Installations
Sunday, June 5, 3 p.m.
Glory of God, Wheat Ridge, CO
Pastor Emily Cardin
Saturday, June 11, 2:30 p.m.
Peace, El Paso, TX
Pastor Diana Linden-Johnson
Sunday, June 12, 3 p.m.
St. Peter, Carlsbad, TX
Pastor Marty Singleterry (UMC)
Sunday, June 26, 3 p.m.
Bethany, Cherry Hills Village, CO
Pastor Gary Sandberg
Saturday, July 9, Time TBD
Ascension, Cheyenne, WY
Pastor Wes Ardahl
Sunday, July 10, 4 p.m.
St. Andrew, Arvada, CO
Pastor Claire Cassell
Ordination
Tomas Bayou
Saturday, June 4, 5 p.m.
Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Denver, CO
Retirement
A celebration honoring Pastor Penni Walsh will take place on Sunday, June 5, at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 11040 Colorado Blvd., Thornton, CO 80233. Bishop Jim Gonia will be present for the celebration. Worship is at 9 a.m. and the celebration follows at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.
Almighty Creator and ever-living God: we worship your glory, eternal Three-in-One, and we praise your power, majestic One-in-Three. Keep us steadfast in this faith, defend us in all adversity, and bring us at last into your presence, where you live in endless joy and love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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| CONGREGATIONS |
METRO EAST CONFERENCE
5/22
Messiah Denver CO
Bev Piro-Interim
Nativity Commerce City, CO
Kristi Beebe
New Beginnings Aurora, CO
Terry Schjang
Our Savior's Denver CO
Ron Powers-interim
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Bishop Jim Gonia
- All Staff Meeting
- Strategic Planning
- Ordination of Diana Linden-Johnson
- St. Mark's Church of Grace, Craig CO
- Dean's WebEx
Pastor Ron Roschke
- All Staff Meeting
- First Call Theological Education Planning
- Lilly Grant meetings and work
- Ordination of Diana Linden-Johnson
- RMS Campus Ministry Committee
- ELCA Madagascar Consultation
- Consultation with Lutheran Campus Ministry Board at University of NM and Central NM Community College.
- Candidacy meetings
Pastor Sarah Moening
- Congregations in Transition
- All Staff Meeting
- Strategic Planning
- Conference Coordinators
- Elim, Ogden
- Ascension, Ogden
Pastor Judith VanOsdol
- Aurora Area Ministry Strategy
- Iglesia Luterana Jesus de Nazaret, Aurora
- Spirit of the Mountain, Golden, CO
- Well of Hope, Castle Pines, CO
- Cristo Rey, Denver, CO
Pastor Kent Mueller
- RMS Administration
- Transitions Administration
- All Staff Meeting
- Assembly follow-up
Erin Power, Diaconal Minister
- Theological Conference Arrangements
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry, NM
- NM First Town Hall
- Legislative Health & Human Committee
Peter Severson- Lutheran Advocacy Ministry, CO
- Glory of God, Wheat Ridge, CO
- Colorado Prayer Luncheon
- Together Colorado caucus meeting
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| CALENDAR |
2016
SEPTEMBER 19-22
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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"Motorcycles for Madagascar
becomes a reality...."
 This past week ELCA Global Mission wired $17,538 on behalf of the Rocky Mountain Synod to the churchwide headquarters of the Malagasy Lutheran Church. This grant represents the efforts of hundreds of Rocky Mountain Synod members who have been working over the past two years to amass funds for Motorcycles for Madagascar.
This mission work began with the 2013 synodical trip to Madagascar. As the mission team visited each of our four companion synods in northern Madagascar, they asked for ideas for ways our synod might deepen the partnership with our Malagasy sisters and brothers. One common need for all four Malagasy synods was motorcycles, which are a prime tool for sharing God's good news in Madagascar.
The church in Madagascar has been experiencing amazing growth over recent decades. In the past several years the church there has had over 400 new congregation starts annually; that translates to a new church opening every day! The church has not been able to prepare pastors to meet that demand. As a result one pastor may serve four, six, ten or more congregations. Often some of these congregations are quite distant from the pastor's home congregation. In addition, paved roads accessible by car are limited, and monsoon season makes travel nearly impossible. very few pastors in Madagascar have the economic resources to own a car. As a result, pastors often use a bicycle to reach their outlying congregations, and remote communities may be visited only a few times a year. A motorcycle vastly eases the burdens of these situations, and makes more regular pastoral interactions with congregations a reality.
Last year the Rocky Mountain Synod Companion Synod Committee asked each of our partner synods to let us know what funds they would need to purchase a motorcycle and safety gear, and provide for ongoing maintenance of the vehicle. These grant requests were totaled, and the check for $17, 538 will be able to provide a motorcycle for each of our four companion synods. Thank you to all who helped with this project. We are asking our companion synods to report on how these motorcycles are being used and how they change the face of ministry in their region. We will share the pictures and stories with you as they come in. In the meantime--in the afterglow of Pentecost--think about how the sound of the Holy Spirit might be a rushing wind as a motorcycle zooms past you down the road.
