A Reconciling in Christ synod |
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Remembering our Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment and Declaration of Ecumenical Commitment |
Dear partners in ministry,
Over the past year, we have worked to support the interpretation and implementation of this document across the church. Recently, a new ad hoc committee was appointed by the presiding bishop to develop pastoral guidelines for ministry in a multireligious world, as called for in the document. I frequently receive (and gladly accept!) invitations to participate in events that equip people to live out the commitments articulated at the heart of the document. All of these developments remind me that what happened on Aug. 8, 2019, was not a static action of the church but a dynamic witness to the church’s long-standing work — as well as future potential — in this vital area of ministry.
Next year will be the 30th anniversary of the church’s first declaration: “A Declaration of Ecumenical Commitment: A Policy Statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America” (1991). This document has stood the test of time because it established policy that was ahead of its time. The goals and stages it sets forth have supported major developments in the ecumenical landscape since, including and especially the dialogues, discourses and full communion partnerships that have become so critical as a sign of Christian unity, but also for our self-understanding as Lutherans.
Though it is clearly focused on relations among Christians, “A Declaration of Ecumenical Commitment” laid the foundation for all of the major developments in ELCA inter-religious relations since. By acknowledging “the distinct responsibility for the church to enter into conversations and reach greater understanding with people of other faiths,” and by calling for a “separate, official statement” in the future, the policy statement accomplished two significant theological and relational tasks: 1) It claimed the ongoing vocation of the church in inter-religious relations, and 2) it articulated the necessity of giving that vocation further definition. Here we find ourselves — living into and seeking to further define our God-given inter-religious vocation.
When I think back to Aug. 8, 2019, my mind goes immediately to what it felt like to be on the stage with our 50-plus partners and the members of the ELCA’s inter-religious task force as the assembly deliberated, debated and adopted this text. I recall feeling at once the palpable gift and task of our mutual accountability to one another as people made in the image of God. I treasure the fond memories of what it feels like to gather in the flesh — to hear the breath of those around us and to sense the presence of one another in shared space, as companions in seeking unity, justice and peace.
For now, our vocation is to serve together primarily in virtual spaces — the most rapidly changing dimension of our ecclesial, ecumenical and inter-religious landscape. It is my hope that our new ways of thinking and working together in this time will lead us into deeper and broader commitments that 30 years from now are seen by those who come after us as both timely and timeless.
Peace,
Kathryn Lore
Assistant to the Presiding Bishop
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eConnection Spotlight:
RMS in the Neighborhood
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Hunger and the COVID-19 pandemic |
Watch this video featuring the feeding ministry of Hope Lutheran Church in Lynden, Wash., which provides food for children and families: |
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If you've already made a donation to ELCA World Hunger, thank you. If you haven't yet, please consider giving a gift at the link below.
The needs brought on by the coronavirus pandemic are significant. In the United States and around the world, ELCA World Hunger is responding through our congregations, partners and companions. This is an important part of Christ's call to our church, and with your generosity, we can ensure that our neighbors facing hunger get the food and support they need.
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Anchor House Groundbreaking!
Wednesday, August 19 at 9:00 a.m.
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Anchor House will begin construction with a groundbreaking on Wednesday, August 19 at 9:00 a.m. Tune in to the live webcast at www.lchope.org/watch.
The goal of Anchor House is to provide affordable housing and support services, including assistance with job searches and access to food banks, to youth ages 18-21 who have aged out of the foster system. Anchor House is a 501c(3) nonprofit corporation that comprises a partnership with Lutheran Church of Hope, Thrivent Financial, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Flatirons Habitat for Humanity, and the City and County of Broomfield. Despite setbacks from the coronavirus outbreak this year, Anchor House has received enough funding to begin building the eight-apartment complex in Broomfield this summer. Read their press release here.
The anticipated completion date is May 2021. A larger dedication/opening rite is planned when construction is complete.
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RMS & ELCA News and Events |
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Theological Conference 2020
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Dr. Reggie Williams will be joining as our keynote for our 2020 Theological Conference. Dr. Williams is an Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at McCormick Theological Seminary and the author of Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance Theology and an Ethic of Resistance.
Registration deadline is September 4.
Hotel Reservation Deadline is August 24.
$125 REGISTRATION FOR DIGITAL EVENT
The $200 registration cost covers all programming, keynote speaker, and event costs.
Digital Resource Registration
If you are unable to attend the event, but would like access to the digital content, there is a registration option to receive content post-event.
HOTEL RETREAT GUESTS: CONTACT ERIN BEFORE REGISTERING
If you are planning to stay at the hotel, please contact Deacon Erin Power for a registration code to unlock a reduced registration fee.
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Beginning a Culture of Generosity |
Beginning a Culture of Generosity (BCG) is a new and timely program presented by 3E and the Rocky Mountain Synod (RMS). It is designed for those congregations that have not yet participated in Stewardship for All Seasons. It will help guide you and provide tools for your fall appeal giving you and your stewardship team confidence right now while everyone is working through a variety of very real financial stressors.
