Mental Health and the Church PDF Download

Author: Stephen Grcevich, MD
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310534828
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
The church across North America has struggled to minister effectively with children, teens, and adults with common mental health conditions and their families. One reason for the lack of ministry is the absence of a widely accepted model for mental health outreach and inclusion. In Mental Health and the Church: A Ministry Handbook for Including Children and Adults with ADHD, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, and Other Common Mental Health Conditions, Dr. Stephen Grcevich presents a simple and flexible model for mental health inclusion ministry for implementation by churches of all sizes, denominations, and organizational styles. The model is based upon recognition of seven barriers to church attendance and assimilation resulting from mental illness: stigma, anxiety, self-control, differences in social communication and sensory processing, social isolation and past experiences of church. Seven broad inclusion strategies are presented for helping persons of all ages with common mental health conditions and their families to fully participate in all of the ministries offered by the local church. The book is also designed to be a useful resource for parents, grandparents and spouses interested in promoting the spiritual growth of loved ones with mental illness.

Author: Amy Simpson
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830843043
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 225

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Book Description
Reflecting on the confusion, shame and grief brought on by her mother's schizophrenia, Amy Simpson provides a bracing look at the social and physical realities of mental illness. Reminding us that people with mental illness are our neighbors and our brothers and sisters in Christ, she explores new possibilities for the church to minister to this stigmatized group.

Author: Cynthia Franklin Ph.D.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019983153X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 526

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Book Description
This all-in-one guide is designed to better equip clergy and the church leaders to meet their congregations' needs in a spiritually grounded and scientifically sound manner. Succinct, easy-to-read chapters summarize all a pastor needs to know about a given problem area, including its signs or symptoms, questions to ask, effective helping skills, and, most importantly, when to refer to a mental health professional. Synthesizing what research says about treatment approaches for mental health issues, this user-friendly reference is filled with guidelines, case scenarios, key points to remember, resources for further help, advice on integrating scripture and theology with the best available research, and tips on partnering with others to provide the best possible care for each church member. Each chapter is designed for quick lookup by problem area, empowering church leaders to understand and help meet the challenges facing the children, adults, families, and communities that they serve.

Author: Heather H. Vacek
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781481300575
Category : Mental illness
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Madness is a sin. Those with emotional disabilities are shunned. Mental illness is not the church's problem. All three claims are wrong. In Madness, Heather H. Vacek traces the history of Protestant reactions to mental illness in America. She reveals how two distinct forces combined to thwart Christian care for the whole person. The professionalization of medicine worked to restrict the sphere of Christian authority to the private and spiritual realms, consigning healing and care--both physical and mental--to secular, medical specialists. Equally influential, a theological legacy that linked illness with sin deepened the social stigma surrounding people with a mental illness. The Protestant church, reluctant to engage sufferers lest it, too, be tainted by association, willingly abdicated care for people with a mental illness to secular professionals. While inattention formed the general rule, five historical exceptions to the pattern of benign neglect exemplify Protestant efforts to claim a distinctly Christian response. A close examination of the lives and work of colonial clergyman Cotton Mather, Revolutionary era physician Benjamin Rush, nineteenth-century activist Dorothea Dix, pastor and patient Anton Boisen, and psychiatrist Karl Menninger maps both the range and the progression of attentive Protestant care. Vacek chronicles Protestant attempts to make theological sense of sickness (Mather), to craft care as Christian vocation (Rush), to advocate for the helpless (Dix), to reclaim religious authority (Boisen), and to plead for people with a mental illness (Menninger). Vacek's historical narrative forms the basis for her theological reflection about contemporary Christian care of people with a mental illness and Christian understanding of mental illness. By demonstrating the gravity of what appeared--and failed to appear--on clerical and congregational agendas, Vacek explores how Christians should navigate the ever-shifting lines of cultural authority as they care for those who suffer.

