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eConnection
weekly email of the
Rocky Mountain Synod
January 17, 2012 |
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Greetings!
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Potential nominees for RMS
bishop discern their ministry calls
 Those whose names were raised up to be considered as potential nominees for bishop are discerning whether or not to complete biographical and informational forms, indicating their willingness to continue in the process. Those potential nominees are to return a response to the synod office by January 31. The initial list of potential nominees is posted online here.
The biographical informational forms received will be posted online on February 6.
Note that this process is currently about identifying and discerning potential nominees and is a preliminary process. The actual nominations take place on the initial ecclesiastical ballot at the Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly, April 26-28, 2012 in Colorado Springs. |
| OUR LIFE TOGETHER |
Third Sunday after Epiphany
Almighty God, by grace alone you call us and accept us in your service. Strengthen us by your Spirit and make us worthy of your call, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Prayer from Sundays and Seasons Year A 2011
Pastor Cardin to Receive Iliff's Distinguished Alumni Award
Iliff School of Theology is pleased to present the Iliff Distinguished Alumni Award to Pastor Emily Cardin, Director of the Denver's Women's Prison Ministry, on Thursday, February 9, 2012. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. and will take place at Iliff School of Theology's Great Hall, located at 2201 South University Blvd. in Denver (80210). The cost for the event is $35/per including dinner. Please R.S.V.P. to Tim Zeckser at tzeckser@iliff.com by January 27, 2012.
Synod Prayer Cycle: Metro West Conference
You are encouraged to include the listed leaders in your Sunday prayers of the people. The prayer list for February is available. to remember in prayers on 1/22: Mount of the Holy Cross Vail, CO Scott Beebe Shepherd of the Valley Grand Junction, CO Ron Powers St. Andrew Arvada, CO Stephanie Kopsch St. John's Thornton, CO Penni Walsh
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REMINDERS
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 Theological Conference begins January 23It's not too late to register by calling the synod office. No late fee for commuters. Note: begins January 23 with registration 1-5 p.m. at the Hilton in Fort Collins, Colorado. Opening Reception at Trinity Lutheran Church at 4 p.m. Worship at 5 p.m. Dinner follows. Details.
Elect your assembly voting members now; Include a youth or young adult!
Your voting members will be invited to attend spring Conference gatherings for dialogue and discernment regarding the upcoming election of a new bishop at the April 26-28 Assembly in Colorado Springs.
Congregations are encouraged to include youth and young adults as voting members at the 2012 Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly.
Lifting up and empowering young people to serve is part of the calling of every congregation! Please take a look at the guide - "Youth and Young Adults: Expanded Roles for Youth and Young Adults", created to assist congregations in the process. You have the opportunity to identify youth and young adults who will represent your congregation as voting members at this year's Synod Assembly.
2012 RMS Financial Summary
Reprint in your annual report or newsletter. Share the link to the .pdf in your electronic newsletter: www.rmselca.org/2012
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| YOUTH & EDUCATION NETWORKS | |
 FREE On-Line training Begins this Sunday
The first of a series of seven online training session focuses on our Lutheran beliefs about how God is at work in New Orleans and the rest of the world! The webinar is this Sunday, January 22, at 2:00 p.m. (central time). Training is FREE. Watch it as a group but please register now.
Dr. Jeremy Myers will present on the topic:
How does Christ forgive my sins? How does the Spirit call us into faith and service?
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RMS: Youth Ministry Trainings
A series of on-site, face-to-face Youth Ministry trainings will take place throughout the RMS as part of the Practice Discipleship: The ELCA Youth Ministry Training Project.
These special trainings are being offered FREE to all youth and family ministry professionals and volunteers, whether you are or are not attending the ELCA Youth Gathering. These workshops will strengthen your ministry with young people wherever it happens.
Specifically, all adults accompanying youth to the ELCA Youth Gathering are encouraged to attend, as well as a representation of your high school youth registered for The Gathering - at least one youth for every five registered. The Sunday afternoon, three-hour trainings will be led by Kristen Baltrum, Gathering Coordinator and Linda Staats, Gathering Coach.
Save the following dates for your area. Sites TBA.
Albuquerque, NM - February 26
Denver, CO - March 10
Colorado Springs, CO - March 18
Casper, WY - March - 25
Salt Lake City, UT - April 15
Ft. Collins, CO - April 29
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 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering
"Citizens with the Saints"
July 18-22, 2012
New Orleans, LA
The Rocky Mountain Synod has 41 congregations and 590 youth and caring adults registered for the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering. Registration ha snot closed yet, so congregations may still register.
