Several 3E leaders are now transitioning off the 3E team. Julie Nelson, who has served as Associate Program Director for the Ministerial Excellence Fund concludes her time with 3E. Over nearly six years, Julie has overseen the sharing of over $600,000 of grants focusing especially on education and medical debt relief for pastors and deacons. We estimate these grants have saved well over $300,000 in cumulative interest. Julie and her team of volunteers have shepherded rostered ministers to helpful grants and have provided much appreciated accompaniment with pastors and deacons addressing their financial challenges.

Deb Elstad, Associate Program Director for Stewardship also concludes her time with 3E. Under Deb’s leadership, 3E’s stewardship programming grew from offering the lone Stewardship for All Seasons (Year 1 and Year 2) program, to include Beginning a Culture of Generosity, SAS (Stewardship for All Seasons) Refresher, the online resources of the Center for Generosity, and Generosity Watch Parties. Over the first six years of 3E, 182 RMS congregations signed up one or more times for our six different stewardship programs offered in partnership with GSB Fundraising. Deb connected with rostered and lay leaders of our congregations, built lasting relationships along the way, and shared her own generous spirit and faith in God’s never-ending abundance have marked her work.

Finally, Pastor Michael Tassler, who has served as Program Director of 3E since early 2018, concludes his time with 3E. His tasks ranged from overseeing the 3E leadership team, to relating to our grant partners in the Grand Canyon Synod, to writing annual reports and connecting with the Lilly Endowment, to managing the beginning of the Pandemic Relief Grant program, to connecting with the office of the bishop and the synod council. Michael begins a new call as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Salt Lake City, on March 1.

On March 1, a new 3E leadership team takes the reins. Deacon Sarah Bjornebo, who will serve as Program Director, is joined by Pastor Dana Peterson (who continues to lead the Vital Right-Shaped Ministry 3E pillar), Pastor Diana Linden-Johnson, Tina Kvitek, and Jon Johnson. We are grateful for the gifts and perspective of this team, who will endeavor to continue and further integrate the ministry of 3E in the RMS.

Since launching in 2017, 3E has been a remarkable experience for the Rocky Mountain Synod, in partnership since 2020 with the Grand Canyon Synod. In the annual report that will be submitted soon to the Lilly Endowment, we report that in 2022 alone, 863 individuals and 273 congregations participated one or more times in one or more of 3E’s programs. In gratitude to God, we trust that 3E will build upon the foundation of its first six years and help us continue to increase our capacity for healthy ministry long into the future.



ASSEMBLY 2023

Cruzando Fronteras

May 16-18, 2023

El Paso, Texas

RMS ASSEMBLY 2023 PREPARATION:

As we prepare for Christ’s resurrection this Lenten season, we also prepare our hearts for the “Cruzando Fronteras” Synod Assembly 2023 in El Paso, TX.

We invite you to participate in the “Lenten Migration Advocacy Challenge” to learn about the policies affecting migration, hear stories from migrants, gain the knowledge and skills to engage in advocacy, and pray together to better embody a church that welcomes, protects, promotes, and integrates the stranger in our midst.

Sign up before February 21st as we accompany one another – and our neighbors of different traditions – in solidarity with our migrant neighbors during this Lenten Season!

Registration and Hotel Links for Synod Assembly will be coming soon! Questions? Contact Deacon Sarah Bjornebo HERE.

LAM COLORADO

Join us for Colorado Lutheran Day at the Capitol

TOMORROW Thursday, February 16

8:00am to 1:00pm

beginning at St. Paul L.C.

1600 Grant Street, Denver 80203

Don't miss this opportunity to put your faith in action! This annual event will focus on learning, community building, and lobbying elected officials. You can join us online via Zoom or in-person. Registration is currently open!

Registration is $20 for full-day in-person (includes breakfast, lunch, and all materials. Registration is $5 to join the morning session only by Zoom

For more details and to register now, visit: Colorado Lutheran Day at the Capitol info + FAQ.

LAM NEW MEXICO

2023 NM Issue Briefing and Bishop's Luncheon!

Tuesday, February 21, 9:00am-noon

*see new location and register by Friday, February 17!

After pausing this annual event for the last two years, the New Mexico 2023 Legislative Issue Briefing is scheduled in person for Tuesday, February 21 from 9 a.m. to noon! Note that the location has recently changed from the United Church of Santa Fe to Christ Lutheran Church in Santa Fe.  Sign-in and refreshments will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. Following the protocols of United Church, masks will be required by participants in the building. The event will include morning devotions, a Bible study on advocacy with Bishop Jim, special guest presentations, and a legislative advocacy summary of priority bills still active.

