|
Prayers and
Celebrations |
 Sixth Sunday
of
Easter
Living and gracious God, through the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ you have brought us out to
a spacious place where we are called to live as those
redeemed. Empower us by your Spirit to keep your
commandments, that we may show forth your love with
gentle word and reverent deed to all your people.
Amen.
Prayer from Revised Common
Lectionary Prayers,
Consultation on English
Texts, 2002
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 04/27
St.
Paul's Cheyenne, WY
Roger Rapp, Robert Schmidt
Trinity
Laramie, WY
Ralph Rohr
Trinity
Evanston, WY
Rob Sachs
|
|
2008 Synod Assembly |
Registration Deadline Is
TODAY
The 2008 Assembly is May 22-24,
2008 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Denver. Each
congregation has received printed registration
materials. All information is also posted on the web for
download. A pre-assembly packet will be mailed next
week. Click here
to register.
After the deadline, a late
fee of $25 will be added to each registration (including
visitor and exhibitor
registrations).
HOTEL &
PARKING
Hotel reservations are due May 4. Click here
to make a hotel reservation. The Hyatt Regency is an
exceptional setting for our assembly, and the $119 rate
is an excellent rate for a downtown Denver hotel. Since
parking rates are high downtown, we are also making
plans for those staying at the Hyatt to park their cars
in various church parking lots in Metro Denver and be
shuttled into town. You won't have to be concerned
about driving downtown, and parking will be free. Next
week we will be sending out an email to registrants with
a link to "reserve" a spot in a lot and on our
vans. Commuters and those choosing other hotels
will have to pay for parking every day. Hyatt parking is
$21 per day. Area lots in the city may be less. Light
rail is an excellent choice for those commuting from the
south. Details will be distributed in coming
weeks. AIRPORT
TRANSPORTATIONA city bus from the airport to
downtown is the least expensive option. An airport
shuttle van is another option. A taxi is the third
option. Information about these choices will be
included in pre-assembly emails and
mailings. FRIDAY
DINNER: RESTAURANT MAPOn Friday, May 23, all
will enjoy dinner "on the town." Many restaurant choices
are available within walking distance, or a short ride
on the free 16th Street MallRide bus. Please review the
many options on an interactive map, and then make
your own reservations, if appropriate. Restaurants in
every price range are listed. PRELIMINARY ASSEMBLY
SCHEDULEThe preliminary schedule is
available as a .pdf document for you to review.
More information will be in the mail the first week of
May to all assembly
registrants. |
|
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. |
|
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
|
|
RMS Youth:
Share Your
Leadership Skills |
|
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.
|
|
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/ |
|
Come, Holy Spirit.
Come |
Preparing to Celebrate
Pentecost
In the church year, the
day of Pentecost is the culmination of the fifty days of
the Easter celebration. After showing himself to the
disciples and after having ascended, Jesus' followers
receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. On the
fiftieth day of Easter, our worship is filled with
festivity, color and movement as we both conclude the
Easter celebration and welcome anew the gift of the Holy
Spirit. In
order to
highlight the bookend connection of the season of
Easter, consider ways of highlighting the juxtaposition
of the resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Keep some vestige of Easter season in the worship space,
perhaps an Alleluia! banner. Mix
red
geraniums and white lilies in the floral arrangements.
Recall the Easter celebration one more time with the
ringing of bells. Begin the service with a dialogue that
includes both the Easter proclamation and invitation to
the Holy Spirit. Consider:
Alleluia!
Christ is risen!
Christ
is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Come,
Holy Spirit!
Kindle
in us the fire of your love!
Many
worshipers wear red on the festival of Pentecost
recalling the red of the flames of the Holy Spirit.
Encourage your congregation to wear red as a sign that
the Holy Spirit comes to all the believers, not just the
leaders of community. Additionally, red banners, red
ribbons on poles in the processional or swags of red
fabric all contribute to a festive worship space. For
more worship ideas about celebrating the festival see
the Sundays and Seasons resources that are
available in print at www.augsburgfortress.org
(ISBN
978-0-8066-5301-3).
The wind
of the Holy Spirit both forms the church and urges us
outside the walls of the church to carry
on the
mission and ministry of Christ in the world. Craft a
worship experience that intentionally flows beyond the
worship space with an extended recessional that leads
the whole congregation out of the doors of the church.
Host a reception or meal outdoors after worship
in
order to
connect the festival celebration with the mission to
which we are called by the Holy Spirit. At the time of
the sending, highlight ways that worshipers can follow
the urging of the Holy Spirit into the world in Christ's
mission by inviting those who gather for worship into
the ministries your congregation leads. Look for ideas
and support for your congregation's ministries that are
welcoming, generous and outreaching at
www.elca.org/churchinsociety
Reprinted from
Seeds for the Parish March-April
2008 | |
Willie E.
Hobbs
Assistant to the Director for
Administration and Communication
Rocky Mountain
Synod, ELCA
whobbs@rmselca.org
303-777-6700 |
800-525-0462
| | |
| Earth Day.
Everyday |
The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness
thereof.
