Beloved God, from you come all things that are good. Lead us by the inspiration of your Spirit to know those things that are right, and by your merciful guidance, help us to do them, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

On Saturday, September 24, 2011, Martha Atkins, a former TEEM Candidate with the Rocky Mountain Synod, was ordained into ministry within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Service of Ordination took place at Mount of Olives Lutheran Church in Rock Springs, WY, where she is called to serve as pastor. Congratulations, Martha! 

Please join St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Taylorsville, Utah, for the installation of Pastor Jeffrey Louden on October 16 at 3:00 p.m. Bishop Bjornberg of the Rocky Mountain Synod will be present for the installation. All are invited for a meal afterward. For more information, please contact the church at: stoffice@stmatthewut.org.

The Rocky Mountain Synod has received an ELCA grant to take the lead in the work and ministry of stewardship through the Macedonia Project - Your Table Is Ready.   

Rocky Mountain Synod congregations will be partnering with sister congregations and leaders to make this a vibrant and effective ministry. Of the 18 ELCA grants, the unique approach of the Rocky Mountain Synod focuses on giving and generosity as a faith practice of households.

The first of twelve workshops are scheduled as follows:

Saturday, October 22 - 

Our Saviour's Lutheran - Casper, WY

(Central and Northern Wyoming congregations)  

Saturday, October 29 - 

Zion Lutheran - Salt Lake City, UT

(Utah and Western Wyoming congregations)  

Saturday, November 5 - 

Shepherd of Valley Lutheran - Grand Junction, CO

(Central and Western Slope Colorado congregations)  

Saturday, November 5 - 

Prince of Peace Lutheran- Denver, CO

(1st workshop for Denver area congregations)

Congregations in these areas have received information and an invitation to attend. If you would like to attend and need information, please email Cheryl. 

 
Information online at www.rmselca.org/macedonia.  

Fall Conference Gatherings Begin
Bishop Election Discernment

The Conference Dean in each of our ten conferences is setting the date for a Fall Conference Gathering for the purpose of beginning conversation and discernment leading to the election of a new bishop at our 2012 Synod Assembly.

Each Conference Dean will communicate about your local date and place, and each congregation is invited to bring rostered leaders and several lay persons. These meetings will take place in the next couple months, concluding by December 15, which is the deadline for submitting the names of potential nominees.

Additional information about the Bishop Election process is now posted online.  The web address is www.rmselca.org/bishopelection. Visit that page for additional information.

Join us for a Confirmation Retreat at Rainbow Trail this fall and let us be partners with you in creating a fun atmosphere for learning in your confirmation program! We will sing songs, play games, learn together, and play together in God's beautiful creation.

Scott Moore, Youth Director at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, is this year's featured speaker who will lead us in inspiring, educational and fun group study sessions designed to expand on the studies you've already touched on at your home church. The theme for this year is "Spiritual Disciplines - Taking Our Faith from Religious to Rational." For more information or to register, please go to the Rainbow Trail website or send an email message to Ashley.  

Note: We also offer a retreat in the Spring from February 24 - 26, 2012.

FREE Training (Webinar)
for ALL Leading Youth Ministry  

The ELCA Youth Ministry Network presents

Practice Discipleship: 

The ELCA Youth Ministry Training Project

This special training is for all youth and family ministry professionals and volunteers. It is great preparation for leading your youth group meetings, mission trips, service projects, and Bible study as well as those attending the ELCA Youth Gathering in 2012.  Gather all adults working with youth in your congregation to participate in one of these four training opportunities. If you miss the live webinars, they are recorded for your viewing at a later time. 

The next webinar is Sunday, October 2 2011 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. (CDT). The topic is "Lutheran Theology, How Lutherans Read the Bible."  The webinar will be presented by Dr. Jeremy Meyers of Augsburg College.  

Check out the website for details.  

Peer Ministry Leadership Training Opportunity  

2:00 p.m. Sunday, October 23   

 Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp

This weekend is designed for anyone who regularly volunteers with youth and their families. Youth ministry staff and paid leaders: bring your entire ministry team/committee.  Sessions are filled with practical skills and basics for every day ministry. This is an opportunity to network with those who do what you do. 

