Social Ministry Committee

“To express God’s love by leading the church toward greater compassion, justice, and service.” 

---NIS Social Ministry Committee mission statement

The stated purpose of the Northern Illinois Social Ministry Committee is “To inspire the people of the congregations and communities of the Northern Illinois Synod to make Christ known in word and deed, locally and globally, through experiential education and Biblical/theological reflection with regard to social ministry concerns.”                                                                                  

In carrying out this mission, most of the work of the Social Ministry Committee takes place within the work of its various sub-committees.  These are:        

                --Anti-Racism Team                                      --Multi-cultural Subcommittee

                --Rural Ministry Subcommittee                       --World Hunger Subcommittee

Members of the Social Ministry Committee are designated to attend meetings of each of these subcommittees and serve as liaisons to the Committee.  Reports from the sub-committees are regularly received at Committee meetings. Annual reports from the sub-committees are included following this report.  In addition, Pastor Dan Schwick from the staff of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois continues to serve as liaison with the Lutheran Network for Justice Advocacy (LNJA). 

The Social Ministry Committee meets 4 to 5 times a year.  Worship and theological reflection are an important part of these meetings.  Major planning for the year takes place at a late summer/early fall retreat, held in 2005 at Faith Lutheran Church in Rochelle.

The Committee's overarching goals are:

1) to arrange workshops for the Congregational Resourcing Event

2) to make social ministry grants

3) to promote advocacy on state and national levels

4) to review and promote discussion of the ELCA Social Statements

5) to establish a yearly budget.

This year the committee awarded grants to the following social ministry outreach initiatives in the Northern Illinois Synod:  the Jesus Club, the DeKalb Food Pantry, and the Wonder Lake Neighbors Food Pantry.  This year the Social Ministry Grant brochure has been rewritten to be more accessible to organizations applying for grant awards through the Committee.  The Committee also evaluates and makes recommendations concerning domestic “Granting Hope” applications from our synod’s territory under the ELCA Churchwide Hunger Program.  Two recommendations were made in 2005 for the RALM Park PLAYers and the Wonder Lake Neighbors Food Pantry.

The Committee arranged for presentations this year at the March Congregational Resourcing Event on Elder Abuse and Bullying.  You can hear further about the work of the committee at the scheduled forum at the Synod Assembly and at the display table.  A special in-kind offering is planned for each Synod Assembly.  This year’s offering will be to provide an offering of letters through Bread for the World’s ONE campaign, as well as collection of Emergency Food Relief boxes for LSSI’s work with those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

Rev. Rebecca I. J. Gordon, Chair