Clarification: Kaari von Bernuth is serving as the Synodical Life Intern in the Office of the Bishop this summer. She has spent time worshipping and hearing the stories of the congregations and ministries across our synod. She is posting these stories to her blog, RMS in the Neighborhood. 

"Last week, I had the opportunity to worship with the Old Town House Church in Fort Collins, which is a part of the Mustard Seed House Churches in the Northern Colorado Area. If I’m being completely honest, I had no clue what a House Church looked like, who was in them, what you did at a House Church; I was completely ignorant... " >More

All are invited to join in this 30 minute worship. Our August preacher will be Kaari Von Bernuth, our Office of the Bishop Summer Intern! Come hear the Gospel from one of our young adult leaders in the church.

People who confess a Trinitarian God are people who believe that God is all about the relationship. Our congregations need leaders who can navigate and practice healthy relationships. 

The RMS can host a modified version of the Church Development Institute, which has been used extensively in the Colorado Episcopal Diocese and has equipped many congregations to find renewed meaning and purpose in their life together. 

Because the best learning happens when interacting with peers, we will only move forward with this class if we have a minimum number of people and congregations. Our deadline for registration is August 25, 2017. Please visit our website for information and to register, see our flyer, and let us know as soon as possible so we can confirm the class. 

As 2016-2017 Border Servant Corps full-time volunteers complete their year of service with BSC, we ask for prayers in their transition. We celebrate this past year as they have walked with people in the borderlands and wish them well as they continue their journeys: Geoff Blackwell, Emily Bowen, Michael Dickson, Erica McDowell, Martha McKinley, Angie O'Brien, Pairsa Shirazi, and Hannah Whitelock-Wolff. 

Urban Servant Corps volunteers have also completed their year of service. We are grateful for their service with people experiencing hunger and poverty in Denver this year and offer our prayers as they begin a new chapter: Jenna Harmon, Dan Wang, Nicole Ballah, Emily Haskins, Grace Lenhart, and Matt McCormick. 

A large collection of craft supplies from a craft store will be for sale... including beads, jewelry parts, doll making, imitation flowers, macrame, hat making, Christmas decorations, yarn, and many more categories. There will be bargains the likes of which have not been seen in decades!

All proceeds will be given to Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp. Doors open on Friday, August 11 at noon (until 8:00 p.m.) and continues on Saturday, August 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Fellowship Hall of Atonement Lutheran Church, 6281 West Yale Ave., Lakewood, CO.

10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 6

Join faith communities all across Cheyenne for an Interfaith Gathering. This event will kick off a week of celebrations. This service will include songs, prayers, a performance by a community choir, and a message from The Rev. Warren Murphy about the History of Faith in Cheyenne. You can lend your voice to the community choir by joining in the rehearsal on August 6 at 8:00 a.m. at the Civic Center. More info available at our Facebook Event page! Come and join in as we celebrate 150 years of faith!

• January 8-12, 2018 at Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center, Carefree, AZ. Details (information, pricing, and registration) available here.

• July 16-20, 2018 T Cal Lutheran Campus in Thousand Oaks, CA. Details here, and below.
  

Level 1 and Level 2 run at the same time. This is due to our desire to create synergies between the participants as they join together in housing, meals and breaks while participating in different classes. Level 1 is the prerequisite to Level 2. 

(Class content is subject to change.)
Level One:
Finance; Marketing; Leadership; Information Technology; Entrepreneurship; Strategic Questions
Level Two:
The Customer Experience; Organizational Development; Advanced Leadership Skills; Vision and Mission.

This dynamic continuing education event is limited to 20 registrants for each level. Participants will be invited to bring a particular project or issue that they will focus on during the week. Through lectures, group work, and one-on-one learning participants will gain valuable and needed skills for their work as pastors in congregational settings. The participants will live, learn, worship, and work together throughout the week.

Cost (subject to slight change): $799.00 (includes classes, materials, room and board)
Cost Commuter fee: $625.00 (includes classes, materials, snacks and lunches) Will include dinner if evening sessions are scheduled.
Time: The event will begin on Monday and concludes at noon on Friday.
Travel: For those who are traveling, housing may be arranged for the nights of Sunday, and Friday. Cost is $20 per night and can be reserved through registration.

October 6-7, 2017

Episcopal Conference Center of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

Early Bird Registration is Open Now Through September 1st

The focus of the dialogue will be "Ethical Issues in Human Germ-line Editing".  We will be presenting on the current science of CRISPR Cas-9 technology, and the ethical issues surrounding its application from a theological perspective.  

Join with clergy, theologians, scientists and bioethicists for presentations and conversations in Salt Lake City next October as we engage in a multi-disciplinary exploration of these and other questions facing us today.  

 More information and registration link are available here. 

In Educate, Equip, Enact, "Equip" is for the grants program, where a small team has the fun of giving money to encourage and support our rostered ministers who have applied for the grants for credit card debt relief,
retirement savings, school loans, emergency debt, etc. Thank you to those who have applied, and are the "early adopters" helping to develop the program.

On August 7, the Grants Team (Pr. Brian Bergum, Pr. Steve Klemz, Pr. Diana Linden-Johnson, Julie Nelson, Marti Weber) will meet to consider the first requests, and checks will be in the mail right after that. If you are willing to let the Grants Team encourage you in that same way, complete the initial inquiry at rmselca.org/lilly. Let Educate, Equip, Enact help keep debt from distracting you from ministry.

Legal resources

A reminder that the ELCA has legal resources available on its website at http://elca.org/en/Resources/Legal. The resources include information on some of the most common legal issues faced by congregations, such as employees and volunteers, tax, sexual misconduct, property, and financial issues. While not a substitute for legal advice, these resources can help point you in the right direction. >More

Administration Matters is a 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.