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Prayer Cycle
AUGUST 2015
NORTH COLORADO
8/9
Jose (Abe) Gonzales
King Of Glory
Loveland, CO
Ruth Ann Loughry
Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer
Fort Morgan, CO
Kaila Hochhalter
John Knutson, Korra Looschen
Prayer of the Day
Gracious God, your blessed Son came down from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the world. Give us this bread always, that he may live in us and we in him, and that, strengthened by this food, we may live as his body in the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Christ the King mission congregation in South Jordan, Utah, to close August 23
The Rocky Mountain Synod Council has made the difficult decision to close the mission congregation currently served by Pastor Emily Ewing in South Jordan, Utah. For the past nine years, this unique "storefront" ministry has faithfully witnessed to the Good News of Christ in the unique Utah context, and we give thanks for Pastor Emily's ministry.
The Service of Holy Closure will take place on Sunday, August 23 at 5 p.m. at 10318 Redwood Rd #16, South Jordan, UT 84095. All are invited to join with Bishop Gonia in giving thanks for this ministry as it comes to a conclusion.
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Bishop Jim Gonia
- All Staff meeting
- Closing Worship for Sky Ranch
- Glory of God Wheat Ridge
- ELCA Madagascar Consultation, Chicago IL
Pastor Ron Roschke
- Mental Wellness Task Force Orientation
- Vacation
- Annual ELCA Companion Synod Consultation on Madagascar, Chicago IL
Pastor Sarah Moening
- All Staff Meeting
- Community of Joy, Rio Rancho
- Tabor Pueblo
Pastor Stephanie Quick Espinoza
- Mission congregation accompaniment and ministry reviews
Pastor Kent Mueller
- All Staff Meeting
- Lutheran Center & Call Process Administration
Erin Power, Diaconal Ministry
- All Staff Meeting
- Rainbow Trail
- Theological Conference planning
- Ministry Reviews
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry, NM
- Solitary Confinement Coalition
- Child Care Assistance Coalition
- State Public Policy Directors
Peter Severson - Lutheran Advocacy Ministry, CO
- All Staff Meeting
- FAMLI Act Legislative Coalition meeting
- CDHS Town Hall Strategic planning
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| CALENDAR |
website calendar
SEPTEMBER 21-24
2015 Theological Conference
YMCA of the Rockies
Estes Park, Colorado
NOVEMBER 20-22
2015 Senior High Youth Gathering
2016
APRIL 28-30
2016 Synod Assembly
Embassy Suites
Loveland, CO
SEPTEMBER19-22
2016 Theological Conference
Little America
Cheyenne, WY
2017
MAY 5-7
2017 Synod Assembly
Antlers Hilton Hotel
Colorado Springs, CO
SEPTEMBER 18-21
2017 Theological Conference
2018
MAY 3-5
2018 Synod Assembly
Westin Hotel
Westminster, CO
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So, What are You Doing with Your Life? And Why? Sat., Aug 22, 2015, 9:00 am-3:00 pm The Lutheran Center, Denver
Vocation is bigger than your job. It is your baptismal life in the world--the way you respond to God's call and grace. It is as big as your life in the world. Dr. Kurt Hendel, recently retired faculty member from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, joins Pastors Zach Parris and Ron Roschke to explore how we engage in this baptismal vocation. The workshop will offer tools and practices for discerning your vocation. This retreat is part of El Camino Colorado, the vocational discernment program of Lutheran Campus Ministry-CU Boulder. For more information, including registration, please visit this link.
You may still register!
Pre-Retirement Seminar for ELCA leaders
is August 17 in Albuquerque
If you're 50+, it's a good idea to plan for retirement. A seminar won't be offered in Albuquerque for quite some time, so this is great opportunity to participate in that region! IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER.
Learn How to Minimize Debt, Optimize Assets, and Customize a Strategy for Retirement
Portico Benefit Services, in collaboration with Ernst & Young, invites you to join us for a day-long seminar on the fundamentals of personal finance. You'll get information from a certified Ernst & Young financial planner on these questions and more:
- How much money will I really need in retirement?
- How can I avoid common retirement traps?
- How can I protect my assets to ensure the money is there when I need it?
- How can I create lifetime income?
- What steps can I take to ensure a smooth transition into retirement?
