|
Prayers and
Celebrations |
 Fifth Sunday
of Easter
Risen Christ,
you prepare a place for us, in the home of the
Mother-and-Father of us all. Draw us more deeply into
yourself, through scripture read, water splashed, bread
broken, wine poured, so that when our hearts are
troubled, we will know you more completely as the way,
the truth and the life.
Amen.
Prayer from Revised Common
Lectionary Prayers,
Consultation on English
Texts, 2002
Rob Sachs to be Installed April 20
in Evanston, Wyoming
Pastor Rob Sachs has
been called to serve Trinity Lutheran Church in
Evanston, WY. He will be installed by Bishop Allan
Bjornberg on Sunday, April 20, at the 9
a.m. Holy Communion worship with a reception following
throughout the afternoon for those unable to attend the
morning service.
Julie Britsch to be Installed
April 27 in Colorado Springs,
Colorado
Pastor Julie Britsch
invites you to join her and the congregation of Christ
the King Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs on Sunday,
April 27, as she is installed as the new pastor
by Bishop Allan Bjornberg. A reception will take place
after the 10:15 service. The color of the day is "white"
and clergy are invited to vest. For more details, you
may call the church office at 719-260-1787. The church
is located at 950 Vindicator Drive (80919).
Pastor
Paul Olsen: 25 Years of Ordination
You are
invited to join the congregation of Glory of God
Lutheran Church as they celebrate Pastor Paul
Olsen's 25 years of ordination (May 1983 - May
2008) on Sunday, May 4. The celebration and lunch
will immediately follow the 10:30 a.m. service. Please
RSVP to helengm@comcast.net or 303-232-8870 by
Sunday, April 13. Glory of God Lutheran Church is
located at 1220 West 38th Avenue in Wheat
Ridge.
Pastor
Wolfgang Stahlberg: 30 Years of
Ordination
You are
cordially invited to celebrate with the congregation of
Messiah Community Church (ELCA) as they honor Pastor
Wolfgang Stahlberg and his 30 year anniversary of
ordination. A luncheon will be held at noon on
Sunday, April 27 at the church located
at 1750 Colorado Blvd. in Denver. Please make your
reservation by April 23 by calling 303-355-4471. The
website address is www.messiahdenver.org
Synod Prayer
Cycle: Wyoming Conference
You are
encouraged to include these leaders in your Sunday
prayers of the people. The
prayer lists for April and
May are available. Please consider including
this prayer list 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 04/20
Prince of
Peace Gillette, WY
Chad Brucklacher, Sonja
Brucklacher
Prince of
Peace Casper, WY
Michael Struck
St.
John Riverton, WY
Michael Johnson
St.
Luke's Buffalo, WY
John
Orwig |
|
2008 Synod Assembly |
2008 Assembly:
Deadlines and Parking
Information
The assembly is
May 22-24 in
Denver. Each congregation has received printed
registration materials. All information is also posted on the web for
download.Registration Deadline is April
22
Registration
for Assembly is in full swing, and we now have 372
attendees. All registration will
take place online. The link for
registration is on the website. After
April 22, a hefty late registration fee applies,
so be sure to register before that date! If you
are unsure who your participants will be, register as
"Person One" and "Person Two" to get the lower rate, and
submit the names to us later!
Hyatt Hotel Reservations
must be secured prior to May 4 to receive the
$119 rate.
The
Hyatt promises to be both functional and beautiful as
the setting for this year's assembly. (Come and
experience the official hotel of the Democratic National
Convention at a WAY lower cost per night!) The
deadline for submitting hotel reservations is May
4, but the earlier the better for being certain a
room is available for you. You might find a slightly
lower cost motel in the suburbs, but you'll pay
handsomely for parking every day, and you'll miss out on
the opportunity to share in community with one another
for the entire event. We encourage you to enjoy Denver
downtown for the entire event. You won't regret it! Hotel reservations also are
placed online. The link for
reservations is also
on the website.
