Yesterday you might have comes across “Your Life Matters” on social media. This is because it was international Suicide Awareness Day that promoted the hashtag #YourLifeMatters. One of the biggest Christians who advocated for ending mental health stigma and promoting suicide prevention was Jarrid Wilson. Sadly, we learned yesterday of this news:
It is with the deepest sadness and shock that I have to report that @JarridWilson went to be with the Lord last night.
At a time like this, there are just no words.
The Bible says, “There is a time to mourn.” This is certainly that time. Read more at https://t.co/EKJb7UJaki— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) September 10, 2019
I was asked to share some resources, so below I would ask that you, your church, and your congregation share some of these as well as implement others that you think would be good for your church.
Your Life Mental Health Resources
Here are some resources we want to promote for you to either share on social media and on Sunday or implement.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-8255
Free resource that will connect you with a crisis worker 24/7. Use it, share it, put it on your fridge, get papers and put it on your desk at work.
Hope For Mental Health
A mental health ministry started from Rick and Kay Warren and Saddleback after they lost their son to suicide 6 years ago.
Mental Health First Aid
This is an intensive training resource for developing skills to identify mental health and deescalate during a crisis. Churches all over the world have been using it for their staff and volunteers.
National Alliance on Mental Illness
If you have a local NAMI chapter in your area, you can get free training, family groups, and connection to resources. Also, churches, figure out how you can support your local NAMI chapter.
Christian Mental Health Groups
Fresh Hope and The Grace Alliance are both great options for small groups or peer support groups to run in your church.
Key Ministry
If you want to incorporate more of a mental health inclusion ministry into your church, Key Ministry has all the resources you need, including a free consultation service for your church as well as an annual conference to give you tons of resources and insights on recent research and trends.
ChurchAndMentalHealth.com Resources
I write at least weekly on the topic of Christianity and mental health, trying to help improve the church’s response to mental health but also educate and encourage Christian counselors to integrate with the Church more. Here are a bunch of the articles I wrote that you may want to look through.
- Church Mental Health Awareness Cards
- Creating A Church Suicide Prevention Policy
- How Can Pastors Refer Someone To Counseling?
- What To Look For In Christian Counseling
- 10 Free Ways Your Church Can Stop Mental Health Stigma
- Words Matter with Mental Health
- Things Christians Say about Mental Health (vs What They Should Say)
- Is It Okay For Pastors To Have Anxiety? [Devotional]
- Books We Recommend You Read
ChurchMag Articles
We’ve talked about mental health several times before. Here are some of the recent articles you may want to go back and revisit:
- What I Wish The Church Knew About Mental Health
- What I Wish The Church Did About Mental Health
- What The Church Can Learn From The Only Psychiatric Hospital in Sierra Leone
- Self-care In Church And Organizational Life
Again, while the last few days have been focused on a suicide awareness, your life matters. It’s also a great time to think about your mental health, those closest to you as well. This would include people in your church. Consider mental health as something ongoing, beyond the awareness campaigns.
We are praying for you guys. Reach out to someone you love and ask them how they are doing.
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