Here is more information about a seminar:
Location: St. Luke Lutheran Church 9100 Menaul Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87112
Date: Monday, August 17, 2015
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Register now
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Video: We are Church. Better together!
The confirmation program is a shared experienced with several congregations in west Denver, including Lutheran Church of the Master. The congregations are made stronger because of their collaborate work. How will you be Better Together in the Rocky Mountain Synod?
Consider a gift to the Better Together Fund
 The Scriptures remind us that we are the Body of Christ, woven together for the sake of our witness to God's love and grace. As members of the ELCA we claim the power of being Christ's Church-Better Together.
 At our Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly in May the Synod Council announced the Better Together Fund, an opportunity for those passionate about our shared ministry as a synod and as a global church to set aside one dollar a day (or more) for the foundational work we do together.Learn more and give a gift online.
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| WILDFIRE THREATENS HOLDEN VILLAGE |
Holden Village in central Washington evacuated
Holden Village is an ELCA camp/retreat center in Central Washington which has been evacuated because of a forest fire in the area. We hold them and the firefighters all over the west in our prayers.
Started by a lightning storm more than a month ago, the fire grew quickly to thousands of acres over the weekend and on Monday continued to advance along the lake. The fire was 24,480 acres by Monday evening. About 350 people had already left Holden Village, Lucerne and surrounding areas by Monday afternoon. Authorities are developing new evacuation plans for the south shore and Stehekin areas that could take effect Tuesday.
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 Connect students you know with any Lutheran Campus Ministry in the country!
Help your students find a welcoming and supportive community when they go to college by connecting them with Lutheran Campus Ministry! Please go to www.elcacampusministry.org to connect a student with any Lutheran Campus Ministry in the country or contact a campus ministry in the Rocky Mountain Synod directly:
University of Colorado - Boulder
Pastor Zach Parris
lcmpastor@colorado.edu
Colorado State University
pastor@lcmcsu.org
University of Northern Colorado
Pastor Deb Abbott
lcm.unco@gmail.com
University of Wyoming
Pastor Rachel Larson
pastorrachel@qwestoffice.net
Utah State University
Pastor Scott Thalacker
pastorpop7@gmail.com
University of New Mexico and
Central New Mexico Community College
Pastor Anne Morawski
lcm@unm.edu
New Mexico State University
Pastor Jared Carson
carsonj@peacelutheranlc.com
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Making Effective Decisions
in the Congregation
 Saturday, August 8, 2015, 10 am-3pm
Community of Joy, Rio Rancho, NM
Tuesday, September 15, 3 to 8:00pm
at the Lutheran Center, Denver, CO
Making effective decisions allows pastors, councils and congregations to work together to bring our many voices into the song of the Gospel. Understanding how we make decisions and how groups make decisions is a critical aspect of being church together-carrying out our Mission-and building God's kingdom.
The workshop explores three key elements of effective decision-making:
- Communications styles and how they affect understanding
- The role of interests in individual and group decision-making
- The importance of active listening in decision-making and problem-solving
Workshop leaders are Rev Sarah Moening, Assistant to the Bishop, RMSELCA, and Rich Nelson, a member of Community of Joy Lutheran Church in Rio Rancho, NM, with more than forty years experience in helping groups make effective decisions.The workshop is part of the Congregational Ministry Board's program in the Rocky Mountain Synod.
We are encouraging pastors, council presidents, church councils, and congregational leaders to attend. Please register with Rich Nelson: richnelson@cableone.net
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Sky Ranch New Shower House Dedication
Yes, the shower house is now completed! This event has been years in the making as the old shower house was built as a temporary solution over 30 years ago. The shower house is the most-utilized building on site and we rejoice as it is replaced, preparing Sky Ranch for the next generation of ministry!
We would like to invite you to the dedication of the new shower house on Saturday, August 29 at 2:00 pm. A light lunch buffet will be served starting at noon.
Please RSVP to the Sky Ranch Camp office at 970-493-5258 by August 16.
Great Fall and Winter Retreat
Dates Available At Rainbow Trail
 As you begin planning another year of ministry consider the many benefits of taking time away to retreat with your groups at Rainbow Trail. Amazing hospitality in a peaceful and beautiful mountain setting provides the space for growing in community, reflecting on life, and preparing for the future. Dates are available from September - May. Please contact Ben Larson, ben@rainbowtrail.org, for special deals in January and February. More information available at www.rainbowtrail.org/retreats.
