Colorado Ballot Initiative Update, Come one, come all!

Sunday, October 9, 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Augustana Lutheran Church

5000 East Alameda Ave, Denver, 80246

Anna Paulson Room

Peter Severson, Director of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado, will be our guest speaker and will provide an update on upcoming Colorado ballot initiatives. Advocacy through ballot and legislation is one way that we partner with our neighbors struggling with issues of housing, education, hunger, mental health, and more. Please pass along this invitation. Come a little early and pick up lunch in the Fellowship Hall and bring it with you to the meeting (free or freewill). This meeting is hosted for everyone by Augustana's Human Dignity Delegates in lieu of their regular monthly meeting.

Send questions or comments to info@augustanadenver.org, and use Subject line: Human Dignity Delegates.

Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp

Join us for educational & spiritual conversation about the RIC process

Help the Sky Ranch faith community deepen and expand our welcome to people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. We are committed to work for racial equity/anti-racism. We hope to vote on a revised Welcome Statement and whether Sky Ranch will become an RIC camp at our Annual Meeting in February 2023. 

We will hold three Zoom meetings over the next few months to discuss Sky Ranch's decision to look at becoming a Reconciling in Christ organization. We encourage you to join us for one of the meetings, ask questions, listen to stories and experiences from the community, and learn more about what is means to be RIC. Please consider one of these dates. 

• Sunday: October 16, 2022, 3:00 - 4:00pm MST
• Weekday: Wednesday, October 26, 12 noon -1:00pm MST
• Weekday: Monday, November 7, 7:00 - 8:00pm MST

Zoom link for all meetings: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87185886610

Visit skyranchcolorado.org/reconciling-in-christ for more information and to take a short survey. 

If you have questions or would like more information, please call Lori Bode @ 970-493-5258 or lori@skyranchcolorado.org.

7375 Samuel Drive, Denver, CO 80221

Zoom Meeting ID: 992 2724 5869

Passcode: 274795

"You are not alone! Join us every Third Thursday for our RMS Faith Formation Network meetings! (next meeting is October 20)

We are primarily online now due to the surge of COVID cases. Stay in the loop with all things Children Youth and Family Faith Formation in the Rocky Mountain Synod!"

FROM VICKY DAUB, VSCP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

" We Are All Here"

“Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” Recently, I read these words from Acts 16:28 as part of the reading during worship for the 7^th Sunday of Easter. I kept re-reading them as I practiced. In my role as the Executive Director of the Veteran Servant Corps Project (VSCP), I have been thinking about the phrase “we are all here”, especially in terms of the 18+ Veterans who complete suicide daily in our nation. Raising awareness about this issue is one our VSCP tenets. Are you and your congregation interested in joining in conversation around this important issue? Contact me, Vicky Daub, at Director@veteranservantcorps.org.

Are you interested in being part of our “We Are All Here” initiative by donating? Click here then select the General Fund Gift option, enter "Veteran Servant Corps Project" in the note/memo line. If you prefer to mail a donation, send it to the Rocky Mountain Synod, 7375 Samuel Drive, Denver, CO 80221, adding Veteran Servant Corps Project to the note portion of your check.

THE GREENBERG CENTER FOR LEARNING AND TOLERANCE

To the Battlefield and Back Again

“To the Battlefield and Back Again: Conversations on War, Trauma, and Life after Service” is a free, discussion-based program that hopes to unite veterans, active military personnel, their families, and civilians in insightful conversation about the issues facing our military and veteran communities. We want to hear your voice and your perspectives on military service, the experience of war, and how they affect our Colorado Springs communities. Participants from all walks of life are welcome!

Join one of three discussion groups: Going to War, The Modern Battlefield, or Coming Home/Home Front. Groups will have prompts for discussion including podcasts, philosophical texts, and stories. Groups will also head to the UCCS Ent Center for the Arts to hear actors read theatrical pieces about the experience of war. Each group will have its own team of trained facilitators to help direct discussion and meets five times between October 2022 and March 2023 on the first Thursday of each month from 6-8pm.

For questions, please reach out to Program Coordinator Lauren N. Rock (lrock@uccs.edu).

