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| July 31,
2007 |
eConnection
eNewsletter of
the Rocky Mountain Synod |
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Pictured above
are the people of Shepherd of the Mountains in Estes Park. They
broke ground for their new church facility on July
1.
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Prayers | |
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Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Generous
God,
in abundance you give us things both spiritual and physical. Help
us to hold lightly the fading things of this earth and grasp tightly the
lasting things of your kingdom, so that what we are and do and say may be
our gifts to you through Christ, who beckons all to seek the things above,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit.
Amen
Prayer from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers,
Consultation on English Texts, 2002.
Pictured above is Alena Larimato following her ordination
July 26th at Advent Lutheran Church in Westminster, Colorado. She has been
called to serve in the Nebraska Synod
A "Heartfelt"
Welcome to Our New Interns
We welcome the following seminary
interns to the Rocky Mountain Synod:
Melvin Antonio - Iglesia
Luterana Cristo Rey, El Paso, Texas;
Sandra Chapin - All Saints
Lutheran Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico;
Paul Clark - Evergreen
Lutheran Church, Evergreen, Colorado;
Christopher deForest -
Abiding Hope Lutheran Church, Littleton, Colorado;
Derek Hoven -
Abiding Hope Lutheran Church, Littleton, Colorado;
Suzanne
Orlopp - Trinity Lutheran Church, Laramie, Wyoming
Remembering Jon Francis
On Sunday morning, the
people gathering for worship at Ascension Lutheran Church in Ogden, Utah,
gave special thanks for the life and memory of Jon Francis, their former
youth director. He disappeared a year ago, on July 15, 2006, while hiking
on Grand Mogul Mountain in the Saw Tooth Mountains. His remains were
finally located on the mountain. We commend him to God's care and give
thanks for his life and his ministry.
Synod Prayer
Cycle: North Colorado Conference
During the month of August we give
thanks for the ministry of our congregations and rostered leaders in the
North Colorado Conference. You are encouraged to include these
congregations and leaders in your Sunday prayers of the people. Click here
for the prayer list for August
and here for the prayer list for September
. Please consider including the September prayer list in your
September newsletter.
to remember in prayer at worship on 8/5
All Saints Brush, CO
.....Arnie
Bjelland
Bethel Windsor, CO
.....R. Dean
Smith
Bethlehem Brush, CO
.....Sherman
Gordius
Faith Eaton, CO
.....Erik Karas
First Ault,
CO
.....Matt Converse
"For the living of these days..."
prayers for ministries
& meetings this week:
- Bishop Bjornberg - Tim Orlowski's ordination, Columbus, Ohio; ELCA
Churchwide Assembly, Chicago, Illinois;
- Dan Bollman - ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Chicago, Illinois;
- Madelyn Busse - ELCA Worship Jubilee and the ELCA Churchwide
Assembly, Chicago, Illinois;
- Jim Hytjan - Bethlehem, Longmont, Colorado; Our Savior's, Greeley,
Colorado
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Rocky Mountain Synod | |
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Mark Your
Calendars!
"Women in Ministry Retreat" Slated for September
All pastors and diaconal ministers rostered in the Rocky Mountain Synod are
invited to the "Women in Ministry Retreat" at St. Malo Retreat Center just
south of Estes Park, Colorado. The retreat will begin on September 30 at
7:00 p.m. and will end in the early afternoon on October 2. Please keep
this date on your calendar. More information will be disseminated in
August but in the meantime, if you have questions, please e-mail Pastor
Connie Winter-Eulberg at LCMCSU@lamar.colostate.edu.
Coaching 101
A Coaching 101 workshop will be
offered noon to noon, Thursday and Friday, October 4 & 5 in Denver
(location to be announced). Coaching is defined as walking alongside
another for the purpose of assisting them to identify and realize the
accomplishment of professional or personal goals. In the congregation,
coaching is helpful in assisting staff and lay leadership to be more
effective in their work with the setting of clear and realistic goals and
expectations. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),
coaches are paired with each mission developer, and each congregation
taking part in the Natural Church Development program.
