2008 Assembly is May 22-24 in
Denver
(stay and play over Memorial
Day!)
The downtown Hyatt Regency is
the location of this year's assembly, and they are
offering a great rate of $119 a night per room. The rate
also applies to those arriving early or staying late.
Check out just a few reasons to stay...
Denver Art
Museum
Consider a day or two extra in Denver
to visit the Denver Art
Museum. Visit the Inspiring
Impressionism exhibit (which closes on May 25!) and
a quilt exhibit.
Downtown Denver
Arts Festival
The Downtown Denver Arts
Festival takes place over Memorial Day weekend,
dedicated to supporting and showcasing over 125 Colorado
artists at the Denver Pavilions (just a few blocks from
the Hyatt!).
BolderBOULDER 10K Road
Race
Every Memorial Day over 50,000
competitors come to run and walk this exciting 10K BolderBOULDER,
while another 80,000 people come to just watch the
event. Participate in the race yourself or by cheering
on some of the world's elite runners as they
compete.
Assembly
registration and hotel reservations will be available
online after March 1.
Monday noon is the deadline for
submitting announcements for the Tuesday edition. You
may "reply" to this email to submit an announcement.
|
Prayers and Celebrations
|
|
Third Sunday
in Lent
Enduring Presence,
goal and guide, you go before and await our coming.
Only our thirst compels us beyond complaint to
conversation, beyond rejection to relationship. Pour
your love into our hearts, that, refreshed and renewed,
we may invite others to the living water given to us in
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Prayer from Revised Common Lectionary
Prayers,
Consultation on English
Texts,
2002
Synod Prayer
Cycle: Border
Conference
You are encouraged to include these
leaders in your Sunday prayers of the
people. The prayer lists for
February and March
are also available. Please consider including these
prayer lists in your newsletters and bulletins as a
means of connecting your congregations with others in
the Rocky Mountain Synod.
to remember in prayer at worship on
02/24
St.
Timothy
El Paso, TX
Michael Hamilton
Trinity
Las Cruces,
NM
Scott Jorgenson
Trinity Hobbs, NM
Karen Thompson
|
| Synod News and Events |
Congregational
Reports Are Due Now
It is crucial that the Synod
office receives congregation statements of intent
for the new year as soon as possible. It is not too
late! An online form at
www.rmselca.org/intent makes the process quick
and easy or you may call the Synod office
to provide you information
verbally. Statements of intent are not only
important for the Rocky Mountain Synod but are also
important for ELCA Churchwide record keeping! Thanks to
everyone who has submited a current
report.
Candidacy Committee
Announces Second Discernment Retreat for
2008
April 16, 2008 ~ Denver - Augustana
Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda - Register by March
25.
For all persons who may be discerning a
call to leadership ministry in the ELCA. Whether you are
ready to commit to the Candidacy process, or just
beginning to ask the questions regarding this vocational
call, you are invited to attend this retreat. During
this retreat we will explore how we do faithful
vocational discernment, discover gifts for ministry,
learn about the variety of opportunities for services
through the three rosters of the ELCA: Ordained pastors,
Consecrated diaconal ministers, Commissioned associates
in ministry, and answer questions about the ELCA
Candidacy process. Anyone planning to begin Entrance
into Candidacy in the next year is required to
attend.
Contact Madelyn Busse, assistant to the
bishop, 303-777 6700 or mbusse@rmselca.org with
questions. To register or to submit names for
invitation, please call Janice Ladd-Horkey at
303-777-6700 or 800-525-0462.
2008 Mexico City Trip
is June 10-18
Consider participating in next
summer's trip to the Lutheran Center in Mexico City.
Download an information and registration
form:
Video
Contest:
How to Spot
a Lutheran in the
West
Two minute videos that
capture the spirit of our "Lutheran Identity" in the
Rocky Mountain Synod are to be submitted by April 1,
2008. The video may be a commercial, skit, story, song,
art piece or any other means and will be judged in the
areas of Lutheran identity, evangelism, diversity,
variety of ages involved, and creativity. Prizes will be
announced at Synod Assembly in May. First place will
receive $1,000, second $600, third $250, fourth $150
(made out to the sponsoring congregation or ministry
group.) The prize money is provided by a grant from ELCA
Synodical Relations in support of communicating Lutheran
identity within the synod. Download the
details!
|
|
Strengthening Discipleship
Ministries |
"How can I pass
on my faith to my children and
grandchildren?"
The Rocky
Mountain Synod will present the "Passing on
Faith" conference April 18-19 at Bethany
Lutheran Church in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado which
promises to make a strong impact on raising Christian
disciples of all ages as well as highlighting values
that come out of the Lutheran tradition.
- Come and
LEARN how to equip families to partner home and
congregation so that home is church too.
- Come and
PRACTICE using the Four Keys to pass on faith
and values to loved ones.
- Come and
INTEGRATE your faith talk and faith walk into
all facets of life.
