Sustaining the Leaders Who Sustain the Mission

Last month, I wrote about stewardship and sustainability and how our ministries are navigating a complex and demanding landscape. As we continue this first-quarter reflection, I want to focus on something that sits at the center of long-term sustainability yet is often the hardest to prioritize: the well-being and resilience of leaders and caregivers themselves.

Across the CHHSM network, I continue to be inspired by leaders who carry enormous responsibility with humility, compassion, and commitment. They are guiding organizations through workforce challenges, financial pressures, regulatory demands, and the growing needs of communities seeking stability, healing, and hope. They do this work while also navigating their own personal responsibilities, callings, and, at times, exhaustion.

The truth we do not always name openly enough is this: our ministries cannot be sustained if our leaders and caregivers are not sustained.

Resilience is often misunderstood as simply pushing through hardship or finding ways to do more with less. But in faithful leadership, resilience is something deeper. It is the intentional practice of grounding ourselves spiritually, emotionally, and relationally so that we can lead with clarity, compassion, and courage over the long journey, and not just in moments of crisis.

Faith reminds us that even Jesus stepped away to pray, to rest, and to reconnect with God and community. If even Christ modeled rhythms of renewal, surely we are called to do the same.

At CHHSM, we strive to support leadership resilience not only through resources and professional development, but through relationship and community. Programs like the Nollau Leadership Institute, affinity groups, and peer connections create space for leaders to share openly, learn from one another, and remember they are not alone in this work. Likewise, initiatives such as the President’s Circle continue to strengthen dialogue and mutual support among executive leaders across our network.

These spaces matter because leadership can sometimes feel isolating. Yet our tradition reminds us that ministry is never meant to be solitary work. Ecclesiastes tells us, “Two are better than one… If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” That wisdom continues to guide how CHHSM approaches leadership formation and support.

This is also why gatherings of our community remain so vital. When we come together at The Gathering in March, we do more than exchange ideas or attend educational sessions. We create space to renew our spirits, strengthen our professional and spiritual networks, and reconnect with the shared calling that brought each of us into this work. Time spent learning, reflecting, and being in community with one another is not time away from the mission—it is time invested in sustaining it.

As we move through this year, I encourage each of you to consider how you are tending to your own well-being and the well-being of those you lead. How are you creating space for reflection, rest, and honest conversation within your organizations? How are you nurturing emerging leaders and ensuring that the next generation of ministry leadership feels supported and equipped? CHHSM is here to support these conversations throughout our network, and I invite you to actively participate in our online and in-person gatherings. 

The sustainability of our ministries depends not only on financial strength or operational excellence, but on leaders who feel connected, supported, and spiritually grounded. When leaders thrive, ministries thrive. When caregivers are cared for, communities experience deeper and more compassionate service.

I remain grateful for the faithful service our organizations provide every day in the communities they serve. Their work reflects the love, justice, and compassion that sits at the heart of our shared calling. Together, our CHHSM network creates communities of care that transform lives and bring healing to a world that so deeply needs it.