An Awe that Connects

When we are in awe, there are no deeds to be done or words to be said; a simple, ecstatic surrender

An Advent Reflection by Judy Cannato from Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation, Center for Action & Contemplation -- Read the full devotion HERE

Contemplation is a long loving look at what is real. How often we are fooled by what mimics the real. Indeed, we live in a culture that flaunts the phony and thrives on glittering fabrication. We are so bombarded by the superficial and the trivial that we can lose our bearings and give ourselves over to a way of living that drains us of our humanity. Seduced by the superficial, we lose the very freedom we think all our acquisitions will provide. When we are engaged in the experience and practice of radical amazement, we begin to distinguish between the genuine and the junk. Caught up in contemplative awareness and rooted in love, we begin to break free from cultural confines and embrace the truth that lies at the heart of all reality: We are one.

Image: Magnificat by Jan Richardson

The Painted Prayerbook

Office of the Bishop Staff Changes

With prayers for God's healing presence, we offer our sincere thanks to Andy Nakatani for his service as our Communications Assistant. Andy has worked faithfully to share news and updates from across our synod, most notably by publishing our weekly E-Connection and updating our Synod website. Andy is stepping aside due to a recently diagnosed illness.

At the end of December we will also say farewell to two additional staff members. Tina Kvitek will complete her work as our Assistant to the Bishop for Generosity, and Kinna Nordstrom Kemp will conclude her service as our Synod Faith Formation Coordinator. Budget constraints prevent continued funding of these positions at this time.

We thank Tina for her tireless energy and contagious passion that have fostered a mindset of abundance among God's faithful people. Her contribution to our Better Together, Next Faithful Step Campaign made it possible for us to invest in critical ministry initiatives that have impacted every corner of our vast synod. She has also stirred up a spirit of gratitude and generosity within congregations, ministries and individuals as they steward their gifts and resources for the sake of God's mission.

Kinna has brought her abundant gifts to the work of connecting and resourcing faith formation leaders during a time of rapid change in the church and world. Her leadership in addressing racism in our church and her commitment to a vision of Church Better Together have left a lasting contribution in our synod.

December will also see a change in leadership for our Director for Congregational Transition. Deacon Janice Zimbelman will be retiring from this half-time position that is shared with the Grand Canyon Synod as Deacon Katie Kline takes up this work in an interim capacity. Deacon Janice has provided a thoughtful and innovative spirit to this critical ministry that includes overseeing eight transition coaches, working with interim pastors and discerning with ministers (pastors and deacons) seeking a new call - not to mention navigating the peculiarities of two bishops! We are also thankful for the roles that Rachel Line and Janice Ladd-Horkey have played in supporting the work of Deacon Janice with technology assistance and candidate identification. Those responsibilities will now be taken up by Deacon Katie, whose gifts and experience we welcome in her role as Interim Director.

We invite you to express your own gratitude to Andy, Tina, Kinna and Janice for their ministry with us in the Rocky Mountain Synod, and to welcome Katie in her new position January 1st.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Education Event

January 7-12, 2024

You are invited to participate in an Immersion Trip to the Alabama Civil Rights Historic Trail. The group gathers in Montgomery where they will visit the Memorial for Justice and Peace, the Legacy Museum, Rosa Parks Museum, and Freedom Rides Museum. There will be travel to Birmingham as well as traveling from Selma to Montgomery. We hope this pilgrimage will help you to experience a deepening of your faith as you continue the commitment to racial justice that you may take back to your congregation. 

Participants will need make their own flights to Montgomery Regional Airport Dannelly Field (Airport code: MGM)

The days will have scheduled activities, along with some flexibility. Each evening we will share dinner together for devotions and to debrief the day. Included in your costs are housing, breakfasts and dinners, transportation in Alabama, and admission to all sites. Cost is $850 for double occupancy and $1250 for single occupancy. 

The deadline is TODAY! December 7th!

This trip will include a substantial amount of walking and standing. ADA accessible public transportation is limited in the city of Montgomery. 

