Rooted in Call, Moving Together in Bold Strategy

Last week, the CHHSM Board of Directors and staff came together for a sacred time of retreat at Bellwether Farm. Nestled in the beauty of God’s creation, we paused the noise of our daily work to listen deeply to God, to one another, and to the still, small voice of our collective call. 

This was not simply a retreat: It was a moment of re-centering. A time to acknowledge both the urgency of the moment and the power of community. We gathered not just as professionals, but also as a covenantal community bound together by faith and purpose. 

We know the landscape for health and human service nonprofits is shifting. Many of our CHHSM ministries are navigating tremendous challenges: economic strain, workforce shortages, increasing demand, and political headwinds that threaten to roll back vital services. The current administration has proposed harmful cuts to safety net programs, weakened protections for vulnerable communities, and undermined the very systems our ministries work so hard to uphold. These are not abstract policy debates. They are lived realities for the people CHHSM agencies serve every day. 

In such times, the need for unity and bold strategy is more important than ever. We cannot afford to work in isolation or wait for stability to return. Instead, we must root ourselves in our call and lean into collective action. Our time at Bellwether Farm reminded us that we are stronger when we walk together, advocate together, and dream together. 

Through guided facilitation and collective discernment, we began shaping a strategic vision that affirms our call, centers equity, and dares to imagine new ways of being in partnership. This is a journey of transformation, not for the sake of change itself, but because the Gospel compels us to meet the world’s needs with courage, compassion, and justice. 

This moment calls us to prophetic leadership. It calls us to speak out against injustice, to advocate for policies that uplift rather than marginalize, and to embody the Gospel call to love our neighbor through action, not just intention. We will continue to show up, not only in boardrooms and sanctuaries, but also in the public square, united in our commitment to justice, compassion, and the flourishing of all people. 

I left our time at Bellwether Farm deeply encouraged, not because we resolved every challenge, but because we did the holy work of showing up for one another. We laid the groundwork for a bold, strategic direction rooted in call, sustained by community, and led by faith. 

As we move forward, may we do so with boldness, grounded in love, and with unwavering faith in the God who calls us.