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2015 Leadership Retreat / Theological Conference is September 21-24 at Estes Park, CO
 Registration is open for the annual gathering for leaders in the Rocky Mountain Synod. The registration deadline is August 20.
Those who have been participating in the Journey of Renewal program will gather one day early for the program closing retreat.
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| CHURCH DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE |
Congregations are stronger and
healthier through CDI training program
 The Church Development Institute (CDI) is a program for clergy and lay leaders focused on developing the spiritual community and organizational life of congregations to transform them by making them stronger, healthier, more deeply rooted in spirituality, more responsive to God, and more effective in their communities. CDI adpts research and experimentation of secular organizations to the Church's nature and mission through 110 hours of instruction delivered over eight weekends over the course of two years. CDI emphases the building of relationships in congregations and the wider church, demonstrating that we are "Better Together" especially since this is an opportunity provided to us through the Episcopal Church, USA.
Funding for scholarships is under consideration by the Rocky Mountain Synod Council. For more information, please contact Earline Bohling, Rocky Mountain Synod Vice President, at ebohling@comcast.net
Church Development Institute Colorado
www.coloradodiocese.org
Church Development Institute Utah
www.episcopal-ut.org/register
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GOD'S WORK. OUR HANDS
DAY OF SERVICE: SEPT 13
"God's work. Our hands." Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.
 The date for the 2015 dedicated day of service is Sunday, September 13. Mark your congregation's calendar today! In speaking about his congregation's 2014 experience, a 10-year-old member from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Whittier, Calif., puts it best: "It feels good to give." More information at this link.
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SENIOR HIGH YOUTH GATHERING
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Exciting changes for SHYG, November 20-22
 We have big changes in store for the High School Synod Gathering this November 20-22! If you have been doing the gathering for years or this is your first time, this is going to be a great retreat. This year's theme is "The Pursuit." We will be focusing on our individual giftedness and how those gifts fit into and help to forms the greater community of faith.
There are a lot of new surprises this year! Here's what's in store.
- The gathering will be held at the Denver Marriot West. It is 2-3 hours closer to our southern and western congregations with no travel difference for those up north.
- Added service component. We will be heading out to Denver in congregational groups on Saturday for service in the community.
- Fun activities in the hotel and surrounding area!
Some of the tried and true things that we always do will still be the
same!
- Small Groups
- Large Group
- Congregational time
- Saturday night Party!
Please mark your calendars and plan to join us November 20-22 in Denver! Cost has not yet been finalized, but budget for between $135-155.
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500th REFORMATION ANNIVERSARY
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 Oct. 31, 2017, will mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, an act that sparked the Lutheran Reformation. A little more than a year before the anniversary, on Aug. 10-13, 2016, we will be hosting the Grace Gathering in conjunction with the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in New Orleans. Please save these dates now and make plans to attend the Grace Gathering.
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2015 RMSWO Fall Gathering
REGISTRATION FORM
REGISTRATION EXPLANATION
 The RMSWO 2015 Fall Gathering is Sept. 18-20, 2015, in Colorado Springs, CO at First Lutheran Church. The theme will be "Walking Side by Side-Part 2"-Mark 6:7.
Please use the Gathering Registration form above which includes the correct mailing address. Further information is included on the Walking Side by Side Registration Explanation sheet above, such as the early bird deadline of JULY 31 and recommended hotels. See you in Colorado Springs September 18-20, 2015!
Your sister in Christ,
Anna Thompson
President, RMSWO
307-221-3218
anna498.at@gmail.com
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| 2015 MISSIONAL GATHERINGS |
Eleven fall gatherings throughout
the RMS invite your participation
 This year's Missional Gatherings in each conference will help us explore our theme for the year, "Many Voices, One Song." The church is made of many voices, and each voice is as distinctive as the person or the community that sings it. The wonder of the project is how the voices all come together to make one song.
But really, the voices don't make the song; the song invites the voices to take up the project of making God's music. That is because the song is God's-God's love song for this world loved so deeply and always unfolding in Jesus' good news. We come together this fall to listen for the song and join our voices to the "Gospel music" God is making in the world.
