Fall Schedule Begins on September 21
New Adult Sunday School Class Begins on September 21 at 9:45 AM
Mental illness in all of its manifestations is a common occurrence in many, many, many families. Making no distinction between age, class, race or income level, mental illness is amazing pervasive, yet it is one of those topics that seem taboo in our culture and, most particularly, in the church. The media portrays people with mental illness as violent or dangerous people, and many find it difficult to access the services and care they need.
While most people will speak openly of their struggles with physical disease, very few feel comfortable disclosing their struggles with depression, schizophrenia, and other sorts of mental illness. Some people suffering from illnesses such as clinical depression do not speak about their illness because too often they have heard unhelpful or hurtful advice such as, “If you were more faithful (or prayed more or trusted God more), you wouldn’t be so sad” or “Why can’t you just cheer up?” or “Maybe you need more exercise (sunlight, vitamins, etc., etc., etc.)
We will spend four weeks talking about mental illness — from biblical representations of people who suffer and the ways in which they are treated by their communities, to conversations about how congregations can be safe and supportive places for people who suffer from mental illness or who have family members who suffer.
Two books will be guiding our conversations —
Darkness Is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental Illness by Kathryn Greene-McCreight
Blessed Are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness, Family and Church by Sarah Griffith Lund https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anAW2ZqsejE
New Beginnings/Unglued Church — Monthly Dinners/Discussion Groups