In her November column for Living Lutheran, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us that God has given all of us a mission to invite more people into the way of Jesus:

"Remember the Beatles? John, Paul, George, Ringo! I was into it. I had Beatle boots, love beads and granny glasses. My big brother gave me a model of Paul (the cute Beatle) for Christmas one year. It was one of those paint-it-yourself kits. I knew the lyrics to the Beatles’ hits better than I knew Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. The early hits were pop and upbeat: “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “A Hard Day’s Night.” Even later “Yellow Submarine” was still whimsical..."

Read the her full article in English at https://bit.ly/3DrbK6p and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/3os6PeU . 

After a two-year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Young Adults in Global Mission - ELCA program is preparing to send volunteers out into the world again! Applications are now open for the 2022-2023 program year. To find out more or apply, visit elca.org/YAGM.

Young adults aged 21-29 years old serve alongside Lutheran companion church bodies and organizations in one of ten country programs around the world, being shaped by the witness of our global neighbors in a cross-cultural journey of faith. For the 2022-2023 service year, country programs are projected to be: Argentina & Uruguay, Cambodia, Central Europe, Jerusalem/West Bank, Madagascar, Mexico, Rwanda, Senegal, and the United Kingdom.

Questions? Check out linktr.ee/elcayagm for more information or send us a message!

Greetings! My name is Rev. Lisa Heffernan, and on June 1, I began serving as coordinator for ELCA Disability Ministries. I work remotely out of South Dakota, where I am also serving as a part-time interim pastor with a congregation. I began serving on the ELCA Disability Ministries advisory team about four and a half years ago, and I am thankful for and humbled by the opportunity to serve in this new role. As a person with a disability (spina bifida), this ministry is especially close to my heart and I’m excited for where God is leading us in 2022 and beyond.

For young people who love science fiction and pop culture but struggle to talk about God and the Bible, the new, interactive “Called to Lead” guide offers young people a starting place for discussion of their inner selves, their vocation and their call to lead.  Download Now

“Called to Lead” has been adapted into a set of downloadable resources that can be used in person or online. The materials include a five-part Bible study guide as well as instructions and supplies for leading the spiritual gifts interactive activity in a variety of contexts. These resources were designed for middle school and high school youth, but they can be adapted for use with young adults.

Visit the RMS website for more info about this ministry!

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 director@veteranservantcorps.org.

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.

These fabulous plays will be performed live at Advent Lutheran Church, 7979 Meade St, Westminster, CO 80030 and will also stream online at www.facebook.com/adventwestminsterco.

Donations are appreciated!

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!

SUPPORT RAINBOW TRAIL: https://www.coloradogives.org/rainbowtrail/overview and for more information, visit https://www.rainbowtrail.org/donate/colorado-gives-day/.

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.

Zoom Link - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88514349858

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.

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.

RSVP at beth.mack@lfsrm.org to receive login information.

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.   

If you have questions or would like more information, please get in touch with us! DanaLee (sagehillwisdom@gmail.com) or Rachel (dailybreadyoga@gmail.com).

Over 13 years ago a group of staff at the ELCA churchwide organization got together with an idea. They wanted to offer church leaders a tool that would provide support in facilitating the management and administration of their congregations and ministries. So, Administration Matters was born. Administration Matters addresses common, practical issues, including finance, governance, risk management, tax and legal concerns, and other topics of interest about day-to-day operations and management in church settings.

We hope you find its articles interesting and useful and ask that you share them with colleagues, partners in ministry, neighboring churches and congregation staff, inviting them to subscribe. Subscription is free, names won’t be added to any other mailing lists, and they may unsubscribe at any time if they decide to opt out. Just forward this issue to their email address, and they can subscribe at this link.

We are pleased to share with you the latest issue of “Stories of Faith in Action,” filled with inspiring stories from this past year. “Stories of Faith in Action” connects us as church and illustrates how, through your generosity, God is at work across the ELCA. It highlights how a portion of your offering, called Mission Support, advances the ministry of our church, helping the ELCA nurture Christian community, raise up leaders, serve our neighbors and strive for justice. Most importantly, it’s one way to thank you for your faithful generosity to your congregation, your synod and the churchwide organization ― by showing your offering at work. The magazine’s PDFs, flipbook and resources can be found at ELCA.org/SOFIA.

The housing allowance is an important tax advantage for clergy. However, your congregation must officially designate the amount in writing each year, before compensation is earned, that might be used for housing expenses. As you look ahead to 2022, be sure to take action to document this amount. >More

Your organization works tirelessly to achieve its mission, often with limited staff and resources. It’s important to consider how a strong technology strategy and security can help you achieve your goals. It is critical to stay current in order to keep your information secure. >More

In a July 30, 2021, news release, the IRS issued a call for entities with an Employer Identification Number (EIN) to ensure that the IRS has the entity’s current “responsible party” on file. The IRS believes maintaining current responsible party contact information is critical to its efforts to fight identity theft and other fraud related to EINs. >More

To place an order or obtain product info, visit Dell’s Membership Purchase Program website at www.dell.com/mpp/ELCA or email Jarrett_Parsons@Dell.com. Please use the ELCA Member ID GS74878907 when emailing.

Annual report covers are now available online for congregations that are preparing for their annual meetings. The document includes a letter from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, a hymn and litany and a story about how change and creativity have helped shape congregations this past year. The digital covers are available as pages or as spreads and can be found at ELCA.org/SOFIA#relevantresources.

In case you missed the announcement last week, the 2022 Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday Worship Resource is HERE!

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?"

Learn more and download resources at https://www.reconcilingworks.org/ricsunday

#RWKS #RICSunday2022 #LGBTQIALutheran #QueerLutheran

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.

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.

Job description with responsibilities and salary is available here.

To apply, please send an email and resume to pastor@messiahdenver.org.

This is a half-time position, with a salary range of $20,000 to $30,000.

For a fuller description of this position, visit www.StPLC.org/jobs.

Interested candidates are invited to send a resume to lsherpe@StPLC.org.

Deadline for submission is November 15, 2021.