Cornerstones

Wellness Tracks Frequently Asked Questions Support Cornerstones

¹¹The Israelites out-fought the Amalekites as long as Moses held up his arms, but they started losing whenever he lowered them. ¹²After a while, his arms were so tired that Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. Then they stood beside him and supported his arms in the same position until sunset. (Exodus 17: 11-12, CEV)

What is Cornerstones?

Cornerstones, a pilot project of Ministerial Relief and Assistance, will launch at The Gathering, a retreat for pastors, September 3-5, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Our hope is that the Cornerstones experience will provide clergy support and presence, just as Aaron and Hur did for Moses, holding up his arms when he grew tired, assuring him he was not alone in his ministry and leadership

Cornerstones is rooted in, and expands upon, the work of Excellence in Ministry (EIM), a financial empowerment program for clergy in their first five years of full-time ministry that Pension Fund was fortunate to offer with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc. EIM taught us that financial well-being for clergy is only one area of well-being where clergy need support. So as we launch the pilot project of Cornerstones, we will focus on three key areas of well-being, all of them undergirded by intentional “holy friendships,” cohorts of support, and authentic relationships. Each area of well-being will include resources and tools, as well as grant opportunities to support clergy in that area of wellness.

Clergy who come to The Gathering will be able to learn more about each track, and then in the immediate weeks following the event, will be able to sign up for an 18-month journey through one of the areas of wellness.

Key Areas of Well-Being

Financial Wellness

Our Financial Wellness cohort will focus on improving your financial health via an in-depth dive into what it means to manage your finances well. Opportunities in this cohort include:

Your Money Line (YML) – comprehensive financial coaching and support from financial guides who work with clergy, and who understand the various contexts of Disciples clergy. This will include required regular meetings with the YML financial guides for an assessment of your financial well-being and a plan of action – YML will be alerted to participation requirements.
Required webinars with subject matter experts on financial issues for clergy, including clergy taxes, and congregational stewardship issue
Reading material as assigned (2-3 books) for cohort discussion and practical application.
18-month cohort commitment for support, accountability, and connection with others on the journey.

Physical Wellness

Our Physical Wellness cohort will encompass opportunities for clergy to focus on physical health benefits with the support of their cohort members. Opportunities in this cohort include:

Financial support for gym memberships and/or equipment or for an online wellness subscription for clergy in rural areas where gym access is not available.
Online fitness group with a trainer who understands the challenges of clergy life.
Nutrition counseling referrals to help learn more about how to make food choices that are beneficial to your physical well-being goals.
18-month cohort commitment for support, accountability, and connection with others on the journey.

Mental Wellness

Our Mental Wellness cohort will allow our clergy members to focus on their mental health in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Opportunities in this cohort include:

Opportunity to partner with Root Cause Collective in a whole-body approach to well-being, centered on relationship and spirituality.
Referrals and financial support for clergy-friendly therapists in your geographic area or spiritual direction.
Grants to support counseling, especially when insurance is not available or accepted.
18-month cohort commitment for support, accountability, and connection with others on the journey.

We also encourage those who choose this area of wellness to explore, if they are not already, the tools Learn to Live has to offer. Learn to Live is an online mental wellness partner that offers one-on-one mental health coaching, 24/7 access to mental wellness tools, and programs for targeted mental health improvement.

Our Cohort Groups

Each area of wellness will include cohort groups that will be required to meet regularly for support and accountability; these groups will be the heart of our holy friendship work. Each group will be run by trained facilitators and will be rooted in the belief that we are stronger, better, and more effective in ministry when we lean into real relationships with one another. We anticipate options for chosen affinity groups, such as an all-women’s group, or perhaps a group for divorced clergy, clergy of color, or clergy who are all single parents. The affinity options for cohorts are many, and we will welcome participants’ suggestions. Participants can also, of course, just be a part of a group with no identified affinity other than their common wellness area.

