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| September 4,
2007 |
eConnection
eNewsletter of
the Rocky Mountain Synod |
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On September 1,
the ELCA Brand Campaign - Denver was launched with the tagline:
God's Work. Our Hands.
The campaign features crosses made
out of everyday items to communicate that God's boundless love is
shared through the work of the ELCA throughout the world.
The
series of ads may be viewed at www.elca.org/love.
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Prayers | |
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Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Creator
God,
you form us on the wheel of life as a potter molds clay. Shape us
into holy vessels, bearing the mark of your wise crafting, that we may
remain strong and useful through years of faithful and obedient service in
Christ's name.
Amen
Prayer from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers,
Consultation on English Texts, 2002.
On the Border:
El Paso and Poverty
As the immigration debates takes center stage
all over the country, the people of El Paso, Texas still struggle with a
poverty rate that is more than twice the national average. An article
in the El Paso Times newspaper provides details.
As we prepare
for the 2009 Synod Assembly to take place in El Paso, we are mindful that
the Rocky Mountain Synod's territory includes the largest city along the
entire US-Mexico border. You will find the article interesting and
relevant to our mission and ministry there.
Welcome
We welcome Rod Pearce to the Rocky
Mountain Synod as the new Executive Director for Lutheran Ranches of the
Rockies.
Prayers for those after disasters...
Ohio.
Wisconsin. Minnesota. Torrential rains precipitated flooding causing
loss of life and extensive damage in these and several other states.
Through ELCA Domestic Disaster Response we are there bringing help and
hope through hardship grants, spiritual and emotional care, volunteer
coordination, and long-term recovery efforts.
India. Nepal.
Bangladesh. Indian Subcontinent flooding is described as the worst in
living memory. In Peru, a devastating earthquake left hundreds dead and
thousands homeless. Through ELCA International Disaster Response we are
there, bringing healing and hope with relief-food, water, medicine,
shelter-and long-term recovery efforts.
Your prayers and gifts are
urgently needed in these and other places where, through ELCA Disaster
Response, we walk with hurting neighbors on their road to recovery.
All-100 percent-of the contributions designated for "2007 U.S. Summer
Flooding," "Indian Subcontinent Flooding" or "Peru Earthquake" will be
used in that specific response. Visit www.elca.org/disaster
to learn more.
Synod Prayer
Cycle: Metro South Conference
During the month September, we give
thanks for the ministry of our congregations and rostered leaders in the
Metro South Conference. You are encouraged to include these congregations
and leaders in your Sunday prayers of the people. Click here for the
prayer list for September
. Please consider including the October
prayer list in your October newsletter.
to remember in
prayer at worship on 9/9
Centennial Englewood,
CO
.....Bill Mantei
Christ Highlands Ranch, CO
.....Tom
Shelly
Christ the King Denver, CO
.....James
Peters
Evergreen Evergreen, CO
.....Vera
Guebert-Steward
Prayers of Thankfulness
On behalf of the Rocky
Mountain Synod campus ministry committee I want to take this time as the
semester begins and give thanks to God and all of you who gave so
generously to the Campus Ministry special offering at the synod assembly
this past May in Ft. Collins, CO. Your gifts to this ministry are felt
especially now as the school year starts and campus ministries all over
the synod are busy at information fairs and new student orientations
inviting students to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your gifts help
these ministries fund informational materials and the ever important
evangelical tool for any campus ministry... FREE FOOD.
Please keep
the students, pastors and boards of theses ministries in you prays as the
school year begins and thank you again for your generous support of this
important ministry.
