Well-Being Wednesdays

"Having just finished the August respite, I can see how important it is for me to do this regularly. Normally, I am caring for the church, my family, and my community. This gives me an opportunity to care for me."

"I am thankful for … the framing of the workshop in worship and prayer from start to finish, creating a safe and loving atmosphere for learning."

— Well-Being Wednesday attendees

Well-Being Wednesdays allow you to step away from your daily routine and engage meaningfully with colleagues in life, work, or ministry.

Available at no cost to all members of the Benefits Plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), their spouses, and surviving spouses, Well-Being Wednesdays offer a virtual space to pause, learn, reframe, and connect. Each offering focuses on a different dimension of wholeness — financial, spiritual, vocational, and health — and how the current landscape shapes our understanding and application of it.

Each Well-Being Wednesday comprises the following:

centering prayer
an engaging workshop
a panel discussion
break-out conversation with other participants
a charge and blessing as you return to the rhythm of your day

Participants who attend the live event are awarded 75 Call to Health points following the program.

Restorative Conversations Session I: Creating Space for Healing

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, 1-3:30 p.m. ET
Registration is open through 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 18, 2025.

The table — whether in our homes, churches, or communities — is a place where stories are exchanged, wisdom is shared, and healing is offered. The Restorative Conversations series invites participants to the table to reflect on our valued relationships and the self-work needed to approach difficult or vulnerable conversations as our best selves with our best intentions, to forgive ourselves and/or others, set healthy boundaries, and identify next steps for engaging difficult conversations in healthy and restorative ways.

If you have experienced relationships that have been complicated by physical, spiritual, emotional/mental, vocational, or financial challenges caused by you or others, and are seeking a path to restore balance and well-being in your life, the Restorative Conversations series is for you.

As we launch the Restorative Conversations series, this first session — Creating Space for Healing — will focus on making room — emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually — for healing and restoration in our lives. We will explore:

what the table looks like in our lives right now and where can we invite healing
how our personal histories, cultures, and identities shape our capacity to give and receive compassion and care
the importance of holding our values while honoring those with different perspectives
the self-work needed to remain open to difficult or vulnerable conversations
available Board of Pensions resources, such as the Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) provided by Spring Health, care navigation provided by Quantum Health, and additional Lifelong Learning programs

Through storytelling and knowledge sharing, our presenter Dr. Dorothy Shapland Rodriguez and three panelists — Rebecca Bryan, DNP, APN, Dr. Rikesha Fry Brown, and Reverend Chip Low — will journey with us to lay the groundwork for the 2026 Restorative Conversations sessions.

About the presenter

Dr. Dorothy Shapland Rodriguez has been a teacher, author, and facilitator of learning at all academic levels for over four decades. As a classroom teacher of young children, Dr. Shapland Rodriguez learned the importance of following the lead of her learners, and how to ensure that her plans never took priority over the needs of the students. As a teacher trainer, she recognized that the direction the group took always proved more important than the agenda.

For the past 20 years Dr. Shapland Rodriguez has led a variety of organizations through processes to uncover their own core values, dreams, and aspirations so that they can evolve and become more effective at what they do within their communities. A key component of this work is to see the best of what currently exists with the individuals who make up the community, and to make space for what is possible. This humanized appreciative approach requires that we each reframe our expectations and judgments to make space for other values and perspectives to also be right in any given situation. Just like when preschool children need to learn that other people have feelings too, we as adults must learn to make space for perceptions that may not align with our own to have the difficult conversations that lead us all to grow.

Dr. Shapland Rodriguez is an Associate Professor at MSU Denver and created the Master of Education program aimed at developing leaders in the areas of trauma-informed practices, equity, and inclusion.

About the panelists

Rebecca Bryan, DNP, APN, is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Office of Resilience, where she oversees initiatives that transform New Jersey into a trauma-responsive, healing-centered state, grounded in positive and adverse childhood experiences, science, and principles of healing-centered engagement. She is also an elder at First Presbyterian Church, Haddonfield, New Jersey, where she is active in music ministry and social justice advocacy, and served as CREDO Physical Health Faculty from 2007-2024.

Becky has decades of experience in nursing, including as a primary care nurse practitioner and in community outreach. She has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Rutgers University–Camden and has published research demonstrating how risks generated by adverse childhood experiences align with risks for wounding and delayed healing. Becky earned her DNP from Rutgers–Camden, her MSN from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and her BSN from Gwynedd-Mercy College. She holds the Trauma Competency Certification from Lakeside Global Institute.

Dr. Rikesha L. Fry Brown is a psychologist, educator, administrator, speaker, facilitator, trainer, and author. An established higher education professional, Dr. Fry Brown is an Adjunct Professor at Clark Atlanta University and previously served as the director of the Freddye T. Davy Honors College at Hampton University.

As a practitioner, Dr. Fry Brown was the co-founder and clinician of the Kindred Family Wellness Group, a counseling, consulting, and coaching practice in the Atlanta area, where she specialized in working with children, youth, young adults, and women to include experiences working with families, couples, and parents. Dr. Fry Brown’s primary research focuses on the psychological and social implications of mediated images for African American women. She has also written and presented on the historical impact of racism on the perception of HBCU education, the path of Honors Education for scholars of color, and the importance and impact of self-care.

Dr. Fry Brown is a graduate of Hampton University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Education. She earned a Master of Counselor Education degree with concentrations in both school guidance and mental health counseling from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Dr. Fry Brown earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Counseling Psychology from Howard University.

The Rev. Chip Low is a PC(USA) pastor and coach. He currently serves with his wife Tami Seidel as co-pastors of the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown, in Yorktown Heights, New York.

Chip is also a Professional Certified Coach with advanced certification in team coaching through the International Coaching Federation. Through his company, Compass Coaching LLC, he coaches individuals, teams, and organizations in a variety of settings on leading and managing transition and change; organizational strategy and action; leadership and team development; purpose, vision, and mission creation; healthy conflict; stewardship and financial leadership. Chip is also a partner of Loaves & Fishes Coach Training LLC, which focuses on coach training, mentoring, and certification. Chip’s coaching is a validated ministry alongside his service as pastor over 25 years in three calls in two different church settings.

Chip enjoys the musical talents of his three children; exploring the wonders of creation; hiking and pilgrimages; yoga and cycling; and time with his wife.

Preview of 2026 Restorative Conversations sessions

Session II on setting boundaries will be led by Rebecca Bryan, DNP, APN, and will focus on balancing personal boundaries with receptivity to apology, reconciliation, and growth.
Session III on forgiveness and healing will be led by Dr. Rikesha Fry Brown and will explore the importance of self-awareness and self-care on our journey toward forgiveness and letting go.
Session IV on engaging healthy conversations will be led by Rev. Chip Low and will apply our learnings from previous sessions to identify our next steps for entering complicated exchanges with clarity, compassion, and courage.

Access recordings

Members and employers can access Board of Pensions e-learning content, including recordings of past Well-Being Wednesdays, through the Lifelong Learning site. View instructions on how to log in to your e-learning account or create an account if you don’t already have one.

Questions?

Email us.