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.

When the movie Just Mercy came out I trembled. I read the book when it came out and trembled then. I became a Christian in prison in the early 1990s and tremble every time a new documentary, book, or movie depicts the reality of prison. I tremble because I know all too well the cruelty of prison. At age 16 I became another soul incarcerated on the modern plantation.

Today we celebrate you, the congregations and ministries of the Rocky Mountain Synod. For your ministry witness, for your reforming and becoming in these complicated days. Thank you from the Rocky Mountain Synod Council and Office of the Bishop!

During this time of COVID-19, the need for food assistance has increased, while available volunteers for food banks and food pantries has decreased. The Storehouse food pantry in Albuquerque reached out to St Timothy Lutheran church, and together they hatched a plan to raise money for a full-time employee to work in the warehouse and enable food distribution. St Timothy, All Saints, and St Paul Lutheran Churches in Albuquerque, and Community of Joy in Rio Rancho, along with a number of individual donors and the Carl C Anderson Sr. and Marie Jo Anderson Foundation, were able to fully fund a position; this is Church, Better Together!

The ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM)program invites ELCA young adults ages 21-29 into a transformative, year-long journey in international service. Kendra is available, through the end of 2020, to speak to groups and individuals of our synod about her experience as a volunteer in Serbia this past year and to recruit volunteers to serve as missionaries in the YAGM program beginning in the summer of 2021.

She can be contacted at Kendra.hernandez@elca.org.

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.

A short update as we were allowed access to Sky Ranch for a few hours today before the sirens of the sheriff announced the fire was getting more active and we had to leave. The fire is still burning in the Pingree area and there are still active flames and smoke on the camp property. As of today, all buildings are ok. We were able to verify the loss of some outlying structures including the high ropes course, Sondance worship area, sauna, Beaver Meadows platform tents, and parts of the Wilderness worship area. The fire did burn near the Outdoor Chapel, but flames stopped at the base of the cross, sparing the worship area. There are still a lot of unburned areas in and around camp, so structure protection teams are actively patrolling our site and tending to spot fires.

See their Oct. 24 FB update here. See their gallery of photos, Oct 24 here.

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

King of Kings Lutheran, Pueblo, CO

Color of the Day: White

ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86272048447?pwd=K1dRNzF0ZTI3YitoSGVVNCtHb2Zudz09

Meeting ID: 862 7204 8447

Passcode: 151632

+16699006833,,86272048447#,,,,,,0#,,151632# US (San Jose)

+12532158782,,86272048447#,,,,,,0#,,151632# US (Tacoma)

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Trinity Lutheran, Las Cruces, NM

Color of the Day: Green

ZOOM: https://zoom.us/j/92400386518?pwd=Tk93SnFSVGZEVzlIN0h4SEdpVkR6QT09

Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Collins, CO

Color of the Day: Red

ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85327254288?pwd=dlg2bE1tamtBVGdkbENkZUZGUE5pdz09

Meeting ID: 853 2725 4288

Passcode: 392723

Libros Para El Viaje (LPEV) provides books to children, youth, and adults wherever they are housed. Over the years, this program – a collaborative effort between Casa Camino Real Bookstore and Border Servant Corps – has partnered with individuals and organizations to offer books "to inspire and to heal." LPEV has served asylum-seekers at Hospitality Centers in Texas and New Mexico, refugees waiting in shelters Ciudad Juárez, and families living in Anapra.

Join Denise Chávez (author & owner of Casa Camino Real Bookstore), Ceci Herrera (BSC's Save the Children El Paso Children's Coordinator), Estela Huerta (Anapra community organizer), and Kari Lenander (BSC Executive Director) on Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 3-4pm MDT as they share about "Libros Para El Viaje: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow."

Click HERE to register and receive ZOOM information.

Mary Beth Stevens will cover "golden nuggets" from Crucial Conversations. You can explore more in this presentation: https://fspa.fnal.gov/career-activities/talk-crucial-conversations/. Mary Beth has 30 years’ experience in crisis response & conflict resolution. Her educational background in psychology has been made practical by rich experience as an ombuds, mediator, critical incident debriefer and facilitator of trauma survivor groups. She provides training on conflict resolution, communications and negotiations, and is certified as a Mental Health First Aid instructor.

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

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

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

Join us as Pastor Steph from Christ the Servant Lutheran in Louisville, CO leads through a weekend of fellowship and exploration!

Using scripture as a springboard, Christians throughout history have imagined heaven and hell and expressed it through art and literature. Our language and popular culture continue to reflect these enduring images. Most of the time, we don’t think a lot about heaven or hell, but there are moments that bring the topic of the afterlife into sharp focus like the death of a loved one or a critical word from a fellow Christian. We’ll invite students to examine their beliefs about heaven and hell and to root themselves in what scripture offers us about the afterlife. This is also a time to use the lens of the Lord’s Prayer to learn about what it means for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as in heaven. What we think about heaven and hell–who “deserves” it, how we get there, whether it exists at all–shapes our choices and life right here and now. Let’s look at this matter of life and death more closely.

For more information email daniel@rainbowtrail.org or visit our website:

RSVP for interest: rgianzero@iliff.edu

We will begin each 60-minute session with a short Gospel reading and prayer.

Reading and discussion of After "Whiteness: An Education in Belonging," by Willie Jennings. Jennings “shares the insights gained from his experience” as Dean of Duke Divinity, one of the only African Americans to hold that role. “He reflects on the distortions wrought by whiteness – and its related constructs of masculinity and individualism – but holds onto an abundant hope. Jennings discusses how theological formation can position itself at the front of a massive culture shift away from white, Western hegemony. The book is part poetry, memoir and a decolonial analysis which calls us from isolation to intimacy – calls us to belonging. Reading commitment is about 60 pages for each of three (3) sessions, one final open discussion. (Overview and schedule here)

Goals: Engage collegially among ministry leaders in examining what “whiteness” means from a theological and cultural hegemonic identity formation. Discussion of how whiteness distorts identity, theological imagination and practical ministry. To engage with three short excerpts from Reggie Williams, James Cone, and James Baldwin alongside After Whiteness. We examine “whiteness” as a constructed identity.

One book to purchase:

Other Readings (provided as PDF)

- Register here!

In this four-session workshop, we will explore Mark’s story. Pam Faro, a professional storyteller with world-wide experience, will tell key parts of Mark’s story, and Richard Swanson, director of the Provoking the Gospel Storytelling Project, will guide our exploration of Pam’s performances. We will experience the story together and we will join in exploratory thinking about this old, audacious story.

The cost for this opportunity to join Pam and Richard’s exploration of Mark’s gospel is $160(USD) per person.

Responding to the Cry for Hope from Palestinian Christians, Christian leaders across the U.S. are called to commit their congregations to "Preach Palestine" on November 29. November 29th is the first Sunday in Advent, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Take a look at the resources for worship planners from a diversity of traditions and voices that lift up liberation from Turtle Island to Palestine. Please consider committing your congregation to be a part of the goal of 100 churches of many denominations to "Preach Palestine" on November 29?

For more information go to: https://www.fosna.org/keepawake

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