Please note, there will be no Zoom option for the Issue Briefing.

At the conclusion of the Issue Briefing, participants will proceed to the La Fonda Hotel in downtown Santa Fe. The Bishop's Luncheon which will begin at 12:30 p.m. and conclude at about 2:30 p.m. The luncheon will include more with Bishop Jim, special presentations, and of course, a wonderful lunch. Masks are not required by La Fonda and thus are optional.

The cost for both NM events is $40 per person. (This amount covers just the charge for lunch at La Fonda. The event is not a fundraiser.)

Spring Cohort of Excellence in Leadership

Registration is open!

Excellence in Leadership is opening up a new Spring Cohort that begins March 12, 2023, and will meet about every other week until April 28, 2024. This type of leadership development is a good way for a newly formed Congregational Council to begin its work together.

If you have two or three people from your Council, including the deacon or pastor, who might be interested in exploring the intersection between spirituality and leading a faith community in these uncharted times, check out if this ministry might be right for your congregation. This small number of people participating in learning the tools and growing in leadership capacity can help the whole Council begin the process of healthy change.

CHECK FRAUD

Mission Support electronic payment option coming soon!

In an effort to deter fraud, the synod will offer an electronic payment option soon!

Please continue to send checks to the Office of the Bishop in standard business envelopes (no windows please).

Please ask treasurers and financial staff to reconcile the RMS Mission Support statement emailed or sent each month with your records to confirm that the RMS has received all payments and alert Jon Johnson, Finance Director if payments are missing. Questions? contact Jon Johnson HERE

FEBRUARY 2023

Portico Synod Communicator Updates

Utilize text support: It’s brave and smart to seek help if you’re living with stress, depression, anxiety, or mental health struggles – but accessing an in-person counselor isn’t always easy or even possible. That’s one reason the ELCA-Primary health plan EAP benefit has expanded to include Talkspace, digital confidential online counseling with licensed therapists via text, video, or audio. Read more on myPortico.

Retirement on the horizon? Increase your confidence and peace of mind by learning more about developing a withdrawal strategy, utilize Social Security, plan for health care costs, and more. Watch the recordings of the Retirement Readiness workshops whenever it works for you. Learn more, or sign up to participate, on myPortico.



Getting started on your taxes early? The Richard R. Hammar Clergy Tax Guide and the Federal Reporting Guide for Churches are both available on myPortico at no cost to you.

Develop an ‘I can do this’ mindset: Deep breaths, time with loved ones, a good night’s sleep … what are your best practices for keeping yourself centered and healthy? If you’re looking to expand your toolbox, and you have ELCA-Primary health benefits, check out Learn to Live’s new course focusing on building resilience. Take the initial assessment and then enroll in the self-guided program at no out-of-pocket cost to you.

RMS MINISTRIES

An update from the U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs:

VA housed more than 40,000 homeless Veterans in 2022

Update from Ryan Barnhouse, YAGM serving in the United Kingdom

I am volunteering with a branch of an international organization that provides housing and support for individuals living with learning disabilities. The organization emphasizes community, accompaniment, and person-centered care, which is embodied through a quote from a long-time employee who said, "[The organization] is a family and community first, and some us happen to be living with learning disabilities."

My role is a Live-In Assistant, meaning I live and work in the same house. I am blessed with the opportunity to share life with those I am caring for in a deeper and more meaningful way than just as a job. And the volunteering I'm doing is so enjoyable it does not feel like a job at all! While on the clock, myself and the other assistants working support and assist the individuals living with learning disabilities with their day-to-day lives. This includes making meals together, accompanying a walk to work or out shopping, personal and intimate care, and spending time laughing around a dining room table. The organization I'm with encourages doing things with rather than for the individuals we are supporting, as a way to promote independence for the individual and interdependence among people - even if that means making breakfast takes 20 extra minutes :)

Essentially, my role as a YAGM this year is to live with and learn from individuals living with learning disabilities. And I've learned a lot already! The individuals I help support in my house vary in communication styles, capacity, and mobility and I've learned (largely from observing others and asking questions) how to best assist each person. I've learned how to foster relationships that are grounded in a connection which transcends verbal communication. I've learned how to live and work with a team whose members' homes are from all corners of the world, as the organization I'm with welcomes a diverse community. But most importantly, I've learned how powerful presence and being with someone can be. When barriers such as communication styles and language differences arise, or as someone struggles with the symptoms of worsening dementia, sitting and being with rather than focusing on doing something for makes a world of difference. And I know God is right there too - which is pretty darn cool.

