Healthy lives for congregations and ministers

Each year begins with promises and commitments to ourselves and to others. We make resolutions about many things related to our health, from eating better to making room for better balance in our lives. This year begins with renewed promise at the Center for Congregational Health (CCH).

The last two years have seen a great deal of change at the CCH. The FaithHealthNC movement coming out of Wake Forest Baptist Health is increasingly vibrant and needed. Naturally, CCH is an integral resource in helping the hospital community renew deeply-rooted connections with congregations. While focusing on that new effort, it appeared for a time that the Center might be subsumed into that significant work.

However, to paraphrase a quote from Mark Twain, “The rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.” Consistently and persistently through the last year, the staff heard from longtime congregational and denominational partners that they still wanted and needed the Center.

Over the coming months, the Center will be introducing several new ways to contribute to the healthy lifespan of both congregations and ministers, including how congregations can enhance their vibrancy in the community.

The leadership will look somewhat different from recent years. But while the FaithHealth movement has shifted the roles for some of staff, they still contribute to the collective wisdom that congregations have come to value deeply over the last 22 years. Les Robinson is still the leading voice in the field of Intentional Interim Ministry. The center will continue to draw upon Chris Gambill and Beth Kennett as valuable congregational resources. The leadership of the day-to-day activity and ministry of the Center draws upon two of our long-time consultants, Brian Foreman and Don Durham.

Meanwhile, check out the Center’s new website.