Fraud Investigation Update

Dear Rocky Mountain Synod community,

Many of you know that the Rocky Mountain Synod Office of the Bishop has been victimized by significant mail theft over the past 15 months. We want to share more details about the situation and what we have done to respond.

Our staff first became aware that a problem was occurring last fall. Until that time, our mail deliveries had been arriving daily at the office with a consistent volume. However, our staff began to notice a significant drop in the volume of mail that was being delivered, to the point that days would go by with no mail being delivered at all.

At the same time, we learned that some congregations were finding discrepancies on their financial statements. Checks that had been mailed for mission support and other payments were showing up as cleared on congregations’ banking statements, but they were not accounted for in the statements we sent to congregations reporting their giving. We quickly realized that these checks had been stolen out of the mail and cashed fraudulently.

Critical to this realization was our discovery that the checks were not being stolen from our mailbox. Instead, the checks were not arriving at our office at all: they were being stolen from inside the U.S. Postal Service sorting system. This became evident when we learned that the fraudulent deposits were not just taking place at banks, ATMS, and on mobile deposit apps, but at liquor stores and other locations as far away as Illinois and Texas.

The process to alert authorities about this situation and to get them to respond was unexpectedly slow. We were initially informed that the Adams County Sheriff could not respond because the crime took place at the specific banks and other locations at which the checks were being fraudulently deposited. The U.S. Postal Service was also slow to respond, so much so that we opened a federal inquiry through the office of our local member of Congress, Rep. Yadira Caraveo (whose staff was very responsive and effective).

Eventually, an investigation was initiated with the USPS Office of the Inspector General, which is where the primary investigation continues. This is where we learned that we have most likely been victimized, along with many other institutional targets, by a ring of thieves operating inside the Postal Service. We were a “soft” target for these thieves because we tended to receive such a high volume of paper checks in the mail.

We have strongly encouraged all congregations to sign up for the ACH direct deposit system, and it has shown itself thus far to be a safer, quicker, more effective way for our office to receive funds. Nearly 100 of our congregations are signed up already - Thank you! - If you haven’t signed up, please read the article below and consider enrolling today. If you have questions, please contact Jon Johnson, our Director of Finance, to learn more (finance@rmselca.org).

Thank you for your patience and partnership as we’ve responded to this issue. It has been frustrating and time-consuming for our staff, but we have done our best to respond with grace and professionalism.

Peter Severson

Director, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado



ENROLL TODAY!

RMS ACH DIRECT DEPOSIT

In response to the check fraud crisis, the synod has launched an ACH Direct Deposit system. Modeled after the process by which money is transferred to Portico, Clergy Financial, and ELCA Churchwide, congregations may enroll in our ACH Direct Deposit system. Once banking information is received and verified, the congregation will be set-up in our bank's secure ACH system and can start initiating electronic payment for all synod related payments.

Mission Support Remittance forms will be received via email. You will receive a Mission Support Remittance template to be completed according to your billing timeline in order to make a monthly mission support payment. Each congregation will continue to receive monthly contribution statements by email to verify that the correct funds have been withdrawn and distributed. It is extremely important to reconcile your monthly contribution statement to ensure that all transactions are recorded correctly. Discrepancies should be reported immediately.

ENROLL in the ACH Direct Deposit system by clicking the link below. To report missing contributions or if you have any questions, please contact Jon Johnson, Finance Director at finance@rmselca.org 



SYNOD LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS

Excellence in Leadership

With thanksgiving to God, we celebrate the ministry of Pastor Sarah Moening, who retired on October 15, 2023. Pastor Sarah has served on the staff of the Office of the Bishop since August of 2012, first as Assistant to the Bishop for Congregational Life, and since 2021, as Director for Excellence in Leadership. Pastor Sarah’s deep passion for authentic, gospel-centered relationship and her gift for navigating the complexities of congregational life have served our synod exceptionally well in both her key roles. Her vision for forming spiritually rooted, self-differentiated leaders has helped create a vibrant new model for leadership development, assisting our church in navigating these rapidly changing times. With heartfelt gratitude, we pray God’s blessings upon Pastor Sarah in this new chapter of life.

We are pleased to welcome Pastor Katie Emery as the Acting Director for Excellence in Leadership. Pastor Katie has most recently served as Associate Pastor at First Lutheran Church in Longmont CO. She has been serving as a trainer and then on the Leadership Team of Excellence in Leadership since 2019 and worked on the Montana Synod Lay Pastoral Associate Program. Welcome, Pastor Katie!

Synod Secretary

At the October 3-4 meeting of the Synod Council, Ms Janet Philipp was appointed as interim Synod Secretary, replacing Pastor Alicia Harker who has had to step away from this position. A new Synod Secretary will be elected at our Assembly in April of 2024. 

