From the President

Last January, I wrote that, in keeping with our five-year strategic vision called Filling Our Basin, 2006, would be the year for CHHSM's Leadership Development Committee and staff to increase our capacity for providing leadership development services. We've done that work, and the process has been fruitful.

During the year, those of us involved in CHHSM's leadership development programs have written, talked and prayed about what we believe CHHSM ministries most need to expand the breadth and depth of their work as ministries of the church. We've considered the strengths of CHHSM's current leadership program, the Diakonal Minister credential program and the Vocation of the Trustee curriculum, and listened carefully as CHHSM leaders from throughout the country told us how their ministries best integrate their work and their identity as ministries of the church.

At CHHSM's Annual Meeting in March, we'll be introducing the results of our work: a new leadership development program called Walking the Talk: An Accompaniment Approach to Faith-Based Consultation. Through this new venture, CHHSM will work with member ministries over a sustained period of time to identify, amplify and leverage those ministries' spiritual and organizational strengths in order to:

• Build an organizational culture rooted in a sense of vocation
• Effectively integrate faith-based values and business strategy
• Establish practices that reinforce core identity and mission
• Communicate the ministry's distinctive quality and character

We'll be talking more about Walking the Talk in Louisville (March 1-4) during the CEO Forum on Thursday afternoon, at the leadership development practica sessions on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning and most especially, at Daniel Pryfogle's plenary session on Friday morning. Learn more about the Annual Meeting schedule here and register to attend, by February 7, here.

I look forward to talking with you, in Louisville and afterward, about Walking the Talk and the ways that CHHSM can provide your ministry with resources to develop leaders at all levels of your organization. Please email me or call me at 216-736-2253 if you'd like to know more about CHHSM's leadership development programs.

See you in Louisville!

Bryan W. Sickbert
President/CEO

Earlier Columns

• November 2006
• September 2006
• August 2006
• June 2006 - 2007 Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker Announcement
• May 2006
• April 2006
• February 2006
• January 2006
• December 2005 - Silver Jubilee of Kirchengemeinschaft