Keep up with all the resources and tools for your preparation by signing up for the Gathering E-News. See who else is going from our synod by checking out our own RMS Gathering web page.
Check out the many resources available to equip ALL your adults to accompany young people to New Orleans and in your every day ministry, right where you are.
Info link.
If you have questions, please contact your RMS Gathering Coordinator, Kristen Baltrum,or Coach, Linda Staats by email
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| YOUTH & EDUCATION NETWORKS | |
Front Range Christian Education Network
 Anyone who coordinates Christian Education or teaches Sunday School or leads Faith Formation in their congregation is invited to network with other paid and volunteer leaders on Thursday, January 19 at the Rocky Mountain Synod office from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. RSVP to Linda Staats and to receive further details. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAVE the DATE! RMS Lutheran Schools Appreciation Days You are invited to a "Gathering" for Rocky Mountain Synod (RMS) preschool and school directors, pastors and a school board member/staff person. The events will take place in two locations: - Tuesday, February 28, Cross of Hope Lutheran Church, Albuquerque
- Thursday, March 22, Denver area. Site TBA
This will be a time to network with peers, share joys and challenges, ask questions and share what works. Also, we will have an opportunity to visit someone else's school and learning center. The focus for our time together is the question, "What Does Faith Have to do With It? The Spirituality of Children."Gayle Denny, Executive Director of the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA) will be with us. All are invited - one does not need to belong to ELEA to attend. The cost is $10/person or $25 for three from a church and school. Each gathering is from 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and includes lunch and free give-aways! To RSVP, email Cheryl Almquist in the synod office or call 303-777-6700/800-525-0462. If you have other questions, please contact Linda Staats by email or phone (602-740-3752). |
SAFE HAVEN
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REMINDER: SAFE HAVEN GUIDELINES
All congregations are to have begun or completed the process of creating Safe Haven Guidelines and procedures for their congregation and related ministries by the 2012 Assembly. The Safe Haven initiative is all about keeping children and youth safe within the congregation's ministry.
The "Safe Haven: A Resource for Congregations" is the result of diligent work by a team of people in the Rocky Mountain Synod. If you need assistance or have questions, please contact Linda Staats who will refer you to a member of the Safe Haven Task Force.
If your congregation has completed or updated your Safe Haven Guidelines, please send notification to Linda Staats, Assistant to the Bishop for Youth and Household Ministry. If your guidelines are posted on your congregation's website, please send the web link. Any comments you wish to include about the process and what these guidelines have meant for your congregation will be much appreciated.
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PEACE NOT WALLS
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Mark Braverman to Speak at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church
In his book, Fatal Embrace - Christians, Jews and the Search for Peace in the Holy Land, Mark Braverman shows how the Jewish quest for safety and empowerment and the Christian effort to atone for centuries of anti-Semitism have combined to suppress the conversations needed to bring about peace.
 On Sunday, February 5 from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., Mr. Braverman will give a presentation at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, located at 1980 Dahlia (Montview and Dahlia in Park Hill) in Denver. The event is sponsored by Friends of Sabeel-Colorado.
In his quest to find a way forward, he turns to the prophets and to Jesus' transformative ministry, to speak a prophetic word of his own. Preview the book.
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RAINBOW TRAIL LUTHERAN CAMP
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Winter Confirmation Retreat: February 24 - 26
Join us for a Confirmation Retreat at Rainbow Trail 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. Our staff will lead your kids in crafts, team-building activities, outdoor activities such as hiking or sledding, fun games, and camp songs!
Scott Moore, Youth Director at Holy Cross Lutheran Church (ELCA), is this year's featured speaker. He 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 Relational".
For details or more information, please contact Ash by email. For registration information, check out the RTLC website: http://www.rainbowtrail.org/retreats/confirmation-retreat/
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ASSEMBLY VIDEO CONTEST: SHARE YOUR STORIES
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Video Contest Deadline is March 15!
New RMS video is a resource
for how to shoot a great video!
For the 2012 Synod Assembly, we invite congregations to tell their own stories about the "Landscapes of Faith" in the Rocky Mountain Synod.
This new video provides some pointers on how to tell stories and take good footage. If your Internet connection is slow and the video skips or freezes, you may need to hit "play" and wait a a few minutes for it to download before restarting it.
