November 10, 2021 + A Reconciling in Christ synod
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Together we proclaim and embody God's unconditional love for the sake of the world.
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Planning our next steps
Now that we have exceeded our "first step" goal of $950,000, we are planning how congregations and individuals can join us in reaching our "next step" goal of $1,570,000!
We are working on an action guide filled with resources for engagement and invitation to join us in boldly looking to the future as the "church becoming."
Be reminded that the campaign is four initiatives, and a tithe:
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Putting our words and intentions into action through a Tithe for Racial Justice ministries and initiatives.
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Strengthening and training faithful leaders through the Excellence in Leadership program.
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Revitalizing the Messiah Mountain Retreat Center, a 27-acre gift from Messiah Community Church, ELCA, in Denver.
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Shifting our culture of generosity and providing grants and support for rostered ministers through the 3E Lilly Grant, which requires a 1:1 match.
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Stewarding our RMS Lutheran Center, with essential repairs and new visions for community engagement.
Development Director Tina Kvitek and Assistant to the Bishop Kent Mueller are designing this "next step" so that congregations will be provided engaging and brief videos, graphics to insert in email and print newsletters, a litany of grace, gratitude, & generosity, and a straightforward way for congregation's to join us in sprinting to the finish line!
Take a sneak peak at our new Excellence in Leadership video:
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eConnection Spotlight:
RMS in the Neighborhood
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a ministry of Cross of Christ, Broomfield, CO
Anchor House has its first resident!
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Big News! We just had our first resident move in! We are so excited to begin welcoming former foster youth to their new home. Good luck to all of our residents!
Anchor House exists to collaborate with faith-based communities and other organizations to provide housing to emancipated minors. The dedication of Anchor House last August showed the power of what can be achieved by working together. Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Lutheran Church of Hope, City and County of Broomfield - Government with community partnerships, individuals and service organizations all contributed to make Anchor House ready to welcome former foster youths. Partners on the Path to Independence indeed!
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RMS & ELCA News and Events
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Center for Generosity Registration Open
Learn on your own — no cost for six months!
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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/
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Planning details announced for 2022 Synod Assembly in El Paso
April 28-30, 2022
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Begin planning now for the 2022 Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly which will take place in El Paso, TX.
Begins Thursday, April 28 at 4 p.m.
Concludes Saturday, April 30 at 11 a.m.
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.
Registration cost per person for voting members will be $300 which covers meals/breaks and all program costs.
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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.
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.
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ANNOUNCING the 2022 IGNITE THE CHURCH CONFERENCE
February 8-10, 2022
"SEISMIC SHIFTS: Where do we go from here?"
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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?
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.
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November 14, 2021
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
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Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, your sovereign purpose brings salvation to birth. Give us faith to be steadfast amid the tumults of this world, trusting that your kingdom comes and your will is done through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
In God's Hands:
Ecumenical Prayer Cycle from the World Council of Churches
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.
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RMS PRAYER CYCLE
NOVEMBER 2021
RMSELCA MINISTRIES
Week of November 7
Office of the Bishop
Denver, CO
Bishop Jim Gonia
Rev. Barbara Berry-Bailey
Deacon Sarah Bjornebo
Rev. Quirino Cornejo
Jon Johnson
Tina Kvitek
Rev. Kent Mueller
Andrew Nakatani
Rev. Dana Peterson
Deacon Margy Schmitt Ajer
Yvonne Wilken
Kurt Rager
Peter Severson
CAMPAIGN
Rev. Ron Beckman
EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP
Rev. Sarah Moening
Dana Anderson
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TRANSITIONS
Rev. Sarah Moening
Rachel Line
Janice Ladd-Horkey
Rev. Mandy Achterberg
Rev. Will Johnson
Rev. Pam Stofferahn
Flip Wilson
3E
Michael Tassler
Deb Elstad
Julie Nelson
MESSIAH MOUNTAIN
Jen Engquist & Matt Bishop
MINISTRY CELEBRATION -
INSTALLATION
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
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Rainbow Trail
Senior High Retreat
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AUGUSTANA, DENVER, CO
Celebrate and Salute with Sound!
Thursday, November 11 at 6:00 p.m.
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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!
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- Old Time Radio Christmas Plays -
Presented by THE ADVENT RADIO PLAYERS
A Fibber McGee and Molly Comedy
“Fibber Paints a Christmas Tree White”
A Dragnet Drama
“The Big Little Jesus”
Sunday, December 12 at 1:00 p.m.
