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A Reconciling in Christ synod
ELCA presiding bishop letter of support in response to Indonesian bombings
In response to the recent terror attacks at three churches and a police station in Surabaya, Indonesia, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), sent a letter offering prayers and support to The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) National Committee in Indonesia:

“On behalf of your brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, I join all of you in the 13 Lutheran churches across Indonesia as you advocate for peace and harmony among all Indonesian people, especially between the different faith communities; as you call on your government to prevent radicalism and acts of terror in Indonesia and beyond; and as you find God’s wisdom to guide you.”

The national committee represents the 13 LWF member churches in Indonesia, which together have more than 6 million members.

The committee has issued a statement calling on the government of Indonesia to investigate the terrorist acts while also addressing the root causes of terrorism in Indonesia. According to the LWF, the statement urges Christians in Indonesia to respond to acts of terror in a way that will lead to peace and harmony among the different religious communities in Indonesia.

Read   Bishop Eaton’s letter.
Additional Synod Assembly Resources

The 2018 Ministry Magazine is now available online. Download and print for your bulletin board, or add individual pages to your newsletter! Contact Deacon Erin Power to order additional printed copies!
The Synod Assembly edition of the Connection Newsletter is a great way to share updates and stories from the Assembly with your ministry!
View Assembly photos on Facebook

Documents, Election Results, and Resources can be found on the assembly page
Assembly videos and follow-up documents can be found on the RMS Resources page! Share on facebook or as part of worship!
eConnection Spotlight: RMS in the Neighborhood
Celebrating 150 years of Lutheran witness in Madagascar!
We join with our companions in Madagascar as they celebrate their 150th anniversary of the Malagasy Lutheran Church! The official celebration will be this Sunday, May 27th. Celebrations were delayed due to an outbreak of the plague this fall. We offer gratitude for the health of the people and their witness as the church in Madagascar.

Please include this prayer in your worship this weekend:

You have blessed us with your Spirit. Continue to bless the Malagasy Lutheran Church as they celebrate the 150 th  anniversary of the church in Madagascar. May you continue to lead them by your Spirit as they continue to do your work in Madagascar as the Spirit leads them.
RMS-ELCA News and Events
Church Together Ambassadors
At assembly, voting members were commissioned to be Church Together Ambassadors until we meet in assembly next spring. Church Together Ambassadors will be provided stories, worship resources and videos about our life together to share with their congregation or ministry.

The June toolkit can be found here.

If you did not have a voting member at assembly or would like to receive this monthly toolkit, email Deacon Erin Power.
New ELCA Domestic Hunger Grant Application
In June of this year, a new two-year ELCA World Hunger Domestic Hunger Grants cycle will open with a renewed application process. This process will be open to congregations and their partners and will focus on building relationships for local service and action in our communities.

For the first time, these applications will be completed through the new ELCA granting platform, ELCA GrantMaker. On-line trainings and an official introduction video will be shared soon. Email hunger@elca.org if you have questions. Keep checking the Hunger Network’s website at www.rmselca.org /hunger for updates!
Join the Youth Gathering from home!
From the 2018 Youth Gathering Team:

Next month we will be gathering with more than 30,000 of our Lutheran friends! The 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering is on its way, and we can’t wait to engage in our theme, This Changes Everything, guided by Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” For those of you who won’t be able to join us in Houston, we invite you to connect with us via livestream on our  website . We’ll be sharing our Mass Gatherings (starting June 27 at 7:30 p.m.), as well as daily Bible studies with some of our main stage speakers (starting at 3:30 p.m.), and worship services for MYLE (June 26 at 6:45 p.m.) and The tAble (June 27 at 10 a.m.). We also would like to invite you to follow us on all social media platforms using #ELCAYG2018. Join the story and share with others! >  More
For Your Bulletin
Installations

   Rev. Dan Hayes
Peace, Sterling, CO
Saturday, June 2, 2:00 p.m.
Color of the Day:   Green
RMS Prayer Cycle

 Week of May 27

MAY 2018: METRO EAST CONFERENCE

House for all Sinners and Saints - Denver,CO
Nadia Bolz-Weber
Reagan Humber

Saron - Strasburg, CO
Julie Brooks

St. Mark - Aurora, CO
Inga Oyan Longbrake

St. Matthew - Aurora, CO
Marcel Naruki

St. Paul - Denver, CO
Penni Walsch (Interim)
Mark Alan Filbert
Holy Trinity
Rublev, Andreĭ, Saint, d. ca. 1430

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, May 27
The Holy Trinity
First Sunday after Pentecost
Prayer of the Day

Almighty Creator and ever-living God: we worship your glory, eternal Three-in-One, and we praise your power, majestic One-in-Three. Keep us steadfast in this faith, defend us in all adversity, and bring us at last into your presence, where you live in endless joy and love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

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

Around the Synod
"The Daring Way" Women's Retreat
Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2

You are cordially invited to attend 
"The Daring Way, " a Mount Calvary Women’s Retreat. Featuring Rev. Sarah Ciavarri , Certified Daring WayTM Facilitator Consultant and Lutheran pastor (ELCA)

Friday, June 1 at 5:30 p.m.
Enjoy social time with hearty hors d'oeuvres
Program 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 2 at 8:30 a.m.
Come ready for breakfast finger foods
Program 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Cost is $30, checks can be paid to Mount Calvary with “Women’s Retreat” in the memo. Friends are welcome. Your payment secures your space. Space is limited to 45.

