Picture Courtesy: Pueblo County Sheriff's Office

Authorities respond to the Aspen Acres Fire near the community of Beulah, in Pueblo County. June 29, 2026

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Isaiah 43:2

Dear beloved in Christ in the Rocky Mountain Synod,

Over the past weeks of this summer, news of wildfires breaking out across the territory of our synod have kept many of us in a state of watchfulness, worry, tension, and grief. Members of our synod, and their neighbors, have endured evacuation of households and livestock. Homes and other properties have been lost, and three firefighters and a pilot working tirelessly to contain fires and protect life and property have tragically given their own lives in this effort. I know prayers have been arising throughout the synod for all those affected; and offers of help and support have also been coming into our synod office. Thank you for your generosity and care.

The Rocky Mountain Synod has faced disaster before; and we are blessed by the gifts and wisdom of synod members who can guide our response. Over the past two weeks, our staff have been reaching out to congregations closest to the largest fires, including in the Pueblo and Ridgway areas of Colorado. We have also reconvened our RMS Disaster Response team (including members who helped coordinate our response to the Marshall Fire) and added new members from currently impacted communities.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

• Donations: many have asked where and how to offer financial gifts. The best way to do this is to find the green Give Now button on the top right corner of our RMS website and to select “RMS Disaster Response” from the dropdown menu. Regular congregational forms of giving will also work; please earmark the gift for RMS Disaster Response. Disaster Response team members have strongly affirmed from experience that financial gifts are far and away the most practical, flexible, and useful and offer the most help. Our Disaster Response Team will gather information on impact and need and will disburse gifts accordingly. Give Now
• Information: While we are working to proactively keep up with updates on all synod-area fires, we know our communities on the ground will always know the most about local impact, and we have been grateful to all who have checked in to share that information. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the synod office or any synod minister if you know of any congregation, member, or area affected by fire (or, as the season progresses, if flash flooding or other disasters crop up.)
• Prayer: Please continue to pray for first responders, for communities living through evacuation and those who are now returning to face damage and loss, and for all who are surrounding their neighbors with tangible and intangible measures of love, support, and generosity.

Generosity continues with Second Fruits:

Many of you know that at our 2026 Synod Assembly in April, the assembly approved a synod budget that now includes the new Second Fruits initiative, a proposal to give away almost $2 million in grants over the next five years from designated funds received from congregation legacy gifts, property sales, and remaining grant and capital campaign funds. The name Second Fruits recognizes that these funds came from the initial generosity of countless faithful people to congregations and the synod; we are blessed to now have the opportunity to reinvest these generous gifts in local ministry efforts throughout our synod.

I am excited to share that the Rocky Mountain Synod Second Fruits initiative is now LIVE on our website, and applications are open for the first round of grants with an application deadline of August 15. Grants will be awarded in the categories of 1) Ministry Development and Revitalization, 2) Leadership Development and Support, 3) Faith Formation, and 4) Justice and Advocacy. I encourage you to visit the Second Fruits page on our synod website for more details and a link to the application.

A word about process: All grants will be reviewed by a Second Fruits Discernment Committee that has been appointed by the Synod Council, and Synod Council will review the committee’s recommendations and give final approval to all disbursements. For this first grant cycle, the Second Fruits Discernment Committee will consist of synod council members elected to serve “at large,” convened by Pastor Chris Davis who as a member of synod staff will have voice but no vote. This choice allows us to begin and complete a grant cycle by the end of this calendar year, which was a commitment of our synod assembly. It also means that those responsible for reviewing grants will be people already recognized and elected by the whole synod to represent the whole synod (as distinguished from synod council members who represent specific conferences), an approach we believe can enhance equity and fairness. After we complete our first round of applications and grants, we’ll be reviewing and evaluating the selection process. We’ll continue to learn as we go.

Prayers, too, are welcome for the ministry the Holy Spirit is stirring up throughout our synod, and the ways these grants can contribute to the new things God is doing.

July blessings to you all as you love and serve your neighbors, proclaim the Gospel, and find ways large and small to enjoy the beauty and abundance of God’s good creation in this summer season.

In Christ, Bishop Meghan