The cost for
the workshop is $200.00 (not including travel or hotel accommodations if
needed). The fee covers the cost of the training, two books on coaching
from Dr. Robert Logan, a one year subscription to the coachnet.org web
site, a look at one's leadership style with a DiSC inventory, and meals
during the workshop. The deadline for registration is September
15th. A $100 deposit is due at that time with the balance due on the first
day of the workshop.
For more information, please contact Pr. Jim
Hytjan at 303-777-6700/800-525-0462 or james_hytjan@rmselca.org
.
You Are
Invited!
Pastor Emily Cardin, the pastor of New Beginnings Church,
would welcome you to come and participate in Bible Study and worship with
the congregation on Friday evenings. New Beginnings is located inside the
Denver Women's Correctional Facility and is a joint ministry between the
Episcopal and Lutheran Churches and Prison Ministry of America. Visitors
must be over 21. For any questions or to schedule a date, please call
Kathy Melies at 303- 831-7023.
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.
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.
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HOSPITALITY CHECKLIST for
CONGREGATIONS | |
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Roll Out the Welcome Mat!
Summer is a great time for congregational committees
to be looking at hospitality opportunities for potential visitors as well
as members of our faith communities. Here are some suggestions:
- Expect guests!
- Telephone voice messaging, outdoor signs, web site, newspaper ads,
church newsletter, and bulletin all announce current worship schedule
- Web site offers a look at program ministries with phone numbers and
email addresses of those who could be contacted for more information.
- Church property, owned or rented, is well maintained and inviting
- Signs are clearly visible assisting first time visitors to find
parking, entrance ways, worship, parish education, church office, child
care, and rest rooms.
- Ushers and greeters are present 30 minutes before the service and
prepared to warmly greet and assist visitors and members alike.
- Provide a way for all at worship, other than guest book, to indicate
their name(s), address, phone number, email address, interests, and
prayer requests so that follow-up visits might take place.
- Encourage everyone to greet and visit those they do not know before
and after worship.
- Provide refreshments before and after worship in close proximity to
worship
- Visitors are phoned or visited within 48 hours of their visit. The
purposes of the phone call or visit are to thank the person(s) for
attending worship, ask if there are any questions/concerns, ask if the
person(s) could be added to the church mailing list, give the visitor(s)
the callers name and phone number in case they need a contact number,
and invite them to return.
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Announcements | |
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Network of Biblical Storytellers (NOBS) Denver- Area
Guild
Next meeting: Monday, August 13, 6:30 p.m.
An exciting
meeting coming up! Pam Faro and Pastor Kathy Armstrong will have just
returned from the annual NOBS Festival Gathering in Atlanta - an exciting,
inspirational, fun, and deeply spiritual 4-day event, with 200 people from
many denominations, both clergy and lay, gathering joyfully around the
telling of biblical stories! The next best thing to being there may very
well be this August 13 meeting of the Denver- Area NOBS Guild! Come and
hear stories, participate in learning and telling biblical stories, and
deepen your encounter with the Word!
We meet every month (see
full schedule here) at Cross of Christ Lutheran, 12099 Lowell Blvd.,
Broomfield, Colorado (just north of 120th Avenue, about 3 miles west of
I-25, 3.5 miles east of Boulder Turnpike). Questions? Contact Pam Faro at
pamfaro@juno.com or 303-828-2267. Bring a friend! Also, check out
the NOBS website: www.nobs.org
to see what else is going on with the organization.
An Evening of Glorious Music Hosted by St. Paul,
Denver
On Friday, August 3, at 6:30 p.m., the Third Annual Royal
School of Church Music in America Rocky Mountain Training Course for
girls, teen girls, and adult women and men will be singing Choral Evensong
at Saint Paul Lutheran Church, 1600 Grant Street in Denver. In residence
at Regis University from 30 July-5 August, the 49 singers registered for
this year's course are from all across the United States.