Contact Mount Calvary’s office at office@mountcalvary-boulder.org or 303-499-1444 to RSVP. Flyer available here, or go here for additional information: http://www.sarahciavarri.com/
Benjamin Britten Choral Cantata!
Sunday, June 10, 10:30 a.m.
St. Paul Lutheran and Catholic Community of Faith
1600 Grant Street
Denver, CO 80203
303-839-1432

Join us on Sunday, June 10, during the 10:30 a.m. liturgy, the Saint Paul Choir will present Rejoice in the Lamb, a choral cantata for soprano/alto/tenor/bass chorus, SATB soloists, and organ composed by the great twentieth-century British composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), in 1943.
Retirement of Pastor Mark Peterson!
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Come join us on June 10 to celebrate the 40 year ministry of Pastor Mark Peterson as he retires! 

Worship at Bethlehem Lutheran Church , 1000 W 15th Ave, Longmont CO, 8:00 and 10:15 a.m. (No RSVP required)

Coffee reception at 9:15 - 10:15 a.m. (RSVP appreciated)
Episcopalians and Lutherans at Denver Pridefest 2018
Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17
Episcopalians and Lutherans are organizing a presence at Denver Pridefest 2018, the weekend of June 16 and 17, and invite you to come and help us spread the great news about our welcoming churches. Last year we had over 2 dozen volunteers from 8 area Lutheran and Episcopal congregations, including Holy Trinity in Littleton.  

We have a booth space and we will bring the canopy and supplies, so the only thing volunteers need to do is to sign up for a 2-hour shift on either Saturday or Sunday and come and greet visitors to our booth. We have a Signup Genius page here. We also have an information webpage here.

Volunteers can sign up individually or claim one or more shifts for your group. We will also have lists of RIC congregations and welcoming Episcopal churches to give out. Additionally, St John's Cathedral will be marching in the parade on Sunday morning and have extended an invitation to all area Lutherans and Episcopalians to join them. You can find contact info for the parade on the website.
Prayer Request from Border Servant Corps (Peace Lutheran, Las Cruces)
For Sonya Kumpuckal, BSCer serving as an Outreach Coordinator at the Southwest Environmental Center in Las Cruces.
The Southwest Environmental Center works to protect and restore native wildlife and their habitats in the Southwestern borderlands, through advocacy, education and on-the-ground projects.

* Each month, BSC invites partners to support BSC, volunteers, and service sites through intentional prayer. Please feel free to share; we are grateful for your continued partnership and support.
Refugee Hospitality Ministry - Peace Lutheran, Las Cruces
Last week Peace Lutheran Church (Las Cruces, NM) welcomed and hosted 26 refugees. We have been blessed beyond measure by each person's presence; providing hospitality to more than 70 refugees since we started this ministry in March 2018. We will continue to pray for each parent and child as their journey continues.

Many thanks to all of the volunteers who give their time to provide hospitality with kindness, love, and care. Gratitude to people across the world who are sending donations to support each guest. The cost to support a refugee family is about $100. This provides basic needs (personal hygiene and meals), clothing (a change of clothes for each family member), and travel (items for single parent & child's journey to their sponsor). Your donations to support our refugee ministry are welcome at BorderServantCorps.org.
The Poor People's Campaign in New Mexico
National Call for a Moral Revival
May 14 - June 21, 2018
Be prepared by reading the basic primer of Fundamental Principles.
More information from the national Poor People's Campaign here.
Ecumenical Alert from the New Mexico Conference of Churches here.

Non-Violent Moral Fusion Direct Actions are being planned for 
the six Mondays from May 14th through June 18th.

Monday, May 28, Memorial Day 
Lead organization: Veteran's for Peace
Location: to be determined -- details forthcoming

Monday, June 4
Theme: Health; Ecology; Extractavism, Climate Change
Locations: various events around New  Mexico  -- details forthcoming

Monday, June 11 
Theme: Living Wage, Housing, Social Services and Disability
Location: to be determined -- details forthcoming

Monday, June 18
Theme: Immigration, Refugees, the Border
Location: Las Cruces---details forthcoming

Somebody's Hurting Our People: Children, Women, and...

It's time to break the silence about America's war on the poor. The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival launches 40 days of moral action TODAY with Week One-Somebody's Hurting Our People: Children, Women, and People with...

