Barb Powell
Once again, the Pension Boards UCC (PB) and the UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) have partnered to bring churches and related agencies this year’s Christmas Fund Advent resources, including the four weeks of Advent, plus Christmas Eve. The 2024 set of resources, which will be available soon from the Pension Boards,…
Clergy, local church lay leaders, and members of various Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) agencies came together Aug. 7, 2024, for a special UCC Heartland Conference/CHHSM retreat on harm reduction. The day featured discussion, workshop activities, worship, ritual, and reflection as attendees learned how to take action in ending the overdose crisis…
The Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) Rev. Jerry Paul Scholar Program has opened applications for its next CHHSM Scholar. The program offers a unique and tailored program for seminary students interested in learning more about ministry in faith-based health and human service nonprofit organizations. “It is always inspiring to begin a new…
The topic of financial exploitation and abuse of older adults was the focus of a recent interfaith roundtable meeting hosted July 30 by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a U.S. government agency that works to ensure that everyone is treated fairly by banks, lenders and other financial institutions. The free, virtual meeting included leaders…
CHHSM is initiating two new endeavors aimed at increasing member participation and engagement and expand the future vision of the organization: an engagement survey and a Presidents Circle. The short survey was created by Zaria Davis, CHHSM’s engagement coordinator, and will go out to peer-level colleagues at CHHSM agencies. “At CHHSM, fostering meaningful connections and…
The Rev. Richard Ellerbrake, long-time health and human services activist and advocate, and his wife, Johann, whose career has included serving as a physical therapist and in youth ministries, have provided a $3,000 Schwab Charitable grant to the UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM). Dick Ellerbrake, president emeritus of Deaconess Health System…
There’s a buzz around Plymouth Place in La Grange Park, Ill., and it’s not just conversations among residents and staff. Some 40,000 bees have taken up residence in two beehives on the campus, and they’re currently hard at work making the new hives home. The project is part of Plymouth Place’s Horticulture Committee, a resident-led…
A “Harm Reduction & Overdose Prevention in the Pulpit: Building a Meaningful Harm Reduction Justice Sunday Service” webinar took place June 27, 2024, to introduce a new resource for congregations participating in the UCC’s first-ever Harm Reduction Justice Sunday, scheduled for Aug. 18. The webinar is available online. The webinar featured experts from across the…
CHHSM’s 2024-2025 Nollau Leadership Institute class experienced its first retreat as it embarked on the year-long journey in leadership development. The retreat took place May 20-24, 2024, at Bellwether Farm in Wakeman, Ohio. For participants, the five days held insights, laughter, surprises, and wonder. “The Nollau Leadership Institute retreat experience is an introduction to the…
For residents and staff at Fairhaven Senior Services in Whitewater, Wis., the annual migration of Monarch butterflies, with their bright orange and black markings, from Mexico to the United States and Canada is a welcome sight. Once a plentiful sight during the summer months, the Monarchs’ numbers have dwindled in recent years due to the…
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