Janet comes to this role with extensive experience, including service as the President of Dana College (Blair Nebraska) and Chair/Professor of the Nursing Department of Augustana University (Sioux Fall, SD). Since coming to the Rocky Mountain Synod in 2017 with her husband, Pastor Frank Philipp, Janet has served in a variety of roles, including as a coordinator for congregations in transition and as a facilitator and consultant for Excellence in Leadership. 

Thank you, Pastor Alicia, and welcome, Janet!

From October 16-29, 2023, a group of 32 pilgrims – made up of Lutherans, Episcopalians and Roman Catholics, and including both English and Spanish speakers – traveled together to walk in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Greece, and to journey to both Rome and Assisi. Led by Father Quirino BCornejo (who serves both the Episcopal Church of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Synod) as well as Bishop Kym Lucas and Bishop Jim Gonia, the pilgrimage was originally intended to include the Holy Land and Italy.

Thanks to hard work of Good Shepherd Travel, the trip was rescheduled within a week after the violent attacks by Hamas in Israel.

Accompanying the pilgrims was Shiraz Al Rishmawi, a resident of the West Bank and staff member of Good Shepherd Travel. Although the destination had changed, prayers for peace in the Holy Land were never far from the hearts of those who journeyed together.

As one whose current call involves regularly reflecting on the life and witness of the church, it was both refreshing and humbling to walk in lands where the existence and ministry of the church date back millennium rather than decades or even a century or two. It became clear to me that a faith pilgrimage involves walking in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, learning from their struggles and shortcomings as well as being inspired by their courage and joy.

We are heirs of the faithful who have journeyed in Christ long before us, and they provide us with important legacies that continue to shape our current reality as the church. I was struck in particular by three specific legacies:

 (click on each link or download the full reflection below)

• We are heirs of the baptismal legacy of Lydia
• We are heirs of the preaching legacy of Paul
• We are heirs of the reformation legacy of Francis of Assisi and Martin Luther

Download Bishop Gonia's Reflections on our Ecumenical Pilgrimage

Companion Synod Visit 2024

The Rocky Mountain Synod will be hosting the presidents from our four companion synods in Madagascar September 28-October 6, 2024! Our hope is to introduce the presidents to different areas and ministries of the synod as they make their way from El Paso, TX to Denver, CO for the installation of our new bishop on Saturday, October 5^th. If you would like to be part of a planning team for the visit, please contact Terry Cole, Companion Synod rep on the Global Church Network, at tecole51@comcast.net. And if your ministry is in El Paso, TX, northern New Mexico, Durango, CO, Price, UT, the Salt Lake City area, Laramie or Cheyenne, WY and the Denver Metro area and you are interested in meeting and providing hospitability for our guests, please contact Terry, as well!

Excellence in Leadership is a ministry meant to “build courageous, resilient, and faithful leaders for the sake of the world.” This is the tagline. This is the mission. And in each cohort we have celebrated these as some of the numerous outcomes as well. We see the results in individuals. We see the results in relationships. We see the results in congregations.

It’s a fact. Excellence in Leadership is making a difference around the country, and it started right here in the Rocky Mountain Synod. It is truly something that has thrived and grown and make a meaningful impact in a season of the church and the world that seems to be filled with disappointment.

Listen to Phil Evan’s experience:

Brave Experiments Round 2

Our first experiment with the Brave Experiments Zoom event clearly resonated with folks so we are going to do it again. We are looking for congregations and ministries that have conducted a brave experiment and might be willing to share at our next event. Do you or someone you know have something worth sharing? 

A brave experiment is something that came about because of a recognized need, required some risk and took a thoughtful process of making changes to adapt to new realities. Our first event highlighted new partnerships, targeted strategic planning and creative uses of property. The actual experiment is not as important as the process by which the idea was conceived and attempted. The goal of Brave Experiment is to guide us all in conducting our own ministry experiments that suit our specific context. 

Please use this form to share your ideas.

Look for the next event next year before Lent! 

If you missed Brave Experiments Round 1 (October Event) and you'd like to view the recordings click HERE

Produced by the Rocky Mountain Synod Church Ministries Committee

SMART WAYS TO GIVE BEFORE 2023 ENDS 

Would you like to finish this year with a gift that maximizes your impact 

and potentially reduces your taxes?

Consider the smart options below.

1.    MAKE AN IMMEDIATE DIFFERENCE... WRITE A CHECK!

When you support the ministries of your congregation, your Rocky Mountain Synod, or your ELCA by simply writing a check, you make great things happen and may receive a federal income tax charitable deduction. If you itemize, you can write off the amount you’re donating, resulting in lower taxable income. Unsure of whether your gift is tax-deductible? Contact your financial advisor or tax consultant. Did you know? Your envelope must be postmarked on or before Dec. 31, 2023 for your donation to qualify for this year.

