El Paso and Juarez
You are invited and encouraged to give donations to Lutheran Disaster Response following recent flooding. Donations can be made by mail, on the phone, or on-line. For more information about supporting Lutheran Disaster Response, please visit www.elca.org/disaster/giving/. Checks should be made out to Lutheran Disaster Response or ELCA Domestic Disaster Response.

Installation of Sandra L. Templeton, AIM
The installation for Sandra Templeton will take place at Lutheran Church of the Master, Lakewood, CO, on Sunday, September 24, 2006 at the 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. worship services. The Rev. James Hytjan, assistant to the bishop, will be preaching. The church is located at 14099 W. Jewell Avenue in Lakewood. A reception will take place in the fellowship hall from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Congregation Constitution Amendments
Congregations working on amendments to their constitutions are reminded that the amendments need to be submitted to their Congregation Council 60 days before a regular Congregation Meeting or a special Congregation Meeting which is called to consider amendments. Rocky Mountain Synod Secretary Katherine Cruson is glad to consult with congregations anytime during their process. Email her at kl-cruson@comcast.net . After the amendments to constitutions and bylaws are approved by the congregation, remember to send the documents to Katherine for synod approval.

Immigration Issues Study Guide now available
A resolution calling for congregations in the Rocky Mountain Synod to study and discuss immigration issues was adopted at assembly. A resource has been compiled and is available for download.

Senior high youth gathering is Nov 17- 19
Registration Deadline is October 13
Registration is now open online at www.rmselca .org/forever/. Whatever, Wherever, Whenever, Forever, this year’s Rocky Mountain Synod Senior High Youth Gathering, will offer young people an immersion into the emerging church.

Young Adults: Be a youth gathering volunteer
College-age young adults--if your are looking for a way to serve Christ in a high energy and fun atmosphere, this is what you may be looking for. Cornerstone is college-age young adults who, following in the example of our Lord Jesus, are willing to serve others by joining the ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod Senior High Youth Gathering program implementation team. If you are interested in being a Cornerstone team member, please visit the web-site to find out more information and to apply.

Celebrate Treasures, Old and New
Exploring and Expanding Worship Resources
Times are now listed below! Eight events are scheduled throughout the Rocky Mountain Synod in the fall and winter to introduce the new Evangelical Lutheran Worship book that will be available on October 3. Cost for groups of six is $100 Cost for an individual is $20 Cost includes lunch and a copy of the Worship book. A registration form has been sent to every congregation and is available to be downloaded.

October 21, 2006 Northern Colorado Event
Atonement in Boulder, CO
Registration 8-9 a.m. - Event 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
October 28, 2006 Utah Event
Zion in Salt Lake City, UT
Registration 8-9 a.m. - Event 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
November 4, 2006 Metro Denver Event
Bethany in Cherry Hills Village, CO
Registration 8-9 a.m. - Event 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
November 11, 2006 Western Colorado Event
Good Shepherd, Glenwood Springs, CO
Registration 8:30-9:30 a.m. - Event 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
January 20, 2007 Wyoming Event
Prince of Peace, Casper, WY
Registration 8:30-9:30 a.m. - Event 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
February 10, 2007 (two events)
Texas Event: New Hope , El Paso,TX
Registration 8:30-9:30 a.m. - Event 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Southern Colorado Event: First Lutheran, Colorado Springs, CO
Registration 8-9 a.m. - Event 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
February 17, 2007 New Mexico Event
Cross of Hope, Albuquerque, NM
Registration 8-9 a.m. - Event 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

NM Advocacy Conference is September 23
“Voices for Justice” Annual Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry-New Mexico Advocacy Conference will be on Saturday, September 23 in Albuquerque (Central United Methodist Church, west of University between Central and Martin Luther King). The conference keynote speaker is Jennifer Bishop Jenkins, founding member of Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights and national board chair of Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation. Workshop topics include advocacy basics, repeal of the death penalty, hunger, health care and more. The cost is $20 per person including lunch. This year’s conference is cosponsored by LOGM-NM and the NM Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty. For more information or to register, contact rh@logmnm.org or call 505.984.8005.

