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March 6, 2019
A Reconciling in Christ synod
An invitation - from Presiding Bishop Eaton
An invitation. In her March column for Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reflects on prayer. She reminds us that prayer is not about the technique-the how or why we pray. Prayer is an invitation to divine love. Prayer is about relationship with God. Prayer is God seeking us.

Read her column online in English and in Spanish, or download here Word and PDF.
ELCA Conference of Bishops issues statement on Venezuela
The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) stands with and holds up in prayer the people of Venezuela during the current multifaceted crisis within their nation. We care about the consequences of this crisis as already felt in neighboring countries and about its wider impact on international peace and security.

International Women's Day 2019

International Women's Day 2019 theme is #BalanceforBetter #IWD2019

Read more
www.internationalwomensday.com
eConnection Spotlight:
RMS in the Neighborhood
Church Together in Utah!
This Bunco afternoon was an intentional gathering to bring Utah Lutherans together for a bit of fun, building community, learning opportunities, exercising faith, and service. It was held at Zion Lutheran in Salt Lake City. Fun in community was had by those who attended. Thanks to Pastor DanaLee for leading our first UT Conference Bunco. Thank you to everyone who attended: Pastor Terri and folks from Prince of Peace, Pastor Rick and folks from Ascension in Ogden, Pastor Steve Leiser from Shepherd of the Mountain, and Pastor Steve and folks from Zion.We hope to have events planned every other month or so!
RMS-ELCA News and Events
Don't forget to not forget to do your Annual Congregational Report Forms A/C !
Here's a little reminder to make sure your congregation submits its Annual Congregational Report Forms A & C online. The due date for these forms was February 15. Have your Congregation ID on-hand and go here.
It will only take a few minutes of your time and you'll be glad you didn't forget!
Office of the Bishop Eucharist, Wednesday, March 13
Our monthly Eucharist will be held at the Lutheran Center on Wednesday, March 13 at 11:30 a.m.

All are invited to join in this 30 minute worship.
For Your Bulletin
Consecration & Installation

Kristen Saathoff
Tabor, Pueblo, CO
Saturday, March 9, 1:00 p.m.
Color of the Day: Purple
RMS Prayer Cycle

MARCH 2019: BOULDER/BROOMFIELD CONFERENCE

 Week of March 10

Christ the Servant - Louisville, CO
Stephanie Lord

Atonement - Boulder, CO
Chad Kohlmeyer
Stacy Payne
Temptations of Christ
Sandro Botticelli 1481-82

Join us in daily prayer:
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, March 10
First Sunday in Lent 
Prayer of the Day

O Lord God, you led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide us now, so that, following your Son, we may walk safely through the wilderness of this world toward the life you alone can give, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

In God's Hands: Ecumenical Prayer Cycle from the World Council of Churches

10 - 16 March  Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden - Intercessions and Prayers
Around the Synod
Prepare Enrich Certification Workshop
Thursday, March 14, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Thrivent Financial is partnering with Made to Flourish (MTF) to invest in Denver Metro area church leaders who desire to go deeper in strengthening our communities by strengthening marriages. Together, we’re inviting pastors and church leaders to join us for the “Prepare/Enrich Conference”, a one-day event that will result in your certification as a facilitator of the PREPARE/ENRICH assessment tool that has helped more than 4 million couples by providing in-depth relationship snapshots.

PREPARE/ENRICH pinpoints where couples have “positive couple agreement” and where they need improvement, so your time as a pastor or church leader can be focused where couples actually need help navigating. This conference is designed to train you to utilize this tool in guiding premarital and married couples using six core and 20+ supplemental exercises. Come experience this no-cost event (valued at $175 per attendee) to invigorate your marriage ministry by identifying strengths and growth areas in categories such as Communication, Conflict Resolution, Spiritual Beliefs, & Financial Management.
 
Who: Pastors and Church leaders seeking PREPARE/ENRICH certification
When: Thursday, March 14, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (lunch and snacks included)
Where: Denver Seminary Campus Chapel (6399 S. Santa Fe Dr., Littleton, CO 80120)
To register: use this link today! (Capacity limited to 50 attendees.)
There is no price of this event. What you will get:

  • Admission to the day-long conference, including lunch
  • Participant workbook, tools, and resources to guide your learning
  • PREPARE/ENRICH training and certification to use with couples moving forward (a $175 value).


Please RSVP at your earliest convenience to reserve your ticket as space is limited.  
Newcomers — A Gathering with Helen Thorpe and Rocky Mountains LFS
Saint Peter Lutheran Church, Greenwood Village
Sunday, March 24, 1:00 p.m.
First Lady Helen Thorpe will be presenting at Saint Peter for a conversation about welcoming the newcomers and will center around her new book, The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in America. . We invite you and your congregations to join us for this event. We’ll gather for a light lunch at 12:30 p.m. (there is no cost to you, but we would appreciate a rough estimate of how many might be coming from your congregation to help us plan for lunch and seating, click here ), and Helen and Lutheran Family Services will present afterwards.

The purpose of the event is two-fold:
  • To raise awareness of refugee issues in Colorado
  • To collect household items needed by 11 refugee families who have recently arrived in Colorado

Our flier, pictured below, is available for download here . We can create custom fliers for you if your congregation wants to focus on collecting a particular household item.

Saint Peter has created a Facebook Event . Feel free to respond, or use it to create one of your own.

If you have specific questions, please reach out to  Jeanne Maloney  or  Karne Beighle .
New Mexico Conference of Churches presents CIRCO for Community and Justice
Friday, April 5, 5:30 - 9:00 p.m.
CIRCO for Community and Justice a benefit dinner of the New Mexico Conference of Churches to be held on April 5 at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Albuquerque.  
 
As a friend of the New Mexico Conference of Churches we ask you to include an announcement of CIRCO in your late-February /early-March communications; become a Facebook event co-sponsor; consider purchasing an ad or becoming a fiscal sponsor of the event; and attend with your friends.

Here are files you may use in your publications.


Please include this link for reservations:  https://nmchurches.breezechms.com/form/f7687e

Go here to promote the event on Facebook, and become a FB co-sponsor.

Advertisers and Sponsors to be included in our program booklet are welcome by March 5.
Deadline for reservations is March 25.  
 
Thank your for your help to promote CIRCO and your support of the ecumenical community in New Mexico!
Our Life Together
The Summit 2019: Learning to Support our Youth with Mental, Emotional, and Social Health Issues
Monday April 8, 11:00 a.m. through Wednesday April 10, 11:00 a.m.
You know how hard your youth ministry staff works for your congregation. Well, Rainbow Trail wants to give them a little bonus for all that they do. The Summit, RTLC’s youth ministry retreat, is for your youth and family ministers. And it is absolutely FREE. The Summit will be held April 8-10, 2019 at camp and is free to church personnel who work with youth in the Rocky Mountain Synod. Our keynote speaker, Julie Miller, will be talking about “Learning to Support our Youth with Mental, Emotional, and Social Health Issues.” Julie is an expert in this area and is excited to share her knowledge around MESH issues and youth. We look forward to offering a time of personal renewal, professional development, continuing education, and networking with other Youth Directors, Pastors, and Christian Educators. Contact Daniel at daniel@rainbowtrail.org for more information and details. Registration is open!

For more information and to register go to: http://www.rainbowtrail.org/retreats/the-summit/
LFS' 25th Annual Gala on April 26 - Mark your calendars!
The LFS Gala is our premier fundraising event which features a night of dinner, entertainment, an auction, and companionship. More information here! Silent auction item donations are still needed - can you or a group of friends put together a gift basket, or donate a gift certificate or item to help raise funds for our human service programs? For more information or to schedule a pick-up, contact Katie Scherr at katie.scherr@lfsrm.org
Resource Corner
check back each week for a new or featured resource for your congregation
Stewardship Toolkit for Congregations - April 2019
Here's your April 2019 "Stewardship Toolkit" from the Lower Susquehanna Synod, comprising an original newsletter article and RCL-based "stewardship snippets" that you can cut and paste into your publications. It also has resources to explore the theme set out in the newsletter article. This month's theme is "Stewardship of God's 'very good' creation." Click here to download, and save this link where you'll always be able to get the current toolkit.
A Year in the Holy Land: Guest speaker available!
My name is Katharine Jones and I was baptized, raised and confirmed in the RMS at Trinity Lutheran Church in Boulder. After college, I applied for the ELCA program Young Adults in Global Mission and I was placed in the Jerusalem/West Bank program for the 2017-2018 year. I lived in Ramallah, a town in the West Bank, and spent the year volunteering at a school and a Meals on Wheels program amidst travels and other activities. It was a transformative, challenging, beautiful, whole experience. I have enjoyed speaking about it since returning to Colorado. 

Contact me at katharinejones317@gmail.com, if you are interested in having me speak to your congregation or a group in your church! 
Employment Opportunities
All Non-Rostered Positions 
Office Administrator (part-time)
Holy Love Lutheran Church - Aurora, CO

Administrative Assistant (part-time)
First Lutheran Church - Longmont, CO

Preschool Director, South Table Mountain Preschool
Faith Lutheran Church - Golden, CO

Communications Specialist
King of Glory Lutheran Church - Arvada, CO

Parish Administrator
Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit - Centennial, CO

Director
St. Philip Lutheran Church, St. Philip Early Learning Center - Littleton, CO

Faith Formation Director of Youth
Bethany Lutheran Church - Cherry Hills Village, CO
Office of the Bishop This Week
  Bishop Jim Gonia
  • In office appointments
  • Staff Day
  • Consecration/Installation of Kristen Saathoff, Tabor, Pueblo, CO
  • Zions, Trinidad, CO
  • Faithful Tuesday, Colorado Legislature

ELCA DIRECTOR FOR EVANGELICAL MISSION
Pastor Matt Barnhouse
  • Denver Office: Feb. 27- March 10
  • Staff Day
  • Christ, Cheyenne, WY
  • Mount Calvary, Boulder, CO

LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY NEW MEXICO
Ruth Hoffman
  • Legislative Session
  • NM Conference of Churches

LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY COLORADO
Peter Severson
  • Legislative Session
  • Staff Day
  • Urban Servant Corps Day at the Legislature
  • All Families Deserve a Chance Coalition
  • Faithful Tuesdays

ELCA REGIONAL GIFT PLANNER
Tina Kvitek
  • Staff Day
  • Faith, Lander, WY
  • 1-1 Appointments
ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR CONGREGATIONAL LIFE
Pastor Sarah Moening
  • Staff Day
  • Congregation Transition
  • Vacation

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR LEADERSHIP SUPPORT
Pastor Kent Mueller (1/2 time)
  • Lutheran Center Administration
  • Staff Day
  • King of Glory, Arvada, CO

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR SYNODICAL LIFE
Deacon Erin Power
  • RMS Communications
  • Staff Day
  • Consecration/Installation of Kristen Saathoff, Tabor, Pueblo, CO
  • Colorado Council of Churches

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR FAITH FORMATION & CANDIDACY
Pastor Leslie Welton
  • In-office appointments
  • Staff Day
  • Consecration/Installation of Kristen Saathoff, Tabor, Pueblo, CO
Quick Links
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Erin Power ,   Assistant to the Bishop
You are welcome to directly contact Andrew Nakatan i , Communications Assistant, with questions, comments, or concerns you may have about eConnection or our website!

Rocky Mountain Synod  
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
800-525-0462 / 303-777-6700 / fax 303-339-4744

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