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| February 21,
2007 |
eConnection
eNewsletter of
the Rocky Mountain Synod |
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Prayers | |
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Ash
Wednesday
In humility and repentance
we bring our failures
in caring, helping, and loving,
we bring the pain we have caused
others,
we bring the injustice in society of which we are a part,
to
the transforming power of your grace.
Grant us the courage to accept
the healing you offer
and to turn again towards the sunrise of your
reign,
that we may walk with you in the promise of peace
you have
willed for all the children of the earth.
Marked with
ashes.
Cleansed with water.
Prayer from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers, Consultation on
English Texts, 2002, adapted.
"Baptized We Live" photo by Jeffrey D.
Louden.
Synod Prayer Cycle: Border Conference
During the month of
February we give thanks for the ministry of our congregations and rostered
leaders in the Border Conference. You are encouraged to include these
congregations and leaders in your Sunday prayers of the people. The prayer
list for February is available
as a Word document.
to remember in prayer at worship on 2/25
St. Peter Carlsbad, NM
.....Kenneth Thompson
St.
Timothy El Paso, TX
.....Michael Hamilton
Trinity Las,
Cruces, NM
.....Scott Jorgenson
Trinity Hobbs,
NM
.....Karen Thompson
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Rocky Mountain Synod | |
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A round of applause...
During the fall and winter,
eight events took place throughout the synod to introduce the new
Evangelical Lutheran Worship book. The events were led with
creativity and enthusiasm by the "ELW team." Attendance at these events
numbered just under 1000! We express our sincere thanks to the team: (left
to right) Kari Reiquam, Marcia Bollman, Gus Brockman, Tim Snyder, Steve
Berke, (kneeling) Pam Faro, and Dan Bollman. (Photo by Jeffrey D.
Louden)
Pulpit Supply List Available
Did you know that you
can access the pulpit supply list for the Rocky Mountain Synod anytime,
day or night? Please check it out on
the website. Please let us know if your name should be added to or
deleted from the list.
2008 Partnerships Intents Needed in Synod Office
Each congregation is asked to submit an intent of how much it will
share in partnership support with the wider church during 2008. If your
congregation has not yet submitted your intent, please call Cheryl at
303-777-6700 or complete an easy
online form.
RMS Immigration DVD and Study Guide are Now
Available
Hear stories from two ELCA congregations in Denver:
Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey and HKBP Indonesian congregation. A DVD,
created by the Rocky Mountain Synod Task Force on Immigration, is now
available. A study guide is now completed and will be sent along with the
DVD. Go to to
request a copy to use and return. If the online form is not working
for you, send an email to kmueller@rmselca.org or call
303-777-6700.
March 19 is
Lutheran Day at the Legislature - Colorado
Lutheran Day at the
Legislature & Bishop's Luncheon, an annual program of Lutheran
Advocacy Ministry - Colorado, will take place Monday, March 19, from 9:00
a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Colorado History Museum, Denver. Topics will
include:
Faith & Politics: a Lutheran Perspective
Caring for Creation: Environmental Issues
Issues Impacting Seniors
2007 Advocacy Priorities
Watch for registration materials in early
February.
2007 LOGM-NM Bishop’s Luncheon
The luncheon is
sponsored by the Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry- New Mexico and
will take place Thursday, February 22, in Santa Fe. Bishop Allan Bjornberg
will be the main speaker for the luncheon and will also share a message
during the morning.
The day will begin at Christ Lutheran Church,
1701 Arroyo Chamiso, with fellowship and an opportunity to learn more
about the issues for which LOGM-NM will be advocating throughout 2007. The
luncheon will take place at the La Fonda Hotel at a cost of $25 per
person. If you make reservations and attend as a group from your
congregation, the cost for 5 people is $100 Please contact LOGM-NM
(505-984-8005) or rh@logmnm.org to make reservations or for more
details.
Discerning Vocation and Call to Ministry 2007 Retreat
You are
invited and encouraged to attend this retreat if you are currently
applying for or expecting to apply for Candidacy in the ELCA anytime in
the coming year. We also want to invite all those who may be considering
or are actively in discernment about whether God is calling you to serve
the church as an ordained pastor, consecrated diaconal minister, or
commissioned associate in ministry.
