Staff Liaison:
Enabling Christians of the Northern Illinois Synod to realize their call to ministry as both lay and professional workers. To accomplish the mission, we provide resources, support, and continuing education within our synod, in cooperation with other synods, agencies, and institutions within the ELCA and the Church.
· Planning the annual Professional Leadership Conference.
· Providing rostered minister salary guidelines that are fair, appropriate, and usable for leaders and their congregations.
· Assisting the bishop’s office in supporting First Call Theological Education and all our leaders and their families in their first call.
· Providing resources for evaluation of ministry for leaders and congregations, and championing the formation, usage and support of Mutual Ministry Teams and Sabbaticals in congregations, agencies and institutions.
· Funding the Candidacy process to our fullest ability. (note: if the proposed changes to the Synod Constitution are approved at the 2020 2021 Synod Assembly, Candidacy will move to becoming a Standing Committee of the Synod and no longer a Sub-Committee of the Ministry Support Committee.)
· Offering a forum at both the Congregational Resourcing Event and Synod Assembly, to showcase the current work being done by the committee.
Serve on a subcommittee: Professional Leaders Conference, Salary Guidelines, Mutual Ministry or another subcommittee that is formed as needed. In the past, working subcommittees have been formed in the following areas: Health and Wellness; Spiritual Formation; and Ethics and Boundaries Leadership.
The Ministry Support Committee meets 3-5 times a year, on Saturday Mornings for two hours both face to face and via Zoom (a remote meeting platform), coordinated by the chair. Additional commitment of time and responsibility vary according to the subcommittee. The subcommittees may meet from 2 to 4 times during the year to accomplish their specific mission. These meeting hours are scheduled according to the availability of the members.
The time given and the responsibilities assumed by members of the Ministry Support Committee vary according to the availability and the willingness of the individual. We do expect that members participate as much as possible.
