Dear friends in Christ,

Blessed Holy Week and Easter to you all.

In a time of war, deep uncertainty, and relentless worry, when every news cycle cries out to us of the suffering of our neighbors far and near, Holy Week arrives. We travel a path from Palm Sunday’s defiant joy, through fear and reverence at the foot-washing basin, the last supper table, and the olive trees of Gethsemane, to the heart-rending pain of the cross and the sorrowful silence of the tomb—and finally, to the awe and hope of Easter resurrection. We remember and are re-membered, as the scattered people of God, in the ancient story that echoes in our lives and our world because it is our story, too.



For all who will diligently tend to and participate in worship this week, I give thanks: for bulletin-makers and folders; for those who prepare the sanctuary to tell the story in palms and paraments, stripped emptiness and abundant lilies; for choirs, musicians and speakers; for preachers and presiders; for kitchen crews and children’s caregivers; and for children, youth, and adults of all ages who will come in person or join online. I give thanks for all who will dare to believe, or at least consider, that the story of Jesus and the way of Jesus still matter.

Beloved, I believe with my whole heart that the witness of these sacred days does matter; because the story of Jesus and the way of Jesus are true, and more important than ever. Worship is not all that we are called to do; but it is the holy place and holy time in which God invites, feeds, equips, and blesses us for our callings, and reminds us that we are fully known and wholly beloved before we do anything else at all.

That good news is our holy gift and holy responsibility to proclaim for all people, and especially for those who have too often been shut out or excluded from belonging, in our communities and in the church. In that spirit, I am mindful that International Transgender Day of Visibility falls this year within Holy Week, on March 31; and I pray in thanks for the gifts of trans and nonbinary siblings in Christ who are leaders in the church, and all trans and nonbinary neighbors, who are beloved of God and who reflect in their lives the love of God that created humanity in diversity and called us “very good.”

We remember this week the way of Jesus, who crossed human-drawn boundaries and barriers to draw people on the margins into the center of God’s love, in whom “there is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one” (Galatians 3:28). Jesus’ embodied commitment to God’s love for all people so threatened the human powers of his world that he was killed to silence his message and put an end to his ministry; instead, he was raised to new life, proving that love overcomes fear and life overcomes death.

In an increasingly fractured world, fueled by suspicion of those who are “other,” and profiting from the exploitation of human fear to make us enemies of one another, let this Holy Week and Easter remind us of the truth: in Christ, we are one. In Christ, we are called to a way of humility and honesty, love and liberation, compassion and courage. In Christ, we are comforted and called as people of the cross and people of the resurrection.



May this Holy Week and Easter renew in you, and in all of us, the power and the presence of the living God: God who created and called us “good,” Jesus whose life, death, and resurrection rescue and redeem all creation from the forces of sin and death, and the Holy Spirit who is the breath in our song, prayer, and proclamation.

+Bishop Meghan

Together 4 Good host, Pastor Nate Preisinger interviews Dave "Packer" Gunnlaugsson, Executive Director of Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp. This week's episode is titled, Why Do Camp Experiences Shape Faith for a Lifetime?

Conversation Highlights Include:



• How camp creates space for kids to discover who they are
• Why leadership development is at the heart of outdoor ministry
• What faith looks like in the middle of anxiety and uncertainty
• How the church can better support young people beyond Sunday mornings
• Why relationships—not programs—shape lasting faith

The 2026 Youth–Lead Conference is a day event for 8th–12th graders and their church leaders to gather for leadership, learning, relationship-building, prayer, play, and skill-building. Held Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Zion Lutheran Church in Loveland, this grassroots conference helps equip churches to more fully invite youth into meaningful leadership. 

Many around our synod remember the visit last year by our companion synod presidents in Madagascar. What a joy it was to meet them and hear firsthand about God’s work in Madagascar. To help support the projects the presidents shared with us, the Rocky Mountain Synod has sent each synod a gift of $3,000. These funds will go a long way toward building walls, synod office buildings, wells, radio towers, and updating medical facilities. Of course, more help is always needed. Please consider donating to Seeds of Hope through the Rocky Mountain Synod.

In other news, last month a hurricane hit the northeast coast of Madagascar, leaving devastation in its wake. At least 40 people have been killed and more than 16,000 others displaced after Cyclone Gezani slammed into Madagascar’s second-largest city earlier this week.

