|
|
|
|
eConnection
weekly email of the
Rocky Mountain Synod
June 7, 2011 |
|
|
|
|
| Greetings! |
View new assembly videos online
Videos of key elements of the 2011 Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly are now available for view on the Rocky Mountain Synod website, including Bishop Bjornberg's address and sermon, The Vice President's report, the Treasurer's Report, the ELCA Report (Top Ten Reasons to be a Lutheran!), the Report on the Bishop Election Process, and the Address by the President of the Lutheran Church of Haiti.
These may be viewed, as well as the Bible Studies by Dr. Barbara Rossing on the RMS website.
|
| OUR LIFE TOGETHER |
Day of Pentecost
O God, on this day you opened the hearts of your faithful people by sending into us your Holy Spirit. Direct us by the light of that Spirit, that we may have a right judgment in all things and rejoice at all times in your peace, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Derek C. Harkins to be Ordained July 8
 By the grace of God and the call of the church, Derek Christopher Harkins will be ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in Christ's one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church on Friday, July 8, 2011, at 5:30 p.m. at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, 318 East 6th Street in Casper, WY. Derek is being called to serve English Lutheran Church in Hazen, ND.
The Rev. Mark Narum, Bishop of the Western North Dakota Synod, ELCA will be presiding. Your prayers and presence are requested. All ordained, consecrated and commissioned ministers are invited to process. The color of the day is red.
Synod Prayer Cycle: Southeast Colorado Conference
You are encouraged to include the listed leaders in your Sunday prayers of the people. The prayer list for July is available. to remember in prayers on 6/12:
Holy Cross La Junta, CO
Bernie Ebert
Immanuel Bethune, CO
Beth Ann Doerring
King of Kings Pueblo, CO
Mark Crates
Korean Colorado Springs, CO
Mount Calvary Colorado Springs, CO
Keith Knoff
New Horizons Peyton, CO
Tim Singleton
|
|
ASSEMBLY 2011
| 
Assembly Follow-Up
Post-assembly information has been posted online, including copies of the resolutions, constitution revisions, offering amounts, and photos. Go to assembly web page.
A one-page (both sides) summary may be downloaded and reproduced:
One copy of the Landscape will be included in the monthly financial mailing. Thank you for duplicating it and including it in your congregation's newsletter or Sunday bulletin.
Barbara Rossing's Assembly
Bible Study Videos Online
The three Bible study sessions by Barbara Rossing are now available for viewing online.
Vist the RMS website. Note that the videos may be viewed full screen to present them to a group of people. If the quality is not smooth, pause the video and allow more of it to download before hitting "play."
|
|
2012 ELCA YOUTH GATHERING
| 
2012 ELCA Youth Gathering - "Citizen with the Saints"
Training for ALL ADULT LEADERS at Sky Ranch!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Join us at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp to GET GEARED UP AND EQUIPPED for the gathering, and receive the bonus of seeing the "Confirmation Intensive: Jesus' Passion" in action! The RMS website will be updated regularly with important and useful information. Check it out!
To register: Email Kristen Baltrum at kristen@bethlehem-lutheran.net or call 303-817-5482
Registration deadline for Adult Leaders Training:
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Get more information about upcoming training events from the RMS website.
Financial Assistance and Volunteer Applications Updated Information
Congregational leaders were able to apply for financial assistance ($315 registration fee) on behalf of their young people beginning May 15 except funding assistance has now reached capacity.
In the past, however, we have had attrition or have found additional sources of funding, so we're encouraging congregations to submit an application to be on our waiting list. Please note that this is not a guarantee of assistance. The option to sign up for the waiting list will remain until July 31.
Also, if you are interested in volunteering for the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering, the application process opened May 15, 2011.
|
|
URBAN SERVANT CORPS NEWS
|  End of the Service Year Bar-B-Que Believe it or not, the 2010-2011 year of service is winding down! Join in the celebration of this year's USC volunteers at the BBQ event on August 1, 2011 beginning at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at 835 and 839 32nd Street in Denver. Please stop by!
USC Auction Was a Great Success  The Urban Servant Corps wishes to thank everyone who attended the 2nd Annual Earth Day Auction event! It was a huge success as nearly $10,000 was raised from the auction and from contributions that were made to support the Urban Servant Corps' mission as well as the USC sustainability fund.
If you were not able to attend this great event, but would like to make a donation, please visit: www.justgive.org. |
|
OUR DAILY BREAD VIDEO PROJECT
|
Rocky Mountain Synod Video Project Offers Resource for Congregations
A series of excellent video stories from the Rocky Mountain Synod is available for you to use in your congregation. A DVD was provided to each congregation at assembly. Others will be mailed out in June. The videos may be viewed online. Click on an image below. Bible Study materials and Devotionals are also available for download.
