creation, eternal Word of salvation, life-giving Spirit of wisdom. Guide us to all truth by your Spirit, that we may proclaim all that Christ has revealed and rejoice in the glory he shares with us. Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Global Church Prayer
Holy God, who is One in Three, you give us the great commission, to go and make disciples in all nations. Thanks be to you for the witness of all people who are disciples of Jesus Christ in countries other than their own. May the relationships they build strengthen their faith and lead them into all good work, through God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Cross+Gen Life Tour July 15, 2017 at Bethany Lutheran Church
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Is your congregation wondering where to begin with
Cross Generational Ministry? Have you begun to move in this direction and could use a little inspiration or new ideas? Would you like to see who else is doing this ministry near you for collaboration, dreaming and scheming?
Rev. Dr. Rich Melheim, along with presenters who are engaged in this ministry, will be at
Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 E Hampden Ave. Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113, on Saturday, July 15 to encourage. support and dream with you. This event is for rostered ministers, lay leaders, volunteers, council members, and anyone who wonders about the present and future of the Church! A
brochure is here. To see the schedule, pricing and to register please go to
their website.
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Volunteers Still Needed to Finish Construction of Community Garden
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During the two work days in March, we doubled the number of available garden plots to a total of 27. All are now rented for this season. Crusher fine paths, a shed, and expanded irrigation are now in place. There was a joyful Earth Day celebration at the Garden on April 22. Educational workshops were offered on that day. In May,
Denver Urban Gardens demonstrated the science and art of composting. Two bee hives have been donated and are now installed near the garden, along with a pollinator garden. Beyond the benefits of creating a joyful community, the garden is serving those in need of support. The
Arvada Community Food Bank section is cared for by young adults with developmental disabilities gaining work experience.
Arvada West High School has rented a plot for agricultural education. Scholarship aid was made available to residents of low-income housing. Common Earth is true to its mission.
The next work day is scheduled for Saturday, June 10th and volunteers would be most welcome. We will be constructing a walkway (fine gravel) and laying the inscribed bricks that were donated. Does anyone have expertise or experience laying interlocking bricks in sand?
To volunteer you can go to the
garden website, contact
Amy by email,
or call Martha at 303-420-1422. Share the joy of gardening with great people!
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Summer Organist Available
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A Wartburg West student, who also happens to be an organ player, will be in the Denver area June 5 - July28. Cody Birely is available to fill in as a Sunday organist/pianist this summer for any congregation in the Denver area.
Contact Cody for more information.
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Wisconsin Children’s Choir Youth Chorale - Free Concert!
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Wednesday, June 14
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
St. Luke Lutheran Church
9100 Menaul Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM
Directed by Margaret Hadley and accompanied by Jason Kutz, this choir of 8th - 12th grade singers from the Madison, WI, is touring around the country this June to share the joy of music! They are celebrating their 25th anniversary and are inviting you to join them for this free concert graciously hosted by St. Luke Lutheran Church. They would love to sing for you!
This is a Free Concert! Download a concert flyer here. Freewill donations will be gratefully accepted in support of the St. Luke Youth travelling to the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas, in July 2018.
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Lilly Grant Initiative: Grants for Rostered Ministers
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Is financial debt distracting you from healthy ministry? Let us invest in you by providing a grant to help you pay off credit card debt, school loans, medical debt, or seminary debt. Join the others who are letting us encourage them. The
Ministry Excellence Fund is designed to show the partnership we share so that we will have healthy leaders leading healthy ministries. Go to our
RMS Lilly Grant Initiative website to get started with your initial inquiry.
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Health Ministry Information Session
Saturday, June 10
9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
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Health is a critical part of faith life. Learn how Faith Community Nurses are instrumental in connecting faith and health in faith settings. The specialty practice of Faith Community Nursing and its impact on whole-person health will be explored. Clergy, registered nurses and faith-based staff are welcome to attend. There is no fee for this workshop. For more information send
email to Andrea M. West.
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Wartburg Theological Seminary's "Luther Academy of the Rockies"
June 19-29, 2017
Meeker Park Lodge - Allenspark, CO
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Registration is NOW OPEN!