About Parking Daily
parking rates at the Hyatt or at downtown lots are high.
We are making plans to use several outlying church
parking lots and then transport folks into the city
using vans or busses, but this does not apply to
commuters. It only applies to those staying at the
Hyatt for the entire event. After April 22 registrants
will receive an email with a link to an online parking
"reservation" form. You'll be able to tell us if you
plan to use one of the church parking lot shuttles. A
"reservation" will be necessary!
Other
Transportation Options
If
you're arriving by plane, you can take a city bus
downtown from the airport, and information will be
provided how to do that. That's the most cost effective
transportation. You can also make a reservation on a
"super shuttle" van from the airport. Information will
also be provided for that option. Light rail is
available from two lines in south Denver, but note that
cars are not allowed to be left over night at the
park-n-ride
lots. |
|
"Passing on Faith"
|
Reminder:
The Conference begins this
Friday!
Response
to the "Passing on
Faith" conference April 18-19
has
been so great that no more reservations may be received.
The conference planning team thanks everyone for the
overwhelming interest in being a part of this event
which
promises to make a strong impact on raising Christian
disciples of all ages as well as highlight values that
come out of the Lutheran tradition.
|
| Video Contest Extended!
|
Deadline extended until
April 22!
Video Contest:
How to Spot
a Lutheran in the
West
If you haven't yet
submitted a video yet, here's good news: the
deadline has been extended until April 22, which will
still give us plenty of time for judging the
entries!
Two minute videos that capture the
spirit of our "Lutheran Identity" in the Rocky Mountain
Synod are to be submitted to Kent Mueller by mail or
email. 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! |
|
Synod News and Events |
It's not too late to
register.
Mexico City Trip.
It's a Go!
The synod immersion experience in Mexico
City, scheduled for June 10-18, is
definitely going forward. We have received deposits and
registrations from more than the minimum number to make
the trip possible. So,we encourage
other lay and clergy to join the fun. All are welcome -
high school The trip costs $560 + airfare,
which includes all lodging, food, program, and
in-country transportation. Check out the website at
http://www.rmselca.org/globalmission/trips.htm
, or e-mail Jay McDivitt (jaymcdivitt@gmail.com) with questions. There are still two
scholarships for $250 available for those who apply.
Since we know the trip is on, we are willing to take
registrations after the original deadline of April 15,
but we encourage you to sign up as soon as you are
able. |
|
Preparing Leaders
for Healthy
Effective
Ministry
|
Consider Welcoming a
Seminary
Intern
Rocky
Mountain Synod sites are needed for the 2009 - 2010
academic year.
ELCA
seminaries are always looking for internship sites for
our candidates for ordained ministry. Additionally,
in the Rocky Mountain Synod we have some Iliff Seminary
students who are geographically restricted to the
greater Denver area for their internship
year.
When a
congregation becomes an internship site, the entire
parish makes a commitment to trust, learn with, and let
go of the person they have helped equip for
ministry. The intern is a gift to the
congregation, and the congregation is a gift to the
whole church as well as each intern they help prepare
for effective healthy ministry.
Interns
need healthy, strong supervisors who are willing and
able to invest the time guiding and mentoring. A
lay committee and the supervising pastor provide
feedback and supervision to the intern. Through
the team, the congregation gains a clearer understanding
of and appreciation for the complex process a candidate
goes through in preparation for ordination.
If your
congregation is willing to consider an intern, contact
Madelyn Busse in the synod office. For
specific information about the application process and
costs related to becoming an internship site, contact
the contextual education office of any of our ELCA
seminaries. All ELCA seminaries are listed in the
ELCA Yearbook and at: www.elca.org/theologicaleducation/seminaries/ |
| Help to Meet the Needs of
Refugees |
 |
Thank
You to Shepherd of the
Mountains
(Park City,
Utah)
Thanks go to Shepherd of the
Mountains Lutheran Church and to Pastor Peter and Carol
Van Hook. Even in the middle of a
move, they have tirelessly assisted with consultation on
the LSS of Utah textile project for Refugee women and
provided quality second hand household gifts from the
congregation and their move for our full participation
refugee raffle each week.(Father Van Hook is
the interim pastor at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
Church through the Rocky Mountain Synod's ecumenical
partnership with the Episcopal
Church.)
