Church Together Toolkit

In coordination with your pastor and congregational leadership, please share these  stories and insights with your congregation , ideally in worship, but also through other communication channels, through faith formation opportunities, etc.
 
Please seek ways to  share the stories of your congregation’s ministry and witness with the rest of us as you network with other Church Together Ambassadors  in exploring additional avenues for passing along the energy and enthusiasm generated when we gather in Assembly.
 
Download Word / PDF version of Toolkit
Bishop Gonia: Ecumenical Life
" Live in harmony with one another.” Romans 12:16
 
When describing the word “ecumenical”, I usually tell people that it means we play well with others. As the ELCA, we DO play well with others – it’s in our DNA. With six full communion church partners and a host of other faith communities with whom we share in ministry and dialogue, we recognize that ecumenical life is not about seeking to be the same – it’s about respecting our distinctive gifts and joining our strengths for a stronger witness and impact in the world – Church Better Together!
Mission Moment
Ecumenical Advocacy in Utah!
Recently, faith leaders from across Utah, including many of our Rocky Mountain Synod leaders, gathered at the State Capitol for Faith and Poverty Day with the explicit goal of urging state lawmakers to honor the decision of Utah voters to expand Medicaid coverage to their most vulnerable neighbors. Faith and Poverty Day was sponsored by Crossroads Urban Center, a multi-faith grassroots organization in relationship to the United Methodist Church.

Our ecumenical public ministry is possible partly because of our deep commitment to being Church Together. As the ELCA, we are in full-communion partnerships with five denominations: The Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, and The Moravian Church. 
Mission Moment Image: Bishop Jim and Utah Conference leaders joined their ecumenical and inter-faith colleagues for Faith and Poverty Day at the State Capitol
Prayers and Hymns
The territory of the Rocky Mountain Synod coincides with four Episcopal Dioceses. Bishop Jim joined his Episcopal colleagues for the installation of the new Bishop of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, Bishop Michael Hunn
Hymn: ELW 498 United at the Table ( Unidos en la Fiesta)


Prayer Petition:
Unifying God, we are grateful for the ministry of our full-communion partners and the unique gifts they offer to our shared witness: The Episcopal Church, United Methodist Church, Moravian Church, United Church of Christ, Reformed Church in America, and Presbyterian Church (USA). Grant wisdom and a spirit of unity in conversations with other siblings in Christ, that we might strengthen our Gospel witness in the world through our partnerships.
Offering Connections
(to include in the offering portion of worship)
 March 3: Your gifts help support 2 ecumenical mission sites: Camino de Vida in Albuquerque (PC-USA) and Cristo Rey in Denver (Episcopal Church)
March 10: With your support, the Rocky Mountain Synod participates in the Colorado Council of
Churches, the New Mexico Conference of Churches, and the Wyoming Interfaith Network
March 17:  Your offerings help support a joint ELCA-Episcopal Campus Ministry at UNC in Greeley, CO
March 24:  In addition to our 6 full-communion partners, the ELCA is in bilateral conversation with 6 other church bodies. This on-going work towards shared ministry is made possible through your support.
March 31: Through your mission support, Bishop Gonia, staff, and synod council are able to be present at ordinations, installations, and annual conferences of our full-communion partners, embodying our call to be the Church Together.