REGISTER NOW AT THIS LINK
| Mountain West | Sat 9/19 | Good Shepherd
Glenwood Springs | 2-4 p.m. | | Metro East | Sun 9/20 | Augustana
Denver | 1:30-3:30 p.m. | | Metro West | Sat 9/26 | Holy Cross
Wheat Ridge | 10 a.m.-noon | | North Colorado | Sun 9/27 | TBD | 2-4 p.m. | | Wyoming | Sat 10/10 | Grace
Casper | Noon-3 p.m. | |
SE Colorado
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Sun 10/25
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First
Colorado Springs
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2-4 p.m.
| Boulder-
Broomfield | Sat 10/31 | Church of Hope
Broomfield | 10 a.m.-noon | |
Metro South
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Sun 11/1
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Christ the King
Denver
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1:30-3:30 p.m.
| | Utah | Sat 11/7 | Zion
Salt Lake City | 10 a.m.-noon | |
Border
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Sat 11/14
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St. Mark
Roswell
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10 a.m.-noon
| | N New Mexico | Sat 12/5 | TBD | 10 a.m.-noon |
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Eucharist is second Wednesday of each month
We invite you to join us the second Wednesday of each month for a staff/community Eucharist Service at 11:30am at the Office of the Bishop. Email Erin Power if you are interested in leading worship!
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Non-rostered positions available
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Two explosive devices detonated at Las Cruces churches
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Peace Lutheran and other community members gathered for prayer in the park on Sunday morning.
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On Sunday, August 2, two explosive devices were detonated at two different worshiping
communities in the City of Las Cruces, Calvary Baptist Church and Holy Cross Catholic Church. Thanks be to God, no one was injured in either blast. There are two ELCA congregations in Las Cruces, Peace and Trinity Lutheran Church. Peace Lutheran is across the street from Calvary Baptist Church. After the second blast around 8:40 a.m., Las Cruces Police asked worshipers at Peace Lutheran to vacate the building and parking lot.
Pastor Jared Carson asked all those present and arriving for the 9am service to meet at a local park for an informal service of prayer and a sharing of information.
Interfaith leaders, including Pastor Carson, organized a community vigil on Sunday Night to pray for the two affected congregations, all citizens who were feeling anxious, angry and/or fearful, and to pray for the
perpetrator(s) of these senseless acts of violence.
Interfaith Leaders are working with clergy from Holy Cross Catholic Church and Calvary Baptist Church to hold a service of prayer and cleansing for each community on Friday Night, August 7. Your continued prayers for the citizens of Las Cruces and all communities of faith is appreciated as they look ahead to this next week of services.
"We are Church Better Together doesn't only mean with other ELCA congregations, said Pastor Carson. "The power of the Spirit at work bringing diverse ecumenical and interfaith communities together has been a powerful result of this incident of violence. We are Church Better Together."
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Call Alena Lamarato at 307.684.7872
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Child Nutrition Advocacy:
Want to speak up on behalf of children experiencing hunger? Attend one of the Colorado Department of Human Services' upcoming town hall meetings and speak up! This is a unique opportunity to tell CDHS to prioritize and strengthen child nutrition programs. Those living in or near Larimer, Logan, Douglas, and Garfield Counties in Colorado are especially invited. Please contact Peter Severson of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado (pseverson@rmselca.org) if you are interested in learning more or plan to attend. Event details can be found here: http://www.colorado.gov.
Criminal Justice Action:
Faith leaders in Colorado are appealing for the release of Rene Lima-Marin, a man who served a sentence for armed robbery and was paroled in 2008, only to be re-arrested in 2014 when the state discovered a clerical error, sending him back to prison to serve a minimum of 40 more years. In his six years of freedom, he took advantage of his second chance and was rehabilitated by getting married, becoming a father of two, working full-time, and mentoring youth to stay out of trouble. Advocates are calling on the Court of Appeals to recognize the injustice of re-incarcerating Mr. Lima-Marin and free him immediately.
People of faith are invited by restorative justice advocates to act in three ways:
(1) Sign a letter to the Court of Appeals asking for Mr. Lima-Marin's release. Contact Rev. Tina Yankee to add your name (yankee.tina@gmail.com).
(2) Sign an online petition to the Chief Justice of the Appeals Court: https://www.change.org.
(3) Wear clergy attire (if applicable) and attend the appeals hearing on August 12 at 9:00 AM at the Court of Appeals, 2 East 14th Ave, Denver.
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