Author: Kevin Van Lant
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781516587803
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 460

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Book Description
Featuring chapters written by mental health professionals who are also experienced Christian practitioners, Counseling and Mental Health in the Church: The Role of Pastors and the Ministry provides ministry leaders with a foundational understanding of common mental health issues, typical approaches to treatment, and sage advice for supporting those experiencing mental health concerns. Recognizing that parishioners may seek guidance from pastors or others

Author: Jessica Brown
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780817018115
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
"When it comes to ministry related to mental health concerns, prayer and Scripture are not enough. Beginning with the biblical motif of going to the village well for the waters that sustain life and exploring the communal significance of that well, pastor, professor, and clinical psychologist Jessica Young Brown calls on the Black Church to rally its historic resilience and creativity to acknowledge and engage those in its pews who are struggling with mental health concerns. Using the acronym of SPACE, the author discusses: Silencing the Stigma ... naming the negative attitudes and mistaken assumptions about mental illness, especially in the African American community Presence & Persistence ... identifying the importance of authentic relationships in healing mind and spirit Application & Action ... highlighting practical steps to address the needs as they emerge Cautions ... being real about the fears and risks related to mental health crises, including the importance of referrals Expression & Exhortation ... calling on the cultural power of testimony to encourage the entire congregation to access the healing power of God Rev. Dr. Young Brown concludes with a practical exploration of "Now What? Digging the Well and Drawing from It." The book's appendix features a brief primer on common mental disorders that frequently affect members of our family, neighborhood, and church"--

Author: Emmy Kegler
Publisher: Broadleaf Books
ISBN: 1506467814
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
We live in an age uniquely attentive to the problem of mental illness. More than half of us will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in our lifetime. It has been easy, for centuries, to relegate persistent emotional and mental struggles entirely to the realm of a failed personal work ethic ("Just don't worry so much!"), not enough faith ("Just pray harder!"), or, in recent years, a chemical imbalance in our brains ("Just take this pill!"). Yet, for those of us who live with mental illness, none of these suggestions provides the quick relief it promises, and the continued struggle takes its toll on our already burdened hearts and minds. In All Who Are Weary, Emmy Kegler joins the reader on the long walk of reflection, understanding, and compassion, calling followers of Jesus back to ancient practices of lament, vulnerability, honesty, community, and hope. This book is not a map to a cure, nor a perfectly restorative prayer. Written with a wide community in mind--patients, but also parents and partners, coworkers and friends, pastors and therapists, and the whole church--All Who Are Weary points to the embodied grace known in Jesus, trusting in the promise of a lighter load for all.

Author: Sarah Griffith Lund
Publisher: Chalice Press
ISBN: 0827203004
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Book Description
When do you learn that "normal" doesn't include lots of yelling, lots of sleep, lots of beating? In Blessed Are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence about Mental Illness, Family, and Church, Sarah Griffith Lund looks back at her father's battle with bipolar disorder, and the helpless sense of déjà vu as her brother and cousin endure mental illness, as well. With a small group study guide and "Ten Steps for Developing a Mental Health Ministry in Your Congregation," Blessed Are the Crazy is more than memoir-it's a resource for churches and other faith-based groups to provide healing and comfort. Part of The Young Clergy Women Project.

Author: Christopher C.H. Cook
Publisher: SCM Press
ISBN: 0334059798
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 195

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Book Description
Is it possible to develop such a thing as a biblical theology of mental health? How might we develop a helpful and pastoral use of scripture to explore questions of mental health within a Christian framework? This timely and important book integrates the highest levels of biblical scholarship with theological and pastoral concerns to consider how we use scripture when dealing with mental health issues.

Author: Ryan Casey Waller
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1400221331
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
Mental illness loves to tell lies. One of those lies is that you should be able to manage what you're struggling with all by yourself, but in Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don't Want to Talk About, pastor and psychotherapist Ryan Casey Waller reminds us that we don't have to suffer alone. Mental health issues aren't a symptom of a spiritual failing or insufficient faith. In fact, suffering is the very thing our Savior seeks to heal as he leads us toward restoration. And yet, as Waller has experienced firsthand, the battle can be lonely and discouraging--but it doesn't have to be. Combining practical theology, clinical insights, and deep empathy, Waller offers a rare mix of companionship and truth, inviting us to: Have shame-free conversations about mental health Discover why self-knowledge is so important to a deep relationship with God Understand the intersection of biology, psychology, and spirituality Explore varying avenues of healing in community, therapy, and medication Be equipped to support loved ones while practicing self-care Waller bridges the gap between the spiritual and the psychological in this empathetic, imminently helpful guidebook, reminding us all that we are not alone. Hope starts now. Praise for Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don't Want to Talk About: "I work with Christian leaders from all over the country and have seen firsthand how desperately we need to be talking about depression and anxiety. What prior generations considered taboo, the leaders of today and tomorrow consider essential. Whether you're new to the conversation of mental health or intimately familiar with its complexities, Waller's book has something for you. I can't wait for you to read this." --Grant Skeldon, author of The Passion Generation and Next Gen Director at Q