To ask questions, subscribe to future newletters/blogs, or support Ryan's journey through donation, please email him at: ryan.barnhouse@outlook.com

YOUNG ADULTS IN GLOBAL MISSION

Young Adult Border Immersion Trip

Las Cruces, New Mexico

April 26-30, 2023

The ELCA Young Adult Ministries, AMMPARO, and LIRS invite young adults to apply for border immersion trip taking place from April 26-30 in Las Cruces, NM. This is an opportunity for young adults ages 18-35 to travel to the US-Mexico border to experience an accompaniment-style immersion program, where relationships and first-hand educational experiences are prioritized, and issues are linked to action. Submit your application by February 1st.

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF

Help for earthquake survivors in Turkey

NEW! We've created a suite of resources to help you guide your congregation:

 + Bulletin insert

 + Worship announcement slide

 + Social media graphics

This situation is evolving quickly. Your gift to our emergency response fund will deliver urgently needed support and care, like food, water and other critically needed items, temporary shelter, and medicine and supplies for clinics. I promise to keep you and your congregation updated as our response develops.

At this time, financial gifts are the number one need to assist our neighbors who are inured, hungry and displaced from multiple earthquakes.

You can give directly at lwr.org/quake or by mailing to Lutheran World Relief, PO Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061. Please write "QUAKE" in the memo line.

Thank you - once again - for leading your congregation to share God's love when it's needed most.

Driven: Virtuosos of Stratus

Stratus Chamber Orchestra

Adam Torres, Music Director

Saturday, February 25 at 7pm

Augustana Lutheran Church

5000 E. Alameda Ave., Denver

A shared passion for music making is the fuel that brings together a high-caliber ensemble such as Stratus Chamber Orchestra. Join us for an evening to experience the technical wizardry and musical expertise of some of the finest performers in Denver.

The program features Kurt Ochsner, marimba, and Stratus violins, led by Arlette Aslanian-Townsend, concertmaster. Celebrate Black History Month with the music of Florence Price, and reflect on Charles Ives’ conversational piece, The Unanswered Question. You will no doubt leave in awe of Stratus’ unparalleled talents.

SHARE THIS LENT DEVOTIONAL

"Wild Hope: Stories for Lent from the Vanishing"

February 22-April 9

Join the Creation Care Team and use the devotional "Wild Hope: Stories for Lent from the Vanishing (Volume 1)" by Gayle Boss.

From the cover - We share this planet with creatures magnificent, delicate, intricate—and now vanishing at a faster rate than at any other time in Earth’s history. Spend Lent with twenty-five of these endangered animals. Vivid descriptions of the miracle of each creature and the peril it faces will fill readers with wonder and grief at what these animals suffer on a planet shaped by human choices. Their true and difficult stories will wake readers to a greater compassion—which is what Lent, meaning “springtime,” has always been for. These stories also wake in us a wild hope that from all this death and ruin something new could rise. The promise of Lent is that something new will rise. In fact, as these stories attest, our hope, though wild, is not impossible and is already loose in the world.

Read more here, questions- rmscreationcareteam@gmail.com.

AURORA, CO

Join Rejoicing Spirits for Valentines!

Sunday, February 19, 4:00-6:00pm

Join Rejoicing Spirits at Lord of the Hills Lutheran Church 21755 E Smoky Hill Road in Aurora for dinner and worship!

We will unite in activities, singing, laughing and loving God. Rejoicing Spirits is an inclusive worship space for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities, their caregivers, families and anyone who seeks an open, joyful and creative worship experience.

We will gather at LOTH on the third Sunday of each month in 2023.

If you would like more information regarding the Rejoicing Spirits experience or volunteering, please contact Pastor Margot Wright at pastor@lordofthehills.org or Pastor Ann Hultquist at hultquist@augustanadenver.org.

“We will know what it is to be created in God’s image when all are included."

