Tag Archives: church

A different way of thinking about kids with mental illness

Let’s think about church for a minute and consider the reality that folks with mental illnesses have disabilities that cause them difficulty in some environments but not others. There are lots of things about the environments in which we “do church” that pose major barriers for a parent or child struggling with common mental health disorders.
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Posted in ADHD, Advocacy, Anxiety Disorders, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Contributing to a conversation about faith and mental illness

What if the environments in which we “do church” are distressing to large segments of our population who struggle with common mental illnesses? And what about the family members of a child or adult with a mental illness who miss out on learning about Jesus or growing in faith in Jesus because attending church or belonging to a small group or participating in a service ministry is too overwhelming to their brother or mother? It’s not unreasonable to assume that a significant chunk of people in any given community have some experience of church but don’t regularly attend church because of the subtle, but real ways in which mental illness presents a barrier to the environments in which we do ministry. Continue reading

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Does your church inadvertently hurt people with mental illness? Guest blogger Amy Simpson

Unfortunately, many church leaders are ill-equipped to help people get the care they need. And while 25 percent of those who seek help from clergy have the most serious forms of mental illness, studies have shown that clergy refer less than 10 percent of them to mental-health professionals. On top of that, for every person who seeks help, many more stay silent, afraid to admit their illnesses to themselves or to risk the rejection of the people around them. Continue reading

Posted in Families, Key Ministry, Leadership, Mental Health, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Introducing Amy Simpson…guest blogger for Mental Health Month

I’ll be doing a short series next week in honor of Children’s Mental Health Week examining the obstacles to fixing our country’s broken system of providing care for kids and teens with mental illness and their families and exploring ways in which the church might play a redemptive role in supporting families in need of care. Later in the month (or whenever it becomes available), we’ll be launching a series based upon the publication of the DSM-5, the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Continue reading

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An adoptive parent’s plea…Why won’t God show us what to do?

The church also needs to be prepared to come alongside parents through the process of raising kids exposed to trauma or abuse and proactively put the necessary supports in place to allow families who adopt to maintain their active role in their local church family. Continue reading

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Nella Uitvlugt…a tribute

Because so many leaders are new to the disability ministry movement and never had the opportunity to learn from Nella, I thought the best way to honor her contributions to the field would be to share the video of her presentation from this past November’s Inclusion Fusion. Continue reading

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Joe Padilla…The Church Response to Families Impacted by Depression

The church can consider having biblically based mental health support groups for these families. We (Mental Health Grace Alliance) have designed Family Grace Groups for family members who have a loved one affected by mental health difficulties and disorders. The groups are led by non-professionals and work in any church. The groups follow a faith-structured curriculum of topics to help understand and navigate challenges and even learning their own self-care. Continue reading

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Understanding depression in kids and teens…an epilogue

We’ve put together a resource page for pastors, church staff, volunteers and parents with interest in the subject of depression and teens. Continue reading

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Does depression result from a lack of faith?

Isn’t it possible, perhaps likely that God might use our suffering to strengthen our faith and to draw us into closer relationship with Him? Continue reading

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Families impacted by depression…How can the church help?

How can churches help families impacted by depression to experience the love of Christ? Here are some thoughts…
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