Come join us for ten days amid the beautiful Rockies with
renowned speakers, engaging and meaningful topics, great conversation, and genuine fellowship! This opportunity is too great to miss!! Please share this information with others in your Synod. If you need additional information or different formats of the materials in the press packet,
please send email Lisamarie Odeen, Director of Communications.
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Faith and Grief Weekend at Highlands Presbyterian Camp and Retreat Center
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Friday, June 23, at 7 p.m. to Sunday, June 25, after breakfast
Highlands Presbyterian Camp and Retreat Center of Allenspark CO, in partnership with
Faith and Grief Ministries is offering this new program for those who have experienced the death of a spouse, child, parent, sibling, or friends.
As summer approaches, we may find ourselves reflecting on how we have spent fun-filled summers in the past with loved ones and friends. For many who have lost a spouse, parent, sibling, child or friend, these memories can be painful.
Highlands and Faith & Grief Ministries are combining their respective gifts to make this retreat available, providing you a safe venue to wrestle with the dynamics of grief and to experience significant measures of hope and encouragement. Whether you are standing in raw grief, navigating the chaos of grief’s confusion, or recovering from a recent ambush of grief, this retreat is designed for you. Plan to experience comfort through scripture, spiritual practices, and interaction within a compassionate community of men and women who “get it”—get the heartache, get the lingering sorrow, get the continual yearning to be with your loved one, and get the longing for peace.
Scholarships are available. Here are links to a
brochure, and
costs and registration information. Please contact
Steven Bohn, Registrar for questions.
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Wartburg College - High School Leadership Institute
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Caffeinated Church Conference
- FREE Workshop: Graphic Design, Social Media, Web Design
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Tuesday, July 11, 2017
8:30am 4:00pm
The Episcopal Church in Colorado
Office of the Bishop
1300 Washington Street, Denver
The Caffeinated Church Conference is centered around creative church collaboration. Increase your creative output through hands-on training in the areas of graphic design, marketing/advertising, layout/design, and website development. We will discuss best practices, budgeting and resources for small to large parishes, challenges that we face, and more. Meet with leaders from other churches engaged in creative design and innovative communications.
Anyone who is actively involved in communications and media at the parish level: Communications Leaders, Administrators, Graphic Designers, Editors, Creative Planners, Artists, Writers, & Photographers.
This conference will be live in-person at the Office of the Bishop, Denver, as well as available via a Zoom video conference for those who live a long distance from Denver or who are joining us from another diocese. You can register for the conference
here.
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Deacon Epiphany Gathering for Region 2
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Resource Corner
check back each week for a new or featured resource for your congregation
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"Just because something is “on google” does not mean that it is free.
The images, text, and video you find there usually are not free – they are copyrighted by the websites that host them.
Thou Shalt Not Steal."
Pastor David Hanson, Spirit of Joy! in The Woodlands, TX shares his thoughts and tips on copyright basics in
his latest blog post
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Administration Matters is bimonthly e-newsletter for ELCA congregational and synodical leaders. It addresses common, practical issues including finance, governance, risk management, tax, legal concerns and topics of interest about day to day operations and management in church settings.
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New Listings this Week ---
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Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry
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Direct a vital family ministry, with the desire that individuals of all ages will come to know God’s grace, love and forgiveness. Focus: Pre-K through college and families. Establish a presence in the community, advocate for children, youth, families and their needs, collaborate with other churches. Ability to organize retreats, mission trips, and community service activities. Undergraduate degree, preferably in Youth and Family Ministry, or Certification in Youth and Family Ministry. Excellent communication skills and social media savvy. Experience in outdoor ministry is a plus. Understanding of child development and family dynamics, relates well to children. Positive attitude, energetic, flexible and patient. Biblically literate; familiarity with Lutheran theology. For full job description and benefits information, contact All Saints Lutheran Church at 505-898-3932 or
email; or submit resume, cover letter and 3-5 personal or professional references to 505-792-1939 (fax) or 4800 All Saints Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120, no later than June 25, 2017. Must be able to pass background check.
