Barb Powell

Puentes de Esperanza, un programa de Hoyleton, organiza dos iniciativas para apoyar a clientes inmigrantes en el sur de Illinois

By Barb Powell | December 12, 2025

Special thanks to Hoyleton Youth and Family Services Puentes de Esperanza’s Patricia Merz and Edda Berti for this translation of the feature story into Spanish. The translators worked with a slightly earlier version of the story. La ayuda de Hoyleton Youth and Family Services en Fairview Heights, Illinois, beneficia a clientes en todo el sur…

Read More

Hoyleton’s Puentes de Esperanza Hosts Two Firsts to Support Immigrant Clients in Southern Illinois

By Barb Powell | December 11, 2025

The outreach of Hoyleton Youth and Family Services in Fairview Heights, Ill., extends to clients throughout southern Illinois, many of whom often have nowhere else to turn. One of its programs, Puentes de Esperanza (“Bridges of Hope”), extends a much-needed lifeline to immigrants and their families. Recently, Puentes accomplished two firsts in the struggle to help immigrant families. …

Read More

Registration to Open this Week for Ecumenical Gathering of Health and Human Service Ministries

By Barb Powell | December 11, 2025

Registration opens later this week for The Gathering, the conference of faith-based human service organizations taking place March 24-26, 2026, in Indianapolis. The Gathering’s soon-to-be-launched event website will include the registration page. Centered on the theme “Many Gifts, One Spirit,” The Gathering brings together health and human service leaders from five faith traditions: Methodist, Mennonite,…

Read More

Boundary Training Retreat Brings Grounding, Restorative Space to UCC Missouri Mid-South Clergy

By Barb Powell | December 11, 2025

Partnership is the recurring theme in most CHHSM-related activities. Recently, the UCC’s Missouri Mid-South Conference asked CHHSM’s the Rev. Elyse Berry to collaborate on its annual clergy retreat. The successful retreat was held Nov. 13-15 at the Kabekona Hills Retreat Center in Rolla, Mo. Berry, CHHSM’s associate for advocacy and leadership development, facilitated the ritual/spiritual…

Read More

Christmas Fund Advent Resources Filled with Spirit of the Season; Drive Helps Active and Retired Clergy

By Barb Powell | November 13, 2025

The UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries and Pension Boards-United Church of Christ have again teamed up to bring all settings of the church this year’s Christmas Fund Advent resources, including the four weeks of Advent and Christmas Eve. The 2025 Advent liturgical resources were created by the Rev. Dr. Elyse Berry, CHHSM’s…

Read More

Nollau Institute’s Second Retreat Gives Participants Fresh Eyes to Realize Their Leadership Potential

By Barb Powell | November 13, 2025

The second retreat of the Nollau Leadership Institute class of 2026 took place Oct. 6-10, 2025, at Bellwether Farm in Wakeman, Ohio. The retreat built on the first retreat’s emphasis on the personal aspects of leadership to explore organizational life, coaching strategies, restorative and social justice in the workplace, and other leadership skills.  The second…

Read More

Crossroad Looks to the Future through Logo Update and Website Refresh

By Barb Powell | November 13, 2025

Crossroad Child & Family Services in Fort Wayne, Ind., has a refreshed look. In October, the CHHSM agency unveiled its new logo and refreshed website. “On Oct. 2, 2025, Crossroad unveiled our new logo— the third in the organization’s 142 years of service,” said Liz Bergren, chief development officer. “We chose to unveil our new…

Read More

Workshops Galore to be Featured at The Gathering 2026

By Barb Powell | October 10, 2025

Excitement for The Gathering: Many Gifts, One Spirit is building as a plethora of workshops are formulated for attendees. To be held March 24-26, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis, The Gathering will draw some 500 attendees from the five participating faith traditions: Mennonite, Methodist, Presbyterian, Quaker, and United Church of Christ. Thirty-five workshops…

Read More

Finding the Sacred, Rediscovering the Center: CHHSM Workshop and Retreat Help Equip Hoyleton Staff

By Barb Powell | October 10, 2025

Hoyleton Youth & Family Services, based in Fairview Heights, Ill., has a 130-year commitment to social justice. But recent events around the country and the world have heightened that commitment. As a CHHSM agency, Hoyleton approaches justice through a faith-based lens. So when executive staff members began creating and implementing a three-year holisitic leadership development…

Read More

Heartland Conference-Sponsored CHHSM Retreat Explores Benefits of Enneagram

By Barb Powell | October 10, 2025

For the past seven years, CHHSM has partnered with the UCC’s Heartland Conference to offer a day long retreat for its local churches and its Designated Ministry Partners, which include several CHHSM agencies. That tradition continued Aug. 27, 2025, in a day-long workshop, “From Role to Soul: Exploring the Enneagram as a Sacred Tool.” The…

Read More
Join Our Mailing LIst

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow on Facebook

Quick Links