Read more
www.youtube.com
Our Life Together
Need a T-Shirt for Synod day?
Do you still want to get in on the Synod Hospitality Package?
Don't know what the Synod Hospitality Package includes? Deadline to sign up is this weekend. Check out the details on the RMS website. A 't-shirt only' option is available. This is the only place that you can order a RMS t-shirt for our Synod Day. No need to send in sizes, we have access to those through your Gathering Registration. Shirts will be delivered at the Gathering. If you have questions, please contact Beth Rogers at beth@lchope.org or Kevin Dragseth at kevin@focolu.org.
(t-shirt will differ from illustration)
Resource Corner
check back each week for a new or featured resource for your congregation
United Against Racism - Resource from National Council of Churches
Rising out of the NCC's Truth and Racial Justice Initiative, ACT Now!: Unite to End Racism, this book provides prayers, thoughts and reflections for use by individuals, small groups, congregations, and communities. These tools can help individual spiritual reflection on racism or give a frame for reforming our institutions to become inclusive, beloved communities and equip us for the work of ending racism. Order yours here.
Living Lutheran- May 2018 RMS Inserts
Living Lutheran offers a supplement insert four times a year with Rocky Mountain Synod news and stories. The insert is available as a PDF for congregation newsletters and bulletin inserts.

May 2018 Insert -  print version  /  web version
New Listings
Bookkeeper (part-time)
Christ Lutheran Church - Highlands Ranch, CO
Manage financial records and reports on the financial business of the church. Work in consultation and cooperation with the Executive Pastor. Work in a team atmosphere promoting good communication and well-being in the congregation and with other staff members. Position description here. Contact Pastor Gail Mundt at 303-791-0803 for information and to apply pastorgail@clchr.org
Administrative Assistant
Epiphany Lutheran Church - Denver, CO
Epiphany Lutheran Church is an active Washington Park neighborhood church in southeast Denver. We seek an individual to provide receptionist duties and secretarial support for the Pastor. This position is responsible for office management, congregational communication, maintenance of congregational records, creating and printing worship bulletins and monthly newsletter, scheduling use of the physical facility, scheduling and monitoring maintenance of the office equipment, and assistance with special projects as assigned by the Pastor. Position description here
Program Director, Advocacy Engagement
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Washington, D.C.
This position will be located in our Washington DC office.  

The Program Director for Advocacy Engagement creates and implements effective and integrated ELCA Advocacy communication strategies. The position directs ELCA Advocacy engagement with internal stakeholders, including (but not limited to) ELCA units, State Public Policy Offices, the Conference of Bishops, synods and E-advocacy networks. In collaboration with Mission Advancement, the position manages communications with external stakeholders, including interfaith partners, coalitions, legislators, federal agencies, media, and the public. The position develops and directs resource development for and the implementation of communications strategies that equip Lutherans for public witness and for advocacy campaigns that give voice to communities and people unheard in public debates. The Program Director for Advocacy Engagement works with the Director to implement the operational plan for ELCA Advocacy, ensuring its alignment with and advancing the strategic directions for the churchwide organization. This position manages the Hunger Advocacy Fellowship grant process with the State Public Policy Office network. Complete job posting and link to apply here
Faith Formation Director
Trinity Lutheran Church - Laramie, WY
Trinity Lutheran is looking for a Faith Formation Director to work with the pastor and ministry teams in the planning and implementation of faith formation activities. This is part time ministry, expect 10-15 hours a week. Apply in person at Trinity, located at 107 S. 7th St. in Laramie, WY, or send your resume to Pr Nathan Keith at pastornate3421@gmail.com. Position description here, and Trinity Lutheran website here.
Employment Opportunities
All Non-Rostered Positions 
Bookkeeper (part-time)
Christ Lutheran Church - Highlands Ranch, CO

Administrative Assistant
Epiphany Lutheran Church - Denver, CO

Program Director, Advocacy Engagement
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Washington, D.C.

Faith Formation Director
Trinity Lutheran Church - Laramie, WY
Office of the Bishop This Week
 
Bishop Gonia
  • All-day staff meeting
  • Dean's webex
  • Vacation
  • Cross of Christ, Broomfield

Pastor Kent Mueller (1/2 time)
  • All-day staff meeting
  • Dean's Zoom
  • Growing Home
  • Vacation

Ruth Hoffman
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM
  • Staff meeting
  • Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Peter Severson
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-CO
  • All day staff meeting
  • Vacation
Pastor Judith VanOsdol
  • Aurora Church Together Strategy (ACTS)
  • Christ the King, Denver, CO
  • Staff meeting
  • Dean's Zoom meeting
  • Developer/ Redeveloper strategic planning

Deacon Erin Power
  • All-day staff meeting
  • Dean's Zoom
  • RMS Communications
  • ELCA Youth Gathering Speaker's Workshop, Waukesha, WI

Pastor Sarah Moening
  • Sabbatical until August 14

Pastor Leslie Welton
  • All-day Staff meeting
  • All Saints/Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center, Brush, CO
  • In-office appointments
Quick Links
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Erin Power ,   Assistant to the Bishop
You are welcome to directly contact Andrew Nakatan i , Communications Assistant, with any 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

Articles for eConnection are due noon Monday for the issue the following Wednesday.
Event announcements are included for about two weeks then copied to the Events & News Web Page , and may be submitted via the eConnection Submission link above.