Western States Youth Gathering '23

July 6-9, 2023

The Western States Youth Gathering (WSYG) and Western States Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (WYLE) is back! Coming to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA from July 4-9, 2023, the Western States Youth Gathering is open to high school aged youth in Regions 1-4 of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The Western States Multicultural Youth Leadership Pre-Event (WYLE) will be held July 4-6, 2023.

WSYG and WYLE will gather around the theme, “Revive, Reunite, Rejoice”, grounded in Acts 2:1 “When the day [of WSYG] came, they were all together in one place.”

Early-Bird registration for the Western States Youth Gathering is now OPEN!

Learn more and register your group for the lowest possible prices at wsyg.com/registration!

The ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program invites ELCA young adults ages 21-29 into a transformative, year-long journey in international service. After a two-year, pandemic-related hiatus the ELCA relaunched the YAGM program this summer. The RMS has three young adults serving as YAGM's this year: Ryan Barnhouse and Heather Hufford, serving in the United Kingdom, and Harper Bolz-Weber, serving in Jerusalem and West Bank. In the coming weeks, we will introduce you to these vibrant leaders! Please keep them in your prayers!

Heather Hufford begins service in the United Kingdom

My name is Heather Hufford. I am from Denver, CO and currently serve as a missionary in the United Kingdom. I am delighted you are walking with me during my year of service. I hope that in sharing my experiences abroad, you can also share in the witness of our global neighbors.

This month, I was deployed from Woodstock, IL and began working at St. Barnabas with Christ's Chapel. This month, I've been meeting my church community, exploring the city, and observing Queen Elizabeth's death. Click here to to read more!

I am so pleased to report that thanks to the generosity and kindness of friends, family and church community, I have met my fundraising goal of $5000! Since I've met my initial goal, I have raised my goal to $6000. It costs roughly $15,000 to send a volunteer like me for a year of missionary work. You can continue to support me for a day, a week, or even a month. Click here to reach my giving page!

Thank you all—I really can't say it enough!

Heather

ALL SAINTS, AURORA, CO

2022 Socktoberfest

Saturday, October 8

11:30 am - 3:00 pm

SOCKTOBERFEST is BACK!

Save the date for Saturday, October 8 for Live Music, Food Truck, Bounce House, Face Painting, and More!

This is a community event free to all (food/drink for purchase) and benefits Wholly Kicks. Support those in need by donating NEW socks or athletic shoes for Wholly Kicks.

Music provided by Bill Lotter, traditional accordion player, and Vista Peak choirs, Empower and Unlimited. Food truck What Would Cheesus Do? will have food and drinks for sale. Grab a divine grilled cheese, bring your friends and family, and come have a great time!

See you there! Visit allsaintsnet.org/socktoberfest2022

ZOOM WORKSHOP

Parenting Safe Children Zoom Workshop

TWO SATURDAYS, October 8 and 15

9:00am-11:30am

Feather Berkower LCSW presents a class for parents, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers on body safety and sexual abuse prevention. This Zoom workshop which will be held in two sessions on October 8 and 15 and is open to everyone. While the statistics can be scary and heavy to address, participants leave feeling empowered and equipped for prevention rather than scared and worried.

Jazz Vespers Service

Second Saturdays at 6:00pm

beginning Saturday, October 8

All are invited to worship at the monthly Jazz Vespers service at St. Paul Lutheran, 1600 Grant Street in Downtown Denver.

Music provided by Purnell Steen and The Five Points Ambassadors with guest preacher The Rev. Anthony Scott, Mission Director for the United Church of Christ. 

A free will offering will be received.

Questions: office.support@stpauldenver.org

HYBRID EVENT: IN-PERSON AND ZOOM

"Holy Transgression: Discipleship and the Incarnation"

One-day retreat by Fr. Vincent Pizzuto

Saturday, Oct. 8, 9:00am-3:00pm

Throughout our Retreat, Fr. Vincent will examine this theme of “transgression” in the gospels as a lens through which to understand and embody an authentic contemplative Christian discipleship in the modern world. We will gradually unfold contemplative discipleship as a call, a vocation, that begins as an encounter with Christ that is as communal as it is personal. It begins with the end of my world and the in-breaking of the kingdom. It begins with a death to myself, and the rising of Christ within. And thus, we will come to see that contemplative discipleship is thoroughly cruciform, patterned on the paschal mystery of Christ’s dying and rising. It begins and ends in paradox. In order to live fully in Christ, I must lose my life for the sake of the Gospel.

