As people of faith, claimed by Jesus, we believe that the role of the church is to support and pray for the well being of the world, for wise leaders to be raised up, and no matter what the outcome that we will be given the gift of “peace that passes all understanding that guards our hearts and minds through Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

Note: Pastors and deacons are invited to open conversation via ZOOM immediately following the Thursday prayer service. You may register here.

Hundreds of individuals and families are estimated to be sheltering in vehicles in the seven-county Denver metro area each night and there are upwards of a thousand statewide. A major problem for people who shelter in a vehicle is finding a safe, legal place to park. Whether it is to sleep, to take a job, or to make a meeting with a case worker, finding reliable places to park where the risk of losing one’s vehicle is low is a major concern.

Safe Parking recognizes a vehicle as a stabilizing resource for a person experiencing homelessness. Faith communities, nonprofits, and homeless service providers partner together to extend resources to people sheltering in their car. Colorado Safe Parking Initiative has organized to bring together these resources in our state. Communities of faith, particularly those with lots of parking space that goes unused for much of the week, will play a vital role in this initiative.

Could your parking lot be a safe haven? Contact CSPI today (kathleen@interfaithallianceco.org) and visit www.colosafeparking.org to learn more!

Interested in learning more about candidacy, seminary, the the journey of becoming a rostered minister in the ELCA? Join us for a webinar and conversation with representatives from seminaries, the candidacy committee, the office of the bishop, and current candidates to get your questions answered and learn next steps from where you are.

Please RSVP to Pr. Leslie at locallaghan@rmselca.org.

We know Christmas is going to look different this year! What will worship look like this year? Some creative worship leaders will gather for some conversation and brainstorming: Rev. Quirino Cornejo (EC), Deacon Sarah Bjornebo, Rev. Carrie Bayllis, Rev. Mercy Rumengan (PC-UCA) & Rev. Leslie O'Callaghan.

https://fb.me/e/1WEyXDfeL.

Thank you all SO much for the amazing turn out for the Run4Camp Fundraiser!! We had:

THAT'S OVER $37K IN DONATIONS SO FAR!

With donations still coming in through the rest of the week, we will have our official numbers later this week.

There isn't a Facebook post that could fully say how much your support through this fundraiser means to the year-round staff. To see how this community can transcend time and space to come together has been amazing. Generations of Sky Ranch campers, staff, and camp lovers alike have come together throughout the country to show support for the place we all love.

See the Oct. 30 fire update here. Current fire stats:

For the most current fire information, go to https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6964/.

Have you ever noticed a sense of calm when you step out onto the trailhead? Why does bird watching lower your blood pressure? Humans have been observing birds since we became a species. They hold an important place in natural history.

Lifelong bird watcher Steve Frye will share the benefits of watching birds. Steve grew up in the woods of MN where he hatched his keen interest in natural history, especially birds. His boyhood home featured floor to ceiling windows which looked onto the backyard bird feeders. After graduating from college, he entered the Peace Corps in Kenya to teach chemistry, physics, math, and wildlife club. He opened a Wild Bird Center store in Boulder and takes people on a virtual bird walk every Saturday, boulderbirdwalks.org.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4264420220

Oral storytelling is uniquely human, and essential to our individual and collective mental health. Sharing stories builds compassion, opening our hearts to shared human experience.

Laura will tell some of the stories that have helped her in these physically isolated times, and offer suggestions for using storytelling to navigate this strange new world. Sharing stories builds compassion, opening our hearts to share and offer suggestions for using storytelling to navigate this strange new world. Laura is a storyteller, poet, and an explorer of dreams. She volunteers with Spellbinders, telling folktales to elementary school students. She also tells stories to adults, in house concerts, festivals, story slams, and online. Find more about her storytelling at www.LauraDeal.com.

Hosted by Atonement Lutheran Church, Boulder Mental Health Ministry and Interfaith Network on Mental Illness (www.inmi.us)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4264420220

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 Tuesday, December 8th. Each donation helps RTLC receive additional funds from Community First Foundation through a sum that's divided among all participating organizations and prizes at the end of the day. You can even pre-schedule your CO Gives Day gift NOW so you won't forget to donate!

Give at https://www.coloradogives.org/rainbowtrail/overview and for more information, visit https://www.rainbowtrail.org/donate/colorado-gives-day/.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented challenge for our lives and the lives throughout the world. In particular, the church is impacted in its ability to provide the very ministry it is called to embody - presence. How do we embody presence when we aren't present or severely limited? How do we lead for the future? How do we re-imagine ministry? How do we stay adaptive? How has life and ministry changed for us and how has life and work changed for our congregations and the communities we serve? How do we live and lead in uncertainty?

We will draw on the insights from the world of management exploring these questions from the perspective of entrepreneurship, marketing, leadership, finance and fundraising.

California Lutheran University, January 11-15, 2021

Help support refugee and asylum-seeking families on the U.S./México border this holiday season! 2020 has been a challenging year worldwide. More so, perhaps, for families waiting in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México to seek asylum in the United States. Together, help us care for 1,300 of our refugee and asylum-seeking neighbors, sharing gifts of comfort and joy this holiday season. What will we provide? Each person will receive a drawstring bag with a winter hat and gloves, lip balm, a book, a notebook, pens/watercolors/crayons/colored pencils and a pencil sharpener, playing cards/stuffed animals/stress toys/baby toys, food, and more.

To give, go to: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/holidayhumanitarianaid2020

You’ve been busy reinventing the way your congregation does ministry. Let Lutheran World Relief help you this Advent. Lift up the experience of our neighbors in each of the regions your love reaches: Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Lutheran World Relief will provide you with a full suite of resources that can be used digitally or in-person each week: sermon illustrations, powerful videos, candle lighting litany and at-home engagement. Visit lwr.org/congregations to download these free resources and make plans for your congregation to experience a Season of Hope.

St. Andrew Lutheran Church, an active, service-oriented ELCA congregation in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, invites individuals who are passionate about sharing God’s good news with others, particularly children, youth, and their families, to apply for the position of Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry.

(Full job posting here)

St. Andrew Lutheran Church - Vancouver, WA

Joy Mission Preschool - Parker, CO

Atonement Lutheran Church - Boulder, CO