Tentative Itinerary 

Sunday: Gathering meal and preparation for the week.

Monday: Freedom Rides Museum, Rosa Parks Museum, Dexter Ave Baptist Church

Tuesday: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute,16th street Baptist church, Kelly Ingram Park

Wednesday: The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and The Legacy Museum

Thursday: Selma to Montgomery, stop at the three sites

Friday Morning: Tuskegee Airmen Historic Site Museum (depending on departing flight times)

This event is sponsored by the Racial Justice Tithe of the RMS Next Faithful Steps Campaign. For more information email Deacon Shanna VanderWel HERE or Pastor Barbara Berry-Bailey HERE

• Personal accounts of border life from members of Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey
• The fence between El Paso and Juárez and discussion with Border Patrol
• Social justice organizations & ministries in El Paso
• Conversation with an immigration attorney
• Time with youth at Cristo Rey's After School Program
• The colonies of El Paso, and if desire, Juárez, Mexicao
• Worship and fellowship with the Cristo Rey congregation

Questions? contact Pr. Diana Linden-Johnson HERE

NEWS! FROM THE BISHOP ELECTION COMMITTEE

Rocky Mountain Synod congregations, councils, and members have the opportunity through January 15, 2024 to suggest potential nominees to the office of Bishop of the Rocky Mountain Synod. Please use the link below to make a nomination. Those suggested by the community in this way will be contacted by the Bishop Election Committee and will have the opportunity to fill out a biographical form if they are open to discerning a call as bishop.

Any Word and Sacrament Minister who is open to being nominated for bishop may complete and submit biographical information on the synod website beginning in late January. Anyone who submits biographical information must still be nominated on the first ballot at the Synod Assembly to be considered. Information received about potential nominees will be disseminated to voting members prior to the Assembly April 25-27, 2024.

If you were unable to attend your conference meeting in October, you are invited to participate in a Zoom conversation Monday, December 11, 6:30-8pm. Discussion during the Zoom meeting will be similar to the conference discussions and information about the logistics of the bishop election will be shared. If you're interested, this meeting is for you!

Questions? contact Pr. Ann Hultquist HERE

ATTENTION ALL CYF (Children, Youth, and Family) LEADERS! 

As Kinna Nordstrom Kemp transitions out of the role as RMS Faith Formation Coordinator, Bishop Jim has requested a team of CYF leaders who are passionate about the future of CYF Ministry to form a Discernment Team. The goal of the team is to discern the needs for our CYF Lay/ Rostered leaders and how we desire the Rocky Mountain Synod to support us in the future. This information will help to inform what is needed before Bishop Jim leaves the office, and to create something to hand off to the next Bishop and staff. 

Meet with Bishop Jim on Wednesday, December 20th at 1 PM via Zoom.

If you are interested in attending or have questions, please email Kinna HERE!

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!

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, 2024. 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:

CAMPUS MINISTRY NEWS!

Luther House - Albuquerque, NM hosted an Anti-Gun Violence Prayer Vigil and Action and were featured in the Albuquerque Journal.

“Today, we will beat our guns into garden tools in an act of defiance, in an act of prayer, in an act of spirituality,” Luther House pastor, the Rev. Rhonda Newby-Torres -- Read the full article HERE

COMING SOON

To Your Inbox!

A new lens on Lent!

WHY CHURCH? A LENTEN SERIES

CONGREGATIONS IN CONVERSATION

STAY TUNED!

Opportunity to assist a Venezuelan family in Denver

Migrants from Venezuela continue to arrive in Denver almost daily. The Rocky Mountain Synod AMMPARO team recently received a message from the Lutheran Church in Venezuela requesting assistance for a Venezuelan family that recently arrived in Denver and is currently staying at one of the city-sponsored hotel shelters.

The Villarroel-Brito family fled Venezuela when they feared for their safety and then spent three months making their way to the southern border. This family of five includes a mom, dad, two teenagers and a 3 year-old who will celebrate his 4th birthday on December 2! They have no other family living in the US. The mom's father is a Lutheran pastor in Venezuela!

