Prayer from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers,
Consultation on English Texts, 2002.
Photo of synod cross by Dale Horkey.

Senior High Youth Gathering Seeks Faith Encounter Stories
The music and worship committee for the high school youth gathering needs your help! We would like to collect student stories about a time in their life where they felt the presence of God, or somehow had an encounter with God that made them feel connected to God. The stories will be shared at the evening worship on Friday night as a catalyst for others to share their stories. The stories will be shared at the evening worship on Friday night as a catalyst for others to share their stories. Have your youth send their one-paragraph stories (no more than 200 words) to Brandon Newton at brandongslc@qwest.net.

Assembly Calls for Energy Stewardship
At our assembly, a resolution was adopted calling for energy stewardship throughout the Rocky Mountain Synod. The synod office has just replaced 13 incandescent light bulbs with compact flourescents. Now the entire office is incandescent-free! You are encouraged to do the same! (Note that Costco and Sam's Club have great deals on 8-packs of bulbs!).

Senior High Gathering Seeks High School Musicians
The worship planning team for the 2008 gathering at Estes Park in November would like to put together a worship band for morning and evening devotions during the event, such as a hand drummer, guitarists, vocalist, and more. Email Brandon Newton at brandongslc@qwest.net if you have talent to offer!

Synod Assembly Review
The assembly Connection newsletter may be downloaded and viewed, including photos and a summary of assembly actions. The full text of all of the resolutions as amended is posted online.

Assembly: generous people
The generosity of the congregations and people in the Rocky Mountain Synod is again evident in the offerings received at assembly, totalling $22,873. Thanks be to God!

Assembly Communion Bread Recipe
We received a request for the communion bread recipe served as assembly and thought we'd pass it along to everyone. It is from Luther Seminary and is on their website. In our dry climate you may need to add some additional oil so the bread is less crumbly.

Vision, Passion, Action 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. If you post a comment please include your name and congregation. If you would like to post an entry, send your entry to kmueller@rmselca.org.

A number of congregations have called the Rocky Mountain Synod office to request information on how to keep kids safe within their congregation and the community.

The guidelines listed below are brief ideas for helping keep churches safe during Vacation Bible School (VBS) and throughout the year. The information listed here plus the resources at the end of the article may be a starting point for your congregation to create its own policies and strategies for "Keeping Kids Safe". Also, please carefully consider guidelines established by your insurance companies.

Safe Church Suggestions for VBS
Questions to consider in advance:
1. Are your participants from your congregation and are they children basically known to the leadership?
2. Are your participants children from the neighborhood that will be mixed in with the children from your congregation?
3. Will the VBS staff be all people who are basically known by the congregation?
These answers will help you know how much you need to ask about your participants and staff.

Insurance Company
1. Review your insurance policy to make sure VBS is covered in your policy and that volunteers specific to VBS are covered.
2. Always talk to your insurance company about changes or additions to you policy.

Staffing Guidelines:
1. Use the same guidelines for background checks and training that you use for any Sunday school or youth events - especially if they are volunteers who are not well known to the VBS staff.
2. Consider reducing the numbers of children per staff person because you may be taking children outside, different locations in the building, and you will be spending longer blocks of time than on Sunday morning.
3. These rules are good practice:
The 2 adult rule: Adults should be together at all times while children are present and,
The 6 month rule: Each individual staff person needs to be a member or known by the youth director for at least 6 months.
4. Teenage help needs to be carefully considered. No minors should have unsupervised contact with children - especially regarding the lavatory. Teenagers should be used as adjunct helpers: craft activities, snack time, presentations, puppet shows, and other drama or music activities.
5. Staff should avoid driving children unless it is a special field trip with permission slips and with two adults whose driving records have been checked.

Space:
1. Remember to keep doors open as much as possible.
2. Watch for areas where children can hide and be unsupervised.
3. Monitor lavatory times very carefully.

The participants:
1. Keep the ages separated as much as possible.
2. Watch for any inappropriate touching, child to child, or any excessive aggression. Sexually reactive children are those who have experienced some inappropriate/early sexualization. Frequently, they react to their experiences by acting out with other children in a similar way. Please contact the consultant, Barbara Keller (610-308-3428) for more information on sexually reactive children.
3. Have parents or guardians fill out a form regarding their children. Consider certain fears, allergies, other medical concerns, court orders or protection orders. Ask parents for phone numbers and who are people allowed to pick up their children.

