Barb Powell
The UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) recently released resources for Health and Human Service Sunday, which takes place Jan. 25, 2026, the Third Sunday after Epiphany. The resources help UCC churches, CHHSM members, and friends bring the message of serving leadership and support for all health and human service workers to their local congregations and worship…
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…
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. …
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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We are Stronger When We Unite Gifts and Voices Across Vocations, Denominations - CHHSM
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Last month, I had the chance to attend Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2026 in Washington, D.C. Being in the room with faith leaders, advocates, organizers, and ministry partners from across the country—pe...