People who live with a mental health condition and their families have often felt excluded from the care that church congregations freely offer to those living with other kinds of health conditions. The stigma surrounding mental illnesses in our society may be even greater in the church community, and people living with them often suffer in silence, believing that they reflect a failure of faith or a character flaw beyond the reach of a caring community.
Many congregations find that an educational series or event about mental health and mental illness provides a way to open up conversation on a subject that had previously been taboo and leads to strengthening the bonds of care in the Body of Christ.
We offer some examples of what congregations have done to raise mental health awareness and start a conversation. Contact us if we can be helpful to you in planning a mental health education series in your congregation.
Resources from our website
Articles and conversation starters
Mental Health Month worship resources
A Church for All People (examples of mental health education from several congregations)
3 Ways to Be an Ally of people with Mental Illness
5 Ridiculous Things you Probably Believe about Mental Illness
Lucy Made of Light
When Something Goes Right
