Prayer from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers,
Consultation on English Texts, 2002.


Pictured to the left are Pastor Barb Martens, Pastor Stephanie Lord and Bishop Allan Bjornberg

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.

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!

Ending Hunger: Mission Possible
The Rocky Mountain Synod Hunger Network, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado and the Global Mission Committee are co-sponsoring a second Ending Hunger Summit. This year's event will take place on Saturday, October 27, at Bethany Lutheran Church (Cherry Hills Village) and will focus on the GOOD NEWS that ending hunger is really possible if we each take concrete steps to change ourselves, our communities and our world!

The planning committee is exploring the possibility of organizing a "youth track" designed for middle and high school students (featuring hands-on service opportunities). If you are interested in bringing youth to the Ending Hunger summit, please contact Kayla Aspeslagh (kayla@lordofthehills.org or 303.726.7944).

A more extensive packet of marketing and registration materials will be available by the end of August. Actual registration will begin the middle of September.

At the Rocky Mountain Synod's website, you will find information as a flyer and bulletin insert.

Did you forget to have your photo taken at Assembly?
If you would still like to be included in the upcoming RMS photo directory, you may submit a photo, along with a $5 submission fee. Professional photographs require a release from the photographer to give permission to be included in the book. Digital photos may be emailed to kmueller@rmselca.org. Actual photos may be sent to the synod office. Deadline to receive photos is July 13.

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.

The Governor's Energy Office (GEO) and Colorado Interfaith Power & Light (COIP&L) are inviting faith communities to join in the 2007 Colorado "Change a Light, Change the World" Campaign for Congregations, in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national campaign to culminate near October 4, 2007. This campaign is designed to raise awareness about the importance and benefits of energy efficiency and conservation.

Colorado Interfaith Power & Light provides support to individuals and congregations in their goal to be faithful stewards of God's creation. We encourage stewardship through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy and making the commitment to sustainability. We seek to protect the earth's ecosystems, safeguard public health and ensure sufficient sustainable energy for all. We provide classes, resources, energy analysis and audits, and programs to help the entire congregation reduce its environmental impact.

The Colorado "Change a Light, Change the World" Campaign for Congregations has two components, both of which are being offered at no cost to faith communities: (1) educational and promotional materials and (2) compact fluorescent light bulbs (one for each of your members who participates).

Our target is to have as many communities as possible participating this October. We invite you to use this free program as an opportunity for your faith community to practice creation care/social justice spirituality. Our shared hope is that we inspire all faiths to take a greater leadership role in positively impacting global climate change and environmental stewardship.

This program is designed to be easy, fun and informative. You will receive everything you need to fund, market and deliver the program that will provide a valuable educational experience plus a practical action that your members can immediately implement. Please contact COIP&L right away for more information and to sign up.

2805 Wilderness Place
Suite 1200
Boulder, Colorado 80301
303-747-6950 (phone)
720-384-0655 (fax)
www.coipl.org

COIP&L is sponsored by the ConservED Project ( www.ConservED.org ), an environmental education non-profit organization based in Boulder.

LSSU Just Got A Whole Lot Bigger!
Lutheran Social Service of Utah (LSSU) is a charter member of Lutheran Services in America (LSA). This means that LSSU has access to a vast network of human services, expertise and care. LSA organizations serve 1 of every 50 people -- 5.8 million people each year -- through 300 (+) agencies in the United States and the Caribbean. LSA agencies are among the largest providers of senior care and residential services. Lutheran Social Service of Utah provides all services -- except affordable housing and international adoption -- without fee or charge.

Click on the link to view a chart of the programs and services that Lutheran Social Service of Utah offers. The document can be published as a flyer, downsized to fit as a bulletin insert or to put in newsletters, etc.

