Leadership Formation

CHHSM Leadership Formation Task Force Begins Work

For more than three years, CHHSM has been exploring its call to cultivate and strengthen leaders in health and human service ministry. Last fall, CHHSM President and CEO Bryan Sickbert and Director of Leadership Formation Daniel Pryfogle summarized that process in a working paper titled "Toward a Community of Leaders," available on CHHSM's website.

At the end of their paper, Sickbert and Pryfogle identify four leadership characteristics that CHHSM strives to embody:

Relational: Leaders choose to covenant together and practice disciplines such as meeting together, traveling together, learning together, praying for each other, mentoring and coaching.

Accountable: Something is asked of leaders and organizations in terms of time, money, and the relational disciplines noted above.

Theological and spiritual: Leaders and organizations are drawn to continually discern the meaning of their work in the world.

Historical: Leaders and organizations see themselves as working in a stream that has nourished UCC-related ministries and the wider church for generations.

For many years, CHHSM has sought to advance these characteristics through two leadership training programs: the Transformational Leadership Program (TLP) and, later, the Faith-Based Leadership Institute (FBLI). Now that FBLI's ecumenical partnership has come to an end, how can CHHSM build on its foundation of leadership strength and continuing cultivating a community of leaders to sustain our mission? Beginning this month, Sickbert and Pryfogle are convening a group of leaders to explore that question.

The CHHSM Leadership Formation Task Force, which will hold its first meeting in Chicago on January 27, includes:

Dee Brown Daniels: Dee is VP for Mission and Spiritual Care at Advocate IL Masonic Hospital. She is a Diakonal Minister and taught in TLP.

David McCurdy: David is Senior Ethics Consultant for Advocate Health Care and has taught for many years in both TLP and FBLI.

Stacey Parke: Stacey is Director of Program Services at Orion Child and Family Services in Madison, WI and a 2009 FBLI graduate.

Zack Schrantz: Zack is VP for Operations at Uhlich Children's Advantage Network and a 2007 FBLI graduate.

Darlene Sowell: Darlene is CEO at Neighborhood Houses in St. Louis, a TLP graduate, former Chair of the CHHSM Board and member of the its Leadership Development Committee.

John Thomas: John is Special Assistant to the President at Chicago Theological Seminary and former General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.

Victoria Velez: Victoria is a current member of the CHHSM Board and Leadership Development Committee, a Diakonal Minister and serves as Director of Development for United Church of Christ Homes.

At its first meeting, the Leadership Formation Task Force will use an appreciative process, led by Daniel Pryfogle, to both model and explore leadership formation in community. "We are grateful to these leaders who are giving their time to discern how CHHSM can cultivate and support them and the generation that will follow them," said Bryan Sickbert. "The outcome of our process will emerge through conversation and reflection, but we know that our goal is integrated leadership, our approach is leadership formation, and our calling is to do this work collectively."

Check future issues of CHHSM News to learn more about the Task Force's work to create and sustain a community of leaders for CHHSM and for the healing and service ministry of Jesus Christ.