For
maximum impact, bring the whole team: clergy,
volunteers, grandparents, staff, parents, and mentors.
Everyone is welcome! It's all about how to live a
vibrant faith that is authentic, available and
affirming.
For more
information workshops, speakers, the schedule of events,
and to register online, please visit www.rmselca.org/passingonfaith .
The Youth
and Family Institute website can provide more
information about the organization. Please visit www.tyfi.org .
"Passing On Faith"
is a Youth & Family Institute Conference sponsored
by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Rainbow Trail
Lutheran Camp, Lutheran Ranches of the Rockies, the
Rocky Mountain Synod and Joy Lutheran
Church, Parker; Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Ft.
Collins; Lord of the Hills Lutheran Church, Centennial;
Holy Love Lutheran Church, Aurora; First Lutheran
Church, Longmont; and Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry
Hills Village.
|
| Announcements |
Single
Parenting Class at Augustana
Augustana Lutheran
Church, Denver, Colorado is sponsoring a single
parenting class, which will begin on Tuesday,
March 4 and continue on each Tuesday
through April 15, 2008. The class
will meet at Augustana, 5000 East Alameda Avenue, from
6:30 p.m. -7:30 p.m. Cost for the class is only
$15.00 for all 7 sessions and includes materials and
child care. The class, led by Debbie Carter, MS, Family
Life Educator, will help single parents to begin to
parent in an intentional manner and will also teach them
about the 6 traits possessed by all healthy families.
Call Debbie Carter at 720.935.2440 or Beth Peay at
303.388.4678 to reserve a space in class for yourself
and a space in child care for your children.
Lutheran
Chorale Presents March 9 Concert
The
Lutheran Chorale presents Gabriel Faure's "Requiem" and
Handel's "Chandos" Anthem. Listen to the peaceful music
of Gabriel Faure's Prayer and the inspiring music of
Handel's "Chandos" Anthem. The concert will be held
Sunday, March 9 at 3:00 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran
Church, 2100 N. Wadsworth, Lakewood, CO. Tickets may be
purchased at the door. Call 303-366-1827 for more
information please visit www.thelutheranchorale.org
Two Opportunities
at Cristo Rey, Denver
Two
community programs, the after school program and adult
English classes, at Cristo Rey are looking for
volunteers.
After
school program: Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday
afternoons. More volunteers are needed to work with kids
on schoolwork, music and other activities in this
program which provides an important community
service.
Adult
English Classes: Tuesday and Thursday evenings
6:30-8:30 pm. A new adult English program started at
Cristo Rey in January and it is already growing. The
program needs tutors to work one-to-one with students.
No prior experience teaching English is necessary and
classes are always fun!
Please
contact Pastor Armando Rangel at 303-934-6948 or
720-297-1550 for more information or to
volunteer.
Employment
Opportunities
DIRECTOR OF YOUTH
MINISTRIES
Faith Community Lutheran Church,
Longmont, CO
DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Longmont,
CO
YOUTH
DIRECTOR
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Longmont,
CO
For information on these
and other positions, visit the
web.
| |
The Rev. Kent
Mueller
Director for Administration and
Communication
Rocky Mountain
Synod
| | |
| "For the living of these
days..." |
|
prayers for ministries & meetings this
week: |
|
Bishop Allan
Bjornberg
Border Conference Retreat, El
Paso, TX; Region ll Staff Retreat, Phoenix,
AZ.
Madelyn
Busse
Region ll Staff
Retreat, Phoenix, AZ.
Jim
Hytjan
Region ll Staff
Retreat, Phoenix, AZ.
Dan
Bollman
Next Step Team
meeting, Denver, CO; Meeting with Lutheran Church of
Hope, Broomfield, CO; Region ll Staff Retreat, Phoenix,
AZ. |
| 2008
Faith Advocacy Day |
 |
Faith Seeking
Justice
Our annual Lutheran Day at the
Legislature is growing! We are partnering with
Hunger for Justice: Interfaith Voices Against Poverty
this year to host an advocacy event for people of all
faith traditions.
Tuesday, March 4
9:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Scottish Rite
Building
1370 Grant
Street,
Denver
ELCA
Pre-event
Bishop's Breakfast
8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Plenary
Speakers:
Bishop Allan Bjornberg,
Rocky
Mountain Synod, ELCA
Bishop
Warner H. Brown, Jr.,
Rocky
Mountain Conference,
United
Methodist Church
Dr.
Steven E. Foster,
Senior
Rabbi,
Congregation Emanuel, Denver
Imam
Ibrahim Kazerooni,
Imam
for the Denver Muslim Community
Workshops:
Access to Health Care,
Advocacy
101,
Affordable
Housing,
Colorado's
Economy after Referendum C, and
Payday
Lending
Register
by phone at the synod office: 303-777-6700 or by e-mail
at whobbs@rmselca.org
Early registration ends on
February
29. |
| A Resource for Our
Youth |
 |
Bible
Study for Youth Helps Connect Life and
Faith
Have
you ever wondered how to help young people better
understand their daily life and world events in the
context of faith and scripture? Faith Lens, a FREE online
weekly Bible study for youth can do just (www.elca.org/faithlens).
