July 28, 2021 + A Reconciling in Christ synod
Together we proclaim and embody God's unconditional love for the sake of the world.
survey deadline is August 13
Racial Justice Task Force seeks Rostered Minister Input
As the Racial Justice Tithe Task Force contemplates recommendations to the Synod Council for effective use of the RMS campaign tithe, designated for racial justice work and ministry, we are seeking some information that will help us better understand the current landscape of racial justice engagement in our synod’s congregations and ministries.

We invite pastors and deacons who are actively serving a congregation or ministry to complete this survey by August 13.
eConnection Spotlight:
RMS in the Neighborhood
New 3-Part video series tells the story of three small congregations doing vital ministry

A grant from the Lilly Endowment has made it possible for us to tell the stories of three Rocky Mountain Synod congregations who have discovered that meaningful ministry is happening in and through small congregations, often served by part time pastors and deacons.

Life-giving Change

Our second story is of Risen Lord Lutheran Church in Conifer, CO. The video is titled, "Live-giving Change: Two Separate Congregations - One Heart in Christ." Pastor Kim Gonia and Deacon Mary Black tell the story of how Risen Lord Lutheran Church moved in to share a space with an Episcopalian congregation and as a result, discovered a revitalized ministry together.
Beautiful Stubbornness

Our first story is of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in south Denver. The video is titled, "Beautiful Stubbornness: Faithful ministry through determination and perseverance." Pastor Todd Hawkins tells the story of the congregation's commitment to its ministry of Social Club for persons who are chronically mentally ill, now in it's 34th year. "They know they are welcome here."
Introducing Lynne Hinton, new Executive Director
New Mexico Conference of Churches
Lynne Hinton was born and raised in North Carolina. She attended Wake Forest University and is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro. She also attended NC School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking and graduated with her Masters of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and has served as a hospice chaplain and as a senior pastor in North Carolina and in New Mexico, as well as the interim pastor in northeastern Washington.

Lynne is the author of twenty-two books, including the NY Times Bestseller, Friendship Cake and Pie Town, a 2011 NM Book of the Year: Fiction/Adventure, Drama Category. She has served as a regular guest columnist in the Faith and Values Section for The Charlotte Observer for a decade and was the 2008 Lucy B. Patterson Author of the Year by the General Federation of Women's Clubs in NC. In 2010 and 2015, she was the recipient of a Louisville Institute Pastoral Study Grant and was named 2012 Favorite Local Writer in Albuquerque, New Mexico by Albuquerque, The Magazine.

Lynne has lived in New Mexico for fifteen years and is a member of First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque. She has served as a chaplain across the central portion of New Mexico, working with families from Grants to Tijeras and Belen to Santa Fe. She has served populations on the Navajo Reservation and in the Acoma, Laguna, and Santa Ana Pueblos and has worked with people of diverse faith and cultural backgrounds. Since 2019, Lynne has been teaching journaling at the Bernalillo County Behavioral Health Care Campus in the Crisis and Recovery Units. She has led retreats across the country, focusing on writing and spirituality as well as workshops on self-care for clergy, writing as a healing and spiritual practice, and other contemporary spiritual topics. She has served on the Board of Trustees for Pacific School of Religion, where she was selected as a Distinguished Alumni of the year, 2003 and on the Western Association of the Southern Conference of the UCC.

Lynne and her husband Bob Branard live in Albuquerque with their dog Bella and where she enjoys running, writing, reading, and hiking. She also enjoys eating green chile on just about everything.
RMS & ELCA News and Events
Rocky Mountain Synod
FALL THEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE
"Finding a Way"
Little America, Cheyenne, WY + September 20-23, 2021

As we prepare for the Fall season, we find ourselves in the unknown environs of a collective trauma. We have yet to fully realize the implications of the pandemic, and we know that things are brewing! How are you doing?! Are you exhausted? Have you been able to rest or are the challenges increasing? How is your ministry? What are you experiencing as leaders?

Whatever is going on, you are not alone!

The 2021 Theological Conference will focus on creatively navigating current challenges in ministry. How can we become more resilient in our lives and ministry? What does it mean to be a "Hybrid Church?" Join us!