Psalm
24 |
Caring for God's creation should be an act that we
do as a matter of daily practice. Here are a few ideas
for congregations and individuals to continue
participating in Earth Day activities throughout the
year.
-
Host a recycling drive.
-
Encourage members to car pool, bike,
walk, or use mass transit to travel to worship.
-
Link the congregation's webpage to those
that offer energy-saving and environmental
tips.
-
Conduct an energy audit of your
facility. Look for lights and office equipment
needlessly left on and drafty windows and doors that
could be insulated.
-
Use soy candles - they are made from a
renewable resource and are completely biodegradable.
They emit no carcinogens and burn much cleaner than
paraffin-based candles. And soy products support
farmers.
-
Use washable and reusable utensils,
tablecloths and napkins at congregational
functions.
-
Turn off computers and other electronic
devices when they won't be used for at least half an
hour.
-
Use your facilities and parking lots to host a
farmer's market.
|
| "For the living of these
days..." |
|
prayers for ministries & meetings this
week: |
|
Bishop Allan
Bjornberg
Installation of Pastor Julie Britsch at Christ the
King Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO;
Madelyn
Busse
Campus Ministry meeting at Lutheran Church of the
Resurrection, Lakewood, CO.
Jim
Hytjan
Meeting with
Mountain of Faith Lutheran Church, Toelle, Utah;
Emergent Ministries meeting, Denver, CO; Meeting at
Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey, El Paso, TX.
Dan
Bollman
Prayers for Pastor
Dan and Marcia Bollman at the death of her mother,
Myrtle Nelson, in
California. |
Weathering the Storm
in
Nicaragua |
 |
Fair
Trade Farmers
Weather
the Storm
In Nicaragua, farmers who
have made the transition to Fair Trade production over
tye past decade have been much more prepared to
withstand severe weather. In fact, none of the
Nicaraguan coffee cooperatives supported by Lutheran
World relief reported serious problems during the early
heavy spring rains. LWR works with these communities to
develop rapid-response plans for disasters like floods
or forest fires and to address another important part of
disaster prevention - sustainable
agriculture.
When
Jennifer Barger, coordinator for donor relationships in
the World Hunger Appeal, visited Nicaraguan, she saw
some farms not involved with Fair Trade that were
clearly at risk for disaster during heavy rain. Families
living on marginal lands had planted crops on nearly
vertical slopes which usually lead to erosion. Often
their homes lay directly below the crops on a bit of
flat land that is the likely path of a mudslide. Most
farmers are aware of the risk but without a better price
for their coffee, they have few options. Economic
pressures force them to clear native vegetation and
plant coffee on land not suitable for growing
crops.
On the Fair
Trade farms, things were different. Large fruit trees
shaded smaller coffee plants and, along with deep-rooted
companion crops, helped keep the soil in place and
prevent mudslides. Terracing, composting and wind breaks
helped protect and improve the soil. Farmers were making
improvements to their homes and in the quality of their
coffee. Their children were staying in school, and for
the first time, had the opportunity to take courses in
art, music, English, and ecology. By working the land
together in cooperatives, families can preserve access
to land even through times of challenge or
misfortune.
Your gifts
to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal help Lutheran World
Relief empower more farmers to join the Fair Trade
movement and the Fair Trade coffee you buy helps keep
farmers' lives and livelihoods more secure.
Reprinted from
LifeLines (Spring 2008)
|
| WELCA: Remember, Affirm and
Celebrate |
 |
|
This
three-session Bible study
expands on the theme of the 2008 Women of the ELCA
Triennial Gathering, "Come to the Waters." The Rev.
Karen Bockelman, assistant to the bishop in the
Northeastern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA, will guide
readers through the rich images and meanings of baptism
and how that sacrament shapes our lives and vocations.
"Come to the Waters" is an invitation to "walk wet"- to
remember, affirm, and celebrate baptism throughout life.
These sessions will look at the waters of baptism
through the lenses of Scripture, Lutheran tradition,
personal experience, and the lenses of Scripture,
Lutheran tradition, personal experience, and the call to
act boldly in and for justice.
Session 1:
Water, Water Everywhere
Session 2: It's a
Matter of Death and Life
Session 3: Living
Water, Walking Wet
The author, Rev. Karen
Bockelman will lead the summer Bible study "Come to the
Waters" at the 2008 Triennial Convention and Gathering.
The meetings will be held July 8-10 and 10-13.
To learn more about 2008 Women of the ELCA
Triennial Convention and Gathering, visit www.womenoftheelca.org
Article
reprinted from the magazine Lutheran Woman
Today www.lutheranwomantoday.org/
Lutheran
Woman Today, the
magazine of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, offers an exciting mix of faith-in-life
articles, theological reflections, devotions, and
stories of comfort and challenge that lift up the
mission of Women of the ELCA: to mobilize women to act
boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ.
Artwork by:
Paul Sale and
Vern Hoffman
|
| Events |
|
Bethany
Hymn Festival
Dr. John Ferguson, Professor
of Organ and Church Music, St. Olaf College, will lead a
Hymn Festival on Friday, April 25, 2008,
beginning at 7:30 at Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 E.
