Registration is now officially open for Mental Health and the Church (#MHATC2024), Key Ministry’s inaugural mental health ministry conference with a national agenda, scope and representation of leaders and organizations engaged in mental health ministry. #MHATC2024 will take place on Thursday, September 26th and Friday, September 27th at Bay Presbyterian Church in Bay Village, OH, (12 miles west of Downtown Cleveland).

Why should you (or your church leadership) take time to be part of an event like this? Persons with mental illness and their families may represent the largest underserved group by the North American church. One might argue the epidemic of mental illness is a driver of the exodus of millions from the church that we’ve experienced in the past five years. This conference will be packed with speakers and leaders with ideas and strategies for connecting with and building relationships with persons outside of the church impacted by mental health concerns.

I can think of three compelling reasons why anyone with a heart for ministry to the mental health community will want to attend in-person:

You’ll get equipped.

Many of the best and brightest leaders in the church when it comes to providing care and support with individuals and families impacted by mental illness will be present and available. We’re offering nearly twenty workshops – none available through the conference livestream – offering attendees the opportunities for “deep dives” into topics of interest up close and personal in breakout settings. Some highlights of the breakouts will include:

Kay Warren and the leadership team of her new mental health non-profit, Hope for Brighter Tomorrows, will be discussing Breathe, the community they have created for parents of children of any age who struggle with mental illness, including respite retreats in San Juan Capistrano, CA, monthly Zoom conferences featuring mental health experts and their online Facebook community.

Multiple breakouts will focus on supporting persons who have experienced trauma. A team from the American Bible Society led by Rebecca Taguma, Philip Monroe and Don Gordon will be presenting resources for pastors, church leaders and volunteers from their Trauma Healing Institute. Pastor Ben Marsh and his father (Dr. Randy Marsh, a psychologist with 48 years of experience serving in both public and private sectors) plan to discuss pastoral approaches to individuals suffering from trauma. Dr. Jennifer Hollenberger from Grove City College will discuss how educators can create an environment that is sensitive and empowering to students who have experienced trauma while facilitating optimal growth and learning. Charla Holst and Jill Jensen will be offering practical resources to assist churches in applying evidence-based neurological and trauma-Informed support.

Additional breakouts will address a range of impactful mental health ministry models. Kristen Kansiewicz will be presenting on the Church Therapy Model, an evidence-based approach that emphasizes collaboration and partnership between counselors and pastors to offer clinical mental health care inside the church building, while upholding the ethical standards of the counseling profession. Chris Morris will present the community outreach model developed through his church in the greater Phoenix area. Jeremy Smith of Church and Mental Health will be sharing some of the innovative strategies and partnerships between churches and public mental health agencies he has been able to facilitate in communities across central Ohio. Dr. Jim Sells of Regent University will be presenting a model for churches to pursue in implementing a comprehensive ministry of care outlined in detail in his new book, Beyond the Clinical Hour. Luan Sy will be sharing from her experience as Care and Recovery Pastor of a large, multisite church in Southern California (Mariners Church) to discuss how churches can integrate mental health ministry and present key components of her church’s caregiving model. DJ Chuang will share his five ingredients for successful mental health ministry and speak from his extensive experience implementing the model in Asian-American churches.

You’ll get networked.

One of our ministry’s key motivations for creating and hosting #MHATC2024 is to serve as a catalyst to building relationships between churches with interest and calling for mental health ministry with the thought leaders and organizations at the forefront of the mental health ministry movement. We’re hoping that the conference will serve as a “one stop shop” for pastors, church leaders and volunteers looking to connect with leaders and organizations armed with the ideas and resources to help their churches take the next step in providing care, support and outreach. While technology applied in ministry is a wonderful gift, one of the lessons learned during COVID is the opportunity to spend time in the physical presence of other like-minded Christians is invaluable for building relationships. Zoom meetings are more impactful and productive after one has had the opportunity to cultivate a relationship in-person with the face and voice at the other end of the call.

You’ll get encouraged.

One of the most frequent comments our ministry team hears from attendees at our Disability and the Church conference is how encouraged they feel after spending time with 500+ leaders who share similar ministry interests and passions. If disability ministry is lonely, mental health ministry is even more so. There’s something invaluable about discovering and forming friendship with others who care deeply about the ministry that inspires us.

Get registered!

Get in on the ground floor of this movement as it prepares to take off! Click here to take advantage of our best rates. Early-bird rates are available through July 31st.

Visitors to Cleveland are often surprised by how much there is to do in the city and region, and our weather in late September is often spectacular. Our first-place Guardians are at home the week of the conference, our world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra returns to Severance Hall that week, the Cleveland Museum of Art hosts the world’s finest collection that is available to the public free of charge, and for thrill-seekers and roller coaster enthusiasts, the world-famous Cedar Point is less than an hour from the conference venue. We also have the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

We hope to see you at Mental Health and the Church in Cleveland this coming September 26-27th. The conference…and the mental health ministry movement won’t be the same without you and your church!