November 3, 2021 + A Reconciling in Christ synod
Together we proclaim and embody God's unconditional love for the sake of the world.
REFORMATION VIDEO MESSAGE FROM BISHOP JIM GONIA
How do we look to the future while treasuring the past?
Bishop Gonia offers a Reformation 2021 message to the people of the Rocky Mountain Synod as we enter our next chapter of life as a Church Becoming.
Pastor Diana Linden Johnson called to serve as RMS Assistant to the Bishop

Pastor Diana Linden Johnson will serve as our new Assistant to the Bishop for Candidacy, First Call, Rostered Minister Support and Global Church, effective January 1.

Pastor Diana currently serves as the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in El Paso, Texas. Born in Colorado, Pastor Diana’s faith and call to ministry were deeply shaped by ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), including participation in Sunday School and youth group, working at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp as a young adult, and service as as a full-time volunteer with the Border Servant Corps (BSC) in El Paso, TX.

Diana and her wife, Michaele Dawn Linden-Johnson, live in El Paso with their two children. They will be relocating to Denver after the school year concludes. In their free time, they enjoy spending time with friends and family, gardening, hiking, biking and camping.

Pastor Diana said, "I love being in ministry with God’s people, walking with others through life’s joys and struggles, and helping connect faith with daily life through worship, prayer, learning, service and play." We look forward to her joining with us in mission and ministry!
eConnection Spotlight:
RMS in the Neighborhood
ONLINE EVENT
Hunger Network’s November 9 Meeting!
Posada’s Big Dreams Grant Story (Pueblo, CO)
For 33 years, Posada has been providing shelter, housing and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless in Pueblo County, Colorado. 

The focus of Posada’s service delivery is the provision of housing and supportive services, which includes referrals for food assistance, food banks and more, with a special focus on food items for youth. The mission of the agency is “to provide housing and supportive services that empower homeless individuals and families in Pueblo County to become self-supporting members of the community.” Learn about Posada at FB and their website.

The Big Dreams Grant from ELCA World Hunger will help Posada implement and strengthen their Senior Housing facility through the creation of a safety net to support unhoused older adults. Posada addresses the needs of homeless individuals, families, youth, veterans and, now, older adults to break down barriers, reduce inequality and build strong relationships that move us toward a just world where basic needs of all are met.
 
JOIN US TO HEAR FROM THE
DIRECTOR OF THIS AMAZING PROGRAM
Tuesday, November 9, at 6:30 pm
RMS & ELCA News and Events
Thriving Leadership Formation inviting cohorts of leaders from unique perspectives
California Lutheran University received a five-year grant to create the Thriving Leadership Formation Program. Working in partnership with Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the 11 synods of Regions 1 and 2 of the ELCA, the TLF program strengthens and supports pastors, deacons, and church leaders and encourages them to deepen their engagement with their congregations and communities.

Cohorts will meet virtually via Zoom for 12 sessions to be scheduled in 2021-22. Cohorts will come together with the intent of creating nurturing and empowering times, spaces, and relationships. Three cohorts will be led by leaders within our Rocky Mountain Synod:

Pastor and Spiritual Director, DanaLee Simon, will be convening the Rocky Mountain Synod cohortto personally explore (together) the Greatest Commandment – Love God, Love Yourself, and Love Your Neighbor. Email her at sagehillwisdom@gmail.com

Pastor Kim Gonia is gathering a cohort for pastors and deacons in calls that are part-time. Please email Kim at kimgonia11@gmail.com .

Pastors Valerie and Dan Carlson are leading a cohort for people in their first call in ministry. Email Valerie if interested: pastor.valerie.carlson@gmail.com

Please check out the complete list of at-large cohorts, open to Pastors, Deacons, and Church leaders from Synods within Regions 1 and 2:
  • Black, Indigenous, People of Color
  • Spanish speaking
  • Urban Ministry
  • LGBTQ+
  • Youth ministry
  • Deacons
  • Non-congregational settings
  • Part-time ministry
  • Partners of rostered leaders
  • Second career women in minist
  • First call


Leaders who are interested can sign up here.
Center for Generosity Registration Open
Learn on your own — no cost for six months!
This is a new program, in a new format and with an expanded curriculum for rostered ministers, lay council and stewardship leaders at no cost for 6 months. It is an online set of tools (podcasts, videos, documents and consultant office hours) open for individual and group education. You learn at your own pace and subjects of interest/concern to your context. 
 
3E is interested on how this new program may help you not just in stewardship, but a more comprehensive range of consultations on best practices for crisis management, storytelling, governance, communication, data management and more. You can visit the site at https://www.centerforgenerosity.com/ 
 
Enrollment is limited, so respond by November 1. If you have interest, please contact Deb Elstad using this link: https://rmselca.org/3e-generosity-pilot-Oct-2021

El Paso Synod Assembly is April 28-30, 2022
Begin planning now for the 2022 Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly which will take place in El Paso, TX, Thursday, April 28, through Saturday, April 30.