Hampden Ave, Cherry Hills Village, CO. The Festival is
free and open to all who love to "sing the
faith."
Bethany
Worship Planning Workshop
Collaborative
Planning between Pastors and Church Musicians is the
focus of a workshop to be presented at Bethany Lutheran
Church, 4500 E. Hampden Ave, Cherry Hills Village, CO on
Saturday, April 26, 2008, from 9:00 a.m.
to noon. Three presenters will lead a panel
discussion before lunch inviting questions from workshop
participants. The workshop is intended especially
for organists, choir directors, pastors, leaders and
members of congregational committees on music and
worship, and interested lay persons. A
registration fee of $12.00 will cover the workshop and
lunch. Register
online.
Beyond
Divorce: Rebuilding When Your Relationship
Ends
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
this seminar based on the work of Dr. Bruce Fisher. The
seminar is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. each Thursday evening.
Please contact either Jenny Ricklefs, at St. Andrew's
303.794.2683, or Beth Walker at 303.694.2967.
Men's
Retreat
Rainbow
Trail Lutheran Camp is hosting their Spring Men's Fly
Fishing retreat April
24-27. For more details on this
retreat, go to: www.rainbowtrail.org . Register
soon!
"Depression
and Bipolar Disorder: A Faith Based
Approach"
St. Peter
Lutheran Church, located at 9300 East Belleview Avenue
in Greenwood Village (80111), is sponsoring on
April
26 a seminar entitled "Depression
and Bipolar Disorder: A Faith Based
Approach". Dr. Jane Mountain will
be the keynote speaker. All local churches and the
general public are invited. Please contact Vicky Simpson
at 303-221-2094 for more
information.
Sharing
More HOPE Than Ever
Pastors
Dale Bauer and Nico Marie Ashe are calling the entire
Cross of Hope Lutheran Church community for One Great
Fellowship Sunday Service at the Don Newton
Community Center on Sunday, April 27 at 10:00
a.m. Please call the church office at 505-897-0047 or
email them at office@crossofhope.org for more
information.
WORD and MEAL
Lutheran Worship at Iliff
The
Lutheran students at Iliff School of Theology invite
everyone to join them for worship on Wednesday,
April 30 (11:00 a.m.) and Monday, May
19 (9:00
a.m.) All Eucharist services will be
held in the Iliff Chapel. Rev. Kevin Maly will be
preaching on April 30.
Lutheran
Servant Event 2008
Come to the 11th
Annual Lutheran Servant Event 2008 on May
3 to share your time and talents with
others in the faith community. To register for the
event,
please download, print, complete and mail the
registration form. Pam McClune at 303-623-7558 can
answer any questions.
Waldorf Choir to
Perform at St. Luke, Albuquerque
The Waldorf
Choir will perform at St. Luke Lutheran Church in
Albuquerque, N.M., on Monday, May 5. St. Luke is
located at 9100 Menaul Boulevard NE. There is no charge
for admission and a free will donation will be offered.
Waldorf College is a four-year college of the
ELCA.
Planned
Giving: Three Free Workshops at Rainbow Trail in
May
Rainbow
Trail Lutheran Camp will offer three free (identical
seminars) on Monday May 5, Tuesday May 6 and
Wednesday May 7, starting each evening with dinner at
6:00 pm. and concluding at 1:00 pm the next day. All
meals and lodging will be provided by Rainbow Trail as a
gift to you. Reserve your spot no later than April
28 by calling the Rainbow Trail Canon City
office (719-276-5233).
Benefit
Concert for the RMS
Acoustic
duo "Storyhill" will perform a benefit concert on
Wednesday,
May 14 at Cross of Christ Lutheran
Church, located at 12099 Lowell Blvd Broomfield (80020)
to benefit Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp and Lutheran
Ranches of the Rockies. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the
concert begins at 7:30 p.m. For information: on
the music check out www.storyhill.com ; on concert details
contact roberta.wentworth@thrivent.com
Urban
Servant Corps & the Colfax Marathon
The Urban
Servant Corps will participate in the 3rd
Annual Colfax Marathon on Sunday, May
18 and they seek your help in supporting
their fundraising efforts. Read more on how you can participate in
this event. For questions, please call their office
at 303-894-0076.
'Green
Open House' at St. Paul Lutheran Church,
Denver
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). Please RSVP by Monday, May 21, to Ms.
Diana Linden by email at diana@stpauldenver.org
or by phone at 720-274-4709. Details about the "Green
Open House" can be found at the St. Paul website: www.stpauldenver.org/green
Memorial
Day Work Weekend at Rainbow Trail
Come and
join over 100 people May 23-26
to help make Rainbow Trail's site the best possible.
There is no charge for the weekend but a reservation is
a must. Contact Dave at the Canon City office at
719-276-5233 to reserve your spot!
Rainbow
Trail Offers Immersion Trip to Juarez,
Mexico
Come join
Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp in a week-long experience
where you will work along-side a family in Juarez,
Mexico, building a home and great relationships. Senior
high and young adults. There is only ONE more week open
from July
27-August 2. Please contact Anne Bliss,
719.942.4220 or email her at anne@rainbowtrail.org
.
| | |
