A Reconciling in Christ synod
|
|
Christ's Church, Better Together: Opening our Doors to Refugees
|
|
Cristo Rey in El Paso will open its doors once again this week to provide temporary housing for refugees on the Border. Cristo Rey responds to the need for overflow housing as needed, partnering with other organizations in El Paso. The congregation is in need of a new refrigerator, along with support of food, clothing, paper goods or gift cards as they offer hospitality to their neighbors. More information can be found on
Cristo Rey's Facebook Page.
We offer our gratitude and prayers for the witness of Cristo Rey and the families receiving their hospitality.
|
|
Reflections from our Summer Intern: Sitting in the Holy Space
|
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
|
|
After the Media Leaves, Lutherans Stay
|
What does disaster response look like years later?
Among the first to respond to a disaster and the last to leave the site, Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) has a reputation for serving communities even when other agencies have packed up. Working mostly behind the scenes, it’s able to respond so readily through an extensive network of partnerships around the world.
“We often joke that long after the media’s gone, Lutherans are the ones leaving the building and turning off the lights,” said Michael Stadie, LDR-U.S. program director.
Last year LDR worked on 47 relief and recovery projects in 29 countries, distributing almost $6.6 million. Without its worldwide partners, LDR wouldn’t exist since there are only five full-time staff working out of the ELCA churchwide office.
LDR also works globally with such organizations as the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Lutheran World Relief (LWR), Church World Service (CWS) and companion churches.
Read the full story at Living Lutheran
|
|
Office of the Bishop Eucharist, Wednesday, August 2
|
Our monthly Eucharist has been moved to the
first
Wednesday this month, August 2 at 11:30 a.m.
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.
|
|
Invitation to "Day of Shared Gifts and Learning"
|
Who: Rostered Ministers, Congregational Councils, Visioning teams, other interested leaders
What:
Day of Shared Gifts and Learning
When: Friday, August 25 from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Where:
Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 E. Hampden Avenue Cherry Hills Village, CO
How much: $20.00 per person to offset cost of lunch and materials
The
Domestic Mission unit of our Churchwide Expression hosts a Congregational Development training conference twice per year for Rostered ministers and other leaders of new mission starts, specialized ministries and renewing congregations. In August the training event will be hosted by the Rocky Mountain Synod at Bethany Lutheran Church in Cherry Hills Village (South Denver). The Friday of that week will be open to ALL interested leaders to attend the gathering and participate in various workshops.
These workshops highlight our call toward healthy, vital congregations and feature number of leaders, including our own Bishop Jim Gonia on "Claiming our Gifts," together with other gifted leaders working with Congregational Vitality, Church Development Institute (CDI) among other offerings.
You are invited and encouraged to register as a group from your congregation. We are asking for a $20. registration fee per person to offset the cost of lunch and materials.
Here is the registration link
for participants who want to attend the
Congregational Development Training Conference on Friday, August 25 from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church. Please make arrangements for each event participant to complete and submit the registration form. If you would like to make any changes you can contact
Marta.Rorata@elca.org.
Looking forward to a great gathering!
|
|
Office of the Bishop Hospitality Volunteers
|
|
The Office of the Bishop is exploring new ways to support the mission and ministry of the Rocky Mountain Synod. We are looking for a team of
Hospitality Volunteers to support the work that happens day-to-day at the Lutheran Center.
Hospitality Volunteers would staff our front desk Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., on either 2.5 or 5 hour shifts. The Hospitality Volunteer will greet, welcome, and direct visitors; notify staff of visitor arrival; assist staff with projects as needed; maintain basic database information; and assist with other administrative tasks.
Volunteers should have knowledge of the Rocky Mountain Synod, basic proficiency in Word and Excel, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
Ideally, volunteers would work 1 shift a week, beginning the week of August 14.
Questions and completed applications can be directed to
Deniese Estrada, RMS Finance Administrator.
|
|
REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 15!
|
New this year! All are welcome to gather for a time of restful and rejuvenating prayer. Using contemplative prayer as our foundation we will make space for the work of the Holy Spirit through different group prayer experiences including praying with images, walking prayer, group spiritual direction and praying with seed mandalas. Pastor Sonja Sandquist from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Littleton, Colorado is a certified spiritual director, trained at the Shalem Institute and she will lead the prayer experiences. This is a time for beginners and seasoned spiritual people. All are welcome.Cost is $12 to cover lunch, as well as an extra night hotel stay for those who would need to travel on Sunday.
