Through CHHSM Nollau To You, Hoyleton Staff Discovers Renewal and Purpose

A recent Council for Health and Human Service Ministries Nollau To You retreat at Hoyleton Child & Family Services in Fairview Heights, Ill., gave team members — from direct care supervisors to executive staff — a unique opportunity to both recharge and increase their leadership skills.

Held April 9 and 10, 2025, the four retreat sessions focused on “Workplace Wisdom: Aligning Spirituality with Professional Purpose.” Day one was devoted to two groups of direct care supervisors, while day two was for upper management and executive staff. 

“Hoyleton has a deep-rooted relationship with CHHSM, as we were one of the founding members of the ministry,” said Chris Cox, president and CEO of Hoyleton. “We have always appreciated their faith-driven efforts and their capacity to resonate with our mission.”

The sessions filled a “niche need” in a three-year leadership development process at Hoyleton. “CHHSM is a unique partner and consultant for the leadership development work Hoyleton is in the process of creating,” said the Rev. Dr. Elyse Berry, CHHSM’s associate for advocacy and leadership development. “As they have leaned on other outside experts in their fields, they have leaned on CHHSM to fill the needed gap in speaking to spirituality and what that has to do with employee wellness, retention, and leadership skill building.”

Early in each session, Berry shared a short video about conservationist Lawrence Anthony, a South African who purchased a game reserve and then saved a herd of elephants by moving them from an area where they were causing a disturbance to the game reserve. In the process, Anthony gained the elephants’ trust and, when he died, the 21 elephants travelled for two days from remote parts of the reserve to the Anthonys’ home to pay respects. No one knows how they knew, but they repeated the trip on the anniversary of his death for several years.

“My experience offering these workshops to this audience was so powerful. I felt like I got to really experience Hoyleton culture,” Berry said. “In the very first workshop, the group immediately took the content and applied it to their setting and current situations without my prompting. In a discussion about the elephant story, one small group identified who ‘their elephants’ were — youth who had been with them for a season in their lives but have come back either through visits, phone calls, or letters of gratitude.” 

“It was a moment of resonance and awe for everyone to hear that story and to feel the impact of their work,” Berry added. “So much of spirituality is the practice of paying attention and letting what you pay attention to move you or move through you.”

Berry introduced the concepts around spirituality in the workplace by concentrating on the universal experience and emotion of awe and of wonder, and the “deep connection with self, others, and something greater. This is what spirituality is all about,” she said. “It is also what we were made for as humans. It doesn’t matter if or where you go to church on Sunday mornings. Feeling connected, and awe and wonder, are essential parts of the human experience. This is why of all thing things I talked about in terms of spiritually in the workplace, I spent the most time on awe.”

After sharing the elephant story and allowing discussion time, Berry moved on to a discussion of the research on the different types of awe. “Awe helps us to know what it means to be human,” she said. “And spiritual practices help us to slow down enough to see the beauty and good that is already around us, even in — or perhaps especially in — our work.”

Berry also “spent extra time on the concept of creativity, how it works in the brain, and how it activates the opposite of an anxiety response, and how creativity and curiosity also are accessible spiritual concepts.”

Each participant had exercises or sessions that were most meaningful to them. “My favorite session was related to spirituality in the workplace. The ‘Eight Types of Awe and Everyday Wonder’ resonated with me because I think it is important to find beauty in everyday things and in our daily life,” said Jennifer Cox, director of staff development. “My ‘a-ha’ moment was an overall reminder about my larger purpose. Our day-to-day work can be heavy, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. The retreat time allowed me a space to reflect and to feel re-energized about my purpose and calling.”

Marggie Samson, Hoyleton’s office manager in behavioral health, participated in the morning retreat on April 9. “I have spoken a few times to folks about the different types of awe and how finding awe and wonder in our everyday work can help us to feel spiritually connected and renewed,” she said. “I find myself looking for awe and feeling myself re-center during particularly hectic days.”

“I know that many of my colleagues would love to hear a message like this from our leadership,” Samson added. “I have promised myself that I will do a better job of bringing information from these and other trainings to more members of our department. We can help build morale and strengthen our teams by spreading messages of gratitude, positivity, and hope.”

Meghan Seipp, Hoyleton’s director of philanthropy, said she appreciated the retreat as an “opportunity to take a moment to sit with my thoughts. It was a nice change of pace from the busy daily schedule.”

“I really enjoyed the session, and left feeling inspired to slow down and take in more of the world around me,” she added. “I also think it was a good opportunity for leadership to connect on different topics than we usually do.”

For day two of the retreat, Berry worked to give upper management executives more tools to incorporate spirituality into their leadership and work, including a video on using rituals in the workplace and what those do for teams.

“My main takeaway was that it was great watching our leadership team ‘refill their tanks,’” said Julie Neuner, Hoyleton’s chief program officer. “I heard much positive feedback about how the sessions reconnected the team to their ‘Why.’”

Cox reflected on the toll the current challenging times are having on Hoyleton staff members, noting that the “activities we engaged in [during the retreat] were … outstanding demonstrations of how to care for ourselves while managing the work we do.”

“The CHHSM retreat offered encouraging lessons and valuable insights that really lifted up the team,” he said. “I received a lot of positive feedback from the team. Elyse was well-prepared, engaging, and effective in helping us reconnect to our purpose.”

Cox also had a message for other organizations. “I would highly recommend a CHHSM retreat to any faith-based organization looking to re-energize their team’s dedication to their mission,” he added. “It is an incredibly cost-effective way to revive and refocus staff.”