In God's Gracious Hope for the Future,
Chris
Jensen - Chair RMS Campus Ministry Committee
"For the
living of these days..."
prayers for ministries & meetings
this week:
- Bishop Allan Bjornberg- Vision Passion Action Implementation Team;
Sunday Worship at Lord of the Valley, Granby; Region II Consultation at
California Lutheran University
- Madelyn Busse - Retreat at Grace, Boulder, CO
- Dan Bollman - Leadership Committee at Mount of the Holy Cross, Vail,
CO; Sunday Worship at Faith, Security, CO; Region II Consultation at
California Lutheran University
- Jim Hytjan - Christ the King, South Jordan, UT
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Rocky Mountain Synod | |
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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). Registration info will soon be in the
mail.
At the Rocky Mountain Synod's website, you will find
information as a flyer
and bulletin
insert.
"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. with refreshments and facilitated personal
check in and will end in the early afternoon on October 2. Please keep
this date on your calendar.
Facilitating the retreat is Vicki
Samland, M. Div. who is Programs Coordinator at the Conflict Center in
Denver. If you have questions, please e-mail Pastor Connie Winter- Eulberg
at LCMCSU@lamar.colostate.edu.
"Invitation to Prayer and
Living in the Presence of God" Series Retreat
You are especially
invited to a retreat and optional follow-on series hosted by Lord of the
Hills Lutheran Church and presented by Madelyn Busse, a diaconal minister
and assistant to the bishop in the Rocky Mountain Synod. Madelyn is a
trained spiritual director and a continuing student with the Shalem
Institute for Spiritual Formation.
The series, which is offered to
adults, begins with an introductory retreat open to anyone who is curious
and has a sense of yearning for a more intimate relationship with God. The
five session series that follows will introduce a variety of prayer forms
and offer the opportunity to practice seeking the presence of God in the
company of others.
The retreat is scheduled for Saturday,
September 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Lord of the Hills Lutheran
Church, 21755 East Smokey Hill Road in Centennial Colorado (1 mile east of
E-470). The optional follow-on series continues on five Tuesday evenings:
October 2, 16, 23, 30, and November 6 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Group size is
from 10 to 20 participants. Please note:
The September 29 retreat is a pre-requisite for participating in
the 5 session series, but participation in the introductory retreat need
not commit a person to the whole series. There is no deadline for
registration for the retreat and walk-ins are welcome.
The cost for
the retreat: $10 (Early-bird discount: $7 if registered by Sept
22)
Follow-on Series: $10 (Early-bird discount: $7 if registered
by Sept 29)
Retreat & Follow-on series: If pre-registered for both
by Sept 22: $11
There is no childcare available for the
retreat but we will possibly offer it for the follow-on series.
Please contact the church at 303-617-9884 to register and/or to get
more information about the retreat and follow-on series.
Coaching 101
A Coaching 101 workshop will be
offered noon to noon, Thursday and Friday, October 4 & 5 at
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 2400 South Colorado Blvd., in Denver.
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 .
"Natural Church Development"
Natural Church Development (NCD)
is a process of looking at a congregation by evaluating the quality of
eight essential areas of ministry: leadership, small groups, worship,
evangelism, spirituality, relationships in the congregation,
congregational structures (i.e. organizational, future planning), and
gift-oriented ministry. In evaluating each of these areas with a survey
given to 30 members of the congregation and pastor(s), one or two areas
become the focus of conversation, study and prayer in the congregation
with goals established to be worked on over the next 8-12 months. In the
ELCA, coaches from outside the congregation guide the NCD process in each
congregation. (See Coaching 101 workshop above for the October
training.)
For more information, go the ELCA web site ( www.elca.org
), click the Churchwide Units on the left hand side of the front page,
find and click on Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission. On the
right side of this page, click on Renewal of Congregations which will
allow you to then click Natural Church Development on the left side of the
page. You may also contact Pr. Jim Hytjan @ 800-525-0462/303-777-6700 or
james_hytjan@rmelca.org for more information.
Bishop
Bjornberg's List of Suggested Reading
Giving to God: The Bible's
Good News About Living a Generous Life
by Mark Allan
Powell
(Eerdmans, 2006)
Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader:
How You and Your Organization Can Manage Conflict Effectively
by
Craig E. Runde and Tim A. Flanagan
(Jossey-Bass,
2007)
Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood
Church Is Transforming the Faith
by Diana Butler Bass
(Harper,
2006)
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!
