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February 18, 2026
generally published Tuesday of each week
| | Bishop Meghan's Lent Message | | |
Last year, the day before Ash Wednesday, we were planning worship for our staff in the Office of the Bishop when we suddenly realized we had no ashes. I couldn’t quite believe it, because I knew with absolute certainty that I had planned ahead. The previous year, I had put aside palm branches from the Palm Sunday Procession and guarded them carefully in my office for months, in anticipation of this very moment in time. I could close my eyes and see the palms propped up right next to the door, perfectly dried, waiting to become ashes.
But that office was in Jerusalem. And those ashes were for a different place.
And this year, we’re in a different place yet again.
As we enter the season of Lent this Ash Wednesday, I’m mindful of how much can change in a year—and how the reality of change is part of what Ash Wednesday is for. When it feels like the world is whirling, and we are reeling; when we wake up in the morning and remember that the person we love is no longer there; when each day’s news brings fresh heartbreak or worry; we may wonder: what is the solid ground? What is left, amid the ruins of our expectations and our hopes, to offer solace to our weary hearts—and a way forward?
Ash Wednesday does not turn away from these realities. In the center of the maelstrom, in the silence after endings, in the deep breath before the scary new thing, Ash Wednesday meets us and marks us with the honest dust of the earth. The cross on our forehead witnesses to the story of God who so loves this place, this world, this humanity—even knowing the worst we can do to one another, and ourselves—that God chooses us, and loves us, through life and death and beyond. The cross of ashes is a promise that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus: including our mortality and our fallibility, our doubt and our overwhelm, and all the change that unravels our plans and demands we start again here, now.
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Ash Wednesday offers this to us, and more: an invitation not only to a moment but to a season. I am reminded each year that the word “Lent,” which we might suppose has something to do with Jesus’ death and resurrection, or our penitence for sin, in fact is taken from an old English word for “spring.” Lent is the new spring growth, the bud in the branch, the building of birds’ nests and gestation of new life. Lent is the story of life leading inexorably to death, and death turning again to new life.
Dear friends, I pray that this Ash Wednesday and Lenten season offer you, not easy answers or shallow consolations, but profound love that reaches you in the depths of change and uncertainly, fear and grief, and wonder at the ways life continues to show its beauty in the midst of it all. Profound peace, that calms your heart and breath and gives you courage. Profound hope, that there is resurrection on the other side of every death and every dead end. And I give thanks for you, and for the God whose love lives in you, for the sake of the world God so loves.
Blessed Ash Wednesday. Blessed Lent.
+Bishop Meghan
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Meet Keynote Speaker, Dr. Kristina Lizardy–Hajbi
What if Vocation Isn’t Your Job but Your Life in Christ Lived Out in Community? A Conversation with Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, by Pastor Nate Preisinger on Bethany Lutheran Church's "Together4Good" podcast.
A few key takeaways:
• Why vocation is more than employment
• How congregations discern their calling
• The difference between growth and vitality
• Why numbers don’t define faithfulness
• How “life in Christ” is a call to abundance, not scarcity
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The 2026 Synod Assembly Website and Online Guide is a central hub for this year's Assembly titled, “Vida en Cristo. Life in Christ.”, happening April 23–25, 2026 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Cherry Hills Village (Denver).
PLEASE NOTE:
MEMORIALS & RESOLUTIONS: Submit your memorials and resolutions by or before March 14, 2026 to both:
NOMINATIONS: Nominate yourself or someone else for position openings with Synod Council and Synod Committees through March 14. Click on the buttons above for more information.
LODGING: The Synod is NOT contracting a room block. We are only providing a few options close to Bethany with reasonable rates.
Please visit the Synod Assembly Event Website often to stay up-to-date as you prepare for this year's Synod Assembly.
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Pre-Assembly Gathering (open to everyone, not just assembly participants) | | |
More Information Coming Soon
Walking What Jesus Talked About
Racial Justice Training
Tuesday, April 21, 12pm – Thursday, April 23, 12pm
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Highlands Lutheran Church Endowment Grants Available | | |
Deadline: February 28th
Grant Disbursement: April/May
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Dear Valued Partner,
We are reaching out to you on behalf of the Highlands Lutheran Endowment. We provide small grants to non-profits that support programs in and around the Denver Metro area or that serve greater Colorado, which are focused on youth, LGBTQ, people who are unhoused/homeless, Indigenous/Native American communities, prison programs, and food banks. We are specifically focused on projects that bring hope, healing, and hospitality in these areas. Awarded grants usually range between $1,000 and $5,000.
Further information regarding the grant application process can be found HERE.
