‘Management as Ministry’, a CHHSM and CTS Collaboration

By the Rev. Danielle Bartz

CHHSM and Chicago Theological Seminary are teaming up this May to offer a one-week intensive course on faith-based nonprofit leadership. The course, entitled “Management as Ministry: Learnings from Faith-Based Health and Human Services,” will be taught by CHHSM president and CEO Bryan Sickbert and CHHSM ministry Consecra Housing Network CEO Timothy Rhodes.

The course was conceived in response to a growing trend of seminary students entering ministries that are outside church settings. However, the course is also valuable for students who are called to congregational ministries because those are nonprofits as well. According to the purpose statement of the course: “The course will introduce participants to cutting-edge leadership practice such as social entrepreneurship, appreciative inquiry, and strengths-based management that will benefit anyone in an organizational leadership role.”

The weeklong course will combine classroom lectures and discussions as well as trips to CHHSM ministries in the Chicago area. A variety of CHHSM leaders will come together to offer students their wisdom and advice, ranging from theologically grounded leadership to practical matters such as human resources and financial management.

The course will take place May 19-23 at Chicago Theological Seminary. Each day will include six-to-seven hours of in-person instruction and discussion. Students will also be expected to do after-hours work, such as reading and writing.

This course is open to CTS students as well as those interested in auditing, either for credit or not. A regular student will pay $1,821 for the course. Those who wish to audit for no credit will pay $501 and students who would like to audit and receive graduate credit will pay $1,821. Those who want to audit the course can register for the class beginning April 21 by contacting the CTS registrar Elena Jimenez at ejimenez@ctschicago.edu. Students who wish to receive graduate credit will have to fill out a brief application.

A reminder will go out to the CHHSM community once registration is open.