Storytelling and Faith-based Communication: CHHSM Nollau To You Retreat Brings Spiritual Narrative to Life for United Church Homes Team

Most weeks, the diverse Communications, Advancement, Marketing, and Parker Center (CAMP) Team of United Church Homes (UCH) is busy with their work highlighting the ministries of UCH. The team meets virtually each month, and in-person on a retreat each December. In 2024, CHHSM’s Nollau To You workshop engaged the CAMP Team in a special one-day retreat, “The Moral of the Story: The Power of Ethics and Narrative in Faith-based Communities.”

Held Dec. 4, 2024, the retreat — led by CHHSM’s the Rev. Dr. Elyse Berry, associate for advocacy and leadership development — sparked a renewal of commitment and purpose in the participants. Nollau To You is a program of one-day workshop retreats that provide CHHSM members with an opportunity to engage their employees in a discussion about the key components of serving leadership.

“The curated content [Berry] provided for our specific audience of storytellers was both relevant and inspiring,” said Ashley Bills, UCH’s corporate director of communications and media relations and a current CHHSM Nollau Leadership Institute class member. “It was a meaningful experience that brought smiles, closer connections, and a sense of shared purpose among our team.”

The retreat was organized by Gloria Hurwitz, UCH’s vice president of advancement, and also part of this year’s Nollau Leadership Institute class. “I wanted an opportunity to have us all step away from our daily priorities and general duties and think about new things in new ways ‘together,’” she said. “Elyse selected the curriculum using a golden thread of storytelling as something all four departments do as a part of our work, independently and collectively.”

For Berry, approaching the workshop, she was struck by “the power of storytelling and how each of these CAMP team members are storytellers in diverse ways.”

No matter which medium they use, the team members “are storytellers and story-keepers,” Berry said. “Humans are meaning-making, story-sharing creatures, and when putting this in the context of our faith, this kind of work is sacred work as we find ourselves within the larger narrative of God’s story in our own story, and in the stories of those similar and different from ours.”

Using a theological grounding in the Victoria Loortz translation of John 1:1-3, 14 from Church of the Wild — “In the beginning was the Conversation, and the Conversation was with God, and the Conversation was God … “ — the workshop discussed narrative spirituality, the need for mythology, moral and prophetic imagination, and imagination activism, among other topics. The discussions and activities also drew heavily on indigenous narratives from around the world.

For Bills, the arts and crafts portion of the day was most meaningful, “where we created ‘ruins’ or legacy stories for our families,” she said. “This activity resonated deeply [for me] as a storyteller, and allowed us to connect on a personal and reflective level.”

“I also loved the musical portion, where we created rhythms and harmonies together,” Bills added. “It was a unique way to foster collaboration and unity within the group.”

The use of indigenous storytelling “helped us learn about some of the ancient rituals and the value of lore that spans generations,” said Hurwitz. “This learning and the associated activities and discussion helped us all think about our own ‘ruins’ and what message we want to leave for our families and loved ones.”

The day opened and closed with ritual, a glue that connected the lessons of the day for participants. 

“As I headed home, I reflected on how refreshed I felt,” said the Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, vice president of engagement and director of the Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging for UCH. “It was a joy to be in each other’s presence, to laugh together and share a meal (and snacks), and have the opportunity to reflect and engage in deeper conversations than our usual zoom meetings through the year allow.”

The Rev. Dr. Ken Daniel, CEO of UCH, agreed. “Our engagement team used the experience with Elyse to both reflect and inspire,” Daniel said. “The participants came away with renewed creative energy and enthusiasm. We discovered how our individual work contributes to how we extend our mission and brand reputation, both internally and externally.”

“The team works hard throughout the year,” added Daniel. “We wanted to keep ourselves grounded in what motivates us at the inner core, both professionally and personally. This program from CHHSM is one of the reasons we value our relationship. CHHSM staff have the expertise and creativity to support and nurture the work we do every day.”