June 3, 2020
A Reconciling in Christ synod
Together We Join Our Voices
Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Jim Gonia, Bishop Kym Lucas of the Episcopal Church in Colorado, and Bishop Karen Oliveto, Mountain Sky Area United Methodist Church join their voices together to mourn and grieve with those who have experienced the trauma of persecution, violence, suffering, and death.

"As faith leaders in Colorado, we are joining our voices to speak to the current pain, suffering, anger, and anguish confronting our communities and our nation.

The hard reality of COVID-19 has not only disrupted life as we know it: it has laid bare the disparities in our country. Recent events, including the murder of George Floyd, have revealed with stark clarity the continuing scourge of injustice, racism, and white supremacy in our midst.

George Floyd’s name joins a litany of people of color who have suffered abuse and been murdered simply because of their skin tone. In light of such atrocities and unholy acts, we join our voices to speak together.

Together we join our voices to mourn and grieve with those who have experienced the trauma of persecution, violence, suffering, and death.

Together we join our voices to bear witness to the stark truth that there is no equal protection under the law in our nation; indeed there has never been.

Together we join our voices to acknowledge our own failure and the failure of our churches to heed the cries of our black, brown, and native siblings regarding undue violence from law enforcement.

Together we join our voices to honor our calling to speak out against the profiling, persecution, and execution of our siblings of color.

Together we join our voices to renounce acts of violence: from the State, from protesters, or from organized groups trying to incite violence at protests.

Together we join our voices to affirm our commitment as followers of Jesus to seek and demand equality and justice.

Together we join our voices to hold our governmental authorities accountable for training peace officers in de-escalation and cross-cultural understanding.

Together we join our voices to offer our prayers of support and affirmation for our communities and the law enforcement officers who fulfill their obligations faithfully and compassionately.

Together we join our voices and recommit ourselves as fellow children of God to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

Together we pledge to guide our faith communities in doing the same."


This text is also available for use in congregational worship as a litany for justice and lament.
Bishop Gonia: Re-gathering and local contexts
Last week I shared a set of recommendations regarding in-person gatherings and the shape of our ministry as  church becoming  this summer. As I noted then, each context in our synod is unique, meaning that the challenging conversations around the safe and appropriate use of your church building – including for small groups and community organizations – will be shaped by your local realities. At the same time, I trust that your particular process of discernment will be collaborative, including the informed input of your rostered leadership and staff as well as your council or board members. Together, the needs of your community, the safety of all people, and the protocols necessary for safe-guarding public health during this pandemic must be carefully considered.

First Lutheran in Colorado Springs has created a thoughtful and in-depth set of protocols for how and when they will gather in their building. We lift this up as one resource to guide your conversation.

In addition, please review the considerations offered by Church Mutual and the CDC for opening your buildings.
RMS & ELCA News and Events
Gathering Well Learning Lab
Here is a learning opportunity specifically for active gatherers in the RMS (those who regularly plan/implement gatherings) and would like to explore and expand how we think about gathering.

Why a “learning lab”? More than hearing from any sort of expert or joining to get the right checklist for planning a gathering, this will be a place for dialogue, learning with and from one another, and actively testing out models for gathering and participating in digital spaces and small group gatherings. Each session will include something to take with you to try out, with space at the next gathering to share learnings.

The first gathering will take place next Monday and Tuesday.

Living Faith: Church in Society
Summer Discussion Series via ZOOM
Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. beginning June 14
Gathering opportunity for pastors, deacons, faith formation leaders, and small group or adult education leaders:

God calls us into community,  and through God’s active guidance we can build that community into one that extends God’s hands and feet into the world. We are activated - through Scripture, personal experience, church tradition and the gift of reason - to exercise the art of compassionate conversation about real issues that matter to our lives today.  Living Faith  seeks to foster that art.

Join us this summer for an 8-week discussion on seven of our ELCA Social Statements. These gatherings are specifically for folks who are interested in leading a conversation in their own ministry settings. The full discussion guide will be available mid-August.

ELCA: Revision of Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline
As a member of this church, you are invited to participate in a series of digital town halls to offer feedback that the Committee on Appeals can use in revising Definitions and Guidelines.
Please click here and register to attend. You will be asked to indicate your first and second choices of dates. Registration will be limited to 200 persons per event and will be on a first-come-first-served basis. You will receive an email to confirm registration and to give you instructions for logging in to a session.