Register today- there is still room for 15 people.
Additional highlights:
- Welcome reception and opening remarks from Bishop Gonia
- Daily Eucharist Worship
- Afternoon sessions will offer 2 different tracks: Vulnerability or Financial Matters
- Evening fellowship: Beer & Hymns night and RMS Improv
Updated Schedule available here.
Registration Deadline is August 15. Scholarships available.
|
|
Church Development Institute
|
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.
|
|
Prayers for 2016-2017 Border Servant Corps and Urban Servant Corps Volunteers
|
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.
|
|
Installations
Pastor Debra Jimenez
Trinity, Hobb, NM
Saturday, August 5, 2:00 p.m.
Color of the day: Green
|
|
RMS Prayer Cycle
AUGUST 2017 NORTH COLORADO CONFERENCE
All Saints - Brush, CO Dan Hays
Bethel - Windsor, CO David Pederson
Bethlehem - Brush, CO Wes Dunbar
Faith - Eaton, CO John Maroni
First - Ault, CO Renee Lier
|
|
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.
|
|
Sunday, August 6 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
|
Prayer of the Day
Glorious God, your generosity waters the world with goodness, and you cover creation with abundance. Awaken in us a hunger for the food that satisfies both body and spirit, and with this food fill all the starving world; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Global Church Prayer
Incarnate God, giver of all good gifts, provider of all we need, we give you thanks for the abundance that your creation provides for us. Praise to you for the work of all people in this church who work to ensure that your good gifts are distributed in equitable ways throughout the world. May we ever desire your justice to wash over us and, through faith, renew our desire to show your love through gifts of food, clothes and shelter, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
|
|
Huge Vintage Craft Sale, August 11-12, for Sky Ranch
|
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.
|
|
Going to the CSU Football Games in the New Stadium?
|
Lutheran Campus Ministry is just a short distance away and offering great parking and tailgating spots. At $100 a stall for the whole season the campus ministry offers a warm building, bathrooms, back deck and a gas grill. Get two stalls and have room for your canopy, table, or grill. Email Campus Pastor Paul Judson at pastor@lcmcsu.org for details and a contract.
|
|
Fireweed Bluegrass Band Concert - No tickets Required!
|
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Outdoor Event from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
All are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy an evening of Bluegrass music, neighborly friendship, and food. Food will be available starting at 6, music will begin at 7 p.m.
This is an outreach event sponsored by both LCOR and Bethlehem, Brush, with support from Thrivent. There will be a Free Will offering in support of Rising Up, a local Fort Morgan resource for hungry, homeless and the needy.
In addition, there will be a special worship service at 9:00a.m. featuring Fireweed on Sunday, August 13 at
Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer.
Details available
here, get a flier
here.
|
|
Bright Stars of Bethlehem - Growing Hope in Palestine
|
|
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Friday, August 11 and Monday, September 11
Join us to show support for Bright Stars of Bethlehem - hear what is happening in the Bright Stars projects, view two short films by Dar al-Kalima students. Meet Bright Stars VP Beth Nelson Chase - hearty appetizers. RSVP by email to Margaret Hinchey or text/call 303-667-5671.
Bright Stars of Bethlehem supports the ministries started by the members of Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, and their pastor Mitri Raheb, under the umbrella of the Diyar Consortium. The K-12 school, after-school activities, senior program and Dar al-Kalima University bring hope to the people of Bethlehem, increasingly surrounded and cut off from other communities in the West Bank by Israel's wall. Come learn more about this beacon of hope! Related information is also here.
|
|
Interfaith Gathering: Celebrating 150 Years of Faith in Cheyenne
|
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!
|
|
Executive Skills for Pastors Events
|
California Lutheran University is offering a week of continuing education with faculty from the School of Management. In the complex environment of congregational management, we all can use new tools for ministry. This continuing education event for pastors will explore how concepts from a MBA program can be applied to the arena of congregational life. Each day, we will explore a different theme.