(There will be a second grant in the fall of 2026. Please continue to apply after due date and we'll be in touch)
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The Rocky Mountain Synod is co-sponsoring with Together Colorado Faith & Justice at the Capitol 2026 Lobby Day, March 23, 8:30a–1pm | | |
Dear Rocky Mountain Synod,
We’re excited to partner with the Rocky Mountain Synod again and plan to follow a format similar to last year: a morning grounding and brief “how to lobby” training, followed by House and Senate group visits. We also hope to close out our time together with a clear call to action before lunch—possibly a short gathering on the Capitol steps with a song and invitation to next steps.
Please click on the button above to register for the event and we invite you to use the Lobby Day Toolkit to spread the word to your faith communities.
Sincerely,
Meghan Carrier
Executive Director, Together Colorado
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"We received a grant—thank you for posting the information."
~Ron T. Glusenkamp
| | In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God for “daily bread”—not just for ourselves, but for all (“our” daily bread). As Ronald T. Glusenkamp and Augustana Lutheran Church continue their feeding ministry, this $500 Daily Bread Grant from ELCA World Hunger becomes a tangible way God answers that prayer through the hands and generosity of the church—helping neighbors receive what they need today, and helping us receive God’s gifts with thanksgiving. This is timely support as new SNAP work-requirement changes began February 1, 2026, increasing strain on many households and local food ministries. | | | | |
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The Office of the Secretary Announcement
Annual Congregation Reports
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Dear Synod Bishops,
We are pleased to share that the online system for the Annual Congregation Report was opened on Monday January 12 for data entry by congregations. We have received nearly 200 responses, and there are another 600 in progress. The Office of the Secretary is eager to receive their reports.
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Portico February Announecments | | | | |
Click the button below for Portico February updates. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Blessings,
Andrea
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Church Property Resources
Town Halls
| | A beautifully celebratory worship service at Wicker Park Lutheran Church in Chicago, IL. Photo credit: Brian Eaves, https://www.eavesphoto.com/ | | |
Join the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for three ELCA-wide Town Halls introducing the new Church Property Resource Hub—a growing collection of templates, guides, explainers, and courses to help congregations steward buildings and land in faithful, practical ways. Choose a session that fits your schedule:
- March 17 (12 p.m. MT / 1 p.m. CT)
- March 19 (3 p.m. MT / 4 p.m. CT)
- March 24 (12 p.m. MT / 1 p.m. CT)
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40-40-40 Lenten Challenge
for Region 2
| | Our goal is for participation by at least one individual from 50 congregations in each of the five synods. | | |
Join the Region 2 ELCA Lenten Challenge (2026)—a friendly, faith-filled effort across the five Region 2 synods (Sierra Pacific, Southwest California, Pacifica, Grand Canyon, and Rocky Mountain) to put Matthew 25 into practice.
This year’s theme—“Lord, When Did We See You?”—invites individuals, families, congregations, and organizations to commit to 3 of 4 practices (Devotions, Learning, Action, and Donation) throughout Lent, while together aiming to raise $100,000 for ELCA World Hunger—supporting sustainable solutions that address the root causes of hunger and poverty.
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PLTS Opportunity (Online & In Person)
| | Disputatio on Artificial Intelligence | | |
The Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary Disputatio on Artificial Intelligence will be held at 2000 Center St., Suite 200, Berkeley, CA and online on Wednesday, February 25 from 8:30 am - 3 pm.
In a digital age that is always reforming, artificial intelligence (AI) has become part and parcel of living in modernity. Given its impact, as well as overwhelming enthusiasm for and protest against, it becomes necessary to ask: how do we best live in the world with the reality of AI? How do we respond to it faithfully and theologically? How do we equip leaders to accompany people in the decisions they will face? To explore this, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary will host a Disputatio on Artificial Intelligence following the medieval questio model in collaboration with powerful voices in medicine, ecology, and higher education.
The events of the day include the main disputatio, worship, lunch, and a variety of themed generative conversations hosted by theology and AI experts. Join us online or in Berkeley on Wednesday, February 25 from 8:30 am - 3 pm for a dynamic day of inquiry!
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The Buntrock Scholars Program at Augustana University supports students who are active and engaged in ELCA congregations throughout the Midwest by covering half of the net price of attendance, up to $13,000 per year.
Applications for Fall 2026 are now open. Find more information and the application at augie.edu/BuntrockScholarship.
Congregations whose students are awarded the Buntrock Scholarship are strongly encouraged to provide some level of financial support to help the students cover the other half of net tuition. The donor’s vision for this generous scholarship program is to partner with congregations and synods to make college more accessible for young people in the Church.
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March 1 Deadline Approaching | | |
Youth musicians from across the country are headed to St. Olaf College this year for the 2026 Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival (LSM). Students in grades 8-12 will be immersed in a supportive community that nurtures their musical growth, and invites them to share their musical gifts in performance and in worship.
The Standard Enrollment deadline is March 1, and spots are filling fast. Do you know young musicians who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them today at LSMacademy.org/nominate, or remind them to submit a free application by March 1 at LSMacademy.org/apply.