During
the week, the participants are involved in a rigorous program of classes
and rehearsals led by course music director Dale Adelmann, Director of
Music at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, California, and
course organist Daniel Fortune, Organist and Choirmaster at Old St. Paul's
Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland. Music at Saint Paul is
pleased that Saint Paul Church has been chosen as a venue for the singers
to share the fruits of their efforts in this sung liturgy of Evening
Prayer which is, of course, free and open to the public.
Summer Music and Art Camp at Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey in
Denver
A Summer Music and Art Camp for children in grades K-8 is
scheduled for the second week of August at Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey,
501 Raleigh Street, Denver. Daily classes will be held August 6-10
from 9:00 am-2:00 pm. The camp is co- sponsored by the Rocky
Mountain Synod Denver Area Hispanic Ministry through Cristo Rey Church
and by Saint Paul Music for Children through Saint Paul Lutheran
Church, 1600 Grant Street, Denver. Each day will begin with worship led by
Armando Rangel, Pastor of Christo Rey and Familia de Cristo Churches, and
will include Orff-Schulwerk general music classes for three age groupings
led by Mark Alan Filbert, Cantor of St. Paul Church. Other curricular
activities will include classes in soprano recorder, handbells, art,
computers, story-telling, soccer, and more. A morning snack and lunch will
be provided, and there is a nominal registration fee of $10.00 per student
for the entire week.
All children from the neighborhood and/or from
other congregations are welcome to register for the week. Volunteers from
all three congregations will be assisting throughout the week, though
additional volunteers from other parishes will certainly be welcome. While
no particular music, art or Spanish- speaking skills are needed in order
to volunteer, such knowledge would certainly be an asset to the program.
For further information, please contact Armando Rangel at 303.934.6948
(arrangel@hotmail.com) or Mark Filbert at 720.274.4708 (
mark@stpauldenver.org ).
Carnival for the Community in Aurora
All Saints
Lutheran Church of Aurora is hosting a Carnival for the Community on
Saturday, August 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be fire truck and
ambulance tours, inflatables, a velcro wall, a dunking booth, petting zoo,
a food court, climbing wall and lots of games. The Aurora Police will also
make finger prints of children for parents who would like them. This is a
fund-raiser benefiting the Pickens Tech Scholarship Fund. There will be a
special section just for preschoolers. For more information, please call
303-752-4083.
"God's People Show and Tell" Workshop Scheduled
The Lutheran
Association of Christian Educators (LACE) is pleased to announce its 2007
Workshop Series "God's People Show and Tell". Twelve workshops will be
held throughout the country to encourage Christian educators to come
together and discuss creative ways to reach out to others and tell God's
story. Topics range from the arts to technology and cover working with
children to engaging adults. The cost for each workshop is $20 ($15 for
LACE members).
In Region 2, there are two workshops planned. On
September 15, "Heavenly Hoops" will be held at Spirit of Joy
Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. Please contact Patty Stroup at
patty@sojoyfc.org for details. To register for the Fort Collins
workshop, please go to: Lace
Workshop.
On Saturday, November 3, Lutheran Church of
the Incarnation in Poway, California will host "Telling the Story
Across Generations". Please contact Teresa Kaldor at
tkkaldor@aim.com with questions and/or for registration
materials.
To find out information for all the regions, please
visit www.elca.org/lace
and click on events. Brochures and registration materials are available
online. You may also contact the LACE office at
laceoffice@davtv.com or your LACE regional
representative.
The "God's People Show and Tell" series is
underwritten by the ELCA unit for Evangelical Outreach and Congregational
Mission.
Holy Cross, Wheat Ridge Announces Art and Craft Fair
Holy Cross
Lutheran Church, Wheat Ridge, Colorado will be hosting a Youth Benefit Art
and Craft Fair on October 19th and 20th. We are looking for
vendors. If you would like to rent a booth at the fair, please contact
Scott Moore at Scott_E_Moore@msn.com for more information. The registration deadline is September 23rd.
