Barb Powell

CHHSM Emerging Leaders Experience UCC General Synod

By Barb Powell | July 21, 2025

CHHSM has two leadership programs for current seminarians exploring calls to health and human service ministry: its Rev. Jerry Paul Scholar program and its Emerging Leader program. Following this summer’s UCC General Synod in Kansas City, Mo., two of the current participants — CHHSM Scholar the Rev. Breona Hawkins and Emerging Leader Cohort member the…

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Pagán-Banks Brings Urgent Message to UCC Synod: Risk, Love, Build Jesus Movement

By Barb Powell | July 21, 2025

From the opening words of her sermon during opening worship of the UCC’s 2025 General Synod in Kansas City, Mo., July 11, the Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks let delegates know that this sermon was different. Pagán-Banks, executive director of A Just Harvest in Chicago and a valued CHHSM board member and Nollau Leadership Institute graduate,…

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2026 Nollau Institute Class Members Connect in Journey to Serving Leadership at First Retreat of the Year

By Barb Powell | June 16, 2025

Eager participants in this year’s Nollau Leadership Institute class arrived at Bellwether Farm in Wakeman, Ohio, in May for the first retreat of the year. Held May 19-23, 2025, the retreat gathered people from across the UCC, from CHHSM organizations and chaplaincies to the UCC’s national setting, regional conferences, and seminaries. By week’s end, the…

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CHHSM Brings Leadership Growth and Development Retreat to UCC’s Southern New England Conference

By Barb Powell | June 16, 2025

Answering a call from the Southern New England Conference of the UCC (SNEUCC), CHHSM brought a leadership retreat to the full SNEUCC conference staff in early April. The one-day event included both leadership development and time for personal growth and reflection for staff members who’ve hit the ground running in their conference roles. SNEUCC is…

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CHHSM-Led Retreat at UCAN Offers Opportunity to Link Renewal and Restorative Justice

By Barb Powell | June 16, 2025

Staff members at UCAN in Chicago usually find the day-to-day realities of direct client service rewarding, but the work also can be exhausting. A CHHSM-led Nollau To You retreat April 16 helped staff members connect with their spirituality and professional purpose in support of their work with youth, families, and the community. “Purpose and Peace:…

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Mississippi’s ‘Your Barefoot Neighbor’ Rallies International Online Community in Massive Food Drive for Back Bay Mission

By Barb Powell | May 13, 2025

Not too long ago, Matthew Bounds was working in a regular job like the rest of us. But these days, he’s Your Barefoot Neighbor, an impactful online influencer who doles out easy-to-make, favorite hometown recipes and creates community. And as his most recent fundraiser for Back Bay Mission (BBM) in Biloxi, Miss., shows, that online…

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

By Barb Powell | May 13, 2025

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…

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Archway’s Mosaic Campus Earns Multiple Honors for Community Impact, Affordability, and Historic Preservation

By Barb Powell | May 13, 2025

Archway Communities’ Mosaic Community Campus in Denver was recognized in April 2025 with multiple awards for its transformative approach to affordable housing, historic preservation and community revitalization. These statewide and local honors mark a major milestone for Archway Communities and the adaptive reuse project’s many partners, underscoring the impact of collaboration and mission-driven development.  Mosaic…

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Call for Workshop Proposals for First-Ever Gathering of Faith-Based HHS Organizations in March 2026

By Barb Powell | April 11, 2025

In a first-ever collaborative effort, four faith-based health and human service organizations will hold The Gathering: Many Gifts, One Spirit, March 24-26, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis. Some 500 attendees are expected from the four associations: UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM), Mennonite Health Services (MHS), Methodist Ministries Network (MMN),…

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Emmaus Staff and Client Advocates Bring Disability Awareness to Missouri State Legislators

By Barb Powell | April 11, 2025

For the past three years, members of the advocacy team at Emmaus Homes in St. Charles, Mo., show up in full force at the Missouri State Capitol for Disability Rights Legislative Day (DRLD). But on Feb. 26, 2025, Emmaus raised the level of involvement as 84 Emmaus direct service providers, staff, supporters, and clients traveled…

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