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Faith Formation Network
A Network for those working with children, youth, families and young adults
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THE FFN WEBPAGE IS LIVE!
Get connected in person or online, learn, share resources & stories, upcoming events and more!
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Dear FFN Colleagues:
Bishop Meghan Aelabouni plans to attend the Western States Youth Gathering (WSYG) at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California on June 28-July 1, 2026. Bishop Meghan would like to know if we have any congregations in the Rocky Mountain Synod who will be bringing youth to this gathering.
If so, please email Yvonne Wilken (Synod Minister for Administration) at office@rmselca.org . We would love to know if you will be there so that we can network together. If there are congregations who have a few youth but no set plans or limited capacity to lead a summer trip, please let us know and we might be able to link these youth to another group that is already planning on going.
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This year the theme is "A Space Odyssey" and with WSYG being a year prior to the ELCA Youth Gathering, it provides a wonderful opportunity to prepare your young people for the overall Gathering experience. Youth graduating 8th grade through those graduating 12th grade, including their adult leaders, are invited to attend. Registration includes all housing, meals, and programming.
Please take a look at all the opportunities this Western States Youth Gathering has to offer by clicking the link below.
Western States Youth Gathering
or on Facebook:
Western States Youth Gathering | Thousand Oaks CA - Facebook
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SUMUD Webinar: February 26, 10am
Join ELCA Sumud for a webinar linking detention and imprisonment from Minneapolis to Palestine—featuring local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement impacts shared by Bishop Jen Nagel and insights from Rami Khader.
Participants: Maddi Froiland • Bishop Jen Nagel • Rami Khader
| | Lenten Devotional from this ELCA Sumud series, prepared by some of the ELCA bishops who visited ELCJHL in January 2026 on the occasion of the consecration of Bishop Dr. Imad Hadda. | | |
On the Website
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Go to Connect & Serve on the Main Menu, where you'll find individual pages for: Global Church Network, RMS SUMUD, Companion Synods and Immigrant Accompaniment Network
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National Faith + Climate Forum | April 25 | | |
We are excited to share that Advent Lutheran Church in Westminster, CO, will serve as a host site for the National Faith + Climate Forum 2026 on Saturday, April 25, and this year promises to be the most inspiring yet.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is the keynote speaker for the National Faith + Climate Forum. Dr. Johnson is the acclaimed author of What If We Get It Right?, co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, and co-editor of All We Can Save.
Her visionary leadership at the intersection of climate action, justice, and community makes her an extraordinary voice for this moment.
With the theme “The Future We Choose: Faith in Action for a Thriving Tomorrow,” the 2026 Forum invites us to imagine and build the future our faith calls us to create. Through dynamic workshops, energizing conversations, and powerful storytelling, we will explore how communities of faith can lead with courage, compassion, and hope.
Whether you’ve joined us before or are stepping into this movement for the first time, your participation is vital. Together, we will learn, connect, and catalyze action toward a more sustainable and equitable world.
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Event Details:
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Date: Saturday, April 25, 2026
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Time: 10:00 am - 3:30 pm MT
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Venue: 7979 Meade St., Westminster, CO, 80030
Registration is easy and free:
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Register at https://nationalfaithandclimateforum.org
- Fill out the required registration fields.
- Select the “Attend in person at a designated host location” Ticket Type.
- Then select your specific location.
- Submit your registration and look out for a confirmation email with your registration details!
We hope you will join us for this transformative day.
Questions? Contact Pastor Alena Lamirato (pastoralena@yahoo.com)
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| | Pastor Kaari Nieuwlandt will be installed on March 1, 2026, 3:00pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. All are welcome! | | | | | |
Synod Prayers
We prayer for the rostered ministers, congregations, and ministries throughout the Border Conference.
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Rev. Doniver "Don" Peterson
Rev. Doniver Peterson passed away on February 15. His family has scheduled his memorial for Saturday, February 21 at 11am at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Greeley.
Lunch will follow the service and inurnment will be private. Pastor Don's colleagues are, of course, welcome but need not vest.
Read Rev. Doniver Peterson's Obituary
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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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Rev. Diana Johnson, Synod Minister for Rostered Ministry, dlinden-johnson@rmselca.org
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Kurt Rager, Synod Minister for Advocacy, New Mexico, krager@rmselca.org
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Deacon Mary Stoneback (she/her), Synod Minister for Strategic Communications and Events, mstoneback@rmselca.org
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Yvonne Wilken (she/her), Synod Minister for Adminstration, office@rmselca.org
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Pastor Sara Wirth (she/her), Synod Minister for Transitions and Healthy Ministries, swirth@rmselca.org
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| | Rocky Mountain Synod | 2323 E. Iliff Ave., | Denver, CO 80210 US |
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