More info & register here>

IN-PERSON EVENT

Breaking the Silence: Youth Mental Health

Sunday, October 9, 3:00pm - 5:30pm

Atonement Lutheran, Church, 685 Inca Pkwy, Boulder, CO

There is a crisis about the mental health for our youth. It has been reported nationally. One of the ways to respond is to break the silence about speaking and acting out loud about this crisis. There will be a re-recorded opening by Rev. Dr Sarah Lund author of "Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness and Youth and Teens" and there will be an in-person panel of local leaders from Rise Against Suicide, Colie's Closet, OutBoulder and St. Vrain Valley School District. They will discuss their perspective on what is needed regarding youth mental health today. Breakout sessions focusing on: schools, families, faith communities, LGBTQ+concerns and suicide prevention.

See full program brochure with breakout leaders here.

This series is hosted by Atonement Lutheran Church, Boulder, Mental Health Ministry, and the Interfaith Network on Mental Illness (inmi.us). Questions, contact revalan2004@comcast.net.

Volunteer at Boulder Valley Christian Church to help Marshall Fire survivors

Sunday, October 9

Help with a community picnic for Marshall Fire survivors and others impacted by the fire in Unincorporated Boulder County on the afternoon of Sunday, October 9 at Boulder Valley Christian Church, 7100 S Boulder Rd, Boulder.

About 15-20 volunteers are needed to help with transport, setup, sign-in, cleanup, etc.

THE VOYAGERS

Family Systems Days in Albuquerque

October 12 & 13, 9:30am-3:30pm

Looking at self, families, congregations and communities through the lens of family systems theory has been invaluable for innumerable leaders. You are invited to learn about (or brush up on) a systems perspective during this two day event. 

Day One is an Introduction (or Re-Introduction) to Bowen Family Systems Theory and Rabbi Edwin Friedman’s applications of it to congregations and leadership, led by the Rev. Dr. Carol Jeunnette (formerly in the Rocky Mountain Synod). Day Two looks at Bowen Theory in Life and Work, and asks “Have I Got Time for the Pain?” Ms. Kathy Wiseman, long-time faculty member of the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family presents on this day. 

For more information and to register, click here. Rostered and lay leaders are welcome!

Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp Confirmation Retreat

Friday, October 14 to Sunday, October 16

Join us for a Confirmation Retreat at Rainbow Trail this fall and let us be partners with you in creating a fun atmosphere for learning in your confirmation program! We will sing songs, play games, learn together and play together in God’s beautiful creation.

Learning in a fun-filled camp atmosphere may be just what your kids need to bond together as a group and build relationships with other confirmands. Spend time in fellowship and learning with our extraordinary Rainbow Trail staff in the place your confirmands have grown to love. Our staff will lead your kids in crafts, team-building activities, outdoor activities such as hiking or archery, fun games and camp-style songs!

Get more info and sign up at: rainbowtrail.org/retreats/confirmation-retreat

Spaces Still Available in Both 2023

Rainbow Trail Confirmation Camps

As you are planning your 2023 Confirmation program, consider including a week of confirmation camp at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp as a part of it. This is a great chance to build deeper relationships with your confirmation youth which you can build on once you return home. You can reserve spots now and your campers don't need to be registered until February 15, 2023. Adult leaders and pastors come free for the week. The two Confirmation weeks are June 25-July 1, 2023 and July 16-22,2023. There are still a few spaces available in both weeks, but spaces will fill quickly. For more details and to reserve your spots, contact Dave Jarvis at dave@rainbowtrail.org.