You are encouraged to begin making plans now to attend, recognizing that travel to El Paso will be more costly with nearly everyone travelling long distances. The good news is travel the last two years was $0 for everyone on Zoom!

The assembly will feature all-day immersion experiences on Friday, April 29. Those who will be traveling into Mexico must have a valid passport. Check your passport expiration date, and start that process ASAP if you need an update. We will share more details as plans unfold.
Middle and High School Youth Retreat

Youth Retreat February 18-20, 2022.

Please read the details in the pre-registration form! Deadline to pre-register is Nov 1, and is required for attendance. We hope you will join us!

This retreat is not being planned by the Office of the Bishop/Synodical staff for RMS. For information, please contact leta@our-saviours.org or any of the people listed in the information link below.
Calendar of Events
November 12, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. – Bethany Lutheran in Cherry Hills Village, CO will be hosting a Veterans Appreciation Concert in their sanctuary. This concert will be free, and will be offered both live at Bethany, or via livestream at bethanylive.org.

November 14, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. - Saint Peter (Greenwood Village) Vicky Daub will be guest preaching and facilitating Adult Forum that follows the 9:30 worship service.
Visit the RMS website for the full VSCP calendar and more!

Share the new Veterans Servant Corps Project brochure! Get it here.
Have Veterans events at your church/community that you would like to publicize; want Vicky or another VSCP board member to visit your church/community? Contact Vicky Daub at lvdaub2@gmail.com.
ANNOUNCING the 2022 IGNITE THE CHURCH CONFERENCE
February 8-10, 2022
"SEISMIC SHIFTS: Where do we go from here?"
Since February 2020, the Church has been enduring unprecedented seismic shifts. In response, a new Hybrid version of the grassroots Ignite the Church Conference will gather next February…In-Person in sunny Orlando AND Online…to reflect on the theme: SEISMIC SHIFTS: Where Do We Go From Here? The theme is grounded in the witness of Psalm 46: 1-2 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and the mountains shake." Four large group sessions will focus on the following shifts: Public Church (Robin Steinke and Winston Persaud), Hybrid Church  (Joe and Jess Liles), Adaptive Church (Tod Bolsinger), Thriving Church  (Stephanie Spellers). Ten 90-minute workshops will dig deeper into these shifts to offer encouragement, inspiration, and challenge for church leaders.
 
To register and learn more about the presenters, workshop options, and other details go to www.IgniteTheChurch.net.  Register by November 30 to access the lowest $99 In-Person rate. The Online option will provide live and recorded access to each large group session and the post-conference Resource Page. The Online option is FREE…with a suggested donation $30 to the ELCA Fund for Leaders invited. All proceeds continue to benefit the ELCA Fund for Leaders which has received $13,000 from the Conference in just the past two years.
 
Google Docs information
For Your Bulletin
November 7, 2021
Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer of the Day
O God, you show forth your almighty power chiefly by reaching out to us in mercy. Grant us the fullness of your grace, strengthen our trust in your promises, and bring all the world to share in the treasures that come through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

In God's Hands:
Ecumenical Prayer Cycle from the World Council of Churches
07 - 13 November: Oceania: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (Maohi Nui), Kanaky, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu - Intercessions and Prayers

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.
RMS PRAYER CYCLE

NOVEMBER 2021
ELCA MINISTRIES
Week of November 7

ELCA Presiding Bishop
Chicago, IL
Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
 
ELCA Churchwide Staff
Chicago, IL
 
Candidacy and Leadership Manager, Regions 1 and 2
Portland, OR
Deacon Laura Gifford
 
ELCA Global Mission, Madagascar
Rev. Themba Mkhebela
 
Betela Seminary Madagascar
Rev. Albert
 
RMS Companion Synods in Madagascar
Mahanjanga Synod
Antsiranana Synod
Avaratra Atsinanana Synod
Sofia Synod

MINISTRY CELEBRATION -
INSTALLATIONS

Rev. Laura Bostrom
King of Glory Lutheran Church
Arvada, CO
Sunday, November 7, 2:00 p.m.
Color of the Day: White

Rev. Jeffrey Hanson
Peace Lutheran Church
Sterling, CO
serving Peace-Sterling, Peace - Akron, and Akron United Methodist Church
Sunday, November 14, 10:30 a.m.
Color of the Day: Green
Around the Synod
Rainbow Trail
Senior High Retreat
Sky Ranch Fall High School Retreat
"Creation Speaks"
Friday, November 12 at through Sunday, November 14
Join us and other high schoolers on the mountain during this weekend of rest and reflection. This weekend will give us a chance to step back from our busy lives of school/work/etc. and surround ourselves with God's creation in the midst of its beautiful fall transformation.