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You're invited! The Advent Radio Players will be presenting A Fibber McGee and Molly Comedy, "Fibber Paints a Christmas Tree White" and A Dragnet Drama, "The Big Little Jesus." Each play will be performed using the original scripts and sounds just as they were broadcast on the air in 1945 and 1953 using several microphones and including lighted applause and on the air signs.
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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 many of our RMS ministry organizations on Tuesday, December 7. Each donation helps organizations receive additional funds from Community First Foundation through a bonus sum that's divided among all participating organizations at the end of the day. You can even pre-schedule your CO Gives Day gift NOW so you won't forget to donate!
RAINBOW TRAIL SUBMITTED A DIRECT LINK:
We will include other links as they are made available.
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ONLINE EVENT
Urban Servant Corps Alumni
Intentional Gift Giving
Each Wednesday in Advent 12-12:30pm MST
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After a year of service, Urban Servant Corps alumni journey into their next faithful step in becoming community leaders, teachers, pastors, parents, authors, yoga instructors and more!
Throughout this time of Advent, you are invited to meet 3 incredible USC alums and the 6 current volunteers serving with USC. We will hear from the following folks:
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12/1—Irene Sun, author of "Taste and See: All About God's Goodness" (2022) and "God Counts: Numbers in His Word and His World"
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12/8—Ellie Roscher, author of "12 Tiny Things: Simple Ways to Live a More Intentional Life" and "How Coffee Saved My Life"
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12/15—Rachel Bass Guennewig, Daily Bread Yoga — All Together Now
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12/22—USC volunteers and their service sites
Meeting ID: 860 2866 5432
Passcode: 654714
During these 30 minute Zoom sessions, you will learn about Urban Servant Corps, meet USC alums/volunteers, and have the opportunity to explore meaningful and intentional Christmas gift giving ideas for your loved ones!
PRIZES included!! Each session will include a drawing to win a book by Ellie or Irene or yoga session with Rachel!
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ONLINE EVENT
"The God Who Sees" Book Discussion
Saturday, November 20 at 10:00 a.m.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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NEEDED: CONGREGATION REPRESENTATIVES TO RELATE TO THE RMS CREATION CARE TEAM!
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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.
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ONLINE EVENT
Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains
Foster Care Info Meeting - CO Springs
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021 AT 5:30pm – 6:15pm MST
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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.
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ONLINE RETREAT
The Uncertainty of Advent
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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.
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ReconcilingWorks Sunday
"Made in God's Image: God's Boundless Diversity"
January 30, 2022
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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?"
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Youth Director (part-time)
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Trinity Lutheran Church in Boulder, CO is looking for a part-time youth director who is excited about trying out new ways of doing youth ministry in our changed, hybrid world.
The Youth Director engages children, youth, and families of Trinity Lutheran Church through compassionate, creative, and courageous means to help youth wrestle with identity, belonging, and purpose through a grounding in Christian faith and community.
This is a part-time salaried position with weekend and evening responsibilities, averaging 25 hours per week. Download job description here. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to personnel@trinityboulder.org. This position will remain open until filled.
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Director of Music Ministries (part-time)
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Messiah Community Church, ELCA, a welcoming faith community for people of all ages, seeks a Part-Time Music Director to coordinate the musical components of our worship service, lead musical ensembles (bell and voice choirs, with the possibility for a children’s choir).
The ideal candidate will have experience with church / sacred music and choirs (experience in the Lutheran tradition a bonus), think creatively, have strong interpersonal skills, and be able to accompany if necessary.
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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.
Deadline for submission is November 15, 2021.
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Office of the Bishop This Week
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Bishop Jim Gonia
- RMS Youth Council
- First Call Theological Education
- Executive Committee
- Installation - Pastor Jeff Hanson, Sterling, CO
ELCA DIRECTOR FOR EVANGELICAL MISSION
Pastor Dana Peterson
- First Call Theological Education
- All Saints, Albuquerque, NM
- St. Paul, Albuquerque, NM
LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY NEW MEXICO
Kurt Rager
- NM Ethics Coalition
- NM Fair Lending Coalition
- LAM-NM Policy Committee
- Medicaid Coalition
- First Call: Advocacy Orientation
- St. Luke - ABQ
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LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY COLORADO
Peter Severson
- TANF Coalition
- Lutheran Family Services board strategic planning
- RMS First Call Theological Education
- 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
- Finance Committee
- First Call Theological Education
DIRECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT/LUTHERAN CENTER
Tina Kvitek
- Finance Committee
- Excellence in Leadership
- First Call Theological Education
- Peace, El Paso, TX
- Peace, Las Cruces, NM
- Cross of Hope, Albuquerque, NM
- Donor Meetings
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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
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