RMSWO Announces Its Fall 2007 Gathering
Titled "Healthy Spirits:
Body & Soul"
LADIES! Take a journey to increase your spiritual,
emotional and physical wellness with keynote speaker Beth Walker,
certified life coach, and your synod sisters at the Rocky Mountain
Synodical Women's Organization's 2007 Fall Gathering, "Healthy Spirits:
Body & Soul". The event will take place October 5 & 6
at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. All
women and friends are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more
information, please visit
the website.
The Rocky Mountain Women's Organization is an expression of the
Women of the ELCA and is constituted of a board, cluster groupings and
congregational/ inter-congregational units of Women's Ministry teams in
individual churches throughout the synod.
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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Faith and the Environment:
Wyoming | |
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A Ministry of Re-Creation
America recently received a wake up call. The threat of
impending environmental degradation and maybe even catastrophe has caught
the attention of many. Even government agencies and corporate America have
begun to take notice that people are beginning to take this threat
seriously.
You may have also noticed that the faith community has
started to address this concern in a big way. Whether we call it "creative
care" or "environmental stewardship", people of all faiths are joining
together to address the topic of saving our environment. Everyone from the
National Council of Churches to the National Association of Evangelicals
has developed plans for joining this cause.
The Wyoming Association
of Churches and the Wyoming Conservation Voters Education Fund have joined
together to make sure that Wyoming is not the last state to address these
issues. This is why we have spent so much time and effort pulling together
a first ever gathering of the faith and environmental communities in an
event entitled, "On Sacred Ground: Faith and the Environment". This
gathering will take place September 27-29 at the Lander Community
Center in Lander. It is especially designed for churches and other faith
communities that feel passionate about doing what we can to protect the
earth that God has given us.
I am calling on all of you to find out
about "On Sacred Ground", recruit a team of passionate people who believe
in environmental stewardship and register to participate in this exciting
event. The place where you can learn details of the event and register is:
www.wcvedfund.org
or call 307-335-8796.
The immediate future of planet earth is
in the hands of the people. God has given us the creation as a blessing.
We can either live into the fullness of that blessing or ignore it and
continue to put the earth at risk. The "On Sacred Ground" event is
the vehicle for people of faith in Wyoming to become personally involved
in this issue and be able to do something to make a difference.
The
Wyoming Association of Churches,
The Rev. Warren Murphy,
Director
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Announcements | |
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A Fall Sabbath Invitation Just for You
Come to a
Called Back to the Well Clergy Day Apart September 17. All
ministers are invited to a monthly day apart at the Norbertine Center in
Albuquerque. (The Clergy Sabbath continues the 3rd Monday of each month.)
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. There
will be some time for us to gather as a group and time for you to spend in
silence. Bring your journal. An RSVP would be appreciated. Contact Sue
Joiner for more information: sjoiner@samaritancc.com or call
505.332.8020
Wheat Ridge Ministries and Exempla Lutheran Medical
Center Celebrate Their Partnership
You're invited to join Wheat
Ridge Ministries on Sunday, September 23 from 3 - 5 p.m. for a wine
and hors d'oeuvres reception at the Exempla Lutheran Hospice at Collier
Hospice Center, 3210 Lutheran parkway, Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
Wheat
Ridge Ministries is "Lutherans seeding new ministries of health and hope
in the name of the healing Christ." This is accomplished by providing seed
grant resources, connecting people with similar interests and equipping
leaders to respond to the needs for health and human care ministry in
their local communities.