Registration is open through August 15 with the first session scheduled for August 22.
The cost of the program is only $150 and congregations are responsible for their own printing costs (bulletins, brochures).
If you have questions or if you have been in SAS and want a refresher, contact Deb Elstad, 3E Associate Director, deb.elstad@gmail.com.
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Sky Ranch Campground Opens! |
Sky Ranch is excited to announce the campground opened August 9th! Cabin and campground rentals are available for individual family units. More information here.
Reservations can be made Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. by calling the office at 970-493-5258 or email Ally at ally@skyranchcolorado.org. |
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Rick Steves, guidebook author and travel TV host; the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA); and the Rev. Shelley Bryan Wee, bishop of the ELCA Northwest Washington Synod, invite you to an online benefit — the first of its kind — for ELCA World Hunger. Our goal is to raise $250,000 to confront hunger in the time of COVID-19.
When: Thursday, Sept. 24, 6:00 p.m. Mountain time
Where: Zoom virtual event
We are in a historic moment, facing a once-in-a-century pandemic and a global change in hunger unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes. Domestically and internationally, hunger is increasing at alarming rates. At this event, you will learn about the unique ways ELCA World Hunger is responding. Our hosts will also discuss the ongoing root causes of hunger and poverty addressed in Rick Steves’ recent special Hunger and Hope: Lessons From Ethiopia and Guatemala. And you will hear from ELCA World Hunger partners on the front lines of the current hunger crisis, who will tell you firsthand how your gifts make a difference.
We are called by God to share hope in this time of challenge. Join us to face this global hunger crisis head-on and to continue moving toward a just world where all are fed.
Join us for this online event that will raise funds for ELCA World Hunger
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Ordination
Sara L. Wilson,
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, CA
11:00am PDT, Saturday, August 22
Color of the day: Red
Installation
Rev. Daren Erisman
Immanuel/Lutheran Episcopal Campus Ministry, Greeley, CO
1:00pm, Sunday, August 16
Color of the day: Green
Meeting ID: 912 1407 5187
Passcode: 880432
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RMS Prayer Cycle
AUGUST 2020
NORTH COLORADO CONFERENCE
- Week of August 16 -
Our Savior’s - Greeley, CO
John Knutson
Korra Looschen
Our Saviour’s - Fort Collins, CO
Leta Behrens
Michael Stadtmueller
Peace Evangelical - Akron, CO
Dan Hays
Peace - Sterling, CO
Dan Hays
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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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Sunday, August 16
Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
Prayer of the Day
God of all peoples, your arms reach out to embrace all those who call upon you. Teach us as disciples of your Son to love the world with compassion and constancy, that your name may be known throughout the earth, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
In God's Hands:
Ecumenical Prayer Cycle from the World Council of Churches
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Conversation for Connection: "Emerging Perspectives Amid the Pandemic"
Thursday, August 13, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
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Conversations for Connection: Supporting Mental Health with Chris Cole, Amid a global pandemic, an election season, and a total shift in how we go about daily interactions, we could all use a conversation about how we are being impacted right now. Perhaps the challenges of our times are an opportunity to reflect on what’s most important, and we may find ourselves with newfound wisdom to take into our future. Chris hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast and is the author of "The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness." Inspired by his journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges, Chris practices from a heart-centered transpersonal orientation, combined with years of service to those navigating the intimate terrain of transformative crisis.
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St. Philip Lutheran Church Golf Tournament and FUNdraiser!
Monday, August 17, 2020 at 8:00 a.m.tee off
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Golfers—St. Philip is hosting its 9th annual golf tournament/FUNdraiser! You, your friends and family have the opportunity to play a spectacular private course, The Club at Ravenna. How can you say no, especially if you are not able to get out and do much of anything else? Play either 18 holes for $150 or 9 holes for $90. It's a scramble format with several contests included. We also have a fun 3-shot putting contest after our meal. Please join us in this wonderful day of fun and fellowship.
Call Linda at the church office 303- 979-4491 to sign up. All proceeds this year will go to our Family Promise ministry. More info here. |
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Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
of California Lutheran University
invites you to Founders' Day
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Online via Zoom Webinar
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
9:00am PT/10:00am MT - Gathering of Community
9:30am PT/10:30am MT - Welcome and Distinguished Alum Awards
10:00 am PT/11:00am MT - Lecture with Q&A
11:00am PT/Noon MT - Worship
Zoom Link Coming Soon
Climate Justice, Racial Justice and Divestment: The Call of the Church
Our moment in time is pivotal. Movements around the globe are aligning for powerful action toward climate justice, holding racial justice at the heart of the struggle to protect Earth’s fragile climate. Bill McKibben is recognized around the globe as a foremost leader in that struggle. His address will draw the links between racial justice, climate well-being, divestment/reinvestment, and the call of the church.
Continue reading about this event here.