Registration deadline is September 10.
Cost is Single $660, Double $475, Commuter $275.
Single and Double includes three nights lodging and meals.
This year we are adding the convenience of paying by credit card for all registrants.
Getting Ready for the ELCA Youth Gathering 2022
Information Session Zoom calls on:
Thursday, August 12 and September 9 at 10:00 a.m.
This week, the ELCA Youth Gathering Team hosted its official kick-off event. That video can be viewed here: https://fb.watch/6_EhEVTtPK/

And we are excited to start thinking about traveling to Minneapolis next summer! Bryan Jaster is serving as our synod coordinator for this gathering cycle, and we are hosting some monthly events to help adult leaders and youth ministry professionals be as prepared as possible. Join us on ZOOM for these important information sessions on Aug 12 and Sep 9! The webinars will be recorded. For more information contact: bryan@bethany-denver.org or locallaghan@rmselca.org
Excellence in Leadership Registration is OPEN!
Excellence in Leadership is beginning three new cohorts this fall and we want YOU to be a part of it!

Throughout the past two years of much challenge and change, the Excellence in Leadership initiative has provided tools, resources, and mechanisms to lead in the midst of it all. It has impacted and transformed dozens of people, both lay and rostered, into resilient, courageous, and faithful leaders. Now we are inviting a new group of people to experience and live into the new future God is calling us into through this initiative.

If you are wondering if this program is for you, ask these questions: Do you want to grow in your emotional intelligence? Do you want to deepen your relationships? Do you want to be a more effective leader in church and in your community? Do you wish to move beyond old models and be better equipped to meet today’s challenges? Are you either a rostered leader or a lay leader?

If the answer to these questions is, “yes”, then this program is for you.

With both in person and online options, this program is available to you no matter where you live. For questions or more information: danderson@rmselca.org

Join us this September!
from the ELCA Advocacy Network...
Advocacy Summer School: What Is Faith-Based Advocacy?
Wondering about how advocacy fits into our Christian and Lutheran presence in policy discussions? Session 1 of ELCA Advocacy Summer School will paint a picture of what advocacy is and how advocacy is shaped with a faith foundation, especially as members and affiliates of the ELCA. With discussions, examples, and ways to connect! 

The 30-minute virtual session begins on Wed. Aug. 11 at 2 p.m. EDT – and you’re invited to be part of the question & answer session for 15 minutes following the presentation.
...brought to you by 3E - Educate, Equip, Enact!
There's a stewardship program for every congregation in 2021!
Learn how to do year-round, on-going stewardship resulting in more money for ministry, become more energized stewards, and build a culture of generosity. Registration is open now for Beginning a Culture of Generosity (BCG) and SAS Refresher that both begin in August.
 
“I expected that this program would help us put together a stewardship appeal but WOW! It has certainly exceeded my expectations…It has made a huge difference for us.” ~ BCG pastor

Beginning a Culture of Generosity
Beginning a Culture of Generosity (BCG) is a program to guide congregations and provide the necessary tools to run a successful fall appeal. Participants receive training online in seven online sessions August 14 to December 4, and one-on-one guidance on an easily implemented program to stimulate generosity. Cost is $150 per congregation – no limit on number of participants. 

Stewardship for All Seasons Refresher
The SAS Refresher is a 6 session once-a-month course designed for congregations that have been through Stewardship for All Seasons (SAS) previously. The Refresher is for those who wish to continue the journey of generosity culture building. It is for those who have new leadership on your council and/or new members on your stewardship team.
 
The full year Stewardship for All Seasons (SAS) has already started with Cohort 5. If you are interested in participating in SAS beginning April 2022 or have questions about all programs, contact Deb Elstad, 3E Associate Director for Stewardship at deb.elstad@gmail.com.
For Your Bulletin
Around the Synod
...Augustana Arts presents Courtyard Concerts!
Relax and Unwind: Wind Down with Winds
Friday, July 30, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
Featuring . . . Yoga for all ages and abilities! Themed concert program, featuring favorites such as Rocket Man, Fly me to the Moon, Moonlight Sonata, and more! Crafts for kids!

Feeling “blew” these days? You won’t want to miss this "Garden Party"-themed evening of pop tunes and classical favorites from Denver’s renowned wind ensemble, Gossamer Winds. With music that is familiar and approachable (hear everything from Elton John to Bach!), this is the perfect opportunity to heal through music with your kids, your partner, or with friends.

The Gossamer Winds are a Denver-based chamber ensemble that was established in 2005 with the intention of making great music accessible to all audiences and helping the greater Denver community. The group members are Amanda Rusten, flute; Jaime Askvig, clarinet; Katie Smith, oboe; John Richardson, bassoon and Kelli Hirsch, horn.