For more info or to register, contact Ben Larson by email or phone (719-942-4220).

The narrative of Jesus is some two millennia old. One of our greatest challenges is how we tell and share that Old Story in our New Day. At the 2012 Rocky Mountain Synod Theological Conference, Dr. Anna Carter Florence, Pastor Keith Anderson, and Dr. Stanley Olson will consider what it means to be proclaim, communicate and serve in today's context. Read more about the presenters. Registration will open in October.

"Safe Haven: A Resource for Congregations" is now Available! 

Many thanks to the dedicated team who worked on creating this informative, faith-based guide.

Take the ELCA/Mayo Clinic Health Assessment and Earn Cash

Act by September 30 to Earn $450  

ELCA primary health plan members and covered spouses, don't miss your chance to earn up to $450 in personal wellness credits. They offset eligible out-of-pocket health care costs.

• Take the 2011 Mayo Clinic Health Assessment on the Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth web portal before it closes September 30. You'll earn a $150 personal wellness account credit.
• After taking the assessment (a requirement in order to earn wellness credits), do follow-up activities by November 30 and earn your remaining $300 credit.

Attendance is free and open to anyone interested in better understanding the cost of ELCA benefits and our approach to pricing. Treasurers, administrators and members of church councils, call committees and other congregational decision-makers are strongly encouraged to attend.  

Register in advance for either session at: https://www.elcabop.org/rates-webinar.aspx

• Tuesday, October 4, 6:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)

Following the webinar, a recording will be posted on the Board of Pensions' web site.

October 13-16, 2011

College students and young adults from around the Rocky Mountain Synod are invited to join Lutheran Episcopal Campus Ministry at UNM and CNM for Fall Break with the Border Servant Corps and Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey in El Paso learning about immigration and border issues. 

The Immersion will cost $175 per person. Some scholarship money is available to help college students participate. Please contact Campus Pastor Anne Morawski at 505-385-0842 or lcm@unm.edu if you are interested. More information about the program can be found at http://borderimmersion.webs.com/cristorey.htm and http://www.borderservant.com.

All Saint's Day Pancake Breakfast for Local Lutheran Churches

Sunday, November 6

Urban Servant Corps volunteers will flip pancakes as they become acquainted with Lutheran faith communities who prayerfully and financially support the Urban Servant Corps. A celebration of all the saints will be part of this event!

God's Positioning System  

November 18-20, 2011

at Estes Park 

Are you between the ages of 18-25? Consider serving as a Cornerstone Peer Minister for the SHYG. Applications are due October 1. Details and applications can be found on the SHYG web page.   

This year, one adult will register for every five youth (all of matching genders!). In the registration process, the adult and youth will register in room groups. Please read the registration materials carefully, and use the "Registration Worksheet for Assigning Rooms" to assist in preparing for online registration.

The RMS is one of the stops on the Citizens with the Saints  pre-tour concerts featuring AGAPE and Rachel Kurtz. They will be featured at this year's Senior High Youth Gathering, November 18-20. Download a schedule/poster and get more details at the SHYG website .  

House for All Sinners and Saints, a missional church community of the ELCA, is seeking a creative, passionate individual to serve as Facilitator, implementing Godly Play curriculum during our weekly Sunday evening worship service.  The Facilitator will play a vital role in our worship life by creating space in which children ranging from toddler to teenager can engage deeply with the biblical story during the 30 minute long Service of the Word portion of the liturgy. In addition to planning and teaching weekly sessions, the Godly Play Facilitator will be responsible for providing care for children one half-hour before and one half-hour after service. Training and/or experience in the Godly Play program as well as completion of the Safeguarding God's Children training is required.  

Compensation for serving from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. each Sunday is $50/week.  In addition, the Facilitator may be given the option to provide care during other community events as they arise.   

If interested, please email your resume and a brief statement describing your interest to Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber or Vicar Matthew Nickoloff. More information about House for All can be found at our website: houseforall.org.  Thanks in advance for your interest! 