Madagascar’s National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) said on Friday evening that it had recorded 40 deaths, while six people remained missing and at least 427 others were injured. More than 16,300 people were displaced as a result of the storm, the agency added. Especially hard hit was the city of Tomasina. Although not in our companion synod, one member of our Companion Synod Committee served there as a YAGM. You may donate to relief efforts by giving to Lutheran Disaster Relief, designating that the funds be directed to Madagascar.

“The city is running on roughly 5 percent of electricity, and there is no water,” she said, adding that the WFP’s office and one warehouse “were also completely destroyed”.

FREE ADMISSION. LIGHT LUNCH PROVIDED.

Over thirty community and faith organizations are hosting a celebration of Palestinian culture at Fort Collins’ Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA) on Saturday, April 18, 2026.



Join with your friends and neighbors for a joyful, family-friendly celebration of the ancient and modern cultural treasures of Palestine!

Taste traditional culinary treats, learn about the rich history of Palestine and the challenges Palestinians are facing, hear their music, share in their dance, listen to speakers, have henna applied, and explore a Bedouin tent and mini-museum featuring authentic artifacts and heritage clothing.

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.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, April 25, 2026
• Time: 10:00 am - 3:30 pm MT
• Venue: 7979 Meade St., Westminster, CO, 80030

Registration is easy and free:

1. Register at https://nationalfaithandclimateforum.org
2. Fill out the required registration fields.
3. Select the “Attend in person at a designated host location” Ticket Type.
4. Then select your specific location.
5. 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)

Reflection by Kurt Rager, Synod Minister for Advocacy- New Mexico

Nima Ward, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico’s founding director, passed away in early March. Nima skillfully organized a handful of NM congregations around advocacy in the public arena and as a result, public policy advocacy in Santa Fe was established in 1984. Known as Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministry (LOGM) in its early years, Nima served as the ministry’s director for 16 years. 

Forty-three years later, and now known as Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico, advocacy in New Mexico state public policy continues to thrive thanks to the foundation, reputation and culture that Nima Ward established. Key to effective advocacy is building trusting relationships with legislators. Nima successfully built such relationships. One, of many, who admired her greatly was the venerable State Representative J. Paul Taylor, a powerful legislator from southern New Mexico. He called her “the Mother Teresa of New Mexico” and remembered that no matter how late the hour during the legislative session, she always seemed to be at the Roundhouse.

Nima’s work extended well beyond the halls and committee rooms of the Roundhouse. Nima traveled throughout New Mexico visiting LCA and ultimately ELCA congregations and inviting them into the world of public policy. Eventually, engagement broadened to congregations of other protestant denominations and strategic partnerships with the Presbytery of Santa Fe and the New Mexico Conference of Churches. Congregations and members were invited to take up the call as people of faith-to learn why poverty and hunger exist and to work for systematic solutions through public policy.

Nima Ward had a passion for justice that was infectious to all those she encountered. Legislators counted on her for accurate information and unbiased data on the vital issues and challenges of New Mexico. Known for her personable and respectful interactions with elected officials, pastors and church members, Nima was the model of how to move with grace between church and public square, all the while playing a vital role in policy changes that positively impacted the lives of countless New Mexicans.

• Rev. Barbara Berry-Bailey (she/her), Synod Minister for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, bberry-bailey@rmselca.org
• Rev. Quirino Cornejo (he/him), Director for Evangelical Mission-South & Synod Minister for Multicultural Witness, qcornejo@rmselca.org
• Rev. Chris Davis (he/him), Director for Evangelical Mission-North and Synod Minister for Generosity, cdavis@rmselca.org
• Jon Johnson (he/him), Synod Minister for Finance and Human Resources, finance@rmselca.org

• Rev. Diana Johnson, Synod Minister for Rostered Ministry, dlinden-johnson@rmselca.org
• Kurt Rager, Synod Minister for Advocacy, New Mexico, krager@rmselca.org
• Deacon Mary Stoneback (she/her), Synod Minister for Strategic Communications and Events, mstoneback@rmselca.org
• Yvonne Wilken (she/her), Synod Minister for Adminstration, office@rmselca.org
• Pastor Sara Wirth (she/her), Synod Minister for Transitions and Healthy Ministries, swirth@rmselca.org