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Telling Video Stories in the Rocky Mountain Synod
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Information will soon be posted on the RMS website about how to submit videos. The ones that tell the most engaging stories will be shown at the RMS Assembly in April. Video contest videos are due March 15.
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GENEROSITY PROJECT WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED
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Generosity Project 2012
Workshop Dates
and Sites:
Saturday - February 4, 2012
All Saints Lutheran Church - Albuquerque, NM
Saturday - February 11, 2012 -
St. Peter Lutheran Church - Carlsbad, NM
Peace Lutheran Church - El Paso, TX
Saturday - March 10, 2012 -
Christ Lutheran Church - Highlands Ranch, CO
Saturday - March 17, 2012
Ascension Lutheran Church - Colorado Springs, CO
Saturday - March 24, 2012
Ascension Lutheran Church - Cheyenne, WY
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CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY
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Preparing Pastors for Ministry in an Ever-changing and Pluralistic World
Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry Intensive
The Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest wishes to invite you to attend the Spanish Language and Hispanic Ministry Intensive. The Program seeks to prepare pastors for ministry in a rapidly changing and pluralistic world that is the mission field of the emerging church of the 21st century.
Open to everyone, the event will take place on the campus of the Seminary of the Southwest, located at 501 East 32nd Street in Austin, TX (78705) beginning on Sunday, May 27, 2012 and ending on Friday noon, June 1, 2012. Distinguished speakers include the Rev. Dr. Jay Alan�s, Dr. Regina Musselman and the Rev. Dr. Eliseo P�rez-Alvarez
Many important details are available on the flyer but if you require additional information, please contact Consuelo at 512-477-2666.
LSPS is an extension of Wartburg Theological Seminary and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
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RESOURCE
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The ELCA Promotes the Ending Family Violence Initiative
The Lutheran Community Foundation is sponsoring a number of FREE webinars as part of their Ending Family Violence Initiative. The invitation is extended through the Office of the Secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Some topics include:
- How to Reduce the Risk of Child Abuse in the Church
- Stop Teen Violence Before it Starts
- Domestic Violence 101 for Christian Clergy
- What to do if a Registered Sex Offender Comes to Church
Download a complete list of topics with their summaries All of the seminars are free and open to anyone but attendees need to register online. |
2012 FAITH ADVOCACY DAY - COLORADO
| Mark Your Calendars
 Put Your Faith Into Action
Turning the Corner from Charity to Justice
Faith Advocacy Day will take place on Monday, February 20, 2012, at the new History Colorado center, located at 1200 Broadway in Denver (80203). The event will be from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m with two optional sessions following the main event.
Street parking at meters is free on this day since it is a holiday. Also, there are pay lots one block west of History Colorado at 12th and Acoma.
For more information, including ways to register for the event, please check out the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado website. |
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Every Person, Every Congregation, Every Ministry, Boldly Serving God's Mission in Christ
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THIS WEEK
Bishop Allan Bjornberg
Synod Council meeting, synod office, Denver, CO; Visiting with the congregation of Abiding Hope Lutheran Church, Littleton, CO; Begin RMS Theological Conference, Ft. Collins, CO.
Sky Ranch Board Meeting, Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp; Synod Council meeting, synod office, Denver, CO; Begin RMS Theological Conference, Ft. Collins, CO.
Visiting with the Camino de Vida Advisory Committee, Albuquerque, NM; Synod Council meeting, synod office, Denver, CO; Begin RMS Theological Conference, Ft. Collins, CO.
Synod Council meeting, synod office, Denver, CO; Lead Cross+Generational Hour and Education Team Consultation, Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, Louisvile, CO; Begin RMS Theological Conference, Ft. Collins, CO. Available by email
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CALENDAR |
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, Cherry Hills Village, CO. SEPTEMBER 23-25 Fall Theological Conference/ Bishop's Convocation, Cherry Hills Village, CO. 2013 MAY 2-4 2013 RMS Assembly Loveland, Colorado SEPTEMBER 23-26 Theological Conference Estes Park, Colorado |
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NEW MEXICO and EL PASO, TEXAS
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"Servant Stomp" Comes to Two New Mexico Cities
The Border Servant Corps will host two "Servant Stomp" events in January, 2012: The first will be Saturday, January 21 and the second will be on Saturday, January 28.
