A Year of Grace, A Year of Tranisition - Meet the Staff! 1 11 2017

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.

Ephesians 2:8

The Year of Grace has begun with some big changes within the Office of the Bishop. It is a pleasure to share with you the staff who are assisting Bishop Daniel through these months of transition. Although some staff were introduced in a previous email, below is a short bio and picture of each staff member, some details about their role in the Synod Office, and their contact information. Please continue to pray for Bishop Daniel, the staff and this Synod as we walk this journey of transition together!

MARY BOALS, Synod Accountant

Mary retired from the City of Defiance finance department and came to work for the synod soon after in March of 2014. For many years, she has been active in the synod as a 2-term member of Synod Council and as a Call Facilitator in the Maumee Valley Conference. She is married to Tom and enjoys some wintering in Florida when she gets the chance.

Mary is responsible for synod accounting, oversees revenue and expenses, writes checks, interfaces with the ELCA Office of the Treasurer and vendors, provides monthly reports and fiscal accounting to the Bishop, staff and Synod Council. She can help congregational treasurers if they have questions and is fluent in Compensation Guidelines and matters related to benefits. Mary works on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Synod Office and can be reached at mary.boals@nwos-elca.org .

REV. JACK EGGELSTON, Interim Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM)

Pastor Jack Eggleston graduated from Luther Seminary in 1980 serving in his first call north of Detroit doing outreach and youth ministry as an assistant pastor. His understanding of outreach grew deeper through prayer and serving as a mission redeveloper south of Detroit. For twenty years he has served on the staff of the Southeast Michigan Synod (SEMI) primarily working with candidacy, leadership support, call process and more recently as the Director for Evangelical Mission. Jack spends 30-60 minutes rooted in scripture and prayer every day. When we pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," he ponders what that holy work of God might be about here on this earth. He looks forward to learning with people from the Northwestern Ohio Synod during this interim time.

Pastor Jack is on loan to us from the SEMI synod as Interim DEM. He is relating to the NWOS Evangelical Outreach Team, assisting the Synod with grant opportunities, and facilitating administrative duties related to the ELCA Domestic Mission department. He can be reached at j.eggleston@semisynod.com or on his cell phone at 313.909.6915.

BRENT GNAGEY, Communication Specialist

Brent has previous experiences as a teacher, technology director, webpage specialist, educational technology consultant and database developer. He lives in Archbold, Ohio with his wife, Jan, and enjoys riding bike, hiking, watching sports and being active. His daughter and her husband lead the Navigators, a campus ministry, on the campus of the University of Arizona, and his son and his wife live in Wauseon. Brent and Jan enjoy traveling to Arizona and spending time with family in Ohio.

Of his work with the Synod he says: "I enjoy working as the communication specialist for the NWOS. I enjoy helping the ministry of the synod by working in the background to make sure things work smoothly and items are communicated effectively. I am truly blessed and want to be a blessing to others." Brent is handling synod communication, website redesign and updates, the database and electronic/systems support for the Synod Office.

Brent works on a part-time basis and can be reached at tech@nwos-elca.org .

JACOB HENRY, Interim Synod Administrator

Jacob is a BGSU graduate where he majored in Business Administration. He has been the church organist at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Pemberville Ohio for 5 years, and worked for a pipe organ company doing tuning and service work in many churches in northern Ohio, southern Michigan, and Indiana. He enjoys reading, movies, orcharding and making hard apple cider.

Jacob is providing oversight for office operations, support staff, legal matters - including congregational and synodical constitutional questions and updates, Churchwide and Synodical events (Assembly planning and implementation) and financial aspects of the Office of the Bishop. In addition, he works closely with Brent on synod communications and technology, as well as, with the Bishop on Synod Council and committee leadership. Jacob is in the Synod Office daily and his email is: jacob.henry@nwos-elca.org .

SHERRY KRIEGER , Interim Director of Call Process and Congregational Care

Sherry has been with the synod since 2008 in both part-time and full-time capacities, most recently as Director for Administration and Communication. She is a Licensed Social Worker in the State of Ohio and is deeply interested in the interconnectedness of faith and mental health - individually, congregationally, and synodically. She is married to Andy and they have three children: Jessica, 17; Cassidy, 15 and Cory, 13.

Sherry is transitioning into oversight for congregational relations with a focus on Ministry of Presence and Preventative Health. She is providing leadership for the Call Process in tandem with the Call Facilitators and Interim P astors; is responsible for congregational care in matters of transition and conflict, providing resourcing, consultation and leadership development; and is assisting the Bishop in staff and synodical development. She is staff liaison for 500th Anniversary Committee, Youth Discipleship Network and the Congregational Resource Team. Sherry works throughout the synod but is in the office on a weekly basis. She can be reached at 419.367.1341 or sherry.krieger@nwos-elca.org .

JENNIFER PRUETER, Bishop's Executive Administrative Assistant

Jennifer is continuing her role with the Synod as Bishop Beaudoin's Executive Administrative Assistant. She is married to Nick and has two sons: Collin and Kyle. Collin is a junior in college and is majoring in Marketing. Kyle is a senior in high school and will be attending BGSU in the fall. Jenn has a servant's heart and is passionate about her work with the Synod.

Jenn is the bright voice on the phone when you call into the synod office to talk with the Bishop. She helps to manage the Bishop's schedule and any matters related to Bishop Daniel including: roster changes, Letters of Call, Synod files, and communication related to Synod Council, the Deans, Installations, Ordinations, and Synod Sympathy announcements. Jenn can be reached daily in the Synod Office and her email is jennifer.prueter@nwos-elca.org.

REV. CATHY SCHIBLER , Director of Candidacy

In her full-time call, Pastor Cathy Schibler serves as a regional representative with Portico Benefits, a ministry of the ELCA. She partners with synods in Region 6 and 7 by providing resources for events and benefit information. She also serves as a member of the Wittenberg Board of Directors. Cathy is married to Clayton Keegan and they have three children.

On a contractual and part-time basis, Pastor Cathy is overseeing and facilitating the NWOS Candidacy process. She assists students through every step of the process to ordination, and assists Bishop Daniel in the assignment processes which bring New Call candidates to this synod. In addition, she provides leadership for First Call theological education in tandem with the other 2 Ohio Synods. Pastor Cathy's email is: cathy.schibler@nwos-elca.org , her cell phone is: 419.348.9760.

DIANE STULTZ, Receptionist

Diane retired from secretarial duties at Trinity, Findlay where she served under our very own Rev. Tom Schutt for many years. For the last several years, she has enjoyed being full time nanny to her grandchildren who live in Van Buren, Ohio. She is married to David, and is a member of the Trinity choir.

Diane will be the voice of the Synod Office you hear on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. She is answering phones, taking messages, managing some of the inter-office communication, assisting Jacob and Sherry in Assembly preparation, and is assisting Mary with internal controls in the finance department. Diane's email is diane.stultz@nwos-elca.org .

We are also thankful for the continued work of Carol Groman who volunteers on Wednesdays and Marilynn Dunn who is helping out with the Synod Appeal on a part-time basis as well.

As noted above, please keep these folks in your prayers for the work that God is calling us to in Northwestern Ohio.

God's Blessings and Peace,

Sherry Krieger

Director Call Process and Congregational Care