Evergreen Lutheran Church in Evergreen, CO is replacing their wooden altar furniture and would love to find a good home (free) for an altar, lectern and pulpit.

The altar is 371/2" tall, 8' long and 30"wide.
The pulpit is 45" tall and the top is 27" x 17"
The lectern is 20" x 17" and 45" tall.

Please contact Evergreen Lutheran Church at 303-674-4654 or office@evergreenlutheran.org and talk with Judy if you can use these furnishings.

After School Program Begins at Cristo Rey-Denver on September 27 

Tutors are also needed! 

The 2011-2012 SuperKids After-School Program at Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey, 501 Raleigh Street, Denver (80204), officially begins on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 and will continue throughout the school year on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (except for school vacations)

Each afternoon, the children will participate in a 45-minute class in music, art, computers, or other educational activity, as well as a 45-minute one-on-one (or one-on-two or one-on-three, depending on the number of tutors available!) tutoring session with a focus on homework completion and reading.

Tutors are needed for one, two, or three afternoons per week. The only qualification is a love of children and a desire to help in sustaining this important ministry. No Spanish language skills are required, either, as most of the assigned homework is in English. For more information and/or to become a tutor, please contact Mark Filbert by email or phone (720-274-4708).     

University of Northern Colorado and AIMS College Prepare for Campus Ministry Night Event

Threshold, a Lutheran/Episcopal Campus Ministry, is hosting An Evening with Campus Ministry on Friday, September 30 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church on 3800 West 20th Street in Greeley (80631). The evening will feature Sue Rothmeyer, Director for Youth/Young Adult Ministries for the Evangelical Church in America, speaking on "Engaging Young Adults in Tomorrow's Church" with special performances by Campus Ministry students.  

Free will donations will be collected to support Bible studies, community building activities, and other faith formation events including retreats and service projects for both UNC and AIMS college students. Additional funding will be provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans through its Care Abounds in Communities program. In order to receive the supplemental funding, cash donations to the fundraiser should be made out to WCCTFL and can also be sent to Campus Ministry, c/o Pastor Sarah Moening, 1800 21st Avenue, Greeley, CO (80631) by September 30. For more information call Pastor Moening at 970-352-4816.

Lutheran Family Services of Colorado
Harvest of Hope Fall Family Carnival

Lutheran Family Services of Colorado Harvest of Hope Fall Family Carnival will take place on Saturday, October 1, 2011 from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Something from the Farm Corn Maze will host the event at Redeemer Lutheran Church, located at 7755 Greenstone Trail in Fort Collins.

The event will include a bowling alley, bounce house, carnival games and prizes, corn mazes, carnival food, hay bale climbing, hay rides, face painting, pumpkin patch, and much more!

Tickets are $1 each or $20 for 24 tickets with all proceeds supporting the programs and services of Lutheran Family Services of Colorado. Help get the word out by downloading and posting the flyer. You are also invited to visit the Harvest of Hope Online Auction.   

Lutheran Family Services of Colorado is a faith based, non-profit human service agency helping children and families during their most challenging times. We have been committed to serving all people, regardless of race, religion, gender or age since 1948.

An Evening of Worship, Fellowship and Musical Meditation Hosted by Bethany-Cherry Hills Village 

Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center invites you to be their guest for an evening of fellowship and worship at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 2, 2011, at Bethany Lutheran Church, located at 4500 E. Hampden Avenue in Cherry Hills Village. Come and enjoy a delicious dessert, make new friends and perhaps bump into someone you already know, and experience a jazz vespers service by "Music Serving the Word Ministries." 

You are encouraged to invite members of your congregation to attend this event which brings the arts into sacred spaces. Jazz Vespers offers a musical meditation that leads the listener toward reflection and personal application of Scripture through a "Sound Scape" of contemplative worship.

The service features piano, acoustic bass, and drums as well as inspired spoken word, and multimedia experiences, all designed to nourish the soul with prayerful reflection. Paul Campbell, Executive Director, will be sharing about the ministry at Spirit in the Desert and our passion to help individuals and congregations renew and revitalize in body, mind and soul.

If you have any questions or need more information please contact Lance or Carol Jacobson at 480-201-9126 or 480-466-6053.      