Register today for these Town Hall Dates/Times:

  • Wednesday, June 3: 1:00 p.m. MDT
  • Tuesday, June 9: 5:00 p.m. MDT
  • Thursday, June 18: 1:00 p.m. MDT
  • Thursday, June 25: 6:00 p.m. MDT

We encourage you also to participate in a brief survey that will allow you to give written feedback on Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline. The survey will be available for feedback through June 15. Please note: Survey Monkey will be down for 8 hours on May 23, beginning at 10 a.m. MDT
Learning More About Background Checks
Time to update volunteer background checks and safety training!
As we enter into summer programming, please remember to check up on your volunteer background checks and safety training. With much of our programming moving to digital platforms, it is especially important that volunteers be aware of safe practices when interacting with children online. The Safe Gatherings training is a great way to update your staff and volunteers on best practices. Remember that anyone over 18, including high school seniors, should be trained and checked before working with children.

The Rocky Mountain Synod offers Safe Gatherings as a resource to help congregations and ministries provide safe places of worship, education, fellowship and missions for everyone they serve. As part of the program, Safe Gatherings processes multiple levels of background checks. But you may be asking, what should I really know about background checks, and why run them on volunteers?

The bottom line is that when everyone commits to the same process, there is a greater amount of trust and reliability in the outcome. When people think, “It can’t happen here,” they are wrong. Also, having county-level background checks in addition to national checks provides a more comprehensive level of risk management.

To learn more about some of the common myths of background checks, click here for an article from Safe Gatherings.
Introducing the Veteran Servant Corps
Did you know...

  • That there are more than 780,000 veterans in the Rocky Mountain Synod?
  • That only about ½ of these veterans ever access any type of Veterans Affairs (VA) service?
  • That 20 veterans complete suicide daily in our country?
  • That those veterans 65 and older at most at risk of completing suicide?
 
On May 1, 2020, the Rocky Mountain Synod Council approved a ministry I have named Veteran Servant Corps. The organization’s mission statement will be that Veteran Servant Corps partners with ELCA faith communities to recognize and support veterans. One of the tenets of Veteran Servant Corps is to provide training for ELCA clergy and pastoral care support staff to understand veteran issues.
 
  • The VA has free online courses for this training that are available now.
  • A VA partner is the Mental Health First Aid organization. This organization provides 8-hour courses addressing Veteran Mental Health issues, such as depression and suicide.
 
The Synod Council charged me with forming a Board of Directors for this non-profit organization. I envision that this Ministry of the Rocky Mountain Synod will have six Directors (one from Utah, Wyoming, North Colorado [including Boulder/Broomfield, Metro East, Metro South, Metro West and North Colorado], Southeast Colorado, North New Mexico, and the Border Congregations), with me serving as the Executive Director.
 
I need your help in identifying these Directors. If you have a Board of Director recommendation, or any comments/questions about Veteran Servant Corps, please contact Vicky Daub at lvdaub2@gmail.com . Our veterans thank you, and so do I.
Introducing PASSAGE
The ELCA Faith Formation team is excited to launch a special small-group ministry for recently graduated high school students.

Based on Isaiah 43, PASSAGE will be centered on mutual support and wrestling with faith and life in times of transition.

Please encourage seniors in your congregation to sign up for this new and exciting ministry. Registration opens Wednesday, May 27. More info here.
For Your Bulletin
RMS Prayer Cycle

JUNE 2020
SOUTHEAST COLORADO CONFERENCE

- Week of June 7 -

Ascension - Colorado Springs, CO
Dan Holt
Daniel Smith
Mary Stoneback

Christ the King - Colorado Springs, CO
Paula Stecker

First - Colorado Springs, CO
Travis Norton
Carrie Baylis
Joan Kuehn

Zion - Limon, CO


Zion’s - Trinidad, CO
Andrea Doeden
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, June 7
The Holy Trinity
First Sunday After Pentecost

Prayer of the Day

God of heaven and earth, before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time you are the triune God: Author of creation, eternal Word of salvation, life-giving Spirit of wisdom. Guide us to all truth by your Spirit, that we may proclaim all that Christ has revealed and rejoice in the glory he shares with us. Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.

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

07 - 13 June : Botswana, Zimbabwe - Intercessions and Prayers
Around the Synod
BBQ and Bluegrass Fundraiser Benefiting Sky Ranch
Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.
Join us for our first online fundraiser, where BBQ & Bluegrass can reach everyone!
Enjoy a live auction, meet the 2020 summer staff and enjoy music from Jerusalem Road.
Follow our website, Facebook and/or Twitter accounts to find out more details about the event!
"Gardening and the Soul"
Thursday, June 4, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Conversations for Connections is the new series which grows from the Conversations about Mental Health. This new series will include clergy, professor, psychiatrists, teachers and more. A topic will be the focus from which conversations will come.