2.    USE APPRECIATED SECURITIES

By donating appreciated securities that you have owned for longer than one year, you receive the same income tax savings as you would by making a gift of cash. You also eliminate any tax on the appreciation. Did you know? If the securities are electronically transferred to us, the gift date is the day the securities enter our account — not the date you ask your broker to make the transfer — so don’t wait till the last moment and give today.  And don’t worry, if your congregation does not have a process for managing security transfers, the Rocky Mountain Synod can help!

3.    CONTRIBUTE TO AND FROM YOUR DONOR ADVISED FUND (DAF)

Add funds to an existing DAF or open a new one with a community foundation, financial institution, or sponsoring organization – then distribute funds from your DAF to your congregation or favorite charity. Did you know? You qualify for a tax deduction when you make a gift to a DAF, without immediately having to choose the organizations you want to support. If you are ready to making a lasting impact with your DAF, consider setting up recurring grant distributions to support your congregation, or your favorite Rocky Mountain Synod ministries, like Excellence in Leadership or the RMS Disaster Response Fund.

4.    MAKE A QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTION (QCD) FROM YOUR IRA

If you are 70½ or older, you can give any amount up to $100,000 from your IRA to your congregation, the Rocky Mountain Synod, the ELCA... or to all three! (Note: This amount will increase in subsequent years to adjust for inflation.) You will not pay income taxes on the transfer. If you are required to take minimum distributions, you can use the qualified charitable distribution to satisfy all or part of your obligation. Your IRA administrator must remove the funds from your account by Dec. 31 for your donation to qualify this year. Did you know? If you have check-writing features on your IRA, your check must clear your account by Dec. 31 to count toward your required minimum distribution for the calendar year, so give today!

Let’s talk about the best option for you! CONTACT: Tina Kvitek, RMS Assistant to the Bishop for Generosity at Email: tkvitek@rmselca.org or Call/Text: (720)238-3763.

INTRODUCING

New RMS Synod Champion for 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering

July 16-20, 2024

We are “Church Better Together"! As we plan and prepare for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans we are putting together a Synod-wide team of youth and adults who will help plan our Synod Day at the Gathering. I recently agreed to serve as the Synod Champion for the RMSELCA so I am inviting you to get involved and connected in these months of preparing for the Gathering. Please email me if you are interested in helping serve on the Gathering Synod Day planning team. Do you have questions about the Gathering? Do you want to meet other RMSELCA youth and adult leaders who will also attend the Gathering? As your new Synod Champion please contact me, Pastor Margot Wright, by email pastor@lordofthehills.org or text or call my cell phone 720-427-8352 so we can work together to find ways to get questions answered, invite and encourage youth and adults from our Synod to participate in this milestone event. I look forward to hearing from you!

An update from Kinna -

Hello RMSFFNET! For those who don't know yet, I am in Tulsa, OK for a new call and my time with the Synod is drawing to a close in December. Since the Bishop's term is coming to an end, the decision has been made not to have a new Faith Formation Coordinator for the remaining few months. 

THIS MEANS our young people (especially) need YOUR HELP! We are most in need of: 

1. Volunteers for the RMS Youth Gathering - Presidents Day weekend.
2. A NEW SYNOD CHAMPION for the ELCA Youth Gathering. 

PLEASE EMAIL ME ASAP if you are feeling called to serve our Synod in these ways. 

Thank you for your friendship, your support, and participating in God's ministry, especially for the sake of young people in the First 3rd of life!

Sky Ranch Advent Retreat

December 1-3

Come join us in wonder and anticipation as we celebrate the season of Advent together! Our theme for this year’s retreat will be the Gifts of Advent: Love, Hope, Peace, and Joy. We will spend time in community as we worship, create, eat, and have fun together!

Join us on December 9th as we give thanks for and explore the creativity that lives inside of each of us!

If you have any questions, contact Bekah at bekah@skyranchcolorado.org!

St. Paul Lutheran Church Jazz Vespers for November

Saturday, November 18 at 6:00pm

St. Paul Lutheran Church’s Jazz Vespers will take place on Saturday, NOVEMBER 18th at 6:00 p.m. at 1600 Grant St. on the corner of 16th Avenue, two blocks from the Capitol building.

The Seth Lewis Trio will be there to provide the music to accompany a message that speaks to your soul. Stay a while afterward for fellowship and refreshments.

There’s no better way to start your Saturday evening!

Parking is available on the West side of Grant Street, please look for the "EVENT AT ST. PAUL" sign and enter there.

