Planning for The Gathering on Fast Track

Plans are swiftly developing for the first-ever collaborative event between faith-based health and human service organizations. The Gathering: Many Gifts, One Spirit takes place March 24-26, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis. Some 500 attendees are expected from the five participating faith traditions: Mennonite, Methodist, Presbyterian, Quaker, and United Church of Christ.

Exciting workshop proposals have already been gathered, and final selections will be announced within the month. In addition to workshops — and as with past CHHSM Annual Gatherings — The Gathering will include rousing keynote addresses, poignant worship services with inspired preaching, social time, reflection time, and so much more.

“The Gathering will offer our CHHSM agencies an amazing opportunity to meet, get to know, and share stories and best practices with our health and human service partner organizations from across the country,” said Jamar Doyle, president and CEO of CHHSM, “conversations that can help start future collaborations in their home communities. It will be an event not to be missed.”

Registration for this first-ever event will open in December, but additional information about the event will be available in October through a dedicated website accessible through CHHSM.org. 

The Gathering focuses on the theme, “Many Gifts, One Spirit,” based on 1 Corinthians 12:4-7: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

The Gathering will include time for each association to meet on its own, and larger plenary opportunities for the five faith groups to join together in celebration and discussion. The meeting will include plenty of time for learning, listening, reflecting, and forming new ways to work together in ministry.

A special, easy-to-use event app will be available for attendees to keep track of workshops and plenary events, but also to arrange meet ups and ride shares with other attendees. Attendees will be able to provide feedback, upload photos from the event to share with others, and be notified of schedule changes. The app, created in Whova, will be similar to the app created for the 2024 CHHSM Annual Gathering.

“We look forward to sharing and learning from each other during The Gathering,” Doyle added. “It will be a time to learn from and listen to each other, and forge relationships that endure.”

The Gathering is a collaboration of the Council for Health and Human Services Ministries (CHHSM), the merged organization of MHS Association (MHS) and Friends Services Alliance (FSA), Methodist Ministries Network MMN), and the Presbyterian Association of Homes & Services for the Aging (PAHSA).