Please RSVP for this reception no
later than September 18th to Karen Schlechte at 303- 233- 7870
or Ann Brandt at 800-762-6748 or by email at
ann@wheatridge.org
Welcoming and Affirming Ecumenical Leadership Training Set for October
18
Christ Lutheran Church, Santa Fe is hosting the Reconciling in
Christ (RIC) Ecumenical Leadership Training sponsored by Lutherans
Concerned /North America (LC/NA) from October 18 - 21. This
training focuses on Faith Based Community Organization--acquiring skills
to organize people and resources. The outcomes result in building RIC Core
Teams and promoting RIC ministry to congregations/organizations.
Application of an assessment and study process then leads to development
of a RIC Affirmation of Welcome statement.
They have put together
a few documents for congregations, organizations and individuals to help
promote the event and provide some details about the RIC Program, on how
to register for this event and what to expect from the training.
More information can be found on the
LC/NA website: www.lcna.org
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LSS of Utah
Opens "The Love Offering Shoppe"
"World of Arts Shoppe, an LSS of
Utah fair trade project for local asylee, refugee, and low-income artists
in the community, is slated to officially open the third Friday in October
2007 as part of Salt Lake City Gallery Stroll. The artist collective
decided that 90% of the love offerings go to the local artist with 10%
going to bus passes, gas vouches and bus tokens for low- income
situations. Your patronage of the Shoppe run by love offerings supports
refugee and low-income business development.
They also need items
to surround the artwork and fill out the Shoppe. Support Worlds of Art by
simplifying your home - clear out cluttered passages! Donate your best
items to the Shoppe and support LSS of Utah ministries with seniors,
refugees, low-income and disaster response victims!
Consider
donating superior quality items such as candles, Utah tourist items,
plants, jewelry, and unopened soaps and lotions.. All items receive a
501-C3 tax deduction for income tax purposes. Donate high quality items
Monday through Thursday (Noon to 8 pm) the first three weeks of the month
or mail items to:
LSS of Utah, Worlds of Art Shoppe
1800 South
West Temple, Suite 305
Salt Lake City, Utah 84115.
SHOP FOR
JUSTICE! Shoppers, and especially your favorite group outing, are most
needed to support refugee business and ministries! When you want a unique
and artistic gift, or have an out of town visitor, come to LSS of Utah and
carefully select a Utah gift with heart! Artistic gift wrapping provided!
Free coffee, tea, and biscotti with each purchase!
Thank you for
your constant care, prayer and support!
Continuing
Education For Clergy and Spiritual Directors
Learning to
Transform Unwanted Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors
Sedalia,
Colorado October 2-4, Facilitator: Tamara Andreas. In this training
program participants will be taught, through a series of graduated
exercises, to help clients transform unwanted thoughts feelings and
behaviors. Training topics will include:
- Understanding the Core Self.
- Befriending the Unconscious.
- The Five Core States: Being, Inner Peace, Love, OKness, Oneness.
- Identifying the Positive Intent Behind Behaviors.
- Transform Unwanted Feelings, Thoughts, and Behaviors.
- Making Good Things Even Better.
- Core Transformation and Spirituality.
- Generalizing the Core Transformation Process.
Early
registration (prior to September 7) is $400. More
info on the web.
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Upcoming Events | |
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Lutheran Chorale Auditions Begin
in September
The Lutheran Chorale will host auditions for the
coming season at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, September 10 and 17, at Bethlehem
Lutheran Church, 2100 Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, prior to regular
rehearsal. A prepared piece is not necessary. All voices are welcome. For
more information, call 303-526-2607, or email lthomprn@msn.com.
Also, check out the web site: www.thelutheranchorale.org
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.
You Are Invited To Walk Wisdom's Path!
The
Lutheran Social Service of Utah 7th annual education trip to Rocky Boy
Indian Reservation happens this September 14th-22nd! The event is
held during Native American Week with Our Saviour's Lutheran Church and
the Chippewa and Cree Tribes. Only a few spaces remain so call today to
confirm your reservation! 801-588-0138 or email:
lssutah@yahoo.com
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.
"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".