Colorado "Change a Light, Change the World"
Campaign for
Congregations
The Governor's Energy Office (GEO) and Colorado
Interfaith Power & Light (COIP&L) are pleased to bring you the
2007 Colorado "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign for
Congregations to culminate near Oct. 4th, 2007, which has been designated
as Change a Light, Change the World Day by the Environmental Protection
Agency and also happens to be the Feast of St. Francis, Patron Saint of
the Environment. October is also national Energy Awareness
Month.
"Change a Light, Change the World" offers a great incentive
by providing one high-quality compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) and
informational pamphlet with more energy saving tips to each person
attending a one-half to one hour class session led by someone in your
organization with the help of our Leader's Guide. The program is designed
to be implemented at a time and place of your choosing sometime in
October.
This FREE campaign (100% funded by GEO), designed
to raise awareness about the importance and benefits of more efficient
energy use, is an opportunity for faith communities to put their Creation
care/social justice spirituality into practice and to exercise a
leadership role in the larger community toward enhancing our shared
environment and positively impacting global climate change.
Online
sign-up for promotional materials and additional information for
congregations began July 9 and will continue through August. To sign up
your congregation online,
visit
the website. For more information about Colorado Interfaith
Power and Light, please visit their website at www.coipl.org
.
We look forward to working with you!
Diane Dandeneau,
Executive Director
Rev. Nelson Bock, Program Director
Rev. Bonita
Bock, Program Assistant
Dr. Celeste Rossmiller, PhD. Education
Associate
A Wonderful Gift of Old
The Synod office has recently
acquired a set (five volumes) of The Interpreter's Dictionary of the
Bible: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Containing nearly 4,000 pages with
color and black and white maps and pictures, seminarians are very familiar
with this set. The original copyright is 1962 (13th printing 1982) and the
set is in excellent condition. Anyone wanting to include these volumes in
their personal library, the library of their congregation or donate them
to a favorite organization may contact the Synod office to reserve them.
We can be reached at 303-777-6700 (800-525-0462) or by email:
communications@rmselca.org .
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Upcoming Events | |
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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.
Sleepy Owl Ranch Picnics: August 2 and 9
On two
Thursdays in August we will be gathering with friends of the camp,
pastors, camper families, and Board Members for a picnic lunch and an
opportunity to hear what is happening at the L Double R
Ranches.
Fly Tying at Sleepy Owl: August 10 - 12
Sign up
for the August Fly Tying Retreat and the September Fly Fishing and receive
a discount! Tie flies in August for your trip to the Cache la Poudre in
September!
Don't Worry! Bee
Happy! For LSS of Utah
Lutheran Social Services of Utah is hosting
its first annual gala fundraiser at the Franklin Covey Stadium Bees
Baseball game on Monday, August 13th from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. The game
begins at 7:00 p.m. Please contact Dave or Janet Pratt or Phil Hazur at
801-776-2189 or oaktree_24@hotmail.com about advance tickets. The silent
auction and dinner will begin at 5:30 in the Main Central Park Grass Tent
and will be hosted by Joan Southwick and Stephanie Rokich. Please visit
the Lutheran
Social Services of Utah website to get in more information about the
agency and its programs.
Spiritual Sharing Groups Being Formed
in Albuquerque, NM
Are you interested in strengthening your
spiritual life and enriching your ministry? Called Back to the Well, a
project for clergy vitality supported by the Lilly Foundation for
Sustaining Pastoral Excellence, is starting three new Spiritual Sharing
Groups, one of which will be for spouses/partners of clergy. There will be
an organizing meeting for all who are interested on August 14 at
2:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 217 Locust Street NE in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bring your calendars! Meeting times are
negotiated once the groups form. If you want to know more or you can't
attend the organizational meeting, please call Sue at 505-332-8020 or
email her at sjoiner@samaritancc.com .