 Las Cruces, New Mexico
On Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., the "Servant Stomp" event will take place at Peace Lutheran Church. Peace is located at 1701 East Missouri in Las Cruces, NM (88001). The suggested cost for the event is $10 with lunch included. Please make reservations before January 18, 2012 by emailing Kari or call her on 575-522-7119 (ext. 16). Please download, print and post the flyer to help get the word out.
 El Paso, Texas
On Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., the event will take place at Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey. Cristo Rey is located at 1010 East Yandell Drive in El Paso, TX (79902). The suggested cost for the event is $10 with lunch included. Please make reservations before January 25, 2012 by emailing Kari or call her on 575-522-7119 (ext. 16). Please download, print and post the flyer to help spread the word about the event.
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM Annual Bishop's Luncheon is February 2 The annual Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Bishop's Legislative Luncheon will be Thursday, February 2. Make plans to attend and be sure to make your reservation (or a reservation for a group from your congregation!) to attend this annual gathering which will be held at La Fonda in Santa Fe beginning at 12:30 p.m. Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Allan Bjornberg will speak at the luncheon and will also share a message with us during the Issues Briefing in the morning prior to the luncheon. The day will begin at 9:00 a.m. at Christ Lutheran Church (1701 Arroyo Chamiso) with registration, fellowship and an opportunity to learn more about the issues for which Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico will be advocating throughout 2012. The cost of the luncheon is $30 person ($25 per person when 4 or more people from a congregation or organization make reservations by January 26). If you are only attending the morning issues briefing, the cost is $5. Please contact Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM by phone (505-984-8005) or email lutheranadvocacy@yahoo.com to make reservations or for more details. The deadline for reservations is January 30.
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| COLORADO | submit Colorado news or photos
 Luther College Nordic Choir in Concert in Colorado
The Luther College Nordic Choir will present three concerts in the in Colorado as part of the 2012 Colorado Concert Tour. The  concerts are:
- 7:00 p.m. Sunday, January 29 at First Congregational Church, located at 2101 16th Street in Greeley. (Co-hosted by Our Savior's Lutheran Church)
Tickets are $15 Adults; $8 Students
You may purchase tickets online or by calling 800-4-LUTHER
- 7:00 p.m. Monday, January 30 at Augustana Lutheran Church, located at 5000 East Alameda Avenue in Denver (80246).
Tickets: $20 adults; $15 Seniors; $10 Students
You may purchase tickets online or by calling 800-4-LUTHER
- 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 31at Bethany Lutheran Church, located at 4500 East Hampden Avenue, Cherry Hills Village (80113).
Tickets: $20 adults; $15 Seniors; $10 Students
You may purchase tickets online or by calling 800-4-LUTHER
The program will feature selections chosen from: Holy Radiant Light, Alexander Gretchaninov; Love Is the Key, Zebulon Highben (recent winner of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians' 2011 Raabe Prize); other choral works by Sch�tz, Bach, P�rt, Lauridsen, and Nelhybel, as well as hymn-arrangements and spirituals. Allen Hightower is the conductor.
 The Lutheran Chorale Plans Workshop for Area Choirs
The Lutheran Chorale is expanding its vision of community service. Now, under its new director, David Hodel, the Lutheran Chorale wishes to be a resource for musical growth and enrichment to local church choirs. 
This year , the Lutheran Chorale is hosting its second annual workshop for area choirs, addressing vocal production, music selection and styles, resources for praise bands, and breakout for organists. The workshop will take place on Saturday, February 11, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, located at 2100 North Wadsworth Blvd. in Lakewood. There is a nominal charge of $5 for supplies and a light lunch. For more information or to register, please contact Linda Blandin by email or phone (303-973-1161). The workshop activities culminate with a concert featuring Chorale members and workshop attendees the following day (Sunday, February 12). The concert will be at Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 E. Hampden Avenue, at 3 pm, and will feature Hymns Triumphant, Lee Holdridge's magnificent choral arrangement of well-known hymns.
Atonement - Boulder
50th Anniversary Coming Together...Celebrating Our Past and Building Our Future The members and community of Atonement Lutheran Church in Boulder invite you to join them in their 50th Anniversary celebration. This wonderful event of celebration and praise will take place beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 12, 2012. Please R.S.V.P. to the church by email or by phone (303-499-4567). Atonement is located at 685 Inca Parkway in Boulder (80303). |
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Communications Staff
Rocky Mountain Synod
800-525-0462 / 303-777-6700
Announcements for
eConnection are due before noon on Monday for the issue the following
day. Event announcements are included for two weeks. Please submit your
announcement at the time it should appear.
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