Current
Needs
What our refugees most need
are quality employment positions that offer 40 hours per
week, $7-9 beginning wage (this is what is needed to
make up for the public assistance they receive
now---average household has 5 children), and health
benefits. It really helps if the
position is close to public transportation.
Most of the refugees from Sudan, Somalia,
Eritrea, Burundi, Burma and Thailand speak 'survival'
English -- just a few words.
To date LSS of Utah has matched
employment with: restaurant busing, cleaning,
dishwashing; janitorial and maintenance services; hotel
cleaning/bed-making; bagging in supermarkets and retail
stocking. Please email any truly open
position requirements to: lssutah@yahoo.com
Contact
information
Leslie Whited Vance,
CEO/Diaconal Minister, Dr. of
Ministry,
Lutheran Social Service of
Utah
1800 S.W. Temple, Suite 305
Salt Lake
City, Utah 84115
801-588-0139
www.lssu.org |
|
Understanding
"Fair Trade" |
Breakfast &
Brainstorming
Saturday,
May 3
from 10 am - Noon
King
of Glory Lutheran
Church
2919
N. Wilson Avenue
Loveland,
CO 80538
Topics
include:
Share
advocacy ideas from your congregation or come to
get ideas! Join
us for a free continental breakfast.
Invite a friend or two!
To RSVP,
please contact Terri McMaster, Lutheran Advocacy
Ministry - CO, Rocky Mountain Synod. The phone
number is 303-777-6700 (800-525-0462) or e-mail Terri at
tmcmaster@rmselca.org
Directions:
From Interstate 25
1) Take exit 257B to
merge onto E Eisenhower Blvd (US 34 West) (5.8
miles)
2) Turn right at N Taft Ave
(1 mile)
3) Turn left at W 29th
St (1 mile)
This event is hosted by Lutheran Advocacy
Ministry -
Colorado
|
| Board of Pension News |
Synod-wide 2% Health Plan Discount
requires wider
participation
In 2007,
the Board of Pensions announced a new program that would
allow all synods to receive a 2 percent discount on 2008
health plan contributions if at least 75 percent of
sponsored ELCA staff members take the Mayo Clinic Health
Risk Assessment this year. (Members are able to take the
assessment through September 30, 2008.) Reaching the 75%
guideline/goal means that many spouses will also have to
take the assessment.
As of
April 8, the Rocky Mountain Synod was at 42.7% of the
goal. We need for at least 104 more sponsored members to
log on to the Board of
Pensions website and take
the challenge. You can also get more information about
the new program for 2008 as well as information on
current benefits that are available. Please have fun
with it! |
|
A Beginning
Experience Weekend: Finding Support and
Renewal |
Beginning
Experience is a weekend program that
offers healing and renewal to divorced, widowed and
separated men and women. It is a faith-based
comprehensive program offered to all persons, regardless
of religious preference. A Beginning Experience weekend
offers support and direction to help resolve grief or
anger that can follow the end of a marriage by divorce,
separation or death. More
information.
The next
weekend retreat is April 25 - 27, 2008
in Casper, WY, and lasts from 8:00 pm Friday evening
until about 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon. (To get the
full benefit from the program, it is important that you
plan to be in attendance for the entire weekend.) The
cost of the weekend is $80.00, which includes room,
meals, and materials. Scholarships are available.
contact Rick at 307.265.3201 for
information.
|
| Being a Blessing to
Others |
Consider
donating
your rebate
check
The last time they met, the Conference of Bishops
undertook an initiative to encourage Lutherans to tithe
their economic stimulus rebate checks to ministries
among people living in poverty. Please click
here to view a document with more information about
that initiative and suggestions on how church leaders,
congregations and individuals can encourage each other
to participate.
