GOLD2023

Healthy Seminarians-Healthy Church Initiative

Healthy Seminarians + Healthy Churches = A Healthier World!

aka Healthy Seminarians-Healthy Church   |   Murrysville, PA   |  https://www.healthyseminarians-healthychurch.org

Mission

We equip seminarians, clergy, and church leaders to explore practical ways of living into greater health and wholeness through education, research, and advocacy.

Ruling year info

2014

Co-founder/Executive Director

Rev. Dr. Karen H. Webster

Co-founder

Rev. Dr. Travis A Webster

Main address

Healthy Seminarians-Healthy Church 4600 Old William Penn Hwy.

Murrysville, PA 15668 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

46-4073343

NTEE code info

Christian (X20)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

HSHC recognizes that seminarians and clergy struggle disproportionately with mental, emotional, and physical health issues. We are committed to breaking this cycle of unhealth. Through our efforts to educate and bring awareness of how to change this reality, we can help church leaders become agents of positive transformation in their communities.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Online Small Groups

HSHC offers an online small group opportunity specifically designed for seminarians and seminarians’ partners/spouses. As Christians who take seriously our being created in the image of God, we are called to move into wholeness within ourselves, with our neighbors, and with God’s creation. Our small group program provides participants with some practical tools and resources for improving their own health as well as the health of the world around them!

Population(s) Served
Students
Christians

Karen and Travis have spoken extensively at churches, conferences, and in academic settings on a variety of topics, including the connection between spirituality and our food choices, creating more hospitable communities of faith, environmental stewardship, practices of self-care, motivation for movement, and wholeness.

Population(s) Served
Christians

HSHC is available to help seminarians discern, plan for, and live into the vision they have for maintaining spiritual, physical, and emotional health in the vocation to which God has called them.

Population(s) Served
Students
Christians

HSHC offers an online health and wellness assessment to help people focus their intention on the image of God within themselves and to help them live more fully into their true selves.

Population(s) Served
Students
Academics
Christians

HSHC offers easy and affordable whole-foods, plant-based recipes to try at home; recipe “makeover” ideas (making them lighter and healthier); and tips for navigating potlucks and other food-centered gatherings.

Population(s) Served
Students
Christians

Where we work

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

HSHC is committed to exploring, embodying, and educating theologically and scientifically grounded wholeness through:

+ Recognizing and operating out of an ethic of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all creation;
+ Creating and nurturing an accepting, non-judgmental, confidential, and accessible space for all participants, regardless of where they are in their wellness journey;
+ Valuing our own health and the health of our coworkers through practicing integrity and authenticity in our personal and organizational life;
+ Encouraging and cultivating whole-food, plant-based, sustainable, and zero-waste practices;
+ Partnering with organizations that complement HSHC’s work; and
+ Looking forward to and planning for a sustainable organizational future.

We do this by:

+ Developing, testing, and providing practical tools and resources for seminarians, clergy, and congregations;
+ Modeling and promoting healthier habits;
+ Informing and influencing the administrations of seminaries, divinity schools, and denominations for the prioritization of health in both their pedagogy and culture; and
+ Consulting, advocating in, and educating churches on how to model theologically grounded wholeness.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Mission Statement: Equipping seminarians, clergy, and church members to explore practical ways of living into greater health and wholeness through education, research, and advocacy.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    This past year, we utilized data from the surveys and interviews we conducted with seminarians in order to adjust our curriculum to meet their top health and wellness concerns. In addition, our participants indicated that one of the difficulties they face when attempting to improve their health and wellbeing is their heavy academic workload in addition to their other responsibilities (jobs, family, etc.). They reported that topics of health and wellness need to be incorporated into their theological training. They felt this would improve their lives during their time at seminary while also setting them up for healthier ways of living into their vocations. We are taking all of this feedback into consideration as we update our strategic plan.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time

Financials

Healthy Seminarians-Healthy Church Initiative
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Healthy Seminarians-Healthy Church Initiative

Board of directors
as of 04/11/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Rev. Dr. Karen Webster

Suzanne Yoder

Travis Webster

Anna Grace Claunch

Lucas Mburu

Nate West

Anna Grace Glaize

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/9/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 11/16/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.