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.

The Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) application priority deadline is January 15, 2022 with a general deadline of February 1, 2022.

Questions? Check out linktr.ee/elcayagm for more information!

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.

Because of the generous gifts already given to the Rocky Mountain Synod "Next Faithful Step" Campaign, Messiah Mountain Retreat Center will be undergoing renovations to make it more inviting and hospitable! The first big job will be to remove ceiling tiles in the kitchen and remove the drop ceiling in the gathering area in preparation for a new ceiling. Painting the walls and installing new flooring throughout the Lodge will complete the project, along with new furniture.

Messiah Mountain Retreat Center is a new outdoor ministry site for the Rocky Mountain Synod. The 27-acre property was given to the synod as a gift from Messiah Community Church, ELCA, last year.

Watch for opportunities to volunteer your time and expertise as we get ready to kick off this exiting project! Get a glimpse of Messiah Mountain in the video below.

Colorado, Texas, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming and all synod friends! Join in on Zoom as we gather and connect 8th-high school youth from all over our synod! Gather your youth together or invite people join from wherever they are!

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8038097686

Week of November 21

Our apologies if anyone is inadvertently not included on the the list this week. Our roster record-keeping is in the process of being reviewed after an extended period of staff transition. Please send an email to kmueller@rmselca.org with corrections.

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!

She is the author of the picture books God Counts: Numbers in His Word and His World and Taste and See: All About God's Goodness (2022). 

Current research on addiction and recovery reveals important facts about the important of gratitude. The roots of gratitude are found in the world's great religions but in recent decades psychologists have been studying the emotional benefits of gratitude. In even more recent years, social scientists have been studying the impact of gratitude on addiction recovery. In her talk Dr Amy Krentzman will discuss six prominent ideas from psychology that explain how gratitude supports addiction recovery. She will also discuss recommendations for a daily gratitude practice that come from her research

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

For more information and application instructions, click here.