FREE PERFORMANCES

“As Foretold” Oratorio for Chorus and Orchestra

November 18 and 19

The choir of Shepherd of the Hills in Canon City, CO will join with the Ward Choir of the Church of Latter-day Saints, st. Michael's Episcopal Church in Colorado Springs, and the Air Force Academy Cadet Choir will present a new musical work for chorus,organ, and string orchestra that is FREE TO THE PUBLIC at the following dates and times:

• 5:00 PM on Saturday, November 18 at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 7400 Tudor Rd., Colorado Springs, CO
• 4:00 PM on Sunday, November 19 at Steeple Event Center, Canon City, CO

THE VELVETEEN RABBIT

featuring Hazel Miller, Narrator, and Stratus Chamber Orchestra

Sunday, December 10 at 3:00pm

Augustana Lutheran Church

5000 E. Alameda Ave., Denver

Tickets: $20 adults/$10 children

(Financial constraints should not be a barrier to enjoying the arts. If you desire complimentary tickets, please reach out to us at info@augustanaarts.org.)

Experience the transformative power of love and imagination with Lowell Liebermann's "The Velveteen Rabbit," a musical journey inspired by the cherished children's story, narrated by Hazel Miller, singer of Colorado’s Hazel Miller & the Collective. Also, enjoy the timeless magic of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite," as its delightful melodies transport you to a world of childhood wonder and enchantment. Alongside these captivating compositions, Stratus’s Music Director Adam Torres presents his own arrangements of beloved holiday favorites, infusing them with a unique twist that will leave you filled with warmth and holiday cheer.

Colorado Gives Day

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Give to these organizations through the Colorado Gives Day website:

• Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains
• New Beginnings Worshipping Community
• Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center
• Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp
• Urban Servant Corps
• Lutheran Campus Ministry at CSU

A NOTE FROM DAVE JARVIS: SUPPORT RAINBOW TRAIL!

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 5. Each donation helps RTLC receive additional funds from Community First Foundation through a sum that's divided among all participating non-profit organizations and prizes at the end of the day. You can even make your CO Gives Day gift NOW so you won't forget to donate! Gifts made in November on the Colorado Gives website will count toward Rainbow Trail's Colorado Gives Day total on December 5. Help us reach our goal of $110,000 for Colorado Gives Day!

Young Adults in the Denver/Northern Colorado area are welcome to join NoCo's Gather November "Friendsgiving"! This gathering is for those looking for fellowship, community, and connection. Young adults (18-35) from across faith backgrounds, sexuality, genders, and perspectives are welcome here to meet, to be, to gather.

Questions, contact pastorstephani@atonementboulder.org.

ATONEMENT LUTHERAN - BOLDER, CO

Feed My Starving Children Food Packing Event Invitation

December 8-9

All, at our check-in on Tuesday I shared about the food packing event Atonement is hosting. It is an event where we will pack 100,000 meals into sealed bags. The $30,000 for the event is secured and so we invite you to bring a group from your congregation to join in the work and fun. We have slots for something like 460 volunteers. If you haven't done this before, they are a great opportunity and experience. 

Here is the blurb we have out to our community. You see there is information left to fill in on the "how" line. You'll have to figure out how to do sign-ups. You can go to this link to reserve a group # of spots. We have chosen to have people give their interest to us and then will add their names. You'll see other groups are reserving blocks of 10, 20, or 25. - www.fmsc.org/volunteer-listing/?mobilepack=2312-247EA

If you plan to do this, please just let me know, ok. so we can include that in our planning. Let me know if you have questions.

------------------------------------

What: We will be packing over 100,000 meals with over 400 volunteers; meals are distributed to over 70 countries around the world

Where: HOST Atonement Lutheran Church

When: Friday, December 8, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Saturday, December 9, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM/Noon to 2:00 PM/3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

How: Pick a time slot that works for you and reserve your spot. Sign up for a packing slot at church on sign-up sheets.

If you are interested in a limited number of other non-packing volunteer opportunities (unloading/set up/clean up), please go to the FSMC website for details and to sign up directly: www.fmsc.org/.

Contact Glenda Frazier (whitemice284@gmail.com), Karen Nielsen (johnkaren@nielsenhouse.net), or Sandy Ramsey (storm2007@msn.com) with any questions.

"The geographic area of the Pacifica Synod includes the state of Hawaii and portions of Southern California, including the counties of Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Imperial and part of Los Angeles County. The number of ELCA congregations in the Pacifica Synod is currently 110, comprised of nearly 25,139 baptized members (2019 Synod totals based on congregational reports submitted). "

The Rev. David C. Nagler, San Diego, was elected May 20, 2022 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Pacifica Synod.

See the Pacifica Synod Data Toolkit 2021, visit www.pacificasynod.org.org, and on Facebook.

Click here to view a Bishops and Synods map of our 65 ELCA synods and 9 regions.