In gratitude for his life, witness and ministry, we commend to God's eternal care the Reverend Herb Chilstrom, first Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, who died today.

Herbert W. Chilstrom, 88, the first presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), died Jan. 19 at his home in Green Valley, Ariz. He was born in Litchfield, Minn., on Oct. 18, 1931.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Corinne (Hansen), also a Lutheran pastor; a daughter, Mary Cress of Mesa, Ariz.; and a son, Christopher Holt of Baltimore; and four sisters, Winnifred Christenson of Robbinsdale, Minn.; Virginia Francis of Pickens, S.C.; Martha (Charles) Anderson of Ashby, Minn.; and Janet (Frederick) Sickert of West Linn, Ore.

Chilstrom completed academic degrees at Augsburg University, Augustana Seminary, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Princeton Seminary, and New York University, where he earned a doctor of education degree.

He served Lutheran congregations in Pelican Rapids, Elizabeth and St. Peter, Minn.

He was professor and dean at Luther College, Teaneck, N.J., from 1962-1970. In 1976 he was elected bishop of the Minnesota Synod of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA). At the 1987 merger that created the 5.2-million-member ELCA, he was elected the first presiding bishop.

May the peace of God, the love of Christ and the comfort of Holy Spirit enfold his family and all who grieve.

https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/8020

As you approach the front door of Denver congregations, Cross of Glory Lutheran Church or Highlands Lutheran Church, it is hard to miss "BOB," the Big Orange Box .

In partnership with local food banks, Metro Caring and Bienvenidos, both congregations have placed a large orange food bank donation box at their front door, allowing food bank donations to be made 24/7. The conspicuous boxes serve as a reminder to the congregations to continue to donate food and as a connection to the community, making it easy for neighbors to participate in the congregations' food bank ministries. Food donations are up, and both congregations are proud to be known as "Orange Box" churches.

There are currently two Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGMs) from the Rocky Mountain Synod serving in Australia - Joe Kiel and Macy Kennedy. Joe recently sent a prayer request to members of the RMS Global Mission Committee: "A few of you have reached out to me asking how I'm doing/if I've been impacted with the bushfire situation here. Know that I'm okay. I've experienced a lot of smog and even seen a few fires on the horizon...but have not been significantly affected. And as most of you know...that makes me pretty lucky. Unfortunately, though, millions have suffered, so please keep Australia and all the life that's been impacted in your best wishes." So, people of the RMS, please keep Australia, those impacted by the fires, and all of our YAGMs in your prayers!

A busy time of year is coming up and we now have annual report resources available for your congregations, including covers, the RMS report insert, and Where Does My Offering Go posters. These resources are also available here.

Annual Report Cover:

Other resources:

Rocky Mountain Synod Annual Report Insert

St Paul Community of Faith

1600 Grant St, Denver

Pacific Lutheran University Choir of the West will present a spring tour concert with repertoire including several motets, both modern and from 18th-century Germany, Shakespeare Songs by Matthew Harris, the North American premiere of Psalm 117 by Daniel Knaggs, spirituals arranged by Moses Hogan, Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine by Eric Whitacre, and a world premiere piece by PLU student Thomas Wheeler.

A goodwill offering will be accepted.

Holy Love Lutheran Church

4210 S. Chambers Rd, Aurora, CO

Singer/Songwriter James Hersch returns to Holy Love Lutheran for a concert on Saturday, February 1. A potluck Soup Supper will be held at 6:00 p.m. The concert will follow, starting roughly at 7:30 pm.

For more info contact, [email protected].

Colorado Lutheran Day at the Legislature is Thursday, February 27. We invite you to join us! The event is a great opportunity for learning, listening, and action, and will involve visits to your representatives in the Capitol building.

Register now and save the date!

Register for the Yoga as a Prayer retreat here or at peacelutheranelp.org.

Would you like to reach interested volunteers for your service project, or are you looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities yourself?

JustServe is a free community resource sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The JustServe.org website is used by a wide array of faith, nonprofit, community, and government organizations to post service opportunities. People use JustServe.org to work with community partners to identify needs and respond to those needs in the spirit of charitable service. Volunteers can quickly find opportunities that fit their interests, skills, and availability.

Visit JustServe.org to find or post volunteer opportunities or download the JustServe app at the App Store or Google Play.

ALOA webinars feature a knowledgeable older adult ministry leader covering a single topic and providing information on available resources. All are free and last approximately 60 minutes. If you can't be available for the live webinar, sign up anyway and we'll email you a link to the recording and associated resources.

January 23, 2020 – Noon ET

Aging Parents and Their Adult Children with Disabilities

Mona Fuerstenau, Director of Ministry Partnerships at Bethesda Lutheran Communities, Watertown, WI, will discuss the challenges and possibilities aging parents face as they make plans for their adult children with disabilities after they are gone. Register now

February 27, 2020 – Noon ET

Nursing Homes: Quality Care & Quality of Life, Part 2

Alice Hedt, former Executive Director of the Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, provides a follow-up to her webinar on finding a quality care facility. In this session, she'll explore how family members and residents themselves can promote quality of care and quality of life once there. Register now

Find out more about ALOA webinars and check out the archive of past topics on our website.

Here's your February 2020 "Stewardship Toolkit ." It's a Word file with an original newsletter article, RCL-based Sunday bulletin blurbs, and links - all related to a monthly theme. The February theme is "Steward your life: Cultivate a Heart of Love." 

Bethany Lutheran Church has 38 dry-cleaned and pressed robes for children for anyone who is interested. All are royal blue in color. Contact us at 303-758-2820 or [email protected] if you'd like them or for more information.

Christ Lutheran Church, Highlands Ranch, Colorado is seeking a detail-oriented individual to fill the role of Bookkeeper. In this role, you will be responsible for managing the financial records and reports on the financial business of the church. This person will need to have a strong working knowledge of accounting principles and practices and be proficient with Microsoft Office (including Excel) and QuickBooks. This is a part-time position that will average 20 hours per week. 

A full job description is available  here . For more information, please contact Pastor Gail Mundt at  [email protected] ; 303-791-0803.