Barb Powell
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,…
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…
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…
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:…
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…
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…
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…
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),…
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…
Volunteer ministries require special commitment and dedication, traits that are tested during times of change. To facilitate a new way of doing outdoor ministry in the UCC’s Heartland Conference, Jill Frey, executive director of outdoor ministries, asked the UCC’s Council for Health and Human Service Ministries to offer a leadership retreat for the conference’s summer…
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