In addition to the music, everyone is encouraged to attend an all-ages-and-abilities yoga with Robyn Lambert at 6:15pm before the concert begins! Catherine Hupp of EmBodyWorks will also be available for massages from 6:15pm until the end of the concert. Between the music, crafts, yoga, and evening breezes, you will surely be blown away by this fantastic event.
Free outdoor concert featuring the Colorado String Band!
Wednesday, August 11, 5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Join us for an evening of outdoor family fun, music and food! Free outdoor concert by the Colorado String Band, The Cravings food truck, homemade desserts, and a bounce house for kids! Bring your own chairs or sit out on the lawn. 15625 E Iliff Ave Aurora, CO 80013.

More information at:
Tee Off for Hope with Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains!
Monday, August 16 at 9:00 a.m.
7:30 -8:45 AM: Registration & Breakfast
9:00 AM: Shotgun Start
Luncheon & Awards
Join LFSRM for our annual Tee Off for Hope golf tournament, held at Red Rocks Country Club in Morrison, CO! This is a fun-filled day of golf, community, prizes, and supporting the work that we do in Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Come with a friend or a foursome to one of Colorado's most beautiful private courses for a great cause!
Questions? Email emmily.ureste@lfsrm.org
Our Life Together
Memorial Service: Pastor Neil S. Kvern
Saturday, July 31, 10:30 a.m.
A public memorial service for Neil Kvern will be held at 10:30 AM, Sat., July 31, 2021, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 111 Del Mar Cir., Aurora, with a reception following.
Read Neil’s full obituary at neptunesociety.com.
Questions, contact: goodrum@augustanadenver.org
Creation Care Team - Book Discussion
Saturday, Aug 14, 10:00 a.m.
Join Todd Wynward as we discuss his book Rewilding the Way: Break Free to Follow an Untamed God.


Todd Wynward is a public school founder, small-scale farmer, wilderness educator and Mennonite organizer for watershed discipleship in the Mountain States region. He has been engaged in education reform and social change movements for twenty years, and has spent more than a thousand nights outdoors. He and his wife Peg founded a wilderness-based public charter school in 2001 and are now creating TiLT, a discipleship co-housing community emerging in Taos, NM.

When did we become so tame? How has “the good life” come to mean addiction to screens and status, fossil fuels and financial fitness? Can we break free to become the joyful and prophetic people God calls us to be? Trek along with wilderness guide Todd Wynward as he “rewilds” the Jesus Way. Seek the feral foundations of Scripture and the lessons that the prophets and disciples gleaned from wilderness testing.

Packed with inspiring stories of how contemporary people and groups are caring for the land and each other, Rewilding the Way issues a call to action. Read about how reskilling and local food covenants are transforming churches, and how place-based activism and creative housing are nurturing communities. Learn from those who are recovering from affluenza, replacing visions of personal wealth with the commonwealth of the earth and restoring their humble place in the community of creation. Do you despair about life on our changing planet? Join the hopeful band of seekers of God and makers of change who are rewilding the Way.

Richard Rohr calls Wynward’s novel, The Secrets of Leaven, “a spiritual roller-coaster that skewers everything we think we know about organized religion, social change, and human potential.” More of Todd’s writings and doings can be found at TaosTiLT.org and his Author Page on Facebook.

Monthly Webinar
Invitation to Change & Addiction
Thursday, July 29, Noon - 1:00 p.m. ET
with follow-up 30 minute Zoom discussion
The Invitation to Change (ITC) approach is a ground-breaking approach to address substance misuse. ITC is grounded in compassion, connection, and the belief that a person can do something to help their loved one. This holistic model integrates Community Reinforcement and Family Training, Motivational Interviewing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to encourage change for both the family member or concerned significant other and their loved one, in a place of openness and support. The Center of Addiction and Faith invites you to join The Rev. Jan Brown, an Addictions Educator, and speaker on topics of the role of the church in addiction and recovery, faith responders, and recovery allies.
Border Update
Thursday, August 19 at 3:00 p.m.
Join AMMPARO for an update on what is happening at the border on Thursday August 19 at 3:00pm.

