Hope for Mental Health

At this time of year, grieving the loss of a loved one can be especially difficult.  It's important to have resources, and Griefshare can help.   Their goal is  to walk along side you in your grief process so that you don't have to go through it alone, and so you understand what's going on.  Reactions to grief are individual, and can also be unexpected.   Griefshare is a Christian nonprofit organization, local, as well as being international, and there are thousands of groups all around the world, primarily at churches.    ( It's important to note that, although there are many types of loss, their focus is on the death of a loved one.) It's simple to find a group in your area, as well as to learn more about how the groups function:                                   Find a Griefshare Group Although most groups started in September, and won't open until January, there are Surviving the Holidays seminars in a number of local churches.  For $5, you can attend a two

Even when the holidays are joyful it can be stressful.  There's so much going on!   So whether or not you are already experiencing a mental health challenge, you may find yourself struggling to manage your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. In fact, a NAMI study showed that 64% of people with mental illness report that holidays make symptoms worse.  It can be a lonely & difficult time.  That holds true with seasonal or crisis conditions. For me, it's a mixed bag.  I don't have local family, and I may or may not feel like feasting with friends.  So, I'm grateful for all the activities at church, and  I've developed some of my own rituals to help focus on the "reason for the season".   And, I make an effort to follow these tips: 1.      Focus On What You Can Control & Be Realistic.   Even pre-pandemic, the happy perfect lives of the people in holiday commercials are fictional.   The pandemic has changed a lot around us, and it’s OK if you feel anxiou

Rick & Kay Warren are my heroes, and the inspiration for Hope for Mental Health at Monmouth Christian.  In 2013, they lost their son to suicide.  Not only did they give the gift of being transparent about their grief process, in 2015 they created  a conference, "The Gathering on Mental Health & the Church", and started a ministry . When I was studying "The Purpose Driven Life", I explored their website &, to my delight & amazement found, not only all the videos from the conference, but a package for churches wanting to develop their own ministries!  In inimitable Rick Warren style, there were steps that allowed any size or sort of church to figure out how to proceed, with or without ongoing financial support. The videos from the conference are presentations from mental health & other professionals, people in ministry, and individuals sharing their stories of mental health challenges:    The Gathering on Mental Health & the Church On This webs

This will be our 6th annual Mental Health Sunday!  When we started our ministry in 2017, we had 2 goals in mind:  First, normalize the conversation around mental health issues, & second, know our local resources & be prepared to help people connect.   So, what does a Mental Health Sunday look like?  Just like a regular service!  This year we're changing it up a bit.  We'll have more music and less talking!   Our invitation, like in the song "Come As You Are", is exactly that.  You can come to Monmouth Christian at 9am or 11am, or watch the livestream at 11am. In person church:  959 Church St. W., Monmouth Livestream at 11am :   live.mymcc.cc                                       Next month, we'll post the video!