Pastors, rostered lay leaders
and youth ministry leaders are encouraged to extend this invitation to
anyone you think would benefit from this retreat. The retreat is designed
for both first and second career individuals. The retreat will be led by
members of the RMS Candidacy Committee, Madelyn Busse, Assistant to the
Bishop, and Pastor Greg Schaefer, Admissions Director at Pacific Lutheran
Theological Seminary, Berkeley. Held at Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000
East Alameda, Denver, the retreat will be April 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Please RSVP by March 15 to Janice at jladd-horkey@rmselca.org
Questions? Call Madelyn Busse at 303-777-6700 or email to
mbusse@rmselca.org
Vision, Passion, Action Blog
Read and comment on the
blog!
A "blog" is short for "web log" and it is a way to invite
conversation about topics and issues. The new RMS weblog is designed to
facilitate conversation about the Vision, Passion, Action process. The
address of the RMS blog is www.rmselca.blogspot.com
Get Ready for RMS Trip to Mexico: June 20- 28
The
Rocky Mountain Synod of the ELCA is home to many immigrants from Mexico.
With the Latino community being the fastest growing minority group in the
USA, ELCA congregations will be challenged more than ever to find
effective ways of serving their Spanish- speaking neighbors. This 2007
trip to the Lutheran Center in Mexico City will increase our understanding
of our neighbors to the south, opening our eyes to the cultural, economic,
and political realities of Mexico.
If you are interested click to
view (Word document) information
and an application or contact Madelyn Busse at 303-777-6700.
Applications are due in the Synod office no later than April 15. Please
keep in mind that passports are now required for travel to Mexico.
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Announcements | |
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Lost and Found: Presented by Augustana
On
Saturday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m., Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 East
Alameda Avenue in Denver will present the musical talents of the group
Lost and Found. Tickets for the concert will cost $8 in advance, , $10 at
the door and the concert is free to children under 5. A taco bar will be
hosted by the Augustana youth and opens at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $2. For more
information or to reserve tickets, call Beth (303-388-4678 x107) or visit
the website.
Spiritual Direction Program 2007
Are you
looking for a training program in spiritual direction? Registration
deadline is March 21, 2007 for a thirteen month program beginning this
summer, offered by the Center for Spirituality at Work. This program, now
in its 22nd year, is appropriate for those experiencing a call to the
ministry of spiritual direction; individuals involved in the spiritual
formation of others; and those who work with the poor and are interested
in providing spiritual services for those who are poor. Application
process includes personal references and interview. For further
information contact 303-383- 1610, email at info@cfsaw.org, or
visit www.cfsaw.org.
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Upcoming Events | |
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James Hersch Family Concert
Coming Up
James Hersch will present a family concert on Saturday,
February 24 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Holy Love Lutheran Church, 4210
South Chambers Road in Aurora. For more information, contact the church
office at 303-693-1162
Evangelism Workshop Scheduled for
March
The Boulder/Broomfield Conference is hosting an Evangelism
Workshop, Saturday, March 3rd, 8:30 - 12 noon at Trinity Lutheran Church,
2200 Broadway (on Broadway, 1 block north of the Pearl Street Mall) in
Boulder, Colorado. You may contact Pastor Mark Twietmeyer at 303-442-2300
for more information.
Conference on Ministry: "Considering Your
Call"
Wartburg Theological Seminary's next “Considering Your Call”
Conference on Ministry is March 10-12, 2007. For more information, contact
the admissions office at 800-CALL-WTS or
admissions@wartburgseminary.edu. You may register online at www.wartburgseminary.edu
Reinventing
Leadership: The “Zen” of Rabbi Friedman & His Mentor
A
leadership conference drawing on the work of Rabbi Friedman and Dr. Murray
Bowen will be held at St. Malo Retreat Center, Allenspark, Colorado, March
12 – 14, 2007. Presenters: Dr. Larry Foster and Pastor Carol Jeunnette.
For more information and online registration, go to www.clergyseminarswest.org,
or call Carol Jeunnette, (303) 909-3064.
Retreat for Lutheran
Foster Families
As part of Mary Black's Diaconal Ministry project,
she will lead a retreat for five Lutheran foster families March 16-18,
2007, from 6 p.m. Friday until 10 a.m. Sunday at Camp Idrahaje near
Bailey, Colorado. Contact Mary at mary@kog-arvada.org or
303-838-7125. for more information.