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Synod Assembly Resources & Recap
TRAVEL EQUALIZATION FORM HAD INCORRECT ADDRESS ON IT
We have been in our current location for two years, but an outdated copy of the Assembly Travel Equalization form was distributed at the assembly. Our apologies. If you sent in that form using the "455 Sherman St" address, it won't reach us. The correct address is listed at the bottom of this email newsletter. Travel equalization is available to assist those who travel more than 300 miles round trip, 150 miles each way.
VIDEO OF ASSEMBLY OPENING The opening of the assembly featured a Celebration of Creation in music, word, art, and dance. The video of the opening is now available. Click below on the graphic to view it: LANDSCAPE NEWSLETTER
The recap of the assembly takes the form of a two-page Landscape reproducible newsletter. Voting members and rostered leaders are invited to share stories and impressions of the assembly with their congregation. Videos, photos, and PowerPoint resources will be made available for your use as well as they become available. Click on the image below to read and reproduce the 2016 Assembly Edition of Landscape: ASSEMBLY SONG "TOGETHER" Gary Schmidt, Bethel, Windsor, was the assembly song leader and he composed a theme song for our assembly. Gary has granted permission for congregations to use the song in congregations. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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Webcast with Presiding Bishop Eaton
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Please mark your calendars for the next live webcast, "A Place for All," on Wednesday, May 25, at 7 p.m. (CDT). As we continue the conversation on racism in the United States, we must look within our congregations and communities.
Tune in to the live webcast on May 25 by visiting ELCA.org/webcast, where a link to the recorded video will be made available after the broadcast. A live stream also will be available at Facebook.com/Lutherans. If you would like to submit a question to be considered during the live webcast, please send it to livinglutheran@elca.org and provide your name and your congregation's name, city and state.
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Save the Date! 2016 Fall Theological Conference
September 19-22, 2016
Little America Hotel, Cheyenne, WY
The Rocky Mountain Synod Theological Conference will take place in Wyoming for the first time, ever! This is the first in a series of events on the theme of RE*FORMATION.
Speakers: Dr. Kathryn Johnson, director of Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations of the ELCA
"Working for Christian unity has been one of the deepest joys of my vocational life. This aspect of the church's calling is inextricable from the other tasks of Christian discipleship; it strengthens their witness and is undergirded in turn by common work for justice, search for interfaith understanding, (and more)," said Johnson.
"I am excited especially to be joining Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations as we look toward 2017. A range of ecumenical relations can be focused through this lens of thankfulness for reformation and continuation of it. Moreover, the complex interactions of interfaith and ecumenical encounters challenge us all toward growth in faithfulness," said Johnson.
Dr. Andrew Root, Associate Professor of Youth and Family Ministry, Luther Seminary
He is most recently the author of Christopraxis: A Practical Theology of the Cross (Fortress, 2014) and Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker (Baker, 2014). Andrew's perspective will help frame our Re-Formation conversation through the lenses of faith formation & identity.
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2016 Churchwide Assembly: attend as Congregation Observer or a "Grace Gathering" participant
Each congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America may register with the secretary of this church one congregation observer for the Churchwide Assembly prior to May 31. The assembly takes place in New Orleans August 8-13, 2016. Transportation costs, housing, other meals, and related expenses are the responsibility of the registered observer or sending congregation.
The registration fee for congregation observers is $100. Please note the meal package is not included in the registration fee, but may be purchased separately when registering. Online registration will open in April at www.elca.org/churchwideassembly. Please contact the assembly hotline at 800-638-3522 ext 2911 or the registrar via email to CWARegistrar@elca.org if you have any questions.
Or, attend portions of the assembly as well as other companion events and workshops as a part of the ELCA Grace Gathering, overlapping some of the assembly dates. More information at https://www.elca.org/gracegathering .
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THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE ELCA
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Campaign for the ELCA 2015 report is now available
Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the ELCA's 2015 report is now available! In this report, you will get a glimpse of the projects that campaign gifts made possible last year: a new camp program for youth with disabilities, full-tuition scholarships for international women leaders, the groundbreaking for a new Lutheran center and health clinic in South Sudan, engagement with youth in
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Join Tomas Bayou in a 2017 trip to Ethiopia
In January, 2017 you are invited to celebrate Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ in Ethiopia. Join some of the people from Our Savior's Lutheran church Denver and Tomas Bayou on a trip to his home country of Ethiopia. Dates for the trip are January 11 through January 20, 2017. The tour will begin in the capital Addis Ababa, going on to the very green and coffee growing area of the Omo Valley in the southern part of the country, then going back to Addis, moving onto Gonder on the first day of Timket (the baptism of Christ) and Lalibela the second day of Timket. This is a very major festival -- Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ are major observances in the Church of Ethiopia, observed more than Christmas. For more information contact Tomas Bayou tel (562)290-2004 or email
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Rostered leader transitions and openings
Rostered leaders include pastors, diaconal ministers, associates in ministry, and deaconesses. View the list of congregations in transition at this link on the new RMS website:
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Monthly RMS Eucharist
We invite you to join us the second Wednesday of each month for a staff/community Eucharist Service at 11:30 am at the Office of the Bishop. Email Maria Sutton if you are interested in leading worship!
