Ministry Support Committee

Chairperson: Sandy Carlson

Staff Liaison:  Pastor Chris Stienstra  

Mission Statement:

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.

Our current goals include: 

• Planning the annual Professional Leadership Conference.
• Providing rostered leader salary guidelines that are fair, appropriate, and usable for leaders and their congregations, agencies, and institutions.
• Providing for and monitoring the use of an Employee Assistance Program.
• Assisting the bishop’s office in supporting First Call Theological Education and all our leaders and their families in their first call.
• Providing spiritual resources and guidance to lay and rostered leaders.
• Providing resources for evaluation of ministry for leaders and congregations, and championing the formation, usage and support of Mutual Ministry Teams in congregations, agencies and institutions.
• Funding the Candidacy process to our fullest ability.

Members will be expected to: Serve on one of the following subcommittees: Professional Leadership Conference, Salary Guidelines, Employee Assistance Program, Mutual Ministry, First Call Theological Education, or Spiritual Formation. The Candidacy subcommittee falls under Ministry Support, but its members are selected separately.  

Time requirements of the ministry: The Ministry Support Committee meets 3 times a year, on Saturday Mornings 10:00 AM- 12:00 noon at Immanuel in Dixon, Illinois. 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.   

Our commitments to members during this period are (i.e. prayers, guidance, reimbursement for travel, accountability, etc.): Expenses incurred attending meetings are reimbursed by the Synod.  

Members should know these additional things about the committee: 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

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