Use
this opportunity to raise awareness about ELCA World
Hunger and those who live in poverty and to raise money
at the same time. Rebates are expected in
May. |
| Announcements |
|
Youth
Leadership Needed for the 2008 Senior High Gathering
FEAR NOT! Plans are underway for the
2008 Senior High Youth Gathering in Estes Park. As
part of the planning process, the Senior High Youth
Gathering Planning Committee is asking youth directors
and pastors to recommend one or more youth from their
congregation to be part of the leadership at the
gathering which will take place November 21 - 23.
The youth
will potentially serve in two areas: 1) as a youth emcee
or 2) as a small group leader. Please fill out the
recommendation form and
return it to Becca 'Becs' Sager at trinityboulderyouth@hotmail.com by
June 31. You may also print and mail the form to
her at:
Trinity Lutheran Church
2200 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80302
If you have any questions, please call
Becs at 303-442-2300.
Waldorf
Choir to Perform at St. Luke,
Albuquerque
The
Waldorf Choir, the renowned vocal music ensemble of
Waldorf College, will be performing at St. Luke Lutheran
Church in
Albuquerque,
N.M., on
Monday, May 5 as part of its 2008 spring tour.
St. Luke Lutheran Church is located at 9100 Menaul
Boulevard NE. There is no charge for admission and
a free will donation will be offered. Waldorf
College, located in Forest City, IA, is a four-year
college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America.
Want to
make a difference?
Don't know where to
start?
Consider a year of community,
service, faith, and simple living with the Urban Servant
Corps in Denver, Colorado. (Anyone over 21 years of age
or who holds a Bachelors Degree is eligible to join the
USC for a year of full-time volunteer service.) As a USC
volunteer you will live in "intentional community" with
other full-time volunteers exploring issues of social
justice, faith, vocation, simplicity, and community.
Join them on the journey in 2008-09. The USC accepts
applications on a rolling basis until all full-time
volunteer positions are filled. For more info visit www.servantcorps.org and click on "Get
Involved" or call them at 303-894-0076. They're wanting
to hear from you!
| |
Willie E.
Hobbs
Assistant to the Director for
Administration and Communication
Rocky Mountain
Synod, ELCA
whobbs@rmselca.org
303-777-6700 |
800-525-0462
| | |
| "For the living of these
days..." |
|
prayers for ministries & meetings this
week: |
|
Bishop Allan
Bjornberg
Candidacy Discernment Retreat, Augustana Lutheran
Church, Denver, CO; Passing on Faith Conference, Bethany
Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village, CO; Installation
of Pastor Rob Sachs, Trinity Lutheran Church, Evanston,
WY.
Madelyn
Busse
Candidacy Discernment Retreat, Augustana Lutheran
Church, Denver, CO; Lutheran Office of Governmental
Ministry-NM Policy Committee meeting, Santa Fe,
NM.
Jim
Hytjan
Lutheran Episcopal
meeting, Episcopal Diocese, Denver, CO; Presenting the
Coaching 101 Seminar, Riverton, WY; Meeting for the Four
Winds Project, Denver, CO; Multicultural meeting,
Denver, CO.
Dan
Bollman
Jr. High/Middle
School Youth Gathering meeting, Denver, CO; Umbrella
Gathering Team meeting, Denver,
CO. |
| USC Servant Stomp
This Weekend! |
 |
Urban
Servant Corps
Servant
Stomp
This weekend
Sunday April 20th,
2-5 p.m.
The
Gathering Place, 1535 High St., Denver
Come tour their new facility and celebrate the
USC journey with them. Can't come? Consider sending a
contribution, which will be matched by Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans OR donate on line at www.justgive.com (where you CAN set up a monthly credit or debit
donation!). |
| Working for Peace and Justice in
the Middle East |
Peace Not Walls:
New DVD
available
|
"Peace Not Walls: Making a Difference in
the Holy
Land"
is
a new DVD, produced by Tim Frakes, that illustrates the
ways members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) are working for "peace with justice" in
the Middle East. The 28-minute video examines the ELCA's
engagement with Christians, Jews and Muslims working for
peace, accompaniment with Palestinian Lutherans, the
Israeli separation barrier and settlements, Christian
Zionism and more. The
footage and interviews were recorded in the Occupied
Territories including Jerusalem, Ramallah and
Bethlehem.