Laramie Domestic Violence Prevention Workshop Scheduled
The Wyoming Association of Churches (WAC) will once again be sponsoring a domestic violence prevention workshop for churches and faith-based organizations. This workshop is made possible through our "Peacemaking Churches Initiative" funded through the U.S. Department of Justice. It will be held August 1 at the Alice-Hardy Stevens Center at 603 Ivinson. It will run from 9 AM until no later than 3 PM and lunch will be provided. The WAC is able to reimburse travel costs for all registered participants outside of Laramie. Invitations have been sent to faith- based groups in both Albany and Carbon counties. However, the event is open to anyone in Wyoming.

This training will again be led by T. Patrick Bradley, Chaplain of the United Medical Center in Cheyenne. Pat, who also serves as a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church, has extensive experience in teaching this topic and has served on the governor's domestic violence council (DOVE). Often churches fall into thinking that they are immune from domestic violence and sexual abuse issues. The Laramie workshop will point out that this is not the case and will offer ways to recognize these kinds of abuses and talk of preventive measures. To register, contact the WAC office at wychurches@wyoming.com or call the office toll free at 866-527-7026.

Please sign the declaration today at www.ONE.org so your voice will be heard! We don't want your money - just your voice of advocacy! Yes, your voice! Why? Because the presidential candidates are listening NOW to what we have to say. Every day, every paper in America carries a story about the 2008 presidential election, sometimes as many as two, three, or four in a single day. Even more amazing is the fact that we are still a little over sixteen months away from Election Day! And while the press is saturating the media with election coverage, people are dying every single day from extreme poverty and global disease. This global crisis can no longer be overlooked. That's why I'm writing to you today. I need your help to bring ONE's message to the forefront of the 2008 presidential race.

A couple of weeks ago, we launched ONE Vote '08, an unprecedented national campaign to make every 2008 presidential candidate take a clear position on extreme poverty and global disease. Our efforts on behalf of the world's poorest people to raise awareness and spur our leaders to action have saved millions of lives. Taking our campaign to the 2008 presidential race means taking our fight against extreme poverty to an entirely new level.

Together, we will ensure that - no matter who ends up being elected president - the next leader of the free world will be a leader in eradicating poverty and global disease. If you have difficulty signing the declaration or need a ONE white wristband or a copy of the Millenium Development Goals or a speaker to come to your church for an Adult Forum, please email me or call me. I'm here to help!

Kay Luttinen
Coordinator, ONE Lutheran Campaign
Rocky Mountain Synod, ELCA
onerms@aol.com
303-770-1111

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; for I am with you always, to the close of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus' words are the propelling mission of the ELCA! That call is ever fresh today as Christ's example leads us out into the world to be a dynamic church of disciples (of all ages) initiating God's mission in the world.

Here are resources to help with your call to discipleship:
Living Faith Congregational Planning Guide helps strengthen congregations as disciple-making centers.

The ELCA Christian education team has also produced eight annual Program Planners to support congregations and especially children's ministry leaders. Each program planner focuses on one aspect of discipleship through adult Bible study, children's activities, intergenerational learning modules, and other practical materials. There are available at www.elca.org/christianeducation/ programplanners/index.html.

Living Faith Bible Study Series is a four-season Bible study on each of the seven faith practices. These small group resources are intended to equip disciples by deepening and broadening their understanding of each faith practice. Available at www.elca.org/christianeducation/discipleship/ faithpractices.html.

Daily Discipleship is a weekly online small- group Bible study based on the common lectionary. Each session is available at www.elca.org/evangelism/dailydiscipleship.

Akaloo (Augsburg Fortress Publishers) is a theologically consistent approach to congregation-wide faith formation with a focus on making disciples of all ages. Visit www.akaloo.org.

Early Sign of God's Design (ISBN# 978-6-0002- 0871-4) is a modified spiritual gifts assessment for children. Available by calling 800-328-4648 or at www.elca.org/christianeducation/program planners/2005CEProgramPlanner/spiritualgifts.html

Reprinted from Seeds of the Parish July/August 2007