In Region 2, there are two workshops planned but just one in the Rocky
Mountain Synod. 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.
Beyond Informed Consent:
Ethical Strategies for Shared Decision Making
A public panel
program, sponsored by the Denver Community Bioethics Committee, is planned
for September 18th from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Developmental
Disabilities Resource Center located at 11177 West 8th Ave., Lakewood
(exit U.S. 6 at Simms; north to 8th Ave., East on 8th Ave. about 2/10ths
of a mile). The meeting will be held in the Twin Lakes Conference Room.
Seating is limited, so please register by September 12. To get more
information and reserve your seat, call Sara Golden, Total Longterm Care,
303-869-4750, or email her at sgolden@totallongtermcare.org
Coyote Howl Confirmation
Retreat: September 21- 23 or October 5-7
TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR
CONFIRMATION CLASSES! ( LdoubleR.org
)
Join the U2charist Worship on September 22
A U2charist
Worship entitled "Can't You See What Love Has Done?" will be hosted
by Atonement Lutheran Church (6281 W Yale Ave, Lakewood, CO 80227) on
Saturday, September 22 at 6:00 PM. This special communion
celebration of God's work in the world uses the music of the rock band U2
and lifts up themes of the One Campaign. For more information see
the website: www.atonement-denver.org
. For a downloadable poster of the
event, click
here.
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.
Montview's Center for Spiritual Life
Presents
"An Evening with Anne Lamott""
Anne Lamott, noted
author, will appear at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia
St. at the corner of Montview Boulevard, on Friday evening, September
28 at 7:30 p.m. for a single lecture. Tickets should be ordered in
advance since the church expects to sell out before September 28. For
registration information or to order tickets in advance, you may go to the
church website; www.montview.org
or call the church at 303-355-2095 ext. 117.
Stirring Up the
Spirit of the City
Metro Denver Lutherans are invited to join
together for an informational and visionary gathering on Saturday,
September 29, from 9:30a-11am, at Cristo Rey Lutheran Church (501
Raleigh St; Denver) to talk about forming a coalition of congregations
committed to multicultural and anti-racist ministries in the Denver area.
The dream is to create a network of congregations and leaders (lay and
rostered) who share a commitment and vision for growing into a more
diverse body of Lutheran Christians in and of the city. Refreshments will
be served. Please call Pastor Jay McDivitt (303.936.4859) with any
questions.
RTLC Wearever Contest
Do you have a great
photo of yourself wearing Rainbow Trail gear somewhere unique and cool?
Then you might want to enter it into the RTLC Wearever Contest. Send
pictures of you from around the world wearing your RTLC clothing to
dave@rainbowtrail.org by September 30, 2007. Only pictures in digital
format will be accepted. No photoshopping of photos please. Prizes include
a free week at camp! For more contest details, click
here.
Marathon of
Giving!
As a part of the year long celebration of Rainbow Trail's
50 years of ministry, you are invited to participate in RTLC's marathon of
giving. This is a great chance for you to support the great ministries of
Rainbow Trail while you support Dave Jarvis (camp director) during his
latest marathon this October 7th in the Chicago Marathon. Click on the
link below to download the support form. Support Dave and give camp a
boost at the same time!! It's almost as good as running it yourself! (Click
here to download the form.)
The Grace Race
As part
of Rainbow Trail's 50th Anniversary Celebration, RTLC is hosting the Grace
Race to benefit World Hunger. All proceeds and additional donations will
be given to ELCA World Hunger. The race begins at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday,
October 14th at Sloan's Lake Park in Denver (the southwest edge of
the lake). Click
here for more information and to download the Grace Race brochure. Click
here to download the release waiver.
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.
Called Back to the Well Retreat
for Pastoral Leaders
All pastoral leaders are invited to
participate in a retreat at the beautiful Norbertine Center in Albuquerque
October 22-25. We begin at three pm on Monday and end with lunch on
Thursday. For more information, contact Sue Joiner at
sjoiner@samaritancc.com or 505.332.8020 or check out our website:
http://www.samaritancc.com/affiliated/cbtw/retreats.
html .