Read the
entire article here.
The
ELCA has a web page dedicated to the "Peace Not Walls: Making a
Difference in the Holy Land" campaign.
Read more here. |
| A Denver Congregation
Going Green |
St.
Paul
Lutheran Church
'Green
Open House' at St.
Paul
Lutheran
Church,
Denver
May 22, 9:30 - 11
a.m.
The
congregation of St. Paul invites
the Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly participants to attend
an energy audit workshop on Thursday, May 22, from 9:30
- 11:00 a.m. This workshop will take place at 1600 Grant
Street,
downtown Denver
(1 block north of the state capitol building).
The Rocky
Mountain Synod is partnering with Colorado Interfaith
Power and Light to provide interested congregations with
a low-cost, quantitative analysis of their energy use
and costs, plus options for reducing energy consumption
and estimates of reduced energy costs.
You are invited to hear about the Eco-Audit
Program from Diane
Dandeneau, Executive Director, Green Heart Institute and
Colorado Interfaith Power and Light and see the results
of St. Paul Lutheran's extensive building renovation and
energy 'makeover'.
Please
RSVP by Monday, May
21, to Ms. Diana Linden, Minister of
Education and Discipleship by email her at diana@stpauldenver.org.
Also, you may leave Diana a message at
720-274-4709. For details about the "Green Open
House" and information about how to get to the church,
please visit the St. Paul website:
www.stpauldenver.org/green |
| Grief Support in
Times of Need |
 |
The HeartLight Center is available to
provide grief support and education for individuals,
families, and professional caregiver in metro
Denver.
The most recent HeartLight Center
calendar is available on their website at www.heartlightcenter.org
Some upcoming groups & programs
include:
·
Angels Everywhere
·
Loss of a Parent Group
·
Widowed Baby Boomers
Group
·
One Path Many Views- Walking the
Labyrinth
·
Time of Hope springtime memorial
services
Please
RSVP for the programs or groups you'll attend and share
this information with others.
Jennifer McBride
(720-748-9908)
is Executive Director of the HeartLight
Center and is a Diaconal Minister in The Rocky Mountain
Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America. |
| Ending a Relationship:
Living Healthy in the
Aftermath |
Beyond Divorce: Rebuilding When
Your Relationship
Ends |
The ending of a love relationship can be one of
the most stressful and difficult experiences of a
person's life but there is help for those going through
the trauma of divorce.
Beginning Thursday, April 24, and continuing
each Thursday through June 26 at St. Andrew United
Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, Beth Walker, MBA,
CPCC, will facilitate a seminar titled 'Beyond
Divorce: Rebuilding When Your Relationship
Ends', based on the work of Dr. Bruce
Fisher. The 10 week seminar will be from 6:30 to
8:30 p.m. each Thursday evening. Cost is $150 for
the entire seminar and scholarships are available for
those who need them. Child care is also available
at no charge to the participant.
Interested individuals can contact either Jenny
Ricklefs, at St. Andrew's 303.794.2683, or Beth
Walker at 303.694.2967. Click here to get all the
details for the
seminar. |
| Music to Delight and
Inspire |
 |
The
Lutheran Chorale Presents:
"The Church
Sings"
Hear the voice of the church through the years in
this concert of familiar, favorite hymns and anthems.
You will hear such favorites as "Here I am Lord",
"Christ is Made the Sure Foundation", "Swing Low Sweet
Chariot", and other inspiring music. Two
concerts will take place on Sunday, May
4.
Mount
Olive Lutheran
Church 3:00 p.m.
11500 East Iliff
Ave.
Aurora
| | |
