From the President

Earlier in January, the CHHSM Leadership Development Committee agreed that, in keeping with CHHSM's five-year strategic vision called Filling Our Basin, 2006 will be the year to expand our leadership development capacity. We'll work on both promoting our current leadership development services and developing new programs that serve CHHSM ministries' needs.

Do you know about CHHSM's leadership development programs? Below you'll find a new overview of the three ways we provide value to our members by training and strengthening faith-based leaders. Would you like to learn more? Please sign up to attend "CHHSM Resources for Leadership," a Friday afternoon practicum session at the CHHSM Annual Meeting, March 2-5 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The session, led by CHHSM VP of Operations, Shirley Nelson, and CHHSM Board members Peggy Mullan, Imogene Nusbaum-Snyder and Kenneth Daniel, will help you learn more about how about our leadership development expertise can help strengthen your ministry. You can register for the annual meeting here. Don't delay--the deadline is January 30!

Bryan W. Sickbert, President/CEO

Diakonal Minister Credential

CHHSM offers the Diakonal Minister Credential to executives and senior managers of CHHSM Ministries. The Credential requires a one year course of study offered through the ecumenically sponsored Faith-Based Leadership Institute. The Institute program focuses on the development of eight competencies that research has identified as essential to successful leadership of faith-based organizations:

• Passion for justice
• Spiritual integrity
• Change leadership
• Sense of vocation (call)
• Ethical reflection and action
• Covenant building skills
• Faith-values foundations
• Organizational skills.

Program evaluations show that Diakonal Ministers gain ability to integrate the faith heritage and values of their ministries into their leadership styles and the fabric of their organization's life. CHHSM Diakonal Ministers, who number more than 100 since 1998, report that they value both the program's emphasis on combining leadership and management theory with Biblical and theological commitments as well as the collegial relationships they develop with executives in other faith-based health and human service ministries.

Called to God's Work...the Vocation of the Trustee

The board of a non-profit ministry is charged with guiding the organization's vision and mission and overseeing its accountability to stakeholders. CHHSM helps the boards of its member ministries perform these duties effectively and in the spirit of our common faith and tradition.

"Called to God's Work...the Vocation of the Trustee" is an interactive, facilitated governance workshop designed to help governing boards understand their work as a response to God's call to faithful stewardship. The workshop challenges board members to connect their own vocation with the vocation of the organization, identify what makes them passionate about this work and reflect on the board's role as steward of the organizations mission.

"Called to God's Work..." builds community and a positive culture in the Board room. It is ideally suited for a Board retreat setting, but may also be offered in the time-frame of a regular Board meeting. Program leadership is provided by trained facilitators who are current or recently retired senior executives of CHHSM ministries.

Strategic Consultation

CHHSM President/CEO, Bryan Sickbert, provides consultative services to CHHSM-member governing boards. Typically, these consultations take the form of custom-designed Board retreat sessions about vision, mission and strategic direction. Please call or email me or Shirley Nelson to learn more, including details of scheduling and cost.