Monthly Archives: March 2016

Five steps churches can take to help persons with depression

Posted on March 31, 2016 by

Editor’s note: Today’s post from Gillian Marchenko is co-authored by Gillian’s husband (Sergei), a pastor for eleven years and husband to a wife with major depressive disorder for over a decade. As a couple in ministry and a family who … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Depression, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Stories, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Could ADHD be a blessing to some Christians?

Posted on March 29, 2016 by

Is it possible that in God’s Kingdom, a condition that causes as much difficulty in day to day functioning as ADHD might actually provide one of His followers with an advantage? Let’s look at how having ADHD might be of benefit to a Christian.
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Posted in Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

One in seven young children have a mental, behavioral or developmental disorder (MBDD). WHY?

Posted on March 28, 2016 by

The lack of a medical home and poor parental mental health were the two most critical risk factors for future development of MBDDs. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wish you could go to church this Easter?

Posted on March 27, 2016 by

Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Community Bible Church in San Antonio and Bay Presbyterian Church in Bay Village, OH we’ll have a number of LIVE and prerecorded, interactive worship experience that any family can join online this Easter weekend.
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I am not depression

Posted on March 24, 2016 by

But I know this for certain. My depression is the illness I fight, not my identity. I’m empowered to share more with others. I am comfortable asking for prayer. I am open about the scary, difficult parts of my mental health story. Continue reading →

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Let’s be the people who show up on Saturday

Posted on March 22, 2016 by

But every adoption is born from some sort of Friday brokenness that meant the parents who bore a child couldn’t or wouldn’t raise him, so let’s own that part of the story too. Let’s own the Saturdays when the loss is heavy and come alongside those whose burdens feel crushing. Let’s not just celebrate with those who celebrate but also mourn with those who mourn.
Continue reading →

Posted in Adoption, Advocacy, Foster Care, Key Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

A kid first…AND it’s Down Syndrome Awareness Day

Posted on March 21, 2016 by

I know lots of mommas who don’t like sharing their kids’ disabilities with people because then some people will never look at their kids the same way after that disclosure. They will always view the child through disability-tinted glasses. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Key Ministry, Special Needs Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Seven things I learned from our first 1,000 blog posts…

Posted on March 20, 2016 by

On the occasion of our thousandth post, I’ll share the seven most important takeaways I’ve gained since starting this journey with you in the summer of 2010. Continue reading →

Posted in Adoption, Advocacy, Key Ministry, Mental Health, PTSD, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The societal ruin of the term ‘depression’ and other hurtful comments about mental illness

Posted on March 17, 2016 by

We regularly watch TV shows and movies that treat mental illness, and people who have such illnesses, as one big joke.
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Is it ever okay to exclude a child at church?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by

It’s not okay to exclude a child at church, but sometimes including them in the same way as every other child isn’t a common sense approach, either. Continue reading →

Posted in Autism, Inclusion, Ministry Environments, Special Needs Ministry, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment