A Reconciling in Christ synod
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From Bishop Eaton - Midnight Stillness
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In her December column for
Living Lutheran,
ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reflects on the mystery of the season: the expectation and longing of Advent and the true gifts of Christmas—“the helpless baby in a wooden manger, a broken man on a cross.”
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Welcome Kurt Rager - Director of Lutheran Advocacy - NM
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Kurt Rager has officially begun his work as Director of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM. Kurt can be reached via email:
krager@rmselca.org.
Kurt is looking forward to maintaining the long history of advocacy by LAM-NM on solutions to improve the lives of those most vulnerable in New Mexico. He is also excited to support Partner Congregations in connecting member's faith to their daily life through the awareness of issues and by providing opportunities to use their voice through advocacy.
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eConnection Spotlight:
RMS in the Neighborhood
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Peace Lutheran and Cristo Rey, a gathering for Thanksgiving!
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Members from Peace Lutheran and Cristo Rey gathered together for Thanksgiving worship around the table house-church style. It was a beautiful time of getting to know each other better, worshiping God, and sharing delicious food!
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Office of the Bishop Eucharist, Wednesday, December 11
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Our monthly Eucharist will be held at the Lutheran Center on Wednesday, December 11 at 11:30 a.m.
All are invited to join in this 30 minute worship.
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New Resources from Portico
- ELCA Benefit Coverage in Times of Transition
- Understanding ELCA Benefits
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Every year the ELCA's Young Adults in Global Missions (YAGM) program sends out dozens of young adults, ages 21-29, into a year-long journey of international service. This experience of global service invites young adults to serve as Jesus’ hands and feet in the world, as they form global friendships, provide critical support to communities in need, and reflect on how their identity connects with God’s work in the world.
For the next few months the Rocky Mountain Synod Global Mission Committee will be highlighting one of the eight current YAGM's hailing from the Rocky Mountain Synod with the hope that you as individuals and congregations will consider supporting them through prayer, communication and financial support.
This week's featured YAGM is Marie Hynek, who is currently serving in Rwanda. Marie's home congregations are Lutheran Campus Ministry at CSU in Ft. Collins, CO and Lutheran Church of Hope in Broomfield, CO. If you would like to support Marie, please
go here
.
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Young Adults in Global Mission - Apply Now!
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Applications for the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program are now open, and you can invite young adults on this yearlong journey abroad.
If you know young adults age 21 to 29, this is the time to reach out. Encourage them to apply for YAGM by the priority deadline of Jan. 15, 2020. Talk to them personally about what this opportunity will mean for their faith, identity, career and understanding of God’s work in the world. You can also print out
this poster
to display in your congregation or ministry space.
Through YAGM, young adults will learn what it means to serve in a spirit of accompaniment as they walk alongside global church companions. They’ll become immersed in a new community and form deep relationships. And they’ll confront issues of wealth and poverty, racial privilege, gender privilege, economic disparity and globalization, all through the lens of faith.
Learn more at ELCA.org/YAGM
.
Don’t wait — spread the word now! The priority deadline is Jan. 15, 2020. Applications will be open until Feb. 15, 2020.
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Installation
Rev. Courtney Steitz
Rev Michael Tekrony
Holy Shepherd,
Lakewood, CO
5:30pm, Saturday, December 7
Color of the day:
Blue
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RMS Prayer Cycle
DECEMBER 2019
UTAH CONFERENCE
- Week of December 8 -
Elim - Ogden, UT
Bruce Kolasch
Mount Tabor - Salt Lake City, UT
David Nichols
DanaLee Simon
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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.
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Sunday, December 8
Second Sunday of Advent
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Prayer of the Day
Stir up our hearts, Lord God, to prepare the way of your only Son. By his coming nurture our growth as people of repentance and peace; 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
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Sing Boldly, A Beer and Carols Sing-A-Long
Monday, December 9, 6:00 p.m. at Kokopelli Beer Company
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Come join the members of
Advent Lutheran in Westminster
for a fun evening of good food, fellowship, and singing Christmas and Advent carols with the band
Tangled Blue
at the
Kokopelli Beer Company, 8931 North Harlan Street, Westminster, CO (
map
)
.
What a great way to get out into the community, support a local business, and have some fun fellowship while proclaiming the Good News in song. The Carol singing will start at 6:00 p.m. Come out early to get a good seat and order your food and beverages.
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Auraria Campus Ministry Community Awareness Jazz Event
Saturday, December 14 at 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
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"Razzle Dazzle Christmas"
is a community awareness event for
Auraria Campus Ministries
. Check out this inspiring ecumenical campus ministry and their great work in supporting and developing faithful followers of Christ.
Hosted at the legendary Dazzle Jazz Club at 1512 Curtis St. (
map), and featuring the return of the Barry Sames Jazz Ensemble, we will celebrate with the students the end of semester with Christmas music, sing alongs and jazz standards. Tickets are $20 and are available on
Dazzle's Website. Questions, send email to
pastorbarbara@stpauldenver.org.
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Christ Lutheran Annual Fair Trade Artisan Market
Saturday, December 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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Christ Lutheran
8997 So. Broadway
Highlands Ranch, CO (
map
)
Christ Lutheran invites you to come shop with us at our annual Fair Trade Artisan Market! There will be a variety of handmade crafts, books, jewelry, carved olive wood, and other fine goods. Proceeds from the sale benefit various charities locally & globally. This is a great opportunity to shop for Christmas gifts and benefit many great causes. Questions? Email
volunteer@clchr.org. See you there!
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21st Annual Living Nativity
Saturday, December 14, 2019 from 5:00-7:30 p.m.
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Shepherd of the Hills
801 North Sheridan
Visiting the Living Nativity has become a tradition for many viewers from Fremont County and other areas of the State. New visitors are invited to join in the tradition to help celebrate the Christmas season. The cast, consisting of church members and other volunteers from the community, includes the Holy Family, angels, shepherds, wise men and animals participating outdoors. Many others are involved as support staff behind the scenes. Donations of non-perishable food items and cash will be accepted on behalf of Loaves & Fishes Ministries of Canon City. For more information visit
www.sothlutheran.com
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Save the Date:
Carols & Cheer
with Luther House
Sunday, December 15, 2019 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
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Join
Luther House
, 1805 Las Lomas Road NE, Albuqurque (
map
) for our second annual
Carols & Cheer
event!
We will follow Martin Luther's tradition of gathering in pubs to enjoy local beverages from Broken Trail Brewery & Distillery to share the songs of the season. A percentage of the beverage sales made will benefit the ministry and programming of Lutheran Campus Ministry.
Our musicians will again be Pauleta Hendrickson, director of music at St. Luke Lutheran Church, Albuquerque, and Clara Byom, director of music at St Tim's Lutheran Church. Come and celebrate Luther House with us!
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Theoprobe Continuing Education Event in Winter Park, CO
Sunday-Friday, February 9-14, 2020
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Join a wonderful group of people for a continuing education event in Winter Park, CO. This event pairs re-creation and intentional learning. The gathering in the mornings and evenings for worship and learning. During the day the group skis at Winter Park or engages in other forms of winter re-creation. Come experience the perfect balance of life-giving things while preparing your teaching and preaching for 2020.
Here are this years presenters and topics:
Faith Formation and the Gospel of John - Dr. Craig Koester
Faith formation is both opportunity and challenge for ministry. This series explores how the Gospel of John deals with patterns of faith and life in the experiences of those who meet Jesus. Texts will be taken from the passages from John 3, 4, 9, and 11, which will be the focus for preaching in many congregations during Lent.
Encountering God: Stories from the Old Testament - Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker
The Old Testament is full of stories about deeply flawed individuals who encounter God and whose lives are transformed by that encounter. This series will explore some of those stories and ask the question, 'How can we invite our congregation members into the biblical narrative so that they see their own lives as part of the larger story of God's dealings with God's people?' Texts to be explored will be drawn in part from those assigned by the Revised Common Lectionary for the coming year.
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Academy of Artful Leadership
Thursdays, January through December 2020, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
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Coaching gifted pastors and laity to lead transformational change.
18 hours of coaching that includes:
- eight monthly 90-minute group sessions designed to spark dynamic conversation around key themes in ministry
- six individual one-on-one coaching sessions with a trained coach focusing on challenges and opportunities in ministry
- Certificate of Leadership Development upon completion of the training
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NEXT TUESDAY IS THE DAY!
Remember to support
Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp
on Colorado Gives Day - Tuesday, December 10 !!!
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Colorado Gives Day is an annual day of giving to non-profit organizations all across Colorado.
Whether you live in Colorado or not, you can donate to Rainbow Trail on December 10.
Your contributions make a huge difference to their ministry.
The gifts received on this day help RTLC to provide great staff, excellent facilities, and life-changing experiences for their campers.
Each donation helps Rainbow Trail receive additional funds as part of $1.5 million from Community First Foundation that is divided among all participating non-profit organizations.
You can even
pre-schedule
your CO Gives Day gift NOW so you won't forget to donate! This feature, for a one-time donation on Colorado Gives Day will qualify for a boost from the FirstBank Incentive Fund.
To pre-schedule,
go here
to Rainbow Trail's ColoradoGives webpage, then simply click the “donate” button and in the "Donation frequency" section choose the radio button that says “CO Gives Day.”
Support non-profits like Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp on Colorado Gives Day! Give at
https://www.coloradogives.org/rainbowtrail/overview
!
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Gustavus Academy for Faith, Science, and Ethics
June 20 - 26, 2020
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Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota is offering an important opportunity for high school students in your congregations.
Four years ago, we founded the
Gustavus Academy for Faith, Science, and Ethics
in order to encourage and develop youth who are passionate about addressing the world's pressing problems by bringing faith and science together. Each summer, they bring together outstanding high school students for a
week-long
experience in Christian community with peers, mentors, and scholars who share the belief that theological reflection and vocational discernment are enhanced by a deep engagement with science.
High school students from across the country and Canada have joined in past summers, and we are again hoping to recruit a geographically and racially diverse group of students to our program in 2020.
Next summer's program will take place June 20 - 26, and will center on the ethics of cancer and its
treatment
.
Applications will open on December 1, 2019.
Please help us recruit an outstanding group of students by spreading the word about this great opportunity to pastors, youth ministers, and other congregational leaders in your synod.
We welcome nominations of students who are currently in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade:
https://gustavus.edu/chaplain/academy/nominate.php
Due to generous support from the Lilly Endowment, we are able to offer tuition and travel scholarships to any student who needs financial assistance to participate in this program.
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Resource Corner
check back each week for a new or featured resource for your congregation
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How will you welcome your friends and neighbors to worship this holiday season? To support your communication needs, we offer
several invitational tools
specifically for congregations.
Add your congregation’s location and service times to customizable posters, social media images, postcards and more.
These tools include:
Visit
ELCA.org/CongTools
and find links to a variety of communications support solutions. Thank you for the work you do to help engage your congregation, share the good news of Jesus Christ and welcome your community.
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Statewide Census Faith Hub Coordinator
Colorado Council of Churches - Denver, CO
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The Colorado Council of Churches (CCC) and Together Colorado seek a dynamic leader to help build
Colorado Faith Census Hubs
– places where faith communities can receive information, education, and training about the 2020 census, underpinned by messaging and approaches rooted in specific faith traditions. The CCC and Together Colorado’s goals are to ensure that hard-to-count residents are counted in the 2020 Census and that hundreds of thousands are reached through our messaging and education approaches.
Key populations to reach include: young children, older adults, rural residents, people of color, low-income households, renters, immigrants, and linguistically isolated households. This will be an interfaith endeavor that will outreach beyond Christian denominations to additional faiths.
Please submit resume and a cover letter to Adrian Miller, Executive Director of the Colorado Council of Churches at
staff@cochurches.org, and include “Faith Hub Coordinator” in the subject line. No phone calls please.
Deadline to apply is December 16, 2019.
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Development
Volunteers
!
Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains - Denver, CO
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Do you have a passion for our mission and have familiarity with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and Data Entry? Can you commit to 3-4 Hours/week with flexibility to choose Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between 9AM – 3 PM? Are you detail oriented?
We need database entry volunteers who are friendly and reliable who can keep confidential information just that, confidential. Work at our Harlan St. office location and enter data into Raiser’s Edge, help with special event prep, development research, occasional donor phone calls, copying, proof-reading, prepare mailings and help with various other administrative tasks.
We offer free parking, free admission to any events worked on and we will always provide you with a safe and enjoyable working environment, including your own desk and laptop to use while here, along with a folder containing weekly assigned tasks.
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Statewide Census Faith Hub Coordinator
Colorado Council of Churches - Denver, CO
Development Volunteers
LFS Rocky Mountains - Denver, co
Choral Director
Augustana Lutheran Church - Denver, CO
Director of Youth Ministries
Glory of God Lutheran Church - Wheat Ridge, CO
Director of Music (part-time)
Messiah Community Church - Denver, CO
Administrative Assistant-Communications
Faith Lutheran Church - Golden, CO
High School Program Director
Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp - Fort Collins, CO
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Office of the Bishop This Week
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Bishop Jim Gonia
- Region 2 Consultation, Sacramento, CA
- Candidacy Committee
- Installation of Rev. Michael Tekrony & Rev. Courtney Steitz, Holy Shepherd
- Excellence in Leadership
ELCA DIRECTOR FOR EVANGELICAL MISSION
Pastor Dana Peterson (Interim, 1/2 time)
- Lilly Grant Conference, Indianapolis, IN
- RMS Campaign Meeting
- Excellence in Leadership
LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY NEW MEXICO
Kurt Rager
LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY COLORADO
Peter Severson
- In-office work
- Lutheran Family Services Board Meeting
- Excellence in Leadership
ELCA REGIONAL GIFT PLANNER
Tina Kvitek
- Grand Canyon Synod
- Regional Gift Planner Gathering, Phoenix, AZ
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ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR CONGREGATIONAL LIFE
Pastor Sarah Moening
- Region 2 Consultation, Sacramento, CA
- Prince of Peace, Logan, UT
- Excellence in Leadership
ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR LEADERSHIP SUPPORT
Pastor Kent Mueller (1/2 time)
ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR SYNODICAL LIFE
Deacon Erin Power
- Region 2 Consultation, Sacramento, CA
- Synod Assembly Planning
- Excellence in Leadership
ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR FAITH FORMATION & CANDIDACY
Pastor Leslie Welton
- Region 2 Consultation, Sacramento, CA
- Candidacy Committee
- Excellence in Leadership
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Feel free to contact
Andrew Nakatan
i
, Communications Assistant, with your questions and comments about eConnection and our website!
Rocky Mountain Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
800-525-0462 / 303-777-6700 / fax
303-733-0750
Submissions
are due noon Monday each week's issue.
Past issues of eConnection may be found
here.
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