Through Stained Glass: Mental Health Month

 

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day.
It's about the choice to show up and be real.
The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”
― Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The Presbyterian Church U.S.A. is committed to pruning back the stigma around mental health. As a way to do this, all PCUSA congregations are eligible to apply for one-time 'seed' grants to initiate projects that will help educate, equip, and empower churches to reach out to people with mental health concerns and their loved ones. Our denomination is committed to seeing that we live a healthy, integrated life as children of God. 

 At First Presbyterian Church, we are committed to doing our part in normalizing mental health and wellbeing. A few years ago, the Hoffert family gifted First Presbyterian Church in becoming an advocate for mental health with financial resources to establish the FPC Wellness Fund. The fund is set aside for members of First Presbyterian Church seeking assistance with regards to their mental health. Thus far, the funds have been used for parishioners to visit with a licensed therapist, pastoral counselors, and spiritual directors. The Wellness Fund is available for all First Presbyterian Church members. 

 Throughout Jesus's ministry, he confronted the tendency to rank and sort people into systems that elevate some and diminish others as if all were not equally loved and precious in the eyes of God. At FPC we want to prevent this from happening around mental health. We do so by encouraging open dialogue about our mental health and equating it with our physical wellbeing. We also provide educational resources and opportunities to erase the stigma of mental illness in our community. The best way to destigmatize mental health is to share stories about how we care for our personal mental health. Finally, as a community of faith, we encourage each other to lean into the love God has for us in our journey towards wholeness and wellbeing. 

 Scripture calls us to love God with our heart, mind, soul, and strength. In the Incarnation of Jesus, we see God affirming all of creation—but especially our bodies, and all that comes with being human. Our goal is to be a place where people can come be themselves. Mental health ministry happens in communities that nurture authenticity, know how to respond when someone is in crisis or pain, and develop the capacity to 'walk alongside' with healthy boundaries, recognizing our shared human frailty and individual gifts, whatever our mental health status. Our Wellness Fund and the opportunities that flow from it is one more way we live into genuinely being a place where "all are welcome!" 

The Session, our Ministry Teams, and Adam are wanting to apply for the PCUSA grant. If you are interested in working with Adam, let him know. Also, if you would like to contribute to the FPC Wellness Fund, let Chris know, and she can make it happen. Finally, if you need someone to talk to or have questions about mental health, do not hesitate to reach out to Adam. He's more than happy to listen and learn from your questions and stories.