All Christians

I’ve had a dream for about a decade to get into some of the more nuanced areas of mental health and dove into the intersection of faith and mental health. But at the same time as starting that, I’ve also wanted to do more in mental health research and statistics. So today marks the start of our adventures into that research with regard to faith and mental health within an initial “Get To Know You” survey that you can take here. To sweeten the pot a little, we offer a limited-time promo code to get a free eBook upon completion.

(Note that this survey will remain open, but the promo code will expire on June 22, so go complete it today.)

Ministry is hard. Burnout is real. Caring for individuals and families and shepherding the flock is an around-the-clock job. Incorporating mental health into the topic of faith can also be difficult. Serving those who struggle with mental illness is an ever-evolving process. Thrive & Cultivate wants to address all of that.

Plus, I will be one of the keynote speakers, speaking on “How Pastors Can Respond To Depression.” Come check out my presentation and the rest of the presentations by signing up here.

Mental health awareness has gained significant traction in various communities worldwide in recent years. We have often covered the topic from different cultures, different age groups, and different developmental abilities. 

However, within Asian cultures, discussions surrounding mental health often remain shrouded in silence and stigma. Asian Americans are the least likely racial group to take action on their mental health and are more likely to reach out to friends and family. As Christian counselors, it is crucial to address the unique challenges faced by Asian individuals in navigating mental health issues, especially within the context of the Church, where stigma can be particularly pronounced.

Christian counselors, pastors, and Christians are called to walk alongside struggling people by offering support, understanding, and hope. In our journey, we encounter individuals facing mental health and substance use disorders, often battling stigma and misunderstanding. However, one truth of recovery we must understand is that it is not easy. Quitting misusing substances, stopping suicidal ideation, and understanding what is reality and what is psychosis are only the beginning. That’s when the hard part begins.

In the profound journey of guiding souls towards spiritual growth and emotional healing, we understand the importance of a nurturing and supportive community. As fellow travelers on this sacred path, we are thrilled to extend an invitation to join our newsletter, specially crafted for Christian counselors and pastors like you.

As Christian counselors and pastors, we are deeply committed to the well-being of every individual, especially the most vulnerable among us—our children. April marks National Child Abuse Awareness Month, a time when we are called to action to protect our children from harm and bring light to what is hidden. Below we want to identify some statistics for church leaders as well as some actionable steps for you.

Note that we have other articles on preventing sexual abuse within the church, what the church’s response needs to be with regards to domestic violence, and what pastors should do when they witness any kind of abuse.

“It’s Friday. But Sunday is Coming!”

I remember this being a phrase within the Christian world several years ago and a sermon going viral from S.M. Lockridge of the despair of Friday when Christ was crucified, but the hope is of Sunday to come. I’ll be honest, as a counselor for the broken, advocate for the voiceless, and therapist to those whose parenting and marriages feel unfixable, this story is a powerful reminder of the need for hope.

The title says it all, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is a choice.” This comment is one I use quite often with my clients who come in for services and struggle with suffering. It does not matter if the pain is something that they have caused because of their choices and their sins (we see this supported in Scripture in 1 Corinthians 11:30-32) or something that has happened to them because we live in a fallen world and other people’s sins affect us (also supported in Scripture in John 9:3; 2 Corinthians 12:8–9) But regardless if the pain is physical or emotional, it can be treated. (We recommend checking out our discussion on how Christians can treat pain and suffering in counseling here.)

Pain will happen. Everyone has experienced pain. It is inevitable. Suffering, though, is a choice.

I have a history of celebrating some of the great things my church has been doing when it comes to Christianity and mental health. The first year they did anything was in 2019 when we started to educate the congregation on mental health and break the stigma from a Christian perspective. We have trained the staff in suicide prevention, created custom devotionals that embraced mental illness, assisted in a women’s conference that featured mental health education and support, and so much more. Five years later, we are starting something new.

At the beginning of this year, we shared about Mercy Multiplied, a Christian organization that has a heart for serving families in residential and outpatient services across the world. They do a lot of amazing stuff, but our church has decided to take their discipleship study curriculum called Keys to Freedom to our whole church.

What Is Keys To Freedom?

Great question!

This is an 8-week, 5-day-a-week discipleship study for everyone. Whether you are hurting, desperate, helping others who are struggling, feeling like you have it all together, the pastor, the pastor’s wife, or someone who has never said yes to Jesus, this is a great resource for you. The idea is that we are all looking for ways to live free and the only way to do it is in Jesus.

This can be done in groups or individually. It covers tough topics like:

• Hearing From God
• Committing and Connecting to Christ
• Renewing Your Mind
• Healing Life’s Hurts
• Choosing to Forgive
• Breaking Generational Patterns
• Using Your Authority in Christ
• Maintaining Lifelong Freedom

Here’s a quick video from Mercy Multiplied that describes it:

How We Took It Further

The conversations of this curriculum dig deep into understandings of hurt, faith, core beliefs, capturing our thoughts, prayer, and your relationship with Jesus. We wanted to take this to the whole church, starting at the top with eight weeks of sermons on the topics of Keys to Freedom each week was an investment on the topic of that week’s key.

From there, we shifted our small groups from what we previously did which were individualized to each group (Living Grace group, GriefShare group, Ephesians group, etc) to over 100 different groups, over 1,500 people, all together going through this discipleship study together, in their individual groups. That means that 1,500 people hear a sermon on the topic each week, go through their 5-day devotional study, and then attend a small group to discuss the material. The content is deep, the conversations powerful, and the Holy Spirit is moving.

Below is actually week 4 of our sermon series titled Healing Life’s Hurts that just happened, though you can go back and catch the previous weeks and join us in this journey:

We Are Interested In This, What Do We Do?

We would love for you to check out this great resource for yourself. If you want to get your copy for a devotional, you can purchase one on their website here. If your church is interested in doing a small group on the topic or even mimicking what we did, you can actually request your own free copy here. Let us know what you think of the curriculum in the comments below.

In today’s fast-paced and uncertain world, fear and anxiety seem to pervade every aspect of our lives. Recent studies have shown that Americans are increasingly seeking ways to avoid fear and anxiety while striving to gain a sense of freedom and safety. As Christian counselors, we need to address these prevalent issues within the context of faith and offer guidance grounded in biblical principles.