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Category Archives: Mental Health
Families impacted by mental illness crave support from their church…
The study points out a crying need on the part of families impacted by mental illness for help and support through their local church to facilitate inclusion and spiritual growth. Continue reading
If churches knew how many people mental illness impacts, they’d be more interested in reaching them
The segment of the population impacted by disability, especially families impacted by mental illness, trauma and developmental disabilities, would in my mind represent the ultimate “low-hanging fruit” for local churches Continue reading
Thinking differently about kids and mental illness…
One of the challenges in understanding the epidemic of mental illness in kids is that conditions such as anxiety disorders and ADHD may be disabling in some environments, but not others. Continue reading
The struggles families face to find good mental health services…
Our team at Key Ministry seeks to help ministry leaders better appreciate the challenges families face in finding the proper help for their kids with emotional or behavioral disorders and offer resources when parents turn to churches in search of help.
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What’s causing the epidemic of mental illness in kids?
Here are some of my hypotheses as to why over 20% of U.S. kids meet criteria for at least one mental disorder: Continue reading
Common mental health conditions can be MAJOR barriers to church involvement
It’s particularly difficult to understand why parents who might be able to maintain a job and a household or kids who are able to school without one-on-one aides or lots of support services aren’t able to attend church. I’ll try to explain why in today’s post…and give churches a conceptual framework for anticipating the obstacles kids and adults might experience in attending church and addressing them so they no longer remain obstacles.
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Posted in Anxiety Disorders, Autism, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Ministry Environments, Strategies
Tagged Asperger's Disorder, children's ministry, church, Disability Ministry, Family Ministry, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health Month, mental illness, youth ministry
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The experiment…
In helping local churches to make their worship services, Christian education, small groups and service activities available online, we’re providing them the opportunity to introduce the church to families in an environment that works best for that family. Continue reading
Posted in Families, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Ministry Environments, Strategies
Tagged children's ministry, Community Bible Church, Disability Ministry, Family Ministry, Key Ministry, Nils Smith, online church, Special Needs Ministry, The Front Door, youth ministry
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A Game of Chess With No Winners…Mike Pitts
We need information that will help us include, celebrate, and minister to your teen’s uniqueness. We don’t want to label your student or give them an IEP at church. We are the church-not the public school. We want to make them feel wanted and included. Continue reading
Amy Simpson Interview
The church is the first place many people go when they’re looking for help of all kinds, including treatment for mental illness. Among people who have sought treatment, 25 percent have gone first to a member of the clergy. This is a higher percentage than those who have gone to psychiatrists, general medical doctors, or anyone else. Unfortunately, many church leaders are ill-equipped to help people get the care they need. Continue reading
Interview with Dr. Matthew Stanford
As a person of faith and a psychologist I have often been pulled aside by fellow believers and asked questions about mental health issues or told of negative interactions between those struggling with mental illness and the church. That led me to begin taking seriously the interaction between those with mental illness and the local church. I came to Baylor in 2003 to specifically begin a line of research in the area in an attempt gain understanding and educate the church.
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