Our Partners

We are grateful to Rev. Dr. Thad Austin’s work in “Caring for Clergy: Understanding a Disconnected Network of Providers”, and Rev. Dr. Victoria Atkinson White’s work in “Holy Friendships: Nurturing Relationships that Sustain Pastors and Leaders.” We are excited to welcome both Thad and Victoria to The Gathering as keynoters and look forward to learning from them directly. The Gathering participants will all receive a copy of “Holy Friendships,” as we envision holy friendships being the main foundation of support in uplifting pastors as they tend to their personal well-being.

We are also grateful to Bethany Fellows, Your Money Line, Learn to Live, and Root Cause Collective, each of whom are doing incredible work in these areas of wellness and who have agreed to partner with Pension Fund in the work of Cornerstones.

And, we are grateful for our Ministerial Relief and Assistance donors, without whom this project would not be possible. If you want to donate to support Cornerstones, please reach out to AVP of Development Rev. Geoff Brewster, at gbrewster@pensionfund.org or click on the Give Online button below.

Questions? Reach out to our program staff directly.

Email Program Staff

Frequently Asked Questions

The Gathering was designed with the launch of the Cornerstones pilot project in mind – the programming and speakers were focused on helping participants gain a working knowledge of clergy health and wellness, as well as an understanding of the concepts behind the idea of Holy Friendships. The Cornerstones commitment needs grounding in these areas, especially given that to be part of Cornerstones requires an 18-month commitment. Cornerstones is designed with full-time congregational clergy in mind, and though that does not exclude clergy serving in other ways by any means, participants do need to know its design.

We know not everyone could be with us in D.C. With that in mind, we invite all clergy to join us for Week of Ministry, which will feature Zoom prayer and connection groups designed to support clergy and invite them to consider how they might tend to their health and well-being. We encourage those who missed The Gathering to engage with Your Money Line and/or Learn to Live. Both are online financial and mental wellness tools that are available free of charge to Pension Fund member clergy and their households. Any questions regarding Cornerstones can be directed to cornerstones@pensionfund.org.

Financial Wellness

$2,500 debt relief and/or savings seed money grant* at the beginning of the program, likely paid in Q4 of 2024 and an additional $2,500 for debt relief or savings seed money in July of 2025 if the participant has remained accountable to the program.
In addition to the cohort requirement, participants will have to 1) participate in regular meetings/check-ins with a YML financial guide to set goals and establish a plan financially, 2) read 2-3 books (TBD) in this area, 3) attend a clergy tax webinar and a congregational stewardship webinar (TBD).
At the end of the 18-month commitment, participants who have remained engaged will be eligible for a low-interest debt relief loan of up to $10,000 through Pension Fund.

*This money is to be used for 1) debt relief – this can include tax burdens or 2) savings for an emergency fund, home purchase, etc. It is not to finance a vacation, or purchase something “fun.” The cohort will be the source of accountability here and program participants will need to share their plan for the money will their cohort.

Physical Wellness

$1,000 wellness grants for gym memberships and/or towards equipment or for an online wellness subscription for clergy in rural areas where gym access is not available; grants will be issued in two increments – $500 in Q4 of 2024, and then a second $500 six months in (June 2025).
18-month cohort commitment for support, accountability, and connection with others on the journey - as required for each wellness area.

Mental Wellness

$1,000 grant to offset therapy costs or participate in another mental wellness program of your choice (Restore Clergy is one such program and will be on-site at The Gathering to speak to their work) - $500 in Q4 of 2024, and then a second $500 six months in (June 2025).
18-month cohort commitment for support, accountability, and connection with others on the journey - as required for each wellness area.

Each wellness area includes a 18-month cohort commitment, beginning in January of 2025 and ending in July of 2026; the cohorts will meet every 4-6 weeks, and will be led by a trained facilitator. The cohort commitment is not negotiable for Cornerstones participants. It also serves as the source of accountability for Cornerstones participants. Cohort leaders will receive training and a guide for facilitating meetings, as well as Zoom account access if needed.

Participants will also have the opportunity to select a particular cohort affinity if preferred/needed. For example: Spanish-preferred, BIPOC, LGBTQ clergy, divorced clergy, etc.

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