Clergy Women's Retreat: October 2-3, 2006
Clergy Women's Retreat with Jane Vennard will take place at St. Malo's Retreat Center near Estes Park, CO. Download a .pdf registration form.

Ending Hunger Now Summit
Sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Synod Hunger Network; Global Mission Committee; and Lutheran Advocacy Ministry - Colorado. Saturday, September 23, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hosted by Bethany Lutheran Church, Cherry Hills Village, CO. Cost: $15 (Includes lunch) -- Five or more from one congregation: $10 each. To register call the synod office or send an email to rmselca@rmselca.org by September 19.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Donald E. Messer, Professor of Practical Theology & President Emeritus, Iliff School of Theology. Co-Author of Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons of Faith, with George McGovern & Robert Dole. Augsburg Fortress Publishers.
Advocacy Workshops
▪ Building a Lutheran Network for Justice Advocacy
▪ Raising the Minimum Wage in Colorado
Hunger Appeal Workshops
▪ Getting Down to Hunger Basics
▪ It Does Come Down to MONEY: Ideas for Raising Funds and Awareness
Global Mission Workshops
▪ Hunger Dollars at Work: Health Care in Madagascar
▪ Hunger Dollars at Work: After-School on the Border
Closing Plenary: The ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History

Coaching 101 Workshop
A Coaching 101 Workshop is set for Friday and Saturday, October 20-21, 2006, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Denver. This is an opportunity for lay or clergy to learn about the coaching process for supporting congregational leadership, working with mission developers in the Rocky Mountain Synod, or walking with a congregation through the Natural Church Development process. Cost of the workshop, excluding travel, lodging, and meals outside the workshop is $200 Included in the cost is the training, books to be read prior to the workshop, and a one year subscription to CoachNet.org. To register, contact Cheryl Almquist in the synod office prior to September 15. For more information contact Pr. Jim Hytjan at 800-525-0463 or 303-777-6700.

Summit of Conscience
Sunday, October 15 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at Messiah Community Church-ELCA, 1750 Colorado Blvd (across from City Park) in Denver. Signers of the COLORADO CONFESSION and those interested in signing, are gathering to PRAY-DISCUSS-DECIDE what God is calling us to do during this ELECTION CROSSROADS TIME. Bring some food to share for the PEOPLE'S BANQUET from 6-6:45 p.m.; PEOPLES' PRAYER from 6:45-7:00 p.m.; PEOPLES' PLANNING from 7:8:15 p.m.; and PEOPLES' EUCHARIST from 8:15-8:30 p.m. The COLORADO CONFESSION and STUDY GUIDE can be accessed at www.coloradoconfession.org. The COLORADO CONFESSION is a call to action to address the Religious Right and critical national and international issues of our time. If you can attend, contact Kathy at oslc915@juno.com. The event is sponsored by the RMS-Non Violence Resource Team.

Common Threads: Iraq and Central America
Dr. Thomas Melville, author, global justice advocate and former Maryknoll Missionary in Guatemala, will speak on U.S. Foreign Policy, discussing the COMMON THREADS between Iraq and Central America. Thursday, October 12, 2 p.m., at Messiah Community Church-ELCA, 1750 Colorado Boulevard, Denver, across from City Park. Free will offering. sponsored by the RMS-Non- Violence Resource Team. Questions: Ron Letnes, ronlinlet@comcast.net.

Ron Roschke is our first blogger!
On the new RMS blog he writes...
"...What has struck me in our conversations so far is the important relationship between our three work areas. When we start to talk about one, we quickly find ourselves speaking about the other two. A picture is starting to form in my mind about how these three work areas connect with each other. Identity and Discipleship/Evangelism are two sides of a circle that joins together our inner identity with our outward mission..."