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Non-rostered positions available
Bethany Early Childhood Center seeks Director and Teacher
Children's Music Ministry Director
Zion Lutheran Church in Loveland, Colorado, is excited to announce a new part time position of Assistant Director of Music to develop and lead the children's music ministry. This ministry will be a comprehensive year round program for children's music, which teaches children a love and appreciation for worship and music, and to be lifelong worship participants. For a full description, go to www.zionloveland.org/new_job_postings. Questions or resumes may be sent to music@zionloveland.comZion Lutheran Church and King of Glory Lutheran Church of Loveland, Colorado have formed Loveland Lutheran Faith Formation for the purpose of jointly addressing the development and promotion of active faith formation within their congregations. We are hiring two staff (a full time Faith Formation Coordinator at Zion and a part time Faith Formation/Cross+Generation Minister at King of Glory) to share in this ministry together. Both job descriptions can be viewed and downloaded at www.zionloveland.com/new_job_posting. For the part time position, send a resume to office@aplace2grow.org. For the full time position, send a resume to jobs@zionloveland.com .
Community of Joy Lutheran Church
Part-time Summer Piano Accompanist
A part-time summer piano accompanist is needed at Community of Joy Lutheran Church. Music is 70% Christian contemporary. Must be able to read and play music as written and from Lead Sheet/Chord Chart. 6-8 hours per week plus personal rehearsal time. Position is available now through August 31, 2016 (possibly longer). For more information, please contact Earlene at (505) 896-2543 to arrange for interview and audition.
Urban Servant Corps
Community Life Coordinator
The Urban Servant Corps community would like to offer gratitude for the mentorship and grace that Erin Power, our Community Life Coordinator, shared with our full-time volunteers this year. As she moves to her next vocational call, we support her in this transition, and she will be missed!
As we look ahead, please consider this opportunity and/or send it along to someone who comes to mind when you think "Community Life Coordinator" and embodies the values of service, simplicity, spirituality and intentional community.
Responsibilities: Collaborate with Executive Director and USC volunteers in program planning and community life. More information.
Please submit resume and cover letter to Executive Director, Krista Kilgus at: jobs@servantcorps.org. Priority consideration will be given to those submitted by June 3.
Intercession Episcopal Church
Director of Music Ministry
3101 E 100th Ave, Thornton CO 80229
303-451-8085
The Music Ministry at Intercession recognizes that music is an essential component to worship and may be used as a conduit for praising and glorifying God and may help lift people spiritually. The Music Ministry is dedicated to serving the community by developing musical opportunities, inspiring artistic expression, and creating a nurturing environment that will bring people closer to God through music. Pastor Kim Gonia serves this congregation.
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Register now for a music seminar in your area!
GIA invites all ages, denominations, and levels of experience to join us as we celebrate of the rich tradition of music in African American worship, sing the songs of faith, and explore the profound history of American sacred music.
Saturday, May 21, 2016 Iliff School of TheologyShattuck Hall2323 E. Iliff Ave.Denver, Colorado 80210
Annual Holy Cross Pilgrimage is July 16
Again this year Mount of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Vail, Colorado, will sponsor a pilgrimage hike climbing Notch Mountain (13,237), in order to view the Mount of the Holy Cross (14,005). Because of the popularity of this hike and due to U.S. Forest Service regulations which limit the group to no more than 15 persons at a time, reservations are required.
The date is Saturday July 16, 2016. The event will last from approximately 6:30 AM to 4:00 PM. This is a fairly strenuous hike and requires proper hiking gear for a trek in the back country. While there are NO fees, pre-registration is required. Call (970) 476-6610 for a registration form or for more details you can log on the church web page, www.mountholy.com and click on the Pilgrimage link. Pastor Scott Beebe is the hike leader.
Meet others interested in recovery ministry in Springs event
Nadia Bolz-Weber, Dr. Matt Russell, Dale Ryan, Gregg Taylor, Scott McBean and others will lead us in challenging discussions focusing on the messiness of ministry, particularly in the field of recovery, with thought-provoking suggestions and challenges for change. Dates are July 18 to 22, 2016, in Colorado Springs, CO. This event is intended primarily for recovery ministry leaders and pastors who are working in the local church context. Our focus this year will be on practical strategies for sustainable ministry development. More information: http://www.nacr.org/summer-institute-of-recovery-studies-2016
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