Congregations highlighted: Our Savior Lutheran, Alamogordo, NM, and First Lutheran, Gypsum, CO
Organization highlighted: Urban Servant Corps, Denver, CO
Congregation highlighted: Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey, El Paso, TX
Our thanks to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for providing financial support for this project, and retired Pastor Larry Foreman of Sunmark Productions for his generous partnership.
|
|
WESTERN STATES YOUTH GATHERING
| 
WSYG is
July 1-5, 2011
at California Lutheran University
In the confusion of voices, all telling us different things what is God calling us to be about? Join us this summer on the campus of California Lutheran University as we celebrate that which nothing can take away - the love of God in Jesus Christ. Join us as we consider how Jesus is our balance leading us to lives that make a difference. So, you have a lot going on in your life?
|
|
LUTHERAN MEN in MISSION
| 
Called! Equipped! Sent!
2011 LMM Triennial Gathering Set for Denver July 22 - 24, 2011, hundreds of men from across the nation will meet in Denver, CO at the Denver Marriott DTC for the tri-annual Lutheran Men in Mission Gathering. Lutheran Men in Mission Assembly (business meeting) is July 21-22, 2011.  Lutheran Men in Mission is the men's ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This ministry works to strengthen men's Christian faith, relationships, witness and service in their homes, congregation and communities. Check out the website for more information.
|
|
 |
| Every Person, Every Congregation, Every Ministry, Boldly Serving God's Mission in Christ |
THIS WEEK:
Bishop Allan Bjornberg
Visiting with the congregation of Faith Lutheran Church, Lander, WY; Celebrating the 50th Anniversary with Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Centennial, CO.
Meeting at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp; Visiting with the congregation of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Denver, CO; First Call Theological Education conference call., Denver, CO.
Macedonia Project conference call, Denver, CO; Begin vacation.
|
| CALENDAR |
NOVEMBER 18-20Senior High Youth Gathering Estes Park, Colorado
Middle School Youth Gathering
Colorado Springs, Colorado
JANUARY 23-26
Winter Theological Conference
Fort Collins, Colorado
APRIL 26-28
2012 RMS Assembly Colorado Springs, Colorado JULY 16-18
ELCA MYLA & DAYLE
New Orleans, LA
JULY 18-22
ELCA Youth Gathering
New Orleans, LA SEPTEMBER 23 Installation of Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Denver, Colorado
SEPTEMBER 23-25 Fall Theological Conference/ Bishop's Convocation Denver, Colorado |
|
|
|
| WYOMING | submit Wyoming news or photos
Faith Lutheran Church in Lander, WY Celebrates and Says Goodbye Pastor Sersen's
Anniversary and Farewell Celebration Pastor Tim Sersen's will preach his last sermon at Faith in Lander on Sunday, June 19, 2011 as he will be taking a position in another congregation. The community of Faith Lutheran Church is having a 45th Anniversary/Farewell picnic on June 25, 2011 at the Lander City Park starting at 11:00 a.m. All are welcome. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Beth Piette by email or call the church office at 307-332-2192
 Anti-racism Training Opportunities from: The Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming Two 1-day (8 contact hours), experiential workshops are being presented as an introduction to the subjects of Racism, White Privilege, Internalized Oppression, and How to Interrupt Racism directed at church leaders. The first of the workshops is on Wednesday, June 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The second is the "Train the Trainers Workshop" on Thursday, June 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Both sessions will be offered at the offices of the Diocese of Wyoming, 123 South Durbin Street in Casper (82601). The registration fee is $100 registration - travel and lodging are on your own. To register, email the following to Jessica@WyomingDiocese.org: - Indicate whether you are registering for the Anti-Racism Training, the Train the Trainers workshop, or both.
- Your name, ministry position, church affiliation, address, phone number(s) and email address, which will be used to prepare a roster of participants to be shared with all the participants.
- You will be sent a reading packet of 30-35 pages about two weeks prior to the trainings.
For any registration questions, please email Jessica@WyomingDiocese.org. For any questions about the workshops, please email LelandaLee@gmail.com . You may also call the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming at 307-265-5200.
Events
|
|
UTAH
| submit Utah news or photos
Summertime Wish List
at LSS Utah
Just in case you are recycling, these are items that LSS Utah is really needing right now for projects. If you donate, the items would be tax-deductible!
- Stove
- Warming Dishes of all kinds (for refugee catering)
- Cribs
- Art and Craft supplies for First Gen Kids; and Refugees
- Nutritious Treats & Beverages (for extremely low-income education programs so students are not hungry)
- Fabric, Sewing Notions, Buttons, Sewing Machines
If you have questions about donation logistics: Milka, 801-860-3099 or email Leslie. We are so very grateful for your consideration as you do spring, summer and early fall cleaning! Thank you from all of us at Lutheran Social Service of Utah. "Remember the Poor! Thanks be to God!"
