Good Shepherd will have a special Voter's Assembly on January 30, 2022 following the 10:30 a.m. service in order to consider a deaconess internship for Grace Bergt.
Grace has been serving as our part-time church secretary since July of 2020. At the same time she has been pursuing her deaconess degree at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. One of the requirements for the degree is a one year internship which should begin this summer.
The office of deaconess is a ministry of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod that emphasizes spiritual care, service, and Christian education. The deaconess degree requires a bachelor's degree followed by the three-year deaconess degree at the seminary.
After meeting with Dr. Glen Nielsen, Director of Vicarage and Deaconess Internships at Concordia Seminary, he said that Good Shepherd would provide a good deaconess internship.
The one-year internship would include the following duties:
Service with the Boards of Elders and Congregational Life for visitation of shut-ins and other members as well as congregational life and service ministries
Service with the Sunday School and Youth Advisory Committees for teaching and youth activities.
Continued service as church secretary (25%) to manage church communications and office administration. We will carry out the remaining 25% of office labors with the help of volunteers.
Remuneration for the internship will include the her current salary plus funds from the youth ministry.