This event is hosted in two different locations at two different times of the year.
- 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.
|
|
Faith & Science Workshop - Ethical Issues in Human Germ-line Editing
|
|
Soul Shop for Youth Leaders
|
Tuesday, August 22, 2017 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Abiding Hope Church
Soul Shop is a one-day training to equip teachers, educators, youth pastors, youth leaders, servants who walk alongside youth (like confirmation guides) and quite frankly any adult who cares deeply about young people, to minister to youth impacted by suicidal desperation. Special attention will focus on youth specific issues of impulsivity and contagion. The training includes the creation of resources, training congregation and community members in suicide awareness and basic conversation skills, and the invitation to those who have been suicidal in the past to share their stories. Flyer available here, register here.
- $25 Registration Fee includes seminar materials, continental breakfast and lunch.
- Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available upon request.
|
|
Dear Parents with Young Children in Church - Living Lutheran
|
|
You are doing something really, really important. I know it's not easy. I see you with your arms overflowing, and I know you came to church already tired. Parenting is tiring. Really tiring. I watch you bounce and sway trying to keep the baby...
Read more
www.livinglutheran.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
Resource Corner
check back each week for a new or featured resource for your congregation
|
|
Reconciling Work's "
Where All Can Safely Live" is an anti-bullying curriculum that gives an introduction to what bullying is, how it functions, and why we as Christians are called to prevent it from happening in our communities.
The curriculum is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to stop bullying. However, this guide provides a basic understanding of how bullying works and offers suggestions for steps in creating a congregational bullying prevention plan.
Read more.
|
|
Lilly Grant Initiative: Equip - Grants Team Meeting August 7
|
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.
|
|
Administration Matters - from the July 2017 Issue
|
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.
|
|
All Non-Rostered Positions
|
|
Pre-school Director
Our Saviour's Lutheran Church - Casper, WY
Director (or Associate Pastor) of Children's & Family Ministries
Kaw Prairie Community Church (ELCA-PCUSA)
, Lenexa, KS
Preschool Director/Teacher
Grace Lutheran Church - Casper, WY
Director of Youth and Household Ministry
Trinity Lutheran Church - Boulder, CO
Director of Worship and Music
Mount Calvary Lutheran Church - Boulder, CO
Contextual Education Coordinator
Iliff School of Theology - Denver, CO
Office Administrator (part-time)
Holy Love Lutheran Church - Aurora, CO
Director of Youth Ministry
Cross of Christ Lutheran Church - Broomfield, CO
Choir Director and Coordinator of Special Music (part-time)
St. Andrew Lutheran Church - Arvada, CO
Faith Formation Director of Youth
Bethany Lutheran Church - Cherry Hills Village, CO
Faith Formation Intern (part-time)
Bethany Lutheran Church - Cherry Hills Village, CO
Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry
All Saints Lutheran Church - Albuquerque, NM
ELCA Regional Gift Planner
Rocky Mountain Synod - (home office)
|
|
Office of the Bishop This Week
|
|
Bishop Gonia
- In-office appointments
- Staff Meeting
- Candidacy Committee
- Installation of Pastor Debra Jimenez, Hobbs, NM
- St. Mark's, Roswell, NM
- Rostered Ministers Gathering, Atlanta
Pastor Kent Mueller
- Lutheran Center Administration
- Staff Meeting
- Candidacy Committee
- Growing Home School Supply Give-Away, Lutheran Center
Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM
- Trinity, Hobbs, NM
- St. Mark, Roswell, NM
- Interfaith Hunger Coalition
Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-CO
- Colorado Community Action Association Conference on Poverty
|
|
Pastor Judith VanOsdol
- Theological Conference planning
- Global Mission Committee
- Staff Meeting
- New Beginnings, Denver, CO
- Rostered Ministers Gathering, Atlanta
- St. John's Thornton, CO
- Staff Meeting
- Rostered Ministers Gathering, Atlanta
|
|
Erin Power
,
Assistant to the Bishop
Rocky Mountain Synod
800-525-0462 / 303-777-6700 / fax 303-339-4744
Articles 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|