Wild West Mill Creek Swap Meet!
It is held May 28 to September 24, 2011 at Lutheran Social Service Utah located at 4392 South 900 East in Salt Lake City [84124] (along the grassy sides toward the main intersection of 4500 South and 900 East in SLC). This promises to be fun! It's a great way to catch up with Leslie, too. She'd love to sip something cool and chat a bit on these Saturdays! You are invited and welcome to have a table to sell items for your congregation or display information about your congregation and its ministries. Just have the person come that day with their own shade, water, table and chair. It is $5 to register each Saturday (hassle free registration!) by showing up and checking in at the registration table. It is a great location so it gets excellent traffic! Your purchases are tax deductible. All proceeds benefit refugee ministries & local artists. Shop while you drop by your donations! This also is an opportunity to sample and enjoy international food, music, art, produce, and the swap meet. Donate your gently used or new items which are free to refugee families. Bring your donation and get a 2011 IRS tax letter/receipt on the spot!
|
NEW MEXICO and EL PASO, TEXAS
| |
 Celebration Ringers Handbell Choir Tour Stops at St. Luke - Albuquerque
The Celebration Ringers Handbell Choir of Colorado Springs CO., will present a concert at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Albuquerque at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 10, 2011. The Celebration Ringers are a group of 14 high school students, many of whom have been ringing  bells in the youth handbell program at First Lutheran Church since third or fourth grade. At First Lutheran, the group plays for worship services throughout the year and for concerts in the community. The Celebrations Ringers were a highlight at the 2011 Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly.
It is a tradition of the group to take their music on the road at the end of the school year. This year's tour will take them to several destinations in New Mexico, Arizona and California. The Celebration Ringers' energetic program will feature a variety of music. A free-will offering will be taken.
 JC/DC Meets June 12
Albuquerque has begun a new city-wide high school youth group called JC/DC (Jesus Christ Discipleship Crew). All youth from 9th through 12th grades are welcome to participate in this City-Wide Sr. High Lutheran Youth Group. Activities are scheduled year round for this energetic group, including: Bible Studies, movie nights, service events, national and local youth gatherings, concerts, and more! The group meets on the 2nd Sunday of every month from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church (425 University Blvd NE). The next gathering is scheduled for June 12. For more information about JC/DC or events, please contact Pastor Tim Orlowski of Messiah Lutheran Church by email or by phone (505-299-3311).
La Mansi�n: Children's Program of Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey Sponsor a Child Today Your gift will allow a child of central El Paso to attend La Mansi�n for an eight- week summer program. When you become a sponsor, you are linked with one child who will benefit from your gift by participating in the summer program. At the end of the summer, you will receive a sponsorship packet about your child and his or her summer. See the Sponsorship Brochure. Change the world - One child at a time Your one- time tax deductible contribution of $60 allows your child to participate in a supportive, church- based summer program. Learn about the child you're supporting! In addition to the sponsorship packet, you will receive at the end of the summer, you can also learn about your child through the "Sponsor a Child" link at http://cristorey.webs.com that will contain program updates throughout the summer. You may decide to visit the child you sponsor through Cristo Rey's Border Immersion Experiences. http://borderimmersion.webs.com |
|
COLORADO
| submit Colorado news or photos
Pre-Register Today for LFS Colorado Zoo-B-Q Event THIS FRIDAY!
Please join Lutheran Family Services on Friday, June 10, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. for a ZOO Bar B-Q. This will be a time when the Denver Zoo is reserved exclusively for this LFS event!
 Tickets: are: Adult (13+) $16, Children (3-12) $11, Children (0-2) Free Registration includes classic American BBQ, old fashioned carousel rides, face painting, magician, and other entertainment! Please register online at www.lfsco.org. (You must pre-register - no ticke ts will be sold at the gate.) It's a great evening for adventure and raising money for a wonderful cause!
87th Annual Ryssby Festival Kicks Off June 19 The Ryssby Midsummer Festival will take place on Sunday, June 19, 2011, at the historic Ryssby Church, southwest of Longmont, CO. The day will feature a Worship Service at 11:00 a.m. followed by a catered picnic lunch at 12:00 p.m. with afternoon carnival games for the kids. Lunch reservations are appreciated by Wednesday, June 15 by calling the First Evangelical Lutheran Church office at 303-776-2704. This year's festival will include a dedication of the new Columbarium that has been placed in the Ryssby Cemetery. The Columbarium dedication will take place at the conclusion of the 11:00 a.m. Worship Service. The Ryssby Midsummer Festival Choir will sing during the Worship Service. Anyone interested in singing with the choir is welcome to come early and practice. The practice will begin shortly after 10:00 a.m. that morning. The Ryssby Committee asks that congregations and organizations download, print and publicize the event. The color poster may be displayed on a bulletin board or printed in black and white and used as a bulletin insert. If you have specific questions that cannot be answered from the posters, please give Artie a call at 303-776-4449. Event presented by First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Longmont.