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Choir Director and Coordinator of Special Music (part-time)
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St. Andrew Lutheran Church is seeking a part-time Choir Director and Coordinator of Special Music to direct the choir four Sundays a month September through May and to schedule special music for the summer worship services in June, July and August. Candidates must be willing to keep current with Lutheran liturgical developments and hymnody and must possess a knowledge of appropriate church music (classical, contemporary, folk, gospel, etc.) and the role of music in Lutheran worship. Requires a Bachelor's degree in music and experience conducting. Salary is $500-$600 per month, commensurate with experience, and includes two weeks paid vacation. For a full job description, please click
here
. Please submit resumes via email.
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Trinity Lutheran Church is an inter-generational downtown Boulder congregation with a long tradition and history of good music is seeking an organist (10-13 hours per week) for Sunday morning worship (2 services); mid-week principal festivals; choirs and soloist accompaniment; providing leadership for the early service Worship Team (piano and guitar based musical leadership at the early service, but not a "Praise Band"), as well as weddings and funerals. A candidate for this position should be comfortable with various music styles from classical to contemporary; able to lead well congregational singing from hymnody to global church music; able to sight read well; comfortable with pipe organ, piano, keyboard, and harpsichord; understand Lutheran liturgical worship and provide appropriate prelude and postlude music. Applications and questions may be
addressed to Rev. Mark Twietmeyer, or by calling 303-442-2300.
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Cross of Christ Lutheran Church and School is seeking a Director for our faith-based, vibrant Preschool and Kindergarten in which children, families, and staff are engaged and valued. The Director leads in the operation of the school while working with a tight-knit group of teachers to provide a child-centered, play based education. This is a high-energy, team-oriented position working with a committed group of delightful people. Job description and requirements are
here. Please send inquiries and resumes to
Jennifer Sanchez.
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List of All Non-Rostered Positions ---
Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry
All Saints Lutheran Church - Albuquerque, NM
Choir Director and Coordinator of Special Music (part-time)
St. Andrew Lutheran Church - Arvada, CO
ELCA Regional Gift Planner
Rocky Mountain Synod - (home office)
Accompanist/Organist
Trinity Lutheran Church - Boulder, CO
Kindergarten Director
Cross of Christ Lutheran Church - Broomfield, CO
Looking for Compassion, Faith and Nursing
Faith Lutheran Church - Golden, CO
Director of Youth Music
Bethany Lutheran Church - Cherry Hills Village, CO
Community Care Coordinator
Faith Lutheran Church - Golden, CO
Faith Community Nurse (Parish Nurse)
Augustana Lutheran Church - Denver, CO
Custodian
Bethany Lutheran Church - Cherry Hills Village, CO
Choir Director and Accompanist (part-time)
Highlands Lutheran Church - Denver, CO
Augustana Arts - Executive Director
Augustana Lutheran Church - Denver, CO
Building Resources Coordinator (part-time)
Faith Lutheran Church - Golden, CO
Director of Children's Education (part-time)
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church - Fort Collins, CO
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Office of the Bishop This Week
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Bishop Gonia
- Vacation: Cambodia, 5/29-6/8
- Grand Canyon Synod Visit
- Installation for Pastor Todd Hawkins, Prince of Peace, Denver, CO
- Mobility Conference, Sacramento, CA
Pastor Kent Mueller
- Lutheran Center Administration
- Interim Pastors Meeting
- Vacation
Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM
- NM Conference of Churches
- Interfaith Hunger Coalition
Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-CO
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Pastor Judith VanOsdol
- HKBP
- Latino Ministry West Denver
- Aurora Area Ministry Strategy
- Messiah: Cap Hill/ Park Hill Strategy
- Ascension, Colorado Springs
- Mobility Conference, Sacramento, CA
Deacon Erin Power
- RMS Communications
- Rainbow Trail Staff Training
- King of Kings, Pueblo, CO
- Metro East Conference Meeting
- Our Saviour's Salt Lake City, UT
- Mobility Conference, Sacramento, CA
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Erin Power
,
Assistant to the Bishop
Rocky Mountain Synod
800-525-0462 / 303-777-6700 / fax 303-339-4744
Announcements for eConnection are due before noon on Monday for the issue the following Wednesday. Event announcements are included for about two weeks and should be submitted via the eConnection Submission link above.
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