Global Market for Global
Mission
On Sunday, August 26, from 11 a.m. to 2pm 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
A Sabbath Invitation
Come
to a Called Back to the Well Clergy Day Apart August 20th. All
ministers are invited to this monthly day apart at the Norbertine Center
in Albuquerque. We will begin at 9:30 am and end by 4:00 pm. Cost for the
day is $25 and includes lunch. You may choose to attend one day or all of
the days. Bring your journal. An RSVP would be appreciated. Contact Sue
Joiner for more information: sjoiner@samaritancc.com or call
505-332- 8020.
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.
Confirmation Workshop Coming
August 25
Glory of God Lutheran Church, 12200 West 38th Ave in
Wheat Ridge, Colorado, is partnering with Faith Inkubators of Stillwater,
Minnesota, to host area churches for a day-long training event on Head to
the Heart confirmation system. If you'd like to find out more about the
confirmation program at this church or just explore the latest in
effective and faithful youth ministry, join us on Saturday, August 25 from
9 am - 3 pm. For more information or to register for this training go
online www.faithink.com
or contact Jeff Kelty at keltygog@qwest.net or
303-421-2721
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.
Sleepy Owl Ranch Fly Fishing
Join in on all
the fun with Fly Fishing on the Cache la Poudre: September 15 - 17.
Contact the office 970- 493-5258, Info@LdoubleR.org or www.LdoubleR.org
for more information.
Coyote Howl Confirmation
Retreat: September 21- 23 or October 5-7
TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR
CONFIRMATION CLASSES! ( LdoubleR.org
)
Log Furniture Building: September 28 - 30
Ladies don't
be left out of this opportunity. Men and women are welcome to
participate in this retreat at Lutheran Ranches of the Rockies. Call the
office (970-493-5258) or go to the website ( LdoubleR.org
) to get more information.
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.
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ELCA Churchwide | |
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The ELCA Wants You to Get the Basics
Visit www.elca.org/hunger/basics
to view and download six PowerPoint presentations of various lengths and
bonus material to help explain "the basics" of ELCA World Hunger, Disaster
Response and Stand With Africa.
There are five narrated
presentations: Go and do likewise (11:24); Go and do (short
version, 4:40); Stand With Africa (4:17); Peru/water project (4:10); and
Domestic Hunger Grants/Senior Gleaners (3:20). There's also a
self-narrated, two-minute presentation, especially suited for Temple
Talks.
The presentations and bonus material are also available on
the new ELCA World Hunger: Go and do likewise CD-ROM (free, item
number 978-6- 0002-1990-1). To request a single copy of the CD- ROM call
800-638-3522. To request multiple copies for a multi-congregation event or
synod assembly, order through Augsburg Fortress: call 800-328-4648 or
order online at www.augsburgfortress.org/elcahunger
.
Questions? Visit www.elca.org/hunger/basics
for more information. Contact us by e-mail at hunger@elca.org
or call 800/638- 3522, ext. 2764, ext. 2717 or ext. 2969.
© 2007 ELCA World Hunger Appeal. Secure permission
(hunger@elca.org) before using a
presentation in part or in support of an organization unrelated to the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America.
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Resources | |
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Look What's New in Town
Jane Mountain, M.D., a member of Messiah Community Church, ELCA in
Denver has written a new book titled Beyond Bipolar: 7 Steps to
Wellness. Bipolar Disorder can be a debilitating illness that can
wreak havoc with an individual or members of an entire family. Through her
own personal and professional experiences, Jane provides insights into the
lifelong management of the disorder.
Dr. Mountain is making a
special offer: Beyond Bipolar-7 Steps to Wellness makes an
excellent duo with her first book, Bipolar Disorder: Insights for
Recovery. To celebrate, both are offered through August without a
shipping charge. You can get an additional discount if you order both now.
Go to BeyondBipolar.com
to receive this offer.
Are you interested in keeping up on the
latest news from Dr. Mountain? Subscribe to her newsletter, read her
articles or schedule her to speak at an event. All of the details and so
much more can be found on her website www.beyondbipolar.com
.
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Kent Mueller
phone: 303-777-6700
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