Rainbow Trail Confirmation
Retreat
November 2-4, 2007 , Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp
will be hosting a Confirmation Retreat. The theme for this year's retreat
is "Expanding Grace: Broader than Sin, Deeper than Forgiveness,"
and the large group sessions will be led by Pastor Jeff Carlson of Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. For more
information, visit the Rainbow Trail website at www.rainbowtrail.org.
Called Back to the Well Offers a Retreat for Lay
Leaders
Called Back to the Well will offer a retreat for lay
persons November 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: www.samaritancc.com/affiliated/cbtw.
Rainbow Trail Confirmation Retreat
January 4-6, 2008 , Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp will be
hosting a Confirmation Retreat. The theme for this year's retreat is
"Expanding Grace: Broader than Sin, Deeper than Forgiveness," and
the large group sessions will be led by Pastor Jeff Carlson of Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. For more
information, visit the Rainbow Trail website at www.rainbowtrail.org.
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ELCA Churchwide | |
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The ELCA and Immigration: A Resource for
Deliberation
The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, upon
recommendation of the Division for Church in Society, offers to
congregations "a resource for deliberation on attitudes regarding
immigrants and a resource to interpret and apply ELCA policy related to
immigration," as called for by the 1997 Churchwide Assembly (CA97.6.39).
We in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America minister with the
most vulnerable of the newcomers through congregations and the Lutheran
Immigration and Refugee Service (LlRS). Where possible, we work
ecumenically. Our ministry resettles refugees, advocates on behalf of
detained asylum seekers, assists unaccompanied children, offers pastoral
and legal counsel to persons without legal status, aides persons with the
citizenship process, and helps newcomers learn to live in a new country.
This ministry requires compassion and competence, is time-consuming,
sometimes heart-breaking, and frequently unrecognized. Opportunities
abound for members, congregations, pastors, bishops, and all the
expressions of our church to support, strengthen and expand this ministry.
Read
the entire "Message".
This message was
approved by the Board of the Division for Church in Society and was
adopted by the Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America on November 16, 1998.
Copyright November 1998
Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America
Produced by the Department for Studies, Division for
Church in Society
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Resources | |
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Synod Provides Guidelines
to Address Sexual
Misconduct
and Youth Safety
Congregations
have been seeking guidelines from the ELCA regarding policies on sexual
harassment and keeping our youth safe from abuse and harm. Such guidelines
are now posted on the Rocky
Mountain Synod's website. [Click on the Leadership tab, then
look under Constitution Resources.] Below is a brief overview of
the policies.
Policy on Sexual Harassment & Misconduct
The intent of this Policy statement is to make certain that
responses to any allegation of sexual harassment or misconduct be just and
compassionate for all involved, and that all parties be heard. Any
complaint of sexual harassment or misconduct will be dealt with promptly
and confidentially. The Policy applies to clergy, rostered laypersons, lay
employees and volunteers.
Safe Haven Policy
This policy
was developed to assist congregations in keeping youth and children safe
from abuse or harm. The policy is designed to protect the youth and adults
participating in this ministry as well as the congregation as a whole.
Adopting Safe Haven & Sexual Harassment
Policies
Congregations are encouraged to adopt sexual harassment
and misconduct policies as well as safe haven policies that are stand
alone and not part of the Constitution. Each congregation has unique needs
and concerns when protecting youth. Thus, each congregation is responsible
for deciding how best to meet those concerns in terms of approving the
actual policy. There is no synod-wide policy in effect.
Please
also see these internet sites that will provide additional suggestions and
resources:
http://www.elca.org/legal/congregations/sa
feguarding.html
and
http://www.elca.org/legal/congre
gations/nonRosteredVolunteers.html
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Kent Mueller
phone: 303-777-6700
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