Registration deadline is October 29, 2021
Cost: $110 per youth | $75 per adult
For more info contact cole@skyranchcolorado.org
AUGUSTANA, DENVER, CO
Augustana Arts presents...
Celebrate and Salute with Sound!
Thursday, November 11 at 6:00 p.m.
Hey kids (of all ages!). Get up close and comfortable with music with this “Concert Encounter for Kids,” a Veterans Day concert that will feature festive music with a patriotic flair.

Make your own music-maker and indulge in ice cream for the whole fam! Expose little ones to the joy of music where there are no rules or restrictions to bounce, sway, dance, or stomp to the music. A concert to inspire all future young artists! More info here!

This concert will take place on November 11, 6:00-7:00pm at Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda Ave. Denver, CO 80246.
Tickets are flex-pay meaning you pay what you choose, so no one is left out!
Our Life Together
ONLINE EVENT
"The God Who Sees" Book Discussion
Saturday, November 20 at 10:00 a.m.
Join the Synod AMMPARPO group for the quarterly meeting on Zoom on Nov. 20 at 10am where we will discuss "The God Who Sees" by Karen Gonzalez, and ways to serve in the Synod.

In The God Who Sees you will meet people who have fled their homelands. Hagar. Joseph. Ruth. Jesus. Here is a riveting story of seeking safety in another land. Here is a gripping journey of loss, alienation, and belonging. In The God Who Sees, immigration advocate Karen González recounts her family's migration from the instability of Guatemala to making a new life in Los Angeles and the suburbs of south Florida. In the midst of language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and the tremendous pressure to assimilate, González encounters Christ through a campus ministry program and begins to follow him.

Here, too, is the sweeping epic of immigrants and refugees in Scripture. Abraham, Hagar, Joseph, Ruth: these intrepid heroes of the faith cross borders and seek refuge. As witnesses to God's liberating power, they name the God they see at work, and they become grafted onto God's family tree.

Find resources for welcoming immigrants in your community and speaking out about an outdated immigration system. Find the power of Jesus, a refugee Savior who calls us to become citizens in a country not of this world. For more info, rmsammparo@gmail.com.

ONLINE EVENT
Rocky Mountain Synod Creation Care Team Meeting:
Trees, Water & People - Helping People and the Planet
Saturday, November 13 at 10:00 a.m.
The Synod Creation Care Team invites you to a live presentation by Daniela Bueso, International Program Coordinator and Tours Manager for the non-profit Trees, Water & People (treeswaterpeople.org).

This organization was founded in 1998 in Fort Collins, CO and partners with people in Central America and Native American tribal lands in the U.S. Their work in reforestation, clean cookstoves and renewable energy projects benefits the environment and people with green jobs while saving families money on fuel costs, improving their health and the environment. Daniela was born in Colombia and has worked in diverse settings in conservation and community engagement. She will present information on TW&P projects and connect that work to issues of climate change and sustainability.

Join us on our Facebook page or on Zoom. All are welcome!
NEEDED: CONGREGATION REPRESENTATIVES TO RELATE TO THE RMS CREATION CARE TEAM
The Rocky Mountain Synod Creation Care team would like to have congregations identify a representative or contact person with whom the Creation Care team would be in contact.
We’re looking for someone who is concerned about the threats posed by climate change and who takes seriously God’s call to “to serve and to guard” our earthly home (Gen. 2:15).

The representative would share with their faith community the education and service opportunities raised up by the Creation Care team. They would also share with the Creation Care team ways in which the congregation is attempting to practice and promote sound environmental stewardship. That information might also be conveyed to congregations that are interested in creative ways churches across the synod are attempting to serve and protect the good earth. In that way we can learn from each other.

Please send the name of a person willing to serve as your congregation representative to chuckhubbard7@gmail.com. Include name and location of your congregation as well as name, e-mail address and phone number of the representative.
ONLINE ZOOM
Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains
Foster Care Info Meeting - CO Springs
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021 AT 5:30pm – 6:15pm MST
Join us for an informal online session on just what it takes to be a foster parent. At Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, we are committed to answering your questions and alleviating your concerns because we believe that you CAN be a foster parent and we will be there to support you every step of the way.
RSVP at beth.mack@lfsrm.org to receive login information.
ONLINE RETREAT
The Uncertainty of Advent
Please join us for The Uncertainty of Advent, an online Advent retreat offered by Rachel Bass Guennewig and DanaLee Simon, that runs from November 28 to December 25, 2021. Each week you may engage a 5-10 minute and also gather for one hour by ZOOM on Sunday nights (November 28, December 5, 12, and 19) at 5:30 p.m. Mountain time/6:30 Central time, to explore the theme of the week (Presence, Grief, Hope, Kairos). The online sessions will also be recorded for viewing later.
 