Thursday, June 4 is "Gardening and the Soul" with Roland Evans who says, "Whenever we stop to look at a blooming rosebud, whenever we take a few moments to sense the living world around us, we participate in the miracle of creation. Silently paying attention to our gardens is as beneficial as hours of meditation. Gardening requires dedication of body, heart and mind. Best of all it is deeply nurturing for our inner self. Gardening is soul-work."

Our Life Together
Braiding Sweetgrass Discussion
Saturday July 11, 10:00 a.m. - noon
Join the the monthly Lutherans Restoring Creation in the Rocky Mountain Synod meeting to discuss Robin Wall Kimmerer's book "Braiding Sweetrgrass."

Lutherans Restoring Creation Rocky Mountain Synod
Monthly Support Group Meeting
Second Saturday of each month 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Anyone in the Rocky Mountain Synod who is concerned about Creation is invited to a monthly support group meeting where we share ideas, prayers, and news concerning the care of our natural environment. Join the meeting on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83008940316
Questions? Contact Pastor Alena Lamirato at pastoralena@yahoo.com
Resource Corner
check back each week for a new or featured resource for your congregation
All Creation Sings
a supplement to Evangelical Lutheran Worship
Announcing the Fall 2020 release of All Creation Sings, a liturgy and song supplement in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship resource family.

Even in this time of change and challenge, we seek words and music that support and enrich the church’s worship. We invite you to learn more about “All Creation Sings,” a new collection of liturgy and song that supplements our hymnal, “Evangelical Lutheran Worship.” To explore a preview of this collection, visit augsburgfortress.org/allcreationsings.
Employment Opportunities
New Listings 
Preschool Director (full-time)
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church - Littleton, CO
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (6322 South Lakeview Street, Littleton, CO 80120) has an immediate opening for a full-time preschool director of a Faith-based NAEYC accredited program. Applicants must have current director certification or be within six months of obtaining. Level IV large center qualified required. 2-3 years experience with staffing, coaching, licensing, and budgeting a must. Bachelors degree in ECE, CD, or equivalent desired. Familiarity with NAEYC rules and regulations a plus. A love for children and families essential.

Responsibilities include daily supervision of our year round, large center preschool and enrichment care operations, from 7 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday. Job description available here. Salary competitive with area preschools. Resumes are currently being accepted via email to Pastor Sonja Sandquist at holytrinitylutheranlittleton@gmail.com or call 303-798–1356. Equal Opportunity Employer.
Non-Rostered Listings 
Preschool Director (full-time)
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church - Littleton, CO

Coordinator of Children/Youth Faith Formation
Broadmoor Community Church, United Church of Christ - Colorado Springs, CO

Faith Formation Interim Director
Bethlehem Lutheran Church - Longmont, CO

Director of Choirs (part-time)
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church - Los Alamos, NM

Facilities Manager
Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church - Lakewood, CO

Lead Servant for Financial Resources
Abiding Hope Lutheran Church - Littleton, CO

Office Administrator (part-time)
St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, Centennial, CO

Minister of Music (full-time)
Augustana Lutheran Church - Denver, CO

Missional Youth MInistry Leader (part-time)
Faith Lutheran Church - Golden, CO
Office of the Bishop This Week
  Bishop Jim Gonia
  • 1-1 Appointments
  • Lutheran Family Services Board Meeting
  • St. Stephen's Northglenn, CO
  • Available by email: jgonia@rmselca.org

ELCA DIRECTOR FOR EVANGELICAL MISSION
Pastor Dana Peterson
  • Bethlehem, Longmont, CO
  • St. Matthew's and Our Saviour's Salt Lake City, UT
  • Available by email: dpeterson@rmselca.org

LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY NEW MEXICO
Kurt Rager

LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY COLORADO
Peter Severson

ELCA REGIONAL GIFT PLANNER
Tina Kvitek
ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR CONGREGATIONAL LIFE
Pastor Sarah Moening
  • Congregational Transition
  • Bethlehem, Los Alamos, NM
  • Holy Love, Aurora, CO
  • Available by email: smoening@rmselca.org

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR LEADERSHIP SUPPORT
Pastor Kent Mueller (1/2 time)

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR SYNODICAL LIFE
Deacon Erin Power
  • RMS Weekly Webinar
  • Theological Conference Planning
  • ELCA Committee on Appeals
  • Gathering Well Learning Lab
  • Available by email: epower@rmselca.org

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR FAITH FORMATION & CANDIDACY
Pastor Leslie O'Callaghan
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Rocky Mountain Synod  
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
800-525-0462 / 303-777-6700 / fax  303-733-0750

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