 3rd Annual Golf Tournament June 20, 2011 beginning at 1:00 p.m You are cordially invited to enjoy a day of golf on the challenging Colorado Springs Country Club Golf Course. Players may form their own foursomes. Individual entrants are welcome. Team placement will be arranged for singles. Format: Four-person, shamble. Mulligans will be available for $5 each. After the shamble, please join us in the clubhouse or on the patio for dinner. Dinner is included for registered golfers, guests are $20 each (see updated brochure). Awards and drawings will take place during that time. Registration is open. Contact Calvin and Patty Jolly (719-347-2662) for more information.
Sponsored by St. Paul Community Outreach Center, Calhan, CO a [501 ( c ) (3) organization]
 Leap Ahead Into Middle School Using theater, movement, poetry and improvisation to build confidence and character, students moving into middle school will engage and explore individual paths to leadership.
Four, 2-hour sessions for students: July 5, 7, 12, and 14 from 4:00 to 6 p.m.
Cost is $175 Location: Wellshire Presbyterian Church, 2990 South Colorado Blvd, Denver. 
July 5 session: a concurrent session for parents to learn about moving in to the middle school years. Facilitated by Centus counselors Tiffany Vanderen, LPC, and Carolyn Ajie, LCSW. July 14 session: performance for family and friends Presenter: Andrea Moore is a performer, writer, photographer, and producer. She makes art, and she makes art happen. Andrea earned her degree in Theatre Studies from Boston University's theatre conservatory, and now she works as an artist, teacher, and collaborator in her native Denver. Andrea has extensive experience working creatively with youth. Registration is limited to 12 students. Please call Centus at 303-639-5240 ext. 28 for more information. Centus Counseling, Consulting, and Education is a Samaritan Counseling Center in locations throughout metro Denver (usually in congregations). Top tier therapists provide nearly 4000 hours of counseling, testing and evaluation services per year. Centus offers high quality, cost effective care to all clients and reduced fees for those in need that are un-insured. Visit centus.org
Saint Paul - Denver Seeks Vocalists/Musicians To
Complement Its Taiz� Service Saint Paul Lutheran Church in downtown Denver has been offering monthly Taiz� services for almost two years, thanks to the generous support and participation of those in the community! As they move forward, they are looking to grow the leadership and include those who wish to share their musical talent with the greater faith community of Denver. If you have a vocal or instrumental talent and would like to engage in a worship service with minimal commitment (4-6 hours per month), please consider joining them for Taiz�. The music is simple, meditative, and spiritually fulfilling. For more information, and to contact them, please visit our website: www.spiritoftaize.org. Please remember - all are welcome!
 A Called To Action - Providing Hunger Relief for Metro Denver The congregation of Bethany Lutheran Church in Cherry Hills Village is asking the community to join it in providing hunger relief. Metro CareRing is challenging people in the Denver area to join Avenues of Hope: 9.10.11. Please take just a few minutes to watch the video from Metro CareRing. Avenues of Hope: Hunger Stops Here (9.10.11) is a community movement to eradicate hunger by educating, motivating and encouraging everyone to give! Please check out the website to see how you might be able to Help. Thank you for being a hunger relief advocate for the hungry here in Denver! The goal for faith communities in the metro-Denver area is to collectively raise $120,000 on or before September 10, 2011 (9.10.11) and to collect 120,000 lbs. of food. There are a number of ways to participate: - Pledge to do "a dollar per day" or a "pound per day" or BOTH
- Promise to gather "a pound of food each day" for 100 days
- Share ideas that you have; and
- Pray, so collectively we end hunger in our community.
Stay tuned for news and events about where and how to give your "dollar per day" and where to bring your offerings of food., so that enough food for all hungry people in Denver can be collected. Money to sustain the hungry of Colorado will also be gathered. Be a part of it!
Events
Zion Lutheran Church-Montrose First Annual YOUTH Habitat for Humanity Build and Christian Concert
July 6-9, 2011
Contact Heidi by email or phone ( 970) for more information For more information, please contact the church (970-249-9828) or Heidi by email or phone (970-901-8225).
Dr. Diana Butler Bass at Messiah Community Church, Denver
October 28-30, 2011
For more information, please call the church on 303-355-4471.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