ZOOM EVENT

Trauma & Its Healing

presented by Dr. Pat Fosarelli, M.D., D.Min

Tuesday, February 21

4-6 pm PT, 5-7 pm MT, 6-8 pm CT, 7-9 pm ET

Although we might think only of major crises when we hear the word “trauma,” trauma includes any disturbing experience that elicits a highly negative emotional response. Trauma is characterized in three ways: acute, chronic, and complex. This presentation will offer information as to the types of trauma (and examples thereof); how they present/how they can be recognized; what damage they can do to those experiencing them; strategies for beginning the healing process; and vicarious trauma (the trauma suffered by those witnessing trauma suffered by others, including caregivers). Download flyer here.

The Lutheran Faith Community Nurse Association is sponsoring this educational event. Non-members and non-nurses are welcome to attend.

Registration fee: $20 for LFCNA members/ $30 for non-members

IN-PERSON and ZOOM EVENT

What Does Centering Prayer Have to Offer the 21st Century?

With Rev. Adam Bucko and Rory McEntee authors of the New Monasticism

Saturday, February 25, 9:00am - noon

What do Father Keating’s teachings have to offer us in the 21st Century? In an initial talk, Adam Bucko will set the stage for our time together by first looking to the past. How can we understand Centering Prayer’s connections to the historical structures and frameworks of the Christian tradition, and what do these structures of contemplative spirituality have to offer us today? Rory McEntee will follow up Adam’s talk with reflections on interspiritual dimensions of Father Keating’s teachings and contemplative life. How might the two major projects of Fr. Keating’s later life, the Centering Prayer movement and the interspiritual “Snowmass Conferences,” come together? Click button below to register or call (303)698-7729.

IN-PERSON EVENT

Lenten Contemplative Retreat

Saturday, March 4, 9:30am-2:30pm

Lord of the Hills Lutheran Church

21755 E Smoky Hill Rd, Centennial CO 80015

Lord of the Hills is hosting a Lenten Contemplative Retreat that is being lead by Contemplative Outreach of Colorado. All are invited and welcome to share in a day of learning about or deepening your understanding of contemplative practices. Our leader from Contemplative Outreach of Colorado will lead us in exploring and experiencing Centering Prayer. This retreat is designed to offer you the opportunity to deepen your relationship with God. Feel free to reach out to Myrna Blair with any questions. Deepen your experience of Lent this year by taking a day to pause, learn, grow and make some new connections.

There is no cost for this retreat. You are invited you to bring your own lunch though we will have plenty of healthy snacks & drinks. Give yourself the gift of this day long retreat during the season of Lent. Please RSVP if you plan to join us.

Creating Caring Communities: Responding to Mental Illness

Sunday, March 5, 2:00-4:00pm

What connects us in our humanity are personal stories. At this event you will hear testimony about ways mental health challenges have affected our speaker, Rabbi Sandy Cohen. We hope many people will relate as these stories break the silence about mental illness. Very few people do not know someone with a mental health condition, or they are themselves impacted. Rabbi Cohen will offer practical ways that communities are places where mental health is acknowledged and supported. On our panel you will hear from people who are part of different faith communities where support for mental health has been undertaken. A primary goal is to educate spiritual communities, encouraging them to be more welcoming to those who are impacted by mental health challenges. Rabbi Sandy is excited to share her insights to make our synagogues, churches, mosques, spiritual communal organizations, and our wider community into a home for all who wish to belong.

Contact Bryan at Bryan@bethany-denver.org or Alec Celecki at 303-912-0283 with questions. Use QR code to register or click button below.

Join Pastor Jose Valenzuela for an India Tour and Retreat

Oct 19-31, 2023

You are cordidially invited to care for your spirit. It's been a rough few years and it may be time for you to reset. This tour will include a visit to India's Golden Triangle (Delhi, Jaipur, Agra) which includes visiting the famous Taj Mahal. We will also spend five days in a retreat in the holy city of Varanasi.

Contact Pastor Jose at chaplainjosevalenzuela@gmail.com to learn more and be a part of this small, 10-person tour.

For more information visit this article from the Grand Canyon Synod, and download this overview.

"The South-Central Synod of Wisconsin (SCSW-ELCA) is 133 congregations and worshiping communities... we walk together to care for, connect and equip our congregations to be the heart and hands of Jesus."

Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe was elected in 2020. Bishop Joy previously served as Interim Director for Evangelical Mission in 2018 and as an intentional interim pastor at First Lutheran Church in Beaver Dam in 2017.

Visit scsw-elca.org and on Facebook.

Click here for a map of our 65 ELCA synods and 9 regions.