A Conversation for Those Standing at the
Intersection of Faith and Mental Health |
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One of the core aspects of our mission at Intersect is to connect people with mental illness to a faith community of their choice. So, when a social worker called us about a woman wanting our help getting connected to a local parish, we were excited. After all, getting involved in a church is a win/win for both the individual and the congregation. Individuals experience several benefits such as increased social support while congregations are given the opportunity to fulfill their calling to show the love of Christ to people in their community. It was surprising then when the parish we contacted emphasized the obstacles to such a connection rather than the opportunities.
We were told that the person we serve could attend Sunday services like anyone else but that there were no additional ways to connect with them. We then asked if there might be a parish member who could meet one-on-one with the person to help answer questions about the church and get them acclimated to the parish’s services and resources. In response to our question, the parish representative confessed that they “wouldn’t even know where to start” in finding such people to help.
I was struck by this response for three reasons. First, those of us called by Jesus to “go and make disciples of all nations” sometimes find it a hard to go out of our parish doors to meet people in our own neighborhood looking to become disciples. Second, it is apparent that churches desperately need to identify members ready, willing, and able to meet and serve spiritually-hungry people in our community. Such members are present in each congregation but need to be found and empowered. Finally, and perhaps most concerning, is the reality that this parish isn't alone in not knowing where to start. I have had the same conversation with other churches as well. Every church, including my own, can grow in this area.
To be sure, we must remember that it's a big change to go from a church that says, “come to us” to one that says, “we’re coming to you”. Changes like that take time. But all of us can start a conversation within our congregations so that we “know where to start” when people with mental illness want to join our church. After all, Christians just finished a season of celebrating the reality that Jesus was willing to leave his home to come to ours so that we might have a relationship with God. How much more then, should we as his followers be willing to leave our parishes to enter the lives of those looking to try out our church. If you, then, got a call today from someone with mental illness wanting to join your congregation, would you know where to start? If you don’t, we’d love to schedule a consultation to help you and your congregation not only know where to start, but how to offer ongoing support to those looking to for a spiritual home.
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Dave Eckert, Senior Director of Intersect |
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| Equipping for Life at the Intersection of Faith and Mental Health
A Faith and Mental Health Summit What are the challenges in talking about and taking care of the mental health of our communities, churches, and ourselves? How can we do better? Let’s talk about it!
This summit is an opportunity for equipping, networking, and learning more about local resources in the church and mental health field. Topics of Discussion include:
Accessing & Navigating Mental Health Services: The Ins and Outs of Finding Help. Towards a Biblical View of Mental Illness The Itch and the Scratch: Martin Luther, T.S. Eliot, and My Journey with OCD. Creating Vitality Understanding Anxiety and What Help Looks Like The Essential Role of Parents in their Child’s Mental Health Journey When: Saturday, February 22nd from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Where: Upper Perkiomen Community Church
258 Main Street, East Greenville, PA 18041 |
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Stewards of Children Program
Register to attend this upcoming Mission Kids training designed for Montgomery County faith community leaders committed to creating safer spaces for children. Darkness to Light’s “Stewards of Children” program teaches adults how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Participants will learn from survivors who lived through child sexual abuse, experienced its immediate and long-term effects, and ultimately were able to find healing. Participants will also learn from experts who work with children and families and confront abuse on a daily basis and will find concrete steps that they can take to protect the children in their lives.
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When: Thursday, January 30, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Where: 4070 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting PA, 19462 Cost: Free |
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| Spiritual First Aid – Facilitator Led Workshop
Spiritual First Aid (SFA) is a biblically-informed, evidence-informed, trauma-informed and peer-to-peer (e.g. neighbor to neighbor) frontline spiritual and emotional care intervention and training program. SFA is ideal for helping individuals and faith communities love their neighbor well in the midst of crisis and it’s aftermath.
Intersect is now an Affiliate Partner of Spiritual First Aid, offering Facilitator-Led workshops in either a 1-day workshop or 4–6 week group course format. This facilitator-led model provides an opportunity to learn Spiritual First Aid within the context of group interaction, small groups and role play Helping Labs.
Below is a Spiritual First Aid course overview. If you have an interest in either individually attending a SFA workshop or bringing one to your congregation, contact Dave Eckert at deckert@accessservices.org. |
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Innovating Forward Seed Grants – Spirituality Mind Body Institute – Columbia Teachers College
Innovating Forward seed grants support collaborative initiatives between faith-based organizations and mental health providers. Grants are offered through the Spirituality-Mind-Body Institute at Columbia University, Teachers College, with generous funding from The John Templeton Foundation. The initiatives we fund are those which address an observed local need through integrated spiritual and mental health initiatives. The specific approaches vary widely, and creativity is encouraged. Innovating Forward is a cohort model, through which we provide partnership grantees with funding and on-going support over the course of one year.
For more information about Innovating Forward, please contact Yoel Paredes at yjp2107@tc.columbia.edu. |
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Looking for a way to help those in your community? |
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| Intersect Care Portal
The Intersect Care Portal recognizes the need that all individuals have to be, and feel, safe and secure. For a hearty quality of life, sometimes it is an item that brings safety or comfort. Over the past year, the Intersect Care Portal has been able to connect those we serve with a wheelchair, mattress, bike, kitchen chairs, loveseat, dresser, hanging rack with hangers for clothes, and a Bible to name a few. Most often, these items are donated by someone who wants their gently-used item to go to good use.
Driver's Needed!
While it is often possible to match the need with an available item, the challenge we often face is transporting the item from the donor to the recipient! If you or someone you know has a truck or a van and a little time, we would love to add you to a list of volunteers willing to help with loading and transporting donations.
Please contact Juli Apple at intersectneeds@accessservices.org if this is a way you would like to support the Intersect Care Portal!
Join the Care Portal to learn more about the needs of the people we serve at Access! |
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| Intersect Donation Page Intersect now has their own donation page on the Access Services website. Any donations can be designated to specific aspects of Intersect.
Funds will be used to: - Offer consultation to ministry leaders and mental health professionals
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Empower faith communities and mental health providers with trainings on faith and mental health
- Provide spiritual support and collaboration between faith communities and human service providers
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- If you received a call about helping someone with mental illness connect with your congregation, would you know where to start? If so, what would be your first step in offering help?
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What members of your parish are ready, willing and able to respond to the needs of people in your neighborhood and region?
- What is one thing you could do to help your church move from a “come to us” approach to a “go to them” approach?
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Do you have something to contribute or a question to ask? |
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| Intersect is brought to you by: |
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