News

April 23, 2026

2026 Healthy Congregations Retreat

We appreciate everyone who attended our annual Healthy Congregations retreat this year. We hope you enjoyed connecting, learning, sharing and developing relationships with others who share a passion for congregational and community health.

We’ve included resources from the 2026 retreat below. If you posted on social media during the event, we’d love for you to tag us @umhealthfund! And, we hope to see you again in 2027!

Healthy Congregations contact: Jackie Biggs, program officer, jackie@healthfund.org


Story Circles
Presenter: Adam Barlow-Thompson
Interested in receiving the full guide book on story circles? Click here to fill out the request form.

Prayer Labyrinth: A Walking Practice of Presence
Presenter: Rev. Christopher Eshelman, of Fort Scott First UMC
Presentation

Faith, Food and the Work of Justice
Presenter: Karen Siebert, of Harvesters
Presentation | Placemat | Paper Plate Campaign

Healthy Congregations in Practice: Stories of Connection, Care and Community Impact
Resources provided by Ranita Lilyhorn, of Omaha First UMC
Celebration of Soulful Healing | Health & Healing Ministries Brochure | Ongoing Projects & Events

Click here to view photos from the retreat!

We’re grateful to The Neighboring Movement for having a booth this year and sharing more about their organization.

Interested in learning even more? Feel free to reach out to Ian directly below.

Ian Campbell, ian@neighboringmovement.org

Wanting to join the next cohort for their Faith-Based Animator Network? The registration deadline is May 7. More information about FAN is here, or you can visit the FAN website here.

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© United Methodist Health Ministry Fund