Additional resources
1. Safe Sanctuaries - www.discipleshipresources.org
2. http://synodresourcecenter.org/admin/per sonnel/volunteers/
3. www.christianlaw.org/newsletter/a rticles/protecting_vbs.html
4. http://www.elca.org/safeplace
5. http://elca.org/init/s afehaven

Consultant:
Barbara Keller,
Barbara.Keller@elca.org
610-308-3428

An Invitation to All Lutheran Musicians and Pastors
The Association of Lutheran Church Musician's (ALCM) Biennial Conference in Houston, TX is just around the corner - July 8-12. Registration is still possible for this great pan-Lutheran event. Check for the details at www.ALCM.org. This conference has a reputation as THE premiere continued education opportunity for building bridges of understanding and setting the standard for those who plan and lead worship. The event includes theologians, concerts, worship, and workshops. The venue is the new Hilton Americas -- home to our accommodations, displays, workshops, and closing banquet and near Houston's theatre district and museum row. If you have any questions regarding ALCM or the Houston conference, please don't hesitate to call or email Katie Adelman, ALCM President-Elect, 480-948-6050, k1adelman@aol.com.

Midland Lutheran College Hosts 4th Annual Colorado Event
Midland Lutheran College will host a complimentary event for the whole family on Saturday, July 28th at Bear Creek Lake Park at Pelican Point located at 15600 West Morrison Road in Morrison, Colorado. Activities will include:
Family Fun Picnic 4-7:00 p.m.
BBQ 5:00 p.m.
Remarks 5:30 p.m.
Reservation information will be coming soon but you may contact Kathy Kaup at the college with any questions. The email address is MidlandInColorado@mlc.edu or (800) 642-8382 x 6060. Also, check out the website www. mlc.edu/colorado for more information and a map to the park.

Certification School Grant Opportunities Available
The Youth & Family Institute and The Center For Youth Ministries at Wartburg Theological Seminary just received grant opportunities. The schools listed below will receive full-ride scholarships for anyone who is serving a congregation working with multicultural, under resourced or under served congregations. If this fits you or a congregation, email Kris Stach today at the Center for Youth Ministry at kstache@wartburgseminary.edu.
Next 2007 Certification Schools:
* August 13-31 - Lutheridge, North Carolina
* September 3 - 21 - Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, IA
* September 24 - October 12 - Minneapolis, MN

An Invitation to a Spiritual Renewal Retreat for Lay Leaders of Congregations
Called Back to the Well is offering a special retreat for lay members of congregations. Anyone who holds leadership positions in the church or desires to "go deeper" spiritually, is encouraged to participate in a retreat June 22-25, 2007. You may register online at: www.samaritancc.com/affiliated/cbtw. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Sue Joiner at sjoiner@samaritancc.com or call 505.332.8020.

Rainbow Trail Bridging Borders Trip Available July 22-28
Rainbow Trail's Bridging Borders Mexico program travels to Juarez, Mexico with high school youth. The youth and Rainbow Trail partner with Casas por Cristo and a Mexican family to build a needed home. For more information contact Assistant Director Audrey Larson at (719) 942-4220 or by e-mail audrey@rainbowtrail.org.

"One Year to Live": A New Adventure in Men's Ministry Pioneered with LMM at Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village, CO
Join the men of Bethany at a "Backyard BBQ" for men on Saturday, June 23 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on the lawn to learn more about the retreat and new ministry. Bethany is located at 4500 E. Hampden Avenue, Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. For additional information on the Bethany Men's experience see their website .

Rainbow Trail High Adventure Trip
Rainbow Trail offers high adventure trips through Compass Points Guiding Youth in New Directions. Rainbow Trail offers the opportunity for individual Jr. and Sr. High youth to attend a Compass Points trip through their "Open Weeks" during the week of July 29 - August 4, 2007. For more information, please contact Assistant Director Greg Larson at (719) 942- 4220 or by e-mail greg@rainbowtrail.org.

California Lutheran University Presents Two Events for Young People
On August 2-4, California Lutheran University will be holding its 16th Annual Invitation to Service event and its Youth Ministry Training Event. For more information and/or to register for either of these two events, please contact the Church Relations Office at 805-493-3936 or email to Linda Leblanc at leblanc@callutheran.edu. Early bird registration ends June 30.