Do you or members of your congregation work in downtown Denver?
Join us for a mini-immersion in our ministry to people in need in our neighborhood. The members of St. Paul Lutheran invite you to spend two hours with us at an amazing ministry which feeds homeless and hungry adults and families at St. Paul, one block north of the Capitol building, on 16th Avenue and Grant Street— Mondays, 4-6 pm. Grant Avenue Street Reach serves a spaghetti dinner to 600-1000 people each Monday, 1-5 pm. Come at 4:00, learn a bit about the program and the people we serve. Then help us serve meals and assist us in our ministry of cleaning up! We will close our experience with a short reflection on our time together. We can arrange for other times to visit as well. Contact Jan Miller, jan@stpauldenver.org

Celebrate New Beginnings Prison Ministry Sept. 30
Join in celebrating the New Beginnings Prison Ministry on Saturday, September 30, at 6 p.m. at Messiah Community Church-ELCA, 1750 Colorado Blvd. (1/2 block north of 17th Ave across from Denver City Park). Light meal and music, including the songs we sing inside the walls and stories from women released from prison who worship at New Beginnings. Call Kathy at 303-831-7023 for information.

Come, learn about prison ministry on Oct. 1
Several times in the last few weeks I will be checking my groupwise (Colorado Dept. of Corrections e-mail) and find message after message stating Jane Doe #******* is being released homeless. Yes HOMELESS! Women and men are being released back into society without anything. They NEED YOU! Please come to a free workshop sponsored by Prison Congregations in America and Thrivent on Sunday October 1 from 1:30- 8 p.m. with dinner provided at Holy Cross Lutheran Church 45th and Wadsworth in Wheat Ridge, CO. Learn how you and your congregation can become a welcoming presence for these people. You do not provide housing, transportation, or employment--you are called upon to welcome them the stranger in your midst. Please help them help themselves! Pastor Emily Cardin, 303 831-7023.

Haitian Dance Theatre at Abiding Hope September 29
The Resurrection Dance Theatre, direct from Port- au-Prince, Haiti, will be performing at Abiding Hope Lutheran Church (located at the corner of Coal Mine and Simms) on Friday, September 29 at 7 p.m. The Resurrection Dance Theatre consists of boys and young men who were once orphaned, abandoned, or escaped slavery to live on the streets of Port-au- Prince. They tell their story and the story of the plight of the poor through a moving performance of drama, song, and dance. No admission is charged; however a free will offering will be received. Info at www.HopeInHaiti. org

Colorado College: Religion and Public Life symposium
Colorado College in Colorado Springs announces its annual symposium, Oct 18-21: “Religion and Public Life: Why Be Afraid?” Speakers include Gary Hart, Robert Bellah, Jim Wallis, and Tink Tinker. It’s free and open to the public. More info.

Job Listings on the synod website
Go to the synod website to review details for open positions, which include:
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SYNOD: ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
(PART-TIME, 20-25 HOURS)
RMS Synod Office, Denver, CO

ADULT CHOIR DIRECTOR
Christ the Savior Lutheran Church, Aurora, CO

PIANIST/ORGANIST/ACCOMPANIST
Cross of Hope Lutheran Church Albuquerque, NM

ORGANIST/ACCOMPANIST
Glory of God Lutheran Church, Wheat Ridge, CO

BOOKKEEPER
Mt Calvary, Boulder

PARISH NURSE
Ascension Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO

Sustain the Hope: Hurricane Katrina Benefit Bash
Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 4500 Wadsworth Blvd., Wheat Ridge, is hosting a fundraising bash on Saturday, October 14. At 3 p.m. is a Silent Auction along with activities for kids. At 5:30 p.m. is a dinner with entertainment and a live auction. For info, phone 303-423-5654 or visit www.sustainthehope.org You may download a bulletin insert for this event.

October 8 Table Talk about immigration issues
Atonement Lutheran Church, Denver, is hosting a "Table Talk" about immigration on Sunday October 8 at 12:30 p.m. Laura Buhs and Madelyn Busse are presenters. Lunch is provided. As people of faith, those present will discuss elements of immigration policy. Atonement is at 6281 W. Yale Ave. Call 303- 985-1122 for additional information.