ALBUQUERQUE RETREAT

“Soul Songs for Every Season” 3-Day Retreat

Join this Music that Makes Community retreat at Norbertine Abbey in Albuquerque, NM

Thursday, Oct. 13 - Saturday, Oct. 15

Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey in Albuquerque, NM 5825 Coors Blvd SW, Albuquerque, NM 87121

Join Music That Makes Community for a spacious, three-day/two-night retreat at the Santa Maria de la Vid Abbey in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from October 13-15, 2022. As we enjoy the beauty of autumn in the desert, we’ll sing and reflect on the theme “Soul Songs for Every Season.” Recognizing the rapid change and constant pivoting in our lives the past few years, we'll lean into a spacious time for rest and rejuvenation, tune ourselves to the rhythms of the land, and listen for songs and spiritual practices that can sustain us through every season of life.

The retreat will be led by a dynamic team of musicians and clergy from the United States and Canada, including Sylvia Miller Mutia, David Poole, Patti Powell, Emilie Teresa Smith, and Paul Vasile. There will be regular opportunities for communal worship and reflection, as well as time for personal rest and renewal.

Individual and shared housing options are available for overnight guests, including Hermitages and new guest rooms with private bathrooms. All rooms are comfortable, accessible, and simply furnished. Capacity is limited, so RSVP early to guarantee a place.

Gather Pikes Peak

Welcome!

Join young adults from the Pike's Peak region in fellowship, worship, community, and discussion. Gather meets twice a month to spend time asking challenging questions of ourselves, our faith, and our world. All young adults (18-35) from across race, faith background, gender, sexuality, and perspective are welcome here to meet, to be, to gather.

Allies in Earth Work Inside and Outside of Church

Thursday, Oct 27 at 7:00pm MST

Episcopal and ELCA conversation partners invite your participation virtually or in-person as The Rev. Wes Aardahl, retired ELCA pastor; Ron Barness, Creation Care Minister and volunteer with The Episcopal Diocese of Utah; and Dave Pacheco, Utah Faith Organizer for Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, meet in-person at Ascension St. Matthew's (ASM) Church, Price, Utah. (The Zoom link will be posted on the ASM Facebook page and website after 10-23, until then the QR codes will not work.)

Pastor Wes will provide biblical and theological grounding for the urgent response of the faithful to collaborate with allies to act for the sake of our home, the earth. Ron Barness and Dave Pacheco will raise the "beyond Utah" call as they report about the Utah Episcopal Church's Wilderness Resolution, which they wrote with Diocesan Vice Chancellor Branden Burningham.

Get flyer here

AUGUSTANA ARTS PRESENTS

Snarey Sounds

& Scary Stories

Halloween fun and music for families

Sunday, Oct 30, 2022 at 3p.m.

Experience exciting percussion music and sounds paired with scary stories for the perfect Halloween celebration. Enjoy music from Harry Potter, Frozen, and Encanto, along with “the scariest" music by Beethoven, Grieg and Mussorgsky. A concert sure to be funsational for kids of ALL ages, and everyone is encouraged to wear a costume for the rhythmic parade! Also, enjoy a "trunk or treat" hosted by Music Director Adam Torres immediately after the concert! You’ll hear unique instruments as they click, clank, rattle, whirl, and see the strangest looking instruments that create sounds sure to make you jump, march, tap, or twirl. Join us for an afternoon of soundsational fun!

https://www.augustanaarts.org/tickets/snarey-sounds-scary-stories

For too long the Religious Right has masqueraded as a social movement preoccupied with a number of cultural issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriage. But in her deeply reported investigation, Katherine Stewart reveals a disturbing truth: America’s Religious Right has evolved into a Christian nationalist movement. It seeks to gain political power and to impose its vision on all of society. It isn’t fighting a culture war, it is waging a political war on the norms and institutions of American democracy. 

Stewart shows that the real power of the movement lies in a dense network of think tanks, advocacy groups, and pastoral organizations, embedded in a rapidly expanding community of international alliances with likeminded, anti-democratic religious nationalists around the world, including Russia. She follows the money behind the movement and traces much of it to a group of super-wealthy, ultraconservative donors and family foundations. The Christian nationalist movement is far more organized and better funded than most people realize. It seeks to control all aspects of government and society. Its successes have been stunning, and its influence now extends to every aspect of American life, from the White House to state capitols, from our schools to our hospitals.

