As a Care Net national trainer, years ago I was invited to do an onsite board training at a center that had existed for many years. After we completed the training, the board chair shared with me that he had served on two pregnancy center boards for over 20 years, and yet until this board training, he had not known what his role was nor how a pregnancy center board was to function effectively.
That saddened me. One of my passions is to equip boards for effective ministry. Over and over, I've seen how great boards make a positive impact on their pregnancy centers. And I've seen the damage that comes when boards are characterized by conflict, lack of commitment, and role-confusion. I love seeing boards step into their governance responsibilities with courage and confidence.
Yet, even the most well-meaning board members rarely come to the center fully trained; ready to lead the ministry wisely and prayerfully. My heart has hurt for those board members who long to do good well, but can become frustrated if they are not equipped for their roles. While I get to help some of these leaders through on-site trainings and phone consultations, there are many more who need to be empowered to step into their callings. This need has become especially pronounced as COVID-19 safety measures have made travel and gathering for in-person training more challenging.
But isn't God good? And doesn't He answer prayer faithfully?
Long before anyone had heard about COVID or had become an expert in communicating online, the Care Net Centers of Excellence team was working on developing an online training so center boards could more easily and affordably receive board trainings together. And that training is finally here - Board Essentials is now open for preregistration!
Care Net’s Board Essentials course is designed for highly committed leaders who want to be the best partners, encouragers, and guardians of the center's mission that they can be. An effective board is crucial to the effectiveness and success of the center’s mission. As the board fulfills its role to govern, it encourages, equips, and provides spiritual support for the executive leader in managing the center’s ministry work. Accomplishing the vision of effective board leadership does not happen automatically—it takes the time, resources, planning and most of all – training.
Training areas in this course include key principles for effective board governance, executive oversight, strategic planning, and pursuing board unity. The course starts off with a two part assessment that helps board members self-evaluate how they are functioning in their role and also reveals the level of excellence at which the collective board is functioning.
Your center board will progress through the course together, led by an experienced Board Advisor. The Advisor guides the board through the course materials, facilitates discussion, and addresses the board's specific questions and unique challenges. The board advisers are drawn from Care Net's Center Service Specialist team, myself included.
Being a pregnancy center board member is a high and holy calling! God brings together a group of ordinary people from different backgrounds and walks of life to serve on pregnancy center boards. And it is amazing what He accomplishes through them- babies are saved, hearts are healed, lives changed, and the gospel is shared. Board members are people who love Him, are passionate about pro-life and sharing the gospel; and they have answered Hs call to serve. They are totally committed to pregnancy center ministry… but that commitment doesn't come with intuitive knowledge on how to be an effective board member! If your otherwise passionate board members aren't trained on how to be board members, they may be ineffective and become discouraged.
So what are you waiting for? Come sign up to receive more information about the course! I'd love it if you mention that you heard about the course form me. I and my fellow Board Advisors would be honored to walk with you through this course as you become better equipped, strengthened, and empowered to provide effective board leadership and governance for your center. We thank God for you and pray that this Board Essentials course will help you to grow in knowledge and wisdom as you serve on your pregnancy center board.
Sue Fultz is a Care Net Center Services Specialist and pregnancy center trainer. She was the founding Executive Director of the Two Hearts Pregnancy Care Center in Ashland, Kentucky, and its satellite, Two Hearts PCC of Lawrence County, Ohio. She attended the University of Kentucky and was awarded a Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Ministry by Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary. Sue has experience in plan development in the Louisville Metro area. She was a PCC board member and has been serving in pro-life ministry since 1998.