To register for the retreat, please follow this link. The retreat cost is $50 (If the cost is prohibitive, please pay what you can.). We will donate 15% of our proceeds to Interfaith Power and Light, an organization inviting bold and just action on climate change. You can check them out here:interfaithpowerandlight.org. After you register for the retreat, please pay via DanaLee’s Venmo account (@DanaLee-Simon), or by mailing a check to DanaLee Simon at 1184 s 1500 e, Salt Lake City, UT 84105. Registration closes November 19.   
 
If you have questions or would like more information, please get in touch with us! DanaLee (sagehillwisdom@gmail.com) or Rachel (dailybreadyoga@gmail.com).
Resource Corner
Lutheran World Relief Advent resources!
Lutheran World Relief has created FREE, easy-to-use resources based on the RCL Advent texts from the Gospel of Luke, all available at lwr.org/advent:  

  • 4 weeks of new sermon illustrations (complete with photos and video)  
  • powerful videos to highlight your congregation’s love in action around the world  
  • 4-week small group Bible study guide  
  • Candle lighting litany 

Invite your congregation to experience A Season of Hope this Advent.
ReconcilingWorks Sunday
"Made in God's Image: God's Boundless Diversity"
January 30, 2022
In case you missed the announcement last week, the 2022 Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday Worship Resource is HERE!

This year, Made in God's Image: God's Boundless Diversity is the theme for RIC Sunday 2022. In a preview of the upcoming Youth Gathering in Minneapolis, MN, July of 2022, this worship resource is centered in the spirit of youth and the voices of our young people, centered on and created for LGBTQIA+ and ally youth! The passion for the work of advocacy grounds the RIC Sunday worship in ways which the church is invited into a time of service and action, pledging ourselves to be advocates for our LGBTQIA+ siblings, as well as all siblings of God's diverse Kin-dom. We focus this RIC Sunday asking the question, "In understanding the ways in which we all are Made in God's Image, how can we learn to care and advocate for one another so we can best see God's Boundless Diversity of creation?"

Learn more and download resources at https://www.reconcilingworks.org/ricsunday
Employment Opportunities
Saint Peter Lutheran Church is seeking a Minister of Music to lead our worship and music ministries in a way that enriches our community, inspires participants, and deepens the faith of musicians and worshippers.

This is a half-time position, with a salary range of $20,000 to $30,000.
For a fuller description of this position, visit www.StPLC.org/jobs.
Interested candidates are invited to send a resume to lsherpe@StPLC.org.
Deadline for submission is November 15, 2021.
This position is part time salaried, 8-12 hours per week, and reports to the pastor. See full job description (here) for role details and required qualifications. Please send your resume and a cover letter with “ATTN Music Director Application” in the subject line to epiphanylutherandenver@gmail.com. If you have questions, please contact the church office at 303-722-5311 or Julie Chichlowski, Search Team Chair, at 262-339-3054. Applications will be accepted through October 29, 2021.
Sky Ranch is accepting applications for an Executive Director responsible for the oversight and management of the ministry and property of Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp.
Sky Ranch, an outdoor ministry of the ELCA, is a 117-acre seasonal facility located adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. Job description is available here and more info is online at https://www.skyranchcolorado.org/executive-director-transition. Applications are due no later than October 31st, 2021. For more information or questions please contact Lindsay Reiten at SkyRanchSearch@gmail.com or 970.591.2194
Office of the Bishop This Week
 
Bishop Jim Gonia
  • PLTS Advisory Board Meeting - Berkeley, CA
  • Trinity, Boulder
  • Installation - Laura Bostrom, King of Glory

ELCA DIRECTOR FOR EVANGELICAL MISSION
Pastor Dana Peterson
  • Well of Hope, Castle Rock, CO
  • Rejoice, Erie, CO

LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY NEW MEXICO
Kurt Rager
  • NM Food/Farm/Hunger: Budget workgroup
  • NM First: Food/Hunger/Water/Ag Policy workgroup
  • Legislative Hunger Caucus
LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY COLORADO
Peter Severson
  • RMS Southeast Colorado conference meeting
  • 2022 Legislative Session planning

DIRECTOR FOR CONGREGATIONAL TRANSITION
Pastor Sarah Moening
  • Excellence in Leadership Admin
  • Transitions Work

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR ADMIN & COMMUNICATION
Pastor Kent Mueller
  • RMS Campaign
  • Administration

DIRECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT/LUTHERAN CENTER
Tina Kvitek
  • RMS Campaign
  • Lutheran Center
  • Donor Meetings
Quick Links
Share the News
Kent Mueller, Assistant to the Bishop for Administration and Communication
Andrew Nakatani, Communications Assistant
Feel free to contact Andrew Nakatani, Communications Assistant, with any 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