Our Mission
The mission of the Center for Congregational Health is to help faith communities and their leaders thrive.
Our Vision Statement
A world where congregations transform their communities to be more compassionate, faithful, and just.
The principles that guide our work:
- We believe that every congregation is creative, resourceful, and whole.
- We believe that every congregation is unique and requires tailored solutions in order to thrive.
- We believe it is essential to create spaces for congregations to have conversations.
- We believe that congregations can be healthy, adaptive, and sustainable.
- We believe that congregations can thrive when they clarify their unique gifts and calling.
- We believe congregational challenges require congregational solutions.
- We believe that healthy congregations are better equipped to make a difference in the world.
- We believe that when congregations thrive, communities thrive.
- We believe congregations thrive when they utilize wisdom, knowledge, and understanding under the guidance of the Spirit.
About Us
The Center for Congregational Health® is a ministry of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s FaithHealth Division, designed to promote health and thriving in faith communities. We believe that healthy congregations are better equipped to serve their communities, allowing both the congregation and the community to thrive. Through our four areas of work– education, direct care, collaborative efforts, and research–the Center supports faith communities and ministry leaders and promotes congregational thriving.
Education
Education and training have always been at the heart of the work that we do. We help congregational leaders learn how to bring their systems and culture into alignment with mission so that creativity, resourcefulness and wholeness abound. Through our integral collaboration with FaithHealth’s Clinical Pastoral Education program and CareNet Counseling, the Center provides ongoing workshops, seminars, and training opportunities designed to promote congregational health and support congregations and leaders in their work. We provide education to all facets of faith communities through comprehensive training and continuing education for ministers, lay leaders, coaches, consultants, and interim ministers. We also provide educational support to both denominations and institutions as they support their own ministers and ministers-in-training. Our network of consultants, coaches, and educators are available in many regions of the country, and work through both in-person and online platforms.
Direct Care
Center for Congregational Health® consultants and coaches have been providing direct care to congregations and their leaders since 1992. Consultants from the Center are trained to help staff teams, deacons, boards, councils or other leadership groups address a wide range of challenges that leaders face (.e.g., conflict, sustainability, energy and morale, clarifying mission and vision, pastoral staff transitions, aligning staff, buildings and resources with mission, etc.). Trained coaches provide direct care and support to individual ministers and lay leaders through one-on-one or small group coaching. Our consultants and coaches always seek to elicit and utilize the resources, skills and gifts for ministry already present in a an individual or a congregation. We are not simply problem solvers but coaches and guides. We focus on empowering faith leaders and congregations to build their own capacity to address the challenges they face.
Partnerships and Collaboration
Our work also extends beyond individual congregations and leaders. We actively seek partnerships and collaborations, providing our expertise as a resource to educational institutions and denominational and judicatory bodies. Through educational programs and support of ministers, we are a valuable resource for institutions in achieving their objectives, often partnering with them on grant-funded collaborations or through specific service covenants. The Center can provide assistance in program development or actual project implementation utilizing our networks of coaches, consultants and educators. These programs often include seminars and workshops, cohort development, or small/large group facilitation and leadership.
The Center for Congregational Health is a broad collaborative network of trusted coaches, consultants and Interim Ministers. Our network relationships are foundational in the work that we do, connecting professionals with the resources of the Center and providing opportunities for collaboration, growth, and inspiration. The Center provides our networks continuing education and support and ongoing opportunities to strengthen the work of each ministry professional allowing them to thrive. Our searchable databases are available to faith communities as a way of connecting them with the resources they need in order to thrive. Center supported networks are maintained for consultants, coaches, and Intentional Interim Ministers.
Research
The Center is considered a national thought leader for congregations and faith leaders in the promotion of congregational thriving. We conduct research that guides our methodology and provides insights for congregational health using the tools of organizational psychology and proven congregational practices. Our past research has focused on various aspects of leadership and congregational life including understanding congregational thriving, emotional intelligence, conflict style, and congregational stress. In addition, we continue to conduct longitudinal research concerning the effectiveness of programs such as intentional interim ministry. We believe congregations are best served by combining proven insights from science along with practical wisdom—informed and discerned through the guidance of the Spirit.
It is our belief that through the strengthening of ministry professionals and faith communities, we can work towards our vision of a world where congregations transform their communities to be more compassionate, faithful, and just.