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

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!

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.

Lutheran World Relief is issuing an urgent alert to anyone involved in the assembly of LWR health kits. LWR asks that donors double-check all toothpaste being included in their health kits. Please discontinue use of any toothpaste manufactured in China, as well as any Colgate toothpaste with the label "made in South Africa." Many of these toothpastes are found in dollar stores in certain states. News reports have indicated that certain toothpastes contain small amounts of the toxic chemical diethylene glycol (DEG). Among these is counterfeit Colgate toothpaste, which is labeled "made in South Africa," even though Colgate does not import toothpaste from that country.

Last year LWR distributed more than 130,000 health kits to disaster victims and refugees in 11 countries. The kits are assembled by U.S. Lutherans and distributed internationally through LWR and its network of partner organizations. For information about health kits and other parish projects, visit www.lwr.org/parish/index.asp

Global Market for Global Mission
On Sunday, August 26, from 11 a.m. to 2p .pm on the Augustana Lutheran Church lawn (5000 East Alameda, Denver), Augustana's Global Mission Committee and Lutheran Family Services of Colorado will host a global market. This is a chance to celebrate, connect and learn from the diverse sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tales of the the many cultures of the globe represented right here in Denver by a variety of refugee, asylee and immigrant communities. There will be global entertainment and food in the midst of a global market of art, crafts, jewelry, fashion, and more - including global passports for the kids! For more information, please call 303-922-3433

Youth Ministry Certification School Scheduled at TLC
Trinity Lutheran College (located near Seattle) will be hosting a certification school October 8-26. This is a three-week intensive training event (130 hours) designed for youth and family ministry staff, volunteers, Christian educators, and pastors. The goal of the program is to better equip students to lead effective youth and family ministry programs in their home churches. Class size will be 15-25 students. The class will explore biblical and theological foundations, the unique gifts and struggles of today's young person, the most current resources and programming ideas, and finally developing a strategic plan for your unique ministry setting.

We are also pleased to announce that we can make available some "scholarship support" for the program. Up to $500 in scholarship support is available on a first-come, first served basis, when you register. To receive scholarship assistance, send a letter directly to me, Dave Ellingson, here at TLC indicating your level of need.
Trinity Lutheran College
4221 228th Ave SE
Issaquah, WA 98029
Tel. (425) 392.0400
Fax (425) 392.0404
info@tlc.edu

More information, a brochure and application form are available on the website. The application for Certification School should be sent to the Center for Youth Ministries at Wartburg Seminary (address on the bottom of the form) with whom we are partnering and who is handling registration.

Housing at the college is covered in the comprehensive fee, with a reduced fee for commuter students. Weekends are "free" with "exploring Seattle" activities planned for "out-of-towners". If you have other questions, just ask. To ensure a spot, secure scholarship support and to help us with planning, don't wait until the last minute to register.

The next certification school at Rainbow Trial will be November 3-21, 2008

Roads along the upper Mississippi River will be humming July 20 through August 1 when T. Van Matthews, a trustee for the ELCA Board of Pensions, and his wife Melinda bike their way from St. Charles, Missouri to Minneapolis, Minnesota to promote physical fitness activity and raise awareness of the ELCA Special Needs Retirement Fund. Van and Melinda will arrive just in time for the Board of Pensions' August board of trustees meeting. The pair will camp in an RV (which will follow behind them) at different ELCA churches along the route each night.

The Board of Pensions, in partnership with the ELCA Foundation, manages the ELCA Special Needs Retirement Fund. Established in 1993 by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the fund provides additional income to retired pastors, rostered laypersons, lay employees and surviving spouses whose salaries during working years were so low that they have inadequate income to pay for even basic retirement expenses, such as food and housing.

Matthews' ride supports the Board of Pensions' goal that those who serve through the church lead healthy lives and achieve financial security. It is also his way of thanking this church for the opportunity to serve, as he completes his six-year term as a trustee this fall.

Learn more about Van's ride, track his progress and find details about the Special Needs Retirement Fund, including how to make a donation, at the Board of Pensions website.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has a history of working for agricultural policy that supports farms and farmers, helps rural communities, protects the earth from environmental degradation, and ensures an abundant supply of food for all. Our church policies, as outlined in the ELCA's social statements, compel us to work for an end to hunger, both in the United States and around the globe; to protect God's creation; and to support the livelihood of farmers and rural communities.

ELCA social statements:
Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All.
Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice

The U.S. Congress will act in 2007 to draft and pass a new Farm Bill that will govern food and agricultural policy for years to come. The Farm Bill establishes a broad range of federal hunger, farm and conservation programs and is the basis for millions of dollars in annual funding for programs as diverse as Food Stamps, the Conservation Reserve Program and farm commodity payments.

Make Your Voice Heard - Become an Advocate
The ELCA Washington Office is committed to keeping members of the ELCA up-to-date on Farm Bill legislative developments, and to providing opportunities for Lutherans to make their voices heard in Congress. Our e-Advocacy Network makes it easy to advocate for peace, justice and care of creation. By signing up to be an e-Advocate, you can keep up with the decisions being made in federal, state and local government and write your elected officials about these important issues. To sign up, go to www.elca.org/advocacy and click on "Join the e- Advocacy Network."

Join with the growing number of people in your community working to see hunger, land conservation and rural poverty addressed in the 2007 Farm Bill. Sign up for Faith Farm Teams, a collaborative program between the five mainline, Protestant denominations calling for reform on the 2007 Farm Bill, at www.faithfarmteams.com.

For more information about ELCA farm policy and advocacy, please contact: Mary Minette, Director of Environmental and Rural Policy, ELCA Washington Office at mary.minette@elca.org .