Surviving Divorce and Living Divorced

(corrected date)

A seminar for people going through divorce or who have been divorced, as well as for family and friends of those people, will be presented at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church, 920 Kipling Street, in Lakewood, Colorado on October 8, 2011 from 7:00 p.m. through 9:00 p.m. THIS IS A FREE SEMINAR but you must reserve a place by calling Holy Shepherd at 303-233-2740 no later than 3:00 p.m. on October 4 to reserve your seat. Attendance will be limited to the first 100 who call. Child care will be provided.

The seminar will be presented by Dennis Jacobson, a Colorado attorney who has over 30 years of experience in representing people in divorce and divorce related matters. He is the author of When Your Marriage is Over: Practical Advice for Surviving Divorce and Living Divorced. The seminar will cover issues including creating parenting plans for the children, the impact of divorce on faith issues and church involvement, stress control, custody evaluations, financial matters, and new spouses and "friends". All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Dennis' book.

5^th Annual Grace Race

Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp is hosting its 5th Annual Grace Race on Saturday, October 8, 2011 with a 9:00 a.m. start. All proceeds and donations will be given to ELCA World Hunger. This is a 5K run/walk around beautiful Sloan's Lake in south Denver. There will be food and refreshments for all participants following the race. The entry fee is $30 before October 1 and $35 after that date. The October 1st early registration deadline is approaching quickly. You can register for the race after that date and even on the day of the race; however, after October 1, we can't guarantee you'll get one of the cool long sleeve tech shirts from the race.

So, here is the push. For the past two years, we have been trying to raise enough money to send a check for over $10,000 to ELCA World Hunger. We NEED to do it this year! If every person that has participated or thought about participating in the past Grace Races brought just one new person (and you can bring more!!), we would have over 400 participants and that will really push us over that $10,000 mark. Bring your friends, family, and members from your church. You don't have to be a runner to make a difference. We had parents with baby strollers, grandparents with grand kids, and runners and walkers of all types last year.

If your church wants to be a sponsor, have them contact Dave Jarvis by email! Congregations will get their church name on the shirt.

Get those registrations in now! Come join us for a great morning in the park for a great cause. You can register on-line! To learn more and to register, go to www.rainbowtrail.org/the_grace_race/.  Let's make this 5th Annual Grace Race one to remember!

Crop Hunger Walk 2011 

 (corrected date)

On Saturday, October 8, the Arvada CROP Hunger Walk will take place at Hoskinson's Park, located at 58^th and Garrison Street. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the event kicks off at 9:00 a.m. Please meet at the Pioneer Pavilion. There will be coffee, bagels and door prizes. If you can't walk please consider giving generously for those who have little.  You can also donate on line!  Go to www.churchworldservice.org/CROP and locate the Arvada CROP Hunger Walk and make your donation! 

If you have any questions regarding the walk, you may contact Glenda Ferraro by email or phone (720-235-9496). 

Case Lecture Series:

 Al Staggs as   

Martin Luther

Bethany Lutheran Church

4500 East Hampden Avenue
Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113

Reformation Celebration at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church - Fort Collins

With special guest:  Prof. Tim Wengert of
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

October 28 - Lecture and table-talk (with Pie Potluck social)   
6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
"Identifying Lutherans and Other Rare Birds"  
Description: Prof. Wengert will use his broad knowledge of Reformation theology to challenge us to think about what Christian identity as Lutherans means in our changing cultural context. 

October 29- 30   Guest preacher at worship services - Saturday 5:30 p.m., Sunday 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

October 30    Guest speaker at Forum     Sunday 9:45 a.m. in room 12E
"Luther's Small Catechism for Adults: Tasting It Again for the First Time"  
Description: Prof. Wengert, whose translation of the Small Catechism is widely used in the ELCA, will talk about how adults may find new uses for this little book to strengthen their spiritual journey.

Professor Wengert is the Ministerium of Pennsylvania Professor of Reformation History and Confessions at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, teaching primarily in the fields of Reformation history and the Lutheran Confessions.  Read more about Prof. Wengert.