Disciples Care Exchange Calls Together Executive Leaders Peer Group
The 2016 goals for the Disciples Care Exchangeinclude developing new intentional opportunities to connect and resource our Disciples health and social services ministries. One way the National Benevolent Association (NBA) has moved towards meeting this goal is by calling together Disciple-related nonprofit executives into a peer group. This peer group has covenanted together to share, learn, and grow in their ministries and relationships.
The vision of the peer group is to provide an opportunity for leaders to cultivate peer support and encouragement, mutual dialogue, spiritual renewal, and peer-to-peer learning. There will be time for rest and renewal, joyful-shared conversation, and group learning with others who truly understand the challenges and gifts of faith-based nonprofits in the current environment.
The NBA also hopes, as appropriate, to hear the experiences and challenges of Disciple-related health and social service executives in a way that allows us to deepen our effectiveness in supporting this work across the life of the church.
Beginning in July, nine executive leaders from partner health and social service ministries of the Disciples Care Exchange met online for their first peer group meeting. During the meeting the group members shared about themselves, their current work, and their hopes for this 18-month peer group experience that will continue through December 2017.
The members of the 2016-2017 Executive Leaders Peer Group cohort are:
- Mark Anderson, President and CEO, NBA, St. Louis, MO
- Debbie Dobbins, Executive Director, Southern Christian Services for Children and Youth, Jackson, MS
- Mark Palmer, CEO, Woodhaven, Columbia, MO
- Sabrina Porter, President and CEO, Juliette Fowler Communities, Dallas, TX
- Feliberto Pereira, Founder and Executive Director, Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries, Los Fresnos, TX
- Elaine Sanford, Founder and Executive Director, HER Faith Ministries, Inc., Memphis, TN
- Don Stump, President and CEO, Christian Church Homes, Oakland, CA
- Kimberly Weir, Chaplain and Executive Director, Florida Christian Center, Jacksonville, FL
The peer group will meet regularly through online video conferencing and periodic face-to-face meetings throughout the next year and a half. Monica Wedlock Kilpatrick, Director of Connect Ministries, will serve as the peer group convener.
“It is my sincere hope to glean from the collective wisdom of fellow servants who labor to provide help and hope to God’s people who are marginalized and disenfranchised. Specifically, I hope to learn of the best practices being considered or employed to empower needy people to take the reins and begin to solve their own problems,” states Elaine Sanford. “I am excited beyond measure at the cadre of knowledge and experience that I have already observed in this body.”
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In the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the ministries of health and social services have been core to our Disciples identity and faith. The National Benevolent Association (NBA) supports a network of care providers. For questions or more information, contact Rev. Monica Wedlock Kilpatrick.
