Tiny, Little Awkward Steps
Pastor Nathanael Hofstetter Ressler offers tips for congregations beginning to accommodate for mental illness and support mental health.
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(Un)Loved: holding grace for myself in chronic illness
Jasmine Duckworth shares vulnerably about her struggle for self-acceptance after a chronic-illness diagnosis.
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A Small World
ADN field associate and board member Jon-Erik Misz, MDiv, LCSW, speaks on trauma, resiliency, and hope for children who experienced difficult times.
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Loneliness: It Affects us All
M.Div. student Michelle Robichaud offers a few ways churches can support lonely youth who lack a feeling of connection.
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A Seat at the Table
A story of moving from isolation to community with biblical hospitality by Heather Wolf
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The “Me” You Don’t See
With a poem and essay, Chou Hallegra calls congregations and individuals to consider how to support people with mental illness.
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Taking the Mystery out of Mental Health
Clinical social worker Jon-Erik Misz reflects on his experience with mental illness and therapy.
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Churchwide Change, Part 2
Janelle Bitikofer offers practical ways for congregations to engage in mutual care by reducing stigma and supporting people who experience mental illness.
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Churchwide Change, Part 1
Janelle Bitikofer offers an introduction to mental illness: what it is, causes, symptoms, and ideas for providing mutual support to those affected in our communities.
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Christmas in the Midst of Loss
Rebekah Flores offers a reflection on celebrating Christmas in a time of loss.
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The Least of These
A blog about the Intersections of Poverty Culture, Race and Mental Health
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Shouting Out About Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. A good time to beg the question…. Are our pew-mates who experience persistent darkness finding support here?
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Accepting the Gifts We’re Given
Anxiety and depression often escalate during the Christmas season. While the push-and-pull of joyfulness and despair during the advent season is exhausting, sometimes it’s more important to accept the gifts we’re given, regardless of how they’re wrapped.
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A Place to Belong
12.6 percent of the US population lives with a disability but few churches reflect this proportion. Tragically, it’s no secret that people with disabilities are under-represented in religious circles.
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Getting Messy – Suicide Part 2
During Tiara Coleman’s most significant experience with depression, suicide, and self-harm her youth pastor Ross reached out to her and entered into her struggles head on.
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Suicide Personified – Part 1
I grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia and come from a well-known Mennonite family. In sophomore year I moved from the local public high school to Eastern Mennonite High School (EMHS). This is when I remember life started getting really hard for me.
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A Church for All People
Mental illness is “the only illness in the world where you never get a covered dish!” remarks mental health advocate Joyce Burland.
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And Who Is My Neighbor?
In 2003, Seattle Mennonite Church initiated a hospitality program for homeless residents in their Lake City neighborhood. Since then the program has blossomed into a comprehensive ministry combining practical assistance with empowering companionship.
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Horses Live to Run
Christine Guth’s understanding of the word “human” shifted as her understanding of her autistic family members grew.
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Blessings of a CARE Network
Our family needed help in responding to paranoid schizophrenia, an unwelcome intruder into our son’s life. We needed others who could come alongside us, who were willing to share our burdens, help us overcome obstacles, and encourage us.