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Speaker
Bill McKibben is a founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org and the Schumann Distinguished Professor in Residence at Middlebury College in Vermont. He was a 2014 recipient of the Right Livelihood Prize, sometimes called the ‘alternative Nobel,’ and the Gandhi Peace Award. He has written over a dozen books about the environment, including, The End of Nature, published 30 years ago, and his most recent, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?
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Preacher
Rev. Dr. Melanie Harris is professor of Religion and Ethics at Texas Christian University. She teaches in the areas of African American religion, environmental ethics, social justice, interfaith dialogue and womanist ethics. Rev. Dr. Melanie Harris lectures and conducts leadership and empowerment workshops throughout the country for faith based and non-profit organizations. Rev. Dr. Melanie Harris is also a professional performing artist and ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
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You are invited, All Faith Community Nurses/Parish Nurses!
Tuesday, September 8 at 5:00 p.m.
To a Meet & Greet hosted by: Evangelical Lutheran Parish Nurse Association, Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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Who: All ELCA Region 2 Faith Community Nurses/Parish Nurses in the Sierra Pacific, Southwest California, Pacifica, Grand Canyon, and Rocky Mountain Synods
When: Tuesday, September 8, 2020, Happy Hour!
5:00 p.m. MDT
Where: Zoom meeting in the comfort of your home or office!
Let your light so shine before others that they may see
your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
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Resource Corner
check back each week for a new or featured resource for your congregation
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Celebrate the Season of Creation 2020 in your Congregation
Tuesday, September 1 through Sunday, 0ctober 4, 2020
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The ecumenical Season of Creation lasts from 1 September (Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) until 4 October (Feast day of St. Francis). This is an invitation to engage in a month of prayer, symbolic acts, and campaigns to give thanks for creation and renew our human vocation to care for it. The 2020 theme, “Jubilee for the Earth”, invites us to consider the integral relationship between rest for the earth and ecological, economic, social and political ways of living. This particular year, the need for just and sustainable systems has been revealed by the far-reaching effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The LWF Celebration Guide contains liturgical resources, prayers and meditations, and calls to action and advocacy. It can be used by individuals or congregations to nurture the moral imagination to restore right, just, and sustainable relationships with the Earth and among all species. Young adults and others in the academic community have appreciated the church's focus on caring for the earth and all creatures. Check it out! Anyone can join our Rocky Mountain Synod Creation Care Team Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/153008509368206/
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Preschool Staff
Joy Lutheran Church - Parker, CO
Joy Mission Preschool, 7051 Parker Hills Ct, Parker
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All Non-Rostered Listings |
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Preschool Staff
Joy Mission Preschool - Parker, CO
Faith Formation Coordinator for Children and Families
Atonement Lutheran Church - Boulder, CO
Organist & Choir Accompanist
Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church - Lakewood, CO
Education Director
Peace Lutheran Church - El Paso, TX
Children, Youth, Family & Social Media Minister
Evergreen Lutheran Church - Evergreen, CO
Coordinator of Children/Youth Faith Formation
Broadmoor Community Church, United Church of Christ - Colorado Springs, CO
Director of Choirs (part-time)
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church - Los Alamos, NM
Lead Servant for Financial Resources
Abiding Hope Lutheran Church - Littleton, CO
Office Administrator (part-time)
St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, Centennial, CO
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Office of the Bishop This Week |
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Bishop Jim Gonia
- Candidacy Committee
- Ascension St. Matthew's, Price, UT
- Installation, Rev. Daren Erisman, Immanuel and UNC Greeley, CO
- Next Faithful Steps Campaign
- Synod Council Orientation
ELCA DIRECTOR FOR EVANGELICAL MISSION
Pastor Dana Peterson
- Developer's Check-in
- 1-1 Meetings
- Next Faithful Steps Campaign
LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY NEW MEXICO
Kurt Rager
- Living Faith ZOOM Gathering
- NM Fairness Project
- NM First, Hunger Working Group
LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY COLORADO
Peter Severson
- Living Faith ZOOM Gathering
- Vacation August 17-19
ELCA REGIONAL GIFT PLANNER
Tina Kvitek
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ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR CONGREGATIONAL LIFE
Pastor Sarah Moening
- Congregation Transitions
- Excellence in Leadership prep
- Good Shepherd, Glenwood Springs, CO
ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR LEADERSHIP SUPPORT
Pastor Kent Mueller (1/2 time)
- Anti-Racism work
- Next Faithful Steps Campaign
- Lutheran Center Admin
ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR SYNODICAL LIFE
Deacon Erin Power
- Living Faith ZOOM Gathering
- Theological Conference Prep
- LIRS Webinar
- Vacation August 17-19
ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR FAITH FORMATION & CANDIDACY
Pastor Leslie O'Callaghan
- Candidacy Committee
- Vacation August 16-19
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Feel free to contact Andrew Nakatani, Communications Assistant, with your 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
Past issues of eConnection may be found here.
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