Together, we proclaim and embody God's unconditional love for the sake of the world.
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July 15, 2025
generally published Tuesday of each week
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Hello Fellow Readers,
Click [HERE] for a complete list of upcoming events across Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, El Paso, and Colorado.
To share your upcoming events, submit it through the website [HERE]. If you’ve already submitted something and don’t see it listed, please reach out and let me know (mstoneback@rmselca.org).
We also welcome your stories and how God is at work in your life and your faith communities. Share your stories [HERE].
Thank you for reaching out with your suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you!
In Christ,
Deacon Mary
Synod Minister for Strategic Communications & Events
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Honoring 143 Years of Faith and Fellowship
Every July, this being the 143rd time, the people of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church celebrate our Founders’ Day. Since 1937, that celebration has been known as Greater Zion Day. We remember that evening, Tuesday, July 18, 1882, at 7 pm in the Parlor of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in downtown Salt Lake City, where five individuals gathered and believed that with the help of God, they should establish a Lutheran Church in Utah. That very evening the papers were drawn up, prayers were said and, with a good bit of excitement, they established Zion. It was the first Lutheran Church in Utah, and history tells us that Zion is the 5th oldest Lutheran congregation west of the Rockies.
Read More
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A Message from Pastor Samm
On June 29, Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO voted to enter into an intentional partnership with Highlands and to welcome Highlands into their building at 4500 Wadsworth Blvd, Wheat Ridge, CO. This follows Highlands’ June 8 vote to relocate and share in this partnership.
Both congregations have empowered a joint Transition Team (the “Holy Highlanders”) to develop a Community Covenant of Partnership, which will be shared for feedback this fall. We’re deeply grateful for the thoughtful, Spirit-led work of both congregations’ councils, leadership teams, and transition members over the past four months. The first service at our new location (Holy Cross) will be Sunday July 20 at 10am.
We look forward to settling into our new space this summer and celebrating with a big party at the end of the season! See you on Wadsworth, July 20!
+With hope and anticipation,
Pr. Samm Melton–Hill
| | Wyoming Conference Youth Video Reflections | | |
The Wyoming Conference sponsored the 1st Annual Wyoming Youth Gathering June 26-28 in Casper, Wyoming. The group was comprised of youth, middle school through high school from six congregations across Wyoming.
In this video, CJ—a youth from Ascension Lutheran Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming—shares with Pastor Paul Rosin about his Youth Gathering experience and how it impacted his faith in Christ.
| | Congregational Ministries Committee | | | |
What do you need?
The Synod Congregational Ministry Committee is seeking input to inform their next project. Would you like resources or events on evangelism, discipleship, worship, property, strategic planning, staffing or something else?
Click the button below to take a short survey and help us discern our next resource/event.
Pastor Travis Norton
Chair of Synod Congregational Ministry Committee
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connect students to their campus ministries
Do you know young adults heading to campus this fall? Connecting them with their local campus ministry is a great way to support them in their college years. Young adults experience unique spiritual, intellectual and emotional challenges and our campus ministries seek to strengthen and support them as they learn and grow.
Visit the LuMin website to refer young adults you know to one of the over 240 campus ministries in our ELCA network. Thank you for supporting campus ministries and young adults on campus!
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| | global church of immigrant accompaniment | | | |
Opportunity to sponsor Afghan Refugees
The Church World Service is working with two refugee families from Afghanistan who are planning to relocate to the Denver-metro area. Sponsor support the family for 3 months as they secure housing and food, enroll in school, and apply for jobs.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact Rev. Diana Linden-Johnson
| | | congregations in transition resources | |
Moving Boldly Into the Future
Revised Manual for Congregations in Transition
Letter from the Bishop Meghan Johnston Aelabouni
Grace and peace to you from Jesus! Transitions are a part of life, including life in the church. Generations grow and change. Pastors, deacons, and members are welcomed into communities and are sent onward with prayers and blessings. Times of transition and change often bring a mixture of emotions: joy and grief, gratitude and loss; excitement and uncertainty. As your congregation enters a time of transition, whatever the circumstances, you are not alone. God is with you! And the Rocky Mountain Synod Office of the Bishop is here to accompany you.
This transition will offer your congregation an opportunity to reflect on the ministry and future of your congregation. Who have you been together? Who are you now? Who is God calling you to become? Entering the transition process intentionally and thoughtfully invites and allows the Holy Spirit to guide you in discernment and to renew the ministry of your congregation.
Our Synod Minister for Transitions and Healthy Ministries, Pastor Sara Wirth, will work with you to help you determine the kind of transitional process that is right for you. Click on the link below to learn more.
View/Download Manual
| | registration open for NEW EiL Cohort | | |
As far as we know, there isn't an AI built for church - but there is a community that shares Actual Intelligence, Application Insights, and Applied Instruction. In Excellence in Leadership, we talk about current situations, accompany you through the seasons of life, and share wisdom in real and experiential ways. And while our classes might take place on a computer screen, there is nothing artificial nor quick-fix about our curriculum. We create community, address reality, and deepen spirituality and critical thinking.
Join us as we launch a new cohort for Excellence in Leadership this September. Open to individuals and congregational groups alike, it is meant for all who seek to become more healthy, courageous, resilient, and faithful leaders in their lives and in their contexts.
If cost is a consideration, a limited number of partial scholarships is available. Register [HERE] today!
More information about the cohort can be found on the website [HERE]
Any questions can be directed to eil@rmselca.org
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Installation at All Saints | Aurora, Co.
Reflection
I am filled with gratitude. The installation service last week was a concrete, tangible experience and reminder that we do not engage in ministry alone, but in community, with one another. This call is a both/and experience for me, I am excited about the people of All Saints and their energy for living out their faith, and comes with the challenge that we will spend almost a year without my spouse and co-pastor Pastor Chelsea—who has served All Saints since Feb 2021 and will be deployed to serve soldiers on an overseas tour.
To begin my ministry with the people of All Saints, knowing and feeling the support of others is an incredible gift, not only for me but also for the people of All Saints. The accompaniment of my colleagues and lay leaders from other Aurora congregations made this moment feel truly celebratory. For me personally, having been ordained and installed at my previous call in the height of the pandemic in 2020, this felt like a bit of a reset for my ministry, a communal celebration that made it clear we are not alone—in life and in our discipleship—we journey together.
~Pastor Mandy Achterberg
| | | | We pray for the congregations, ministries, and leaders of the North New Mexico Conference | | Note: The Jobs in Congregations web page has been updated to reflect the most current employment opportunities in the Synod. Each position will be posted on the Synod website for at least two months unless otherwise noted. If your employment opportunity has been filled, please send an email to advise Dn Mary Stoneback so your ad can be removed. | | office of the bishop staff | |
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Rev. Barbara Berry-Bailey (she/her), Synod Minister for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, bberry-bailey@rmselca.org
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Rev. Quirino Cornejo (he/him), Director for Evangelical Mission-South & Synod Minister for Multicultural Witness, qcornejo@rmselca.org
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Rev. Chris Davis (he/him), Director for Evangelical Mission-North and Synod Minister for Generosity, cdavis@rmselca.org
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Jon Johnson (he/him), Synod Minister for Finance and Human Resources, finance@rmselca.org
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