We are forming a team of congregations and individuals who would like to accompany this family as they apply for asylum and settle into their new life in Colorado. There are multiple ways to help including exploring housing options, companionship and practicing English, transportation, finding work, providing groceries and other basic necessities, and financial assistance - especially to cover housing and legal costs. If you would like to join the team or have ideas to share with the team: please contact Carolyn Swenson from St. Paul-Denver at cjswenson57@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your compassion, prayers and support!



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.

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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 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.

Join Rejoicing Spirits Sunday, December 17 at Lord of the Hills Lutheran Church 21755 E Smoky Hill Rd. Aurora, CO 80015 from 4-6 p.m. 

We will unite in activities, singing, laughing and loving God.

Rejoicing Spirits is an inclusive worship space for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities, their caregivers, families and anyone who seeks an open, joyful and creative worship experience. 

We will gather at LOTH on the third Sunday of each month in 2023. 

Please RSVP to  pastor@lordofthehills.org  

For more information regarding the Rejoicing Spirits experience or volunteering, please contact:

Pastor Margot at pastor@lordofthehills.org  

Pastor Ann Hultquist at native2615@gmail.com or

Karen Ullestad kmullestad@hotmail.com



“We will know what it is to be created in God’s image when all are included.”

Web address and/or email for additional information: jarpsmanos@gmail.com

Musical Advent Calendar

Join Lutheran Summer Music, December 3-24 for our third-annual Musical Advent Calendar -- a daily moment of music and reflection on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages as well as the LSM website

Give Yourself the Gift of Resources

Amidst the joy and celebration – and, yes, stress – of this season, your body can use all the help it can get. Whether it’s treatment for a pesky cough, a listening ear to help process impostor syndrome or budget worries, or ideas for a new healthy holiday tradition, check out Portico’s curated list of resources to support you and your family this season (and Advent blessings to you!) 

December FSA Countdown

Still have a balance in your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) – either for health or dependent care expenses? Be sure to spend those dollars by Dec. 31, 2023, so you won’t lose them. Check your balance on myPortico, and submit receipts via the link to Further. Need ideas on what you can use your dollars for? This list  can help.

Bethany College Receives a $500,000 Matching Fund

Bethany College recently hosted a service of celebration and thanksgiving to unveil a generous gift from an anonymous donor. A $500,000 matching fund has been established for every contribution made to the annual fund before December 31st. These crucial donations will be funneled directly into scholarships, greatly benefiting Bethany students. 

As partners in ministry, your support is vital to Bethany College’s enduring mission. Together, we can ensure that our students have the opportunities to discern their vocational callings and find the path to their purpose. To give as part of this challenge you can: 

• Mail a check, noting “Annual Fund for $500,000 Challenge” on the subject line.
• Visit our donation portal at http://www.bethanylb.edu/give
• Consider making a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) if you are aged 70 ½ or over. 

Should you need any guidance or have questions, please reach email Jacob Spilker or call 785-227-3311 Ext. 8622. Go Swedes!

Caffeinated Church Conference September 9-12, 2024

Denver, CO

The 1st Annual Caffeinated Church Conference will bring together leaders, administrators, communicators, and volunteers in our faith communities. Our mission is to equip and inspire you to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your church's communication and administrative functions.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Workshops & Collaboration Sessions: Gain access to hands-on workshops, led by known experts in church communications and administration. Hear from influential thought leaders who will challenge your thinking and provide fresh insights into the ever-changing landscape of church communication and administration. Topics include strategic planning, social media outreach, artificial intelligence, budgeting, digital evangelism, volunteer management, leadership development, and more.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals who are facing similar challenges and share best practices. Engage in thoughtful discussions and create lasting relationships that will benefit your ministry.
• Innovative Technology Exploration: Explore the latest tools and technologies that can enhance your church's communication and administration. From cutting-edge software for graphic design, to AI tools for working more efficiently and effectively, to creative solutions for engaging your congregation, discover what's new in the field.