Our synod council meets three times each year. Our fall meeting was cut a little short by my installation on Saturday. Our January meeting has stayed online coming out of the pandemic (due to potential snow storms disrupting travel). So this was my first ever normal meeting; I never served on council pre-election. The Executive Committee (officers, staff and a few other members of council) gathered for dinner Thursday evening. We were joined by Nick Kiger from the ELCA Mission Support staff. We met as Exec Committee at Salem Lutheran in West Spokane Friday morning. After lunch Friday, the room filled up with the entire council. Volunteers from Salem served us dinner Friday evening. We were all back for Saturday morning. We got to meet our new volunteer synod attorney who joined us for coffee and rolls. Nick gave us two hours of presentation time–so our main theme of the meeting–and it was great for everyone to get to know him better and for him to get to know our synod a bit. Saturday I went to lunch with the Southern Idaho council members and then helped with transporting them to the airport.

Among our business were appointments, adoptions of policies and statements, receiving many reports, electing new executive committee members, and preparation for our special synod assembly.

Here’s a great summary from our Synod Vice President Lisa Terrell of other items:

Other Important Topics:

1. Nick Kiger from Churchwide was with us to help us understand increasing Mission Support, including trends in our synod.  Bishop Manlove followed up with her strategies for our synod including participation in a synod development pilot project, sharing stories, offering training opportunities, and thanking congregations.  She encouraged synod council members to go back to their churches and share.
2. Regional gatherings are coming up!  It is now time for individuals to register.  This is important in order to plan for how many will be in attendance, order lunches, etc.  The Regional Gatherings are about financial stewardship, but more importantly about “what God is doing in the church right now.”  How we are “outposts of God’s love and compassion.”  And in the words of Rev. Liv Larson Andrews—“Come for a day to be inspired about who we are as a church in the face of challenges.  We will go forward in joy and not fear.”
3. Bishop Manlove shared staff goals that came out of a staff retreat, and then had synod council reflect back the pieces that energize them and the questions that come up.  Learn more about staff goals here March 4, 2024 NWIM Synod E-News (constantcontact.com)
4. Bishop Manlove shared about The Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church.  You can follow along here.  Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (elca.org)
5. The draft social statement “Civic Life and Faith” is accepting public comments until September 30.  This draft statement is especially timely for this election year, and would be a good topic for an adult forum or hearing. Civic Life and Faith – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (elca.org)
6. Sunday April 21, 2024 is a virtual Special Synod Assembly to elect one more voting member for the 2025 churchwide assembly and to approve synod bylaw changes. (7:30 pm Mountain Time, 6:30 Pacific Time)
7. SHARE grant awards were decided by the Synod Executive Committee and announced to synod council.  This year a SHARE grant review subcommittee recommended how to award the 63k in available funds.  98k was requested by applicants.  Grant awards will be announced to the synod as soon as possible.
8. Synod Council Working Groups shared updates.