Leadership Training FAQs

What is the Cancer Care Leadership Training?

The Our Journey of Hope^® Cancer Care Leadership Training is a biblically-based, nondenominational, two-day training program developed by City of Hope^® to help churches support and minister to those who have received a cancer diagnosis.  

The goal of Our Journey of Hope Cancer Care Leadership Training^® (CCLT) is to equip one or two leaders from a church who will teach many to minister to those impacted by cancer.

This is NOT cancer support group training, rather this IS a “train the trainers” event. The people trained at a CCLT will become Cancer Care Ministry Group Leaders for your church. Upon their return from the training to your church, they will announce the formation of a Cancer Care Ministry and recruit and train others who have a heart to provide encouragement, comfort and support to those impacted by cancer.

Your CCLT Ministry Leaders will use professional video and printed materials to facilitate a thorough, eight-week training to prepare volunteer lay people for ministry. Upon completion of their training at your church by your leaders, your lay ministers can be matched with people in your congregation who are battling cancer.

It looks like this:

• Cancer Care Leadership Training equips one or two leaders from a church
• The CCLT-trained leaders return home to teach many lay leaders within their own church
• Locally-trained lay ministers provide support to those with cancer in their church (in-reach) or to others in the community (out-reach), utilizing the people and resources of your church to meet identified needs

Must those who attend represent a church, or may stand-alone ministries send representatives for the training?

Our Journey of Hope Cancer Care Leadership Training is a faith-based program designed to be anchored and implemented in the local church — and is limited to church representative participation.

The goal of this leadership training program is to equip individuals to BE the church to those with cancer and also to strengthen the quality of services offered by the local church. We encourage stand-alone ministries to partner with a local church and to register to attend as an outreach of that local church’s ministry efforts.

How many people and who from my church may attend Cancer Care Leadership Training?

Because of limited space and a set number of trainings offered each year, we limit the training to one or two leaders from each church. If two people will be attending, we recommend they attend together to experience the training in the same way at the same time. Unfortunately, additional people from your church may not attend later, so please choose carefully who is sent to represent your church.

The church pastor isn’t required to attend, but he/she should be a part of the decision-making process about who should receive the training.

Once a church has received training on how to create and implement a church-based, cancer care ministry, we want that church to have the pastor’s blessing to quickly use the knowledge and resources given them to implement the Our Journey of Hope program to serve cancer patients in your church. Your pastor’s authority and support is integral to the success of local church cancer care ministry creation and implementation.

If you are a pastor, we recommend you consider inviting another staff member or a trusted lay leader within your church to attend with you. This should be someone who will work with you to implement and facilitate the cancer care ministry.

If you are a lay leader, your pastor must approve your attendance on behalf of the church and give authority for you to begin a cancer care ministry at your church upon your return from our training.

All leaders will leave the training equipped to train to launch a group of lay ministers who have the heart to bring hope and care to those affected by cancer.

May I pay for additional people to attend a training with me?

Unfortunately, this is not an option.

May I attend a training at another City of Hope hospital if the one closest to me has no openings in the month I’m able to attend?

Yes, you may attend training at any participating City of Hope site. Trainings are conducted throughout the year at many City of Hope hospital campuses.

May I receive training via correspondence?

Cancer Care Leadership Training (CCLT) is not offered via correspondence at this time. Your face-to-face interaction with clinicians and trainers (oncologists, patients, caregivers, pastoral care staff, etc.) is essential to receiving the training needed to equip others and champion this ministry in a local church.

I want to train other churches in my area to do this ministry. Will you send me training materials for them (leaders’ guides, participant workbooks)?

We feel strongly that each church should experience the Cancer Care Leadership Training first-hand. The face-to-face interaction with clinicians and trainers is an important aspect of the training. Therefore, extra materials for sharing are not available. We prefer to have each church individually send leaders for the training.

What is the general agenda for the two training days?

While you will receive an agenda for the two days once you have registered online and spoken to an onsite coordinator, please expect the following:

Day 1 is largely an immersion course in cancer and its impact on patients and families. You will usually hear from a caregiver and/or patient, an oncologist, pastoral care professionals and other medical professionals.

Day 2 will generally address the Cancer Care Ministry curriculum. Our team will go through the curriculum with you and equip you to teach it to lay ministers in your home church.

What costs are associated with the training?

The event has a $500 value, but because of City of Hope's generous sponsorship of the program, the only cost to attendees is transportation to and from the event and overnight lodging. Cancer Care Leadership Training attendees receive at no charge:

• All meals that occur during the training.
• Comprehensive curriculum materials (including one event workbook and one leader guide per person); OJOH Participant Workbooks can be downloaded from the OJOH website and reprinted as needed for your church lay ministry group.
• A personalized certificate of program completion.
• Access to a password-protected section of the Our Journey of Hope website where leaders can find ministry promotional items (a PowerPoint presentation, bulletin announcement inserts, press release announcements to your community and more) and cancer care resources.
• Ongoing monthly emails with supplemental materials for continued training for your lay ministers.
• Access to an Our Journey of Hope Facebook closed group for ongoing communication with other trained cancer care ministry leaders.

How shall I dress for the meeting?

Suggested dress for Cancer Care Ministry Leadership Training is business casual. Be sure to wear/bring comfortable shoes for the hospital tour.

For a printable copy, please click here.