Faith
Lens
is posted every week on the ELCA Youth Ministry website
and connects a current news story in the world with the
lectionary texts for the upcoming Sunday. The format
includes a summary of a current news story, discussion
questions, a reflection on the Gospel text, suggested
activities, and links to related resources.
ELCA
Youth Ministry's Faith Lens is designed for
senior high age youth but is adaptable for young adults
and adult groups. You can write your own Faith Lens when
big news is breaking close to home. "Create Your Own
Faith Lens"
www.elca.org/faithlens/create
provides you with some "how to" tips and links to
different news sources.
You'll
find a new Faith Lens posted online each week
through out the year. It's usually accessible by Tuesday
and is written by a different writer each week. A
print-ready (.pdf) version is also available and you can
send the current Faith Lens study
to other leaders and congregations by using the links at
the top of the page.
Reprinted from Seeds for the
Parish (Jan/Feb
2008). |
| Faith and
Sexuality |
 |
|
Film
Series on Faith and Sexual Identity Issues
Planned
Four
films examining issues related to faith and sexual
identity will be shown on Saturdays during March at Our
Savior's Lutheran Church, 915 E. Ninth Avenue (at
Emerson) in Denver beginning at 6:30 p.m. Admission is
free. The scheduled films are:
March
1
"In Good Conscience"
This film chronicles the true story of
Sister Jeannine Gramick, who is defying a Vatican edict
that she shut down her compassionate ministry to gay
& lesbian Catholics, and silence herself on the
subject of homosexuality.
March
8
"For The Bible Tells
Me
So"
This film is a critically acclaimed
documentary which examines the use and abuse of
scripture in the debates within churches. It features
Bishop Desmond Tutu, Reverend Jimmy Creech, Rabbi Steve
Greenberg, and others.
March
15
"Anyone and
Everyone"
Families from diverse ethnic, national and
religious backgrounds share intimate accounts of how
their children revealed their sexual orientation and
discuss how they responded.
(No show March
22)
March
29
"The Saint
of 9/11"
A moving
tribute to Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan priest
killed while serving as fire department chaplain on
9/11/2001.
Father Judge was known for his ability to
minister to a wide array of people: police,
firefighters, homeless, people living with AIDS, and
more.
Please
mark your calendar to view one or more of these films.
You may call the Our Savior's church office,
303-831-7023, to get any additional
details.
|
| Have Faith. End
Hunger |
 |
Bread
for the World Workshop
Learn ways you and your friends, church and
campus colleagues, and others can help reduce poverty
and hunger throughout the world by convincing Congress
to fund effective poverty-focused development assistance
programs. Hear stories that show how people are taking
hold of solutions. Get the advocacy tools, the creative
spark and the knowledge you need to make a difference in
ending hunger and poverty and help achieve the
Millennium Development Goals! Learn more or to register
by going to: http://ga4.org/Bread/events |
|
Events |
|
The Bible and the ELCA
A presentation by the Rev. Paull Spring will be on
Sunday, February 24, 3:00 p.m. at Lord of the Hills
Lutheran Church, 21755 E. Smoky Hill Road, Centennial,
CO. As the ELCA debates possible changes in
doctrine and practice regarding marriage and sexuality,
how will we affirm the authority of the Word of God in
our church? Reverend Spring, retired bishop of the
Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA, is the
Chair of the Steering Committee for the Lutheran
Coalition for Reform (CORE). The event is free and open
to the public. A simple soup and bread supper will
be served at 5:00 p.m.
Collaborative
Worship Planning Workshop
A
workshop on collaborative planning for worship will be
presented at Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 Hampden Ave,
Cherry Hills Village, CO, on Saturday, April 26, 2008,
from 9 a.m. through lunch. The workshop is
intended for pastors, organists, choir directors,
members of worship and music committees, and interested
lay people. Please visit www.eventbrite.com/event
to
register.Denver Servant
Eventis an opportunity to come together with
other Lutherans and demonstrate your faith in action.
Put May 3, 2008, (8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) on your
congregation calendar. Contact Pamela McClune at (303)
623-7558.
Mission
Trip to Nicaragua
Set for June
Bethlehem
Lutheran Church in Longmont and Immanuel Lutheran Church
in Greeley will be leading a mission trip to Somoto,
Nicaragua and surrounding areas from June 10-20. Please
contact Pastor Abe Gonzalez at 970-352-3003 or
970-405-0308 or by e-mail: pastor@immanlutheran.org
Mission Trip
to Nicaragua is July 25-August 5. Trinity Lutheran
Church in Loveland, Colorado invites you to join them on
a work trip to Somoto, Nicaragua, this summer. Please
contact Pastor Ed and Cheryl Smith for more information:
970-663-0458 or
csmit@frii.com. | | |