Katherine Stewart, the author of The Power Worshipers, will be interviewed by Rabbi Daniel Bogard and Pastor Dohle to probe into what this rise means for Christians and non-Christians alike.

The Social Concerns Forum at Bethany Lutheran Church in Denver, is sponsoring a program on understanding and dealing effectively with racism. Join us in Bethany's Great Hall for a morning of focused learning, coffee, food and dialogue. We will use small group and large group conversations to deepen our understanding about the surrounding racism, and how it impacts all of us people of faith.Although all are welcome, the initial program is primarily designed for white people who are seeking to understand race more deeply, and who are wanting to understand to understand their role in this conversation. We are aware that sometimes what white people honestly and openly share, can nevertheless be inadvertently wounding , and hard on people of color. Debbie's approach is very gracious, courteous yet non-threatening. Please know that this is a personal, spiritual, informational and non-partisan approach to deepen our understanding about the issues surrounding racism, and how it impacts all of us as people of faith.

Sky Ranch High School Retreat!

Nov 11-13, 2022

Students will learn more about how they can recharge in the midst of a busy life "down the mountain." Sky Ranch is a place to step back and take time to breath fresh air in a place we love. During this weekend there will be time to grow in community as well as time to reflect on the school year and other parts of life "down the mountain."

For any questions contact Cole Hemmah - cole@skyranchcolorado.org or call (970)493-5258

Join Stratus Chamber Orchestra along with Grammy-nominated Soprano Lindsay Kesselman, hailed by Fanfare Magazine as an “artist of growing reputation for her artistry and intelligence…with a voice of goddess-like splendor.”

Adam Torres and the Stratus Chamber Orchestra will search for new perspectives and unheard voices through John Mackey’s Songs from the End of the World alongside works by Borodin, Piazzolla, Whitacre, and Verdi.

Special Wine, Music, and Cheese Pairing Experience

Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

Historic Grant Theater - 216 S Grant St, Denver, CO 80209

Seats are limited to 100 people!

Get tickets before November 11 for exclusive early bird pricing, for $60 per person or $100 per couple (after 11/10, prices are $65 and $110).

Free parking is available on the street or lot for this event.

Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp Senior High Retreat

Friday, November 18 to Sunday, November 20

The Senior High Retreat is specifically geared for high school youth. This retreat can be an opportunity to connect on the real struggles that high school presents, explore what life after high school might look like, and how we can live faithfully through it all.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be immersed in community on the mountain, in which we will discover and affirm the gifts that God has given us. November in the mountains can be chilly, but also refreshing both physically and spiritually. Join us and other senior high youth in the Synod for a faith adventure in the mountains!

Get more info and signup at: rainbowtrail.org/retreats/rtlc-senior-high-retreat

Bethany Lutheran Church Foundation Grants

Deadline October 15, 2022

Did you know that the Bethany Lutheran Church Foundation donates $50,000 annually to charitable organizations that support Christian causes as well as groups that align with our mission? Please help by letting groups which you support know they can apply through the Bethany Lutheran Church website. No minimum or maximum amount– deadline is October 15.

Learn more about the Bethany Lutheran Church Foundation at bethany-denver.org/foundation-page.

Labor Day Celebration of Hispanic Heritage

2022 Latino Family Camp

Cathedral Ridge, Woodlands Park Colorado

The Episcopal Church in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Synod of the ELCA celebrated on Labor Day weekend the Latino Family Camp in Woodland Park Colorado. This family Camp has made the difference in so many families and individuals by providing the perfect setting and atmosphere, with the gifted team members, to have the experience of encountering God in nature, liturgy and in one another, thus experiencing healing, reconciliation, wholeness and holiness. 

More photos! and read more here (English and Spanish):

Our mission: To walk together proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Southeastern Minnesota Synod is a faith community of over 117,000 baptized people in 168 congregations. The synod includes five Sudanese worshiping communities, two synod-authorized worshiping communities, two campus ministries, and one camp.

Rev. Regina Hassanally has served as Bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA since September of 2019.

Visit semnsynod.org and also on Facebook.

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