Healthy Congregations Workshop Scheduled
If you and/or your congregation missed out on the previous workshops in the Rocky Mountain Synod, now is the time to plan to attend the next workshop that have been scheduled. Leadership in Anxious Times will take place on Saturday, August 25, at All Saints Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. To get more information about the event, you may contact Pastor Philip Wangberg at the church (505- 898-3932) or send him an email message at phil_aslc@comcast.net.

Rainbow Trail Men's Golf Retreat September 13 - 16
Faith on the Fairways will offer you the opportunity to play 45 holes of golf while finding the relationships held between your life of faith and time spent in the game. Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Allan Bjornberg will be our spiritual leader for this weekend of faith, fellowship and deepening our relationships with Christ. For more information, click here.

Healthy Congregations Workshop Scheduled
If you and/or your congregation missed out on the previous workshops in the Rocky Mountain Synod, now is the time to plan to attend the next workshop that have been scheduled. On Saturday, September 15, Pastor Nathan Doerr will be facilitating a workshop titled Creating a Healthier Congregation at St. Philip Lutheran Church in Littleton, Colorado. To contact Pastor Doerr, call him at
303-979-4491 or send him an email: stphilipchurch@stphilip-co.org

Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village, Colorado Pioneers a New Adventure in Men's Ministry with Lutheran Men in Mission
A new approach to men's ministry developed by Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) is launching at Bethany this year with Todd Little and Ed Cleaver as co-leaders. Guys in their 20's to 40's (or thereabouts) are invited to join a "Band of Brothers" through outdoor adventure, fellowship, and a deeper walk with Christ at the "One Year to Live" retreat September 21-23. The retreat will be held La Mancha lodge near Buena Vista, Colorado.

Called Back to the Well Offers a Retreat for Lay Leaders
Called Back to the Well will offer a retreat for lay persons Nov. 9-12 at the Norbertine Center in Albuquerque. Cost for the retreat is $150. This is a wonderful way for congregations to deepen their commitment to spiritual growth and renewal. For more information, contact Sue Joiner or visit our website: ww w.samaritancc.com/affiliated/cbtw.

Low-cost or free primary education - one of the eight Millennium Development Goals - is a proven strategy for ending hunger in the world. Remember and pray for those children for whom school expenses may be too costly, or for whom school has never been an option.

A school kit may provide the only supplies for children returning to school after the disruption of war. School kits help parents continue their children's education, even while living in a refugee camp, for example. A school kit may also be used in adult literacy classes.

Instructions on how to make a school kit bag and what items to include in the bags may be found on the web at: http://www.lwr.org/parish/schoolkit.asp .

Your group or congregation can help Lutheran World Relief get school kits to the people who need them by donating a brick on the Good Samaritan Quilt Plaza or by making a contribution to the Project Comfort Fund.

A World of Possibilities
Want a glimpse into the lives of children in another country? Open a World of Possibilities: Nicaragua is a fun and informed look at life in Nicaragua, its challenges and its blessings. See how the gifts of the ELCA World Hunger Appeal directed through partner Lutheran World Relief help make a difference in Nicaragua. The program materials are available in three formats and are targeted for primary and middle school-aged children and inter-generational groups. These materials may be ordered through Augsburg Fortress for free. Call 800-328-4648 or go online at www.augsburgfortress.org

• All-in-One DVD-ROM: a paperless format with everything on one disk (order number 978-6-0002- 0043-5)
• Paper and DVD: program book with reproducible pages and DVD-ROM disk (order number 978-6-0002- 0042-8)
• Paper-and-VHS: Program book with reproducible pages and VHS tape (order number 978-6-0001-9750- 6)

Lutheran Disaster Response offers an exciting package of two curriculum for youth who have experienced disaster. "God's Can Do Kids" is designed for children ages 5-13 and helps youth to deal with their fears and stress through crafts, games, and other activities. "Gearing up - Renew U!" is designed for youth ages 14-18 and empowers youth to deal with their fears and stress through hands-on projects that teach practical skills.

Both programs are centered around people in the Bible who overcame personal disasters with the help of God. The two curriculum come in a single, reversible binder and can be easily used by groups in disaster-affected areas. The curriculum are flexible to a community's specific needs and can be held in a few days or over a weekend.

For ordering information, check out the Augsburg Fortress website.