Speakers will include:
  • Alicia Vasquez-Crede, LIRS
  • Allyson Pryor, Southwest Texas Synod
  • Rosemary Sanchez Guzman, Iglesia Cristo Rey, El Paso
  • Kari Lenander, Border Servant Corp, Las Cruces
  • Giovana Oaxaca, ELCA AMMPARO

Link will come out in early August, for more information: rmsammparo@gmail.com
Resource Corner
Worship resources for “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Sunday
Prayers, hymn suggestions and considerations for preaching for use on Sunday, Sept. 12, the ELCA’s annual day of service, are available in PDF and Word formats.

The Lutheran Center, home of the office of the bishop, has some projects to accomplish that could be excellent for a "God's Work. Our Hands" group. Contact Tina Kvitek if you would like to volunteer.
Employment Opportunities
Youth Director (part-time)
Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
8545 East Dry Creek Road, Centennial, CO, 80112
Good Shepherd, a vibrant congregation in Centennial, is seeking a Youth Director. The successful candidate will lead and grow the youth ministry program and will embody the values of Good Shepherd, which include fostering an environment that is supportive, accepting, inclusive, and open. The successful candidate will also build relationships with the youth, the congregation, and the Episcopal Church in Colorado, and will work to broaden the experiences of the youth beyond our suburban location and will provide opportunities for the youth to live out their baptismal covenant within the larger community.
This is a year-round position, with an expectation of a 19-hour work week. Salary range would be dependent on education and experience, ranging from $21,700 - $23,700 per year. For a complete job description and contact information, please visit: https://www.gshep.org/employment.
Director of PLTS Admission
California Lutheran University
60 W. Olsen Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Reporting directly to the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management and indirectly reporting to the Rector, the Director of Graduate Admission for the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) in Berkeley, CA plans, develops, organizes, coordinates, implements, administers, directs and evaluates the programs, operations, activities and staff of the PLTS Admission office to ensure effective recruitment, admission and enrollment of students. The Director represents the seminary in identifying prospective students from across the country, assisting them with their vocational discernment, choice of seminary, and program of study. The Director oversees recruitment and the process by which prospective students apply and are admitted to the seminary.

More information, including job description, qualifications, application link at https://careers.callutheran.edu/postings/7400.
Music and Worship Lead (part-time)
St. Mark's Lutheran is looking for a creative music leader to help imagine, develop, and lead our congregation in meaningful worship experiences that help the congregation experience God and their lives with God and community in new ways through music.

We are a congregation with deep Lutheran Roots in our community, which is wonderful, but we know there are huge and diverse ways of understanding the divine and we want to experience that too. We have a legacy of choir and traditional Lutheran hymns here, and we want to keep that, but we are looking for someone to help us imagine new ways to sing those songs. We have a lot of young people here with active lives in the Church, and we are looking for someone to help both the older and younger members participate more fully in the worship experience together.

You don’t need a lot of experience as a Church musician, you don’t need to have your faith life all figured out (in fact its probably good that you don’t), but we do ask that you ask questions about what it means to be a community of faith that worships together, and wants to serve the community in love. If this sounds like something you could get on board with, and want to be a part of imagining and becoming a church like that, great; we want to meet you. This position is a part-time, 10 Hour/week position, with competitive salary and benefits. More information here. Send a resume, and contact info to Pr. Nic Leither at pastor@stmarksaurora.org.
Office of the Bishop This Week
 Bishop Jim Gonia
  • Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains
  • Region 2 Consultation
  • PLTS Meeting

ELCA DIRECTOR FOR EVANGELICAL MISSION
Pastor Dana Peterson
  • El Paso Meetings
  • DEM Meeting

LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY NEW MEXICO
Kurt Rager
  • Border/North NM Conference
  • State of NM - Food/Hunger Budget Workgroup

LUTHERAN ADVOCACY MINISTRY COLORADO
Peter Severson
  • Sabbatical
DIRECTOR FOR CONGREGATIONAL TRANSITION
Pastor Sarah Moening
  • Excellence in Leadership Admin
  • Transitions Work

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR ADMIN & COMMUNICATION
Pastor Kent Mueller
  • RMS Administration and Communication

DIRECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT/LUTHERAN CENTER
Tina Kvitek
  • RMS Campaign
  • Donor Meetings

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR FAITH FORMATION & CANDIDACY
Pastor Leslie O'Callaghan
  • Candidacy Admin
  • Faith Formation Resource Reading days
Quick Links
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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 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