Day Apart at Iliff Retreat
March 24
Iliff School of Theology, 2201 South University Blvd. in
Denver, will be hosting a retreat on Saturday, March 24 from 8:45 a.m. to
3:00 p.m. For more information, email Dave at dlavinder@iliff.edu
or Cathie at ckelsey@iliff.edu. To register for the retreat,
contact Dave by email by Friday, March 16.
Lutheran Family Services 13th
Annual Gala
LFS presents its 13th Annual Gala titled: A Time of
Caring; High Tech, High Touch, High Impact on Friday, March 9 at 6:00 p.m.
For more information about the event and/or sponsorship opportunities,
please contact Doyle Lott at doyle.lott@lfsco.org or call 303-
217-5860.
Clergy Day Apart at
Norbertine
Come to a Called Back to the Well Clergy Day Apart March
19, 2007. All ministers are invited to a monthly day apart at the
Norbertine Center in Albuquerque, continuing the 3rd Monday of each month.
An RSVP would be appreciated. Contact Sue Joiner for more information:
mailto:sjoiner@samaritancc.com or call 505.332.8020.
Two More
Healthy Congregations Workshops Scheduled
Here are two more
opportunities to attend workshops to get information about congregational
leadership. The first will be held on April 21 at Our Saviour's in Fort
Collins, Colorado. Please contact Pastor Tim Sadem (tim@our-saviours.org)
for more information. The second workshop will be held on April 28 at
Grace Lutheran Church, Bountiful, Utah. Please contact Pastor Corinne Thul
(pastorcorinne@hotmail.com) for more information about this
event.
Leadership in Ministry Workshop
Leadership in
Ministry: Ministering to Congregations as Family Systems, Franciscan
Retreat Center, Colorado Springs, April 30 - May 2 and October 1 - 3. For
more information, go to: www.leadershipinministry.com
Trinity of Loveland Plans Trip
to Somoto, Nicaragua
Trinity Lutheran Church in Loveland, Colorado
invites you (anyone ages 14-80+) to join them on a work trip to Somoto,
Nicaragua this summer for 1, 2 or 3 weeks, beginning July 14. Please
contact Pastor Ed and Cheryl Smith for more information, 970-663- 0458 or
email to: csmit@frii.com .
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ELCA Churchwide | |
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Volunteer at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly
The
Tenth Biennial Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America will be held at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois, August 6-12, 2007.
A thousand volunteers are needed to greet guests at the airport, assist
with registration, serve as pages in the assembly hall at Navy Pier,
usher, assist with transportation, monitor the assembly hearing rooms, and
in countless other ways see that voting members and visitors are made to
feel comfortable and welcome in Chicago. Please sign up at http://www.mcselca.org/
under "Highlights," or at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly page at http://www.elca.org/assembly/
where you can also watch a video that welcomes participants to the city
and synod. A list of frequently
asked questions is also available online . If people have questions
about volunteering, they can send an e-mail to
ELCA2007@gmail.com.
Rural Ministry Conference 2007
Celebrating Rural Life
Gathering 2007 will be held June 13-16 at Gustavus Adolphus College in St.
Peter, Minnesota. This annual gathering co-sponsored by the Southwestern
and Southeastern Minnesota Synods and the ELCA Rural Ministry Office
provides concrete models of hope. The workshops are centered around this
theme and include youth ministry, transformational ministry, clergy stress
and burnout, multicultural ministry, rural and small town evangelism, and
much more.
Keynote speakers will be Rev. Peter Marty, host of Grace
Matters”; Rev. Ruben Duran, ELCA Director for New Congregations; and Tex
Sample, retired Professor of Church and Society at St. Paul School of
Theology in Kansas City, Missouri.
For more information about this
event, please contact the ELCS office at 800-638-3522 ext. 6556 or email
katie.tippins@elca.org
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Resources | |
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Ecumenical Study Guide on Global Poverty Now Available
A
study guide on global poverty and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and
Episcopal Church, is available for download and for purchase through
Augsburg Fortress. Titled "God's Mission in the World", the guide
is intended as a resource for congregations and other groups looking to
"broaden their understanding of global poverty and become part of the
worldwide movement achieving the MDGs", according to the guide's
introduction. The guide features six sessions examining Christian
understandings of social justice, global poverty and the MDGs. The MDGs
are eight interrelated development goals that flow from the Millennium
Declaration of 2000 adopted by all members of the United Nations,
including the United States. For more information and links to download or
order the guide, visit www.elca.org/one/
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Kent Mueller
phone: 303-777-6700
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