In today’s podcast, Dr. Adam Wilson from Denver Seminary joins Catherine Boyle to share about the work he and others within the seminary have done around mental health support within Christian schools. Dr. Wilson believes that mental health is everybody’s job, whether you are a parent, teacher, ministry leader, or friend. Take a listen and read the transcript of this insightful conversation.
Key Ministry’s first Mental Health and the Church conference is September 26 – 27, 2024. In Part 1 of this series, we learned about one group of conference speakers who have expertise in and will present on approaches and resources that have been tailored to meet relationship and discipleship needs, all related to mental health. Today’s group of speakers are all experts in one important topic: trauma healing. Learn more about each of them and the unique strategies, resources and approaches each bring to MHATC2024.
In this episode of Key Ministry the Podcast, Catherine Boyle is joined by Dr. Chris Hulshof from Liberty University. We’ll be talking about a topic you may not be familiar with – but if you’ve been in ministry world for very long, you have probably seen, and that’s Religious Scrupulosity. Dr. Hulshof provides valuable insights for supporting individuals with this mental health challenge.
As we’re gearing up for Key Ministry’s first Mental Health and the Church conference, it’s natural to wonder about the difference between DATC and MHATC, and why we felt the need to host a second event this year. Today, we start a blog series introducing you to select MHATC speakers who have expertise in and will present on approaches and resources that have been tailored to meet relationship and discipleship needs, all related to mental health.
Our first Mental Health and the Church conference features some speakers who have made significant contributions to mental health ministry in the local church. Today, we are pleased to introduce Kay Warren, one of the leading voices on mental health support in the Church. Register for MHATC2024 today, so you and your pastoral team can learn from the extensive expertise that Kay and her team bring to mental health ministry.
Do you struggle with God’s timing? Do you have a ministry dream that you don’t know how to get started? The Mental Health and the Church conference may be just the place and time where God will bring your dreams into focus.
One of Key MInistry’s core values is collaboration. The momentum in disability ministry has come about in large part because of the collaboration across traditional lines of ministry. To help accelerate momentum in mental health ministry, we’re seeking collaborators for Mental Health and the Church 2024, as conference sponsors, exhibitors and advertisers.
In this episode of Key Ministry the Podcast, Catherine Boyle shares a peek into some of details of the upcoming Mental Health and the Church 2024 conference, September 26 – 27, 2024, in Cleveland, OH.
Recently, Catherine had a conversation with Dr. Jim and Heather Sells, authors of the new book “Beyond the Clinical Hour: How Counselors Can Partner with the Church to Address the Mental Health Crisis.” Jim, Heather and their co-author Dr. Amy Trout offer a valuable resource to both mental health professionals and ministry leaders as a way to meet the heartfelt mental health needs impacting both churches and our culture. Take a listen to this thought-provoking conversation.
In today’s episode, Catherine Boyle interviews Kimberly Britt from Anchor International. Kimberly will be presenting at Disability and the Church 2024. We hope you’ll enjoy this preview of the conference and the great work of Anchor International.
In today’s episode, Catherine Boyle interviews Dr. Lamar Hardwick about his newest book “How Ableism Fuels Racism: Dismantling the Hierarchy of Bodies in the Church.”
When an impossible catch suddenly changes the direction and momentum of a game, the crowd ignites with joy and excitement. In a similar way, when ministry results start showing up, the impact is as great as that amazing catch in a game. Here are four indicators that mental health ministry is poised for a significant momentum shift.
One of Key Ministry’s most successful resources has been the SNAD Leaders Facebook group. SNAD stands for Special Needs and Disability ministry leaders. We would love for our group for Mental Health Ministry Leaders to accelerate mental health ministry as effectively as SNAD has been able to accelerate disability ministry. Here’s a quick article on what this group is about, and why you should join.
Today’s podcast and blog is part 2 of a 2-part conversation with Dr. Stephanie C. Holmes. You might want to listen to part 1 or read that transcript before going on to this second part. The entire conversation is packed with information about autism that’s important to ministry leaders, parents, couples and individuals.
Today’s podcast and blog is part 1 of a 2-part conversation with Dr. Stephanie C. Holmes. Stephanie works extensively with neurodiverse Christian couples and families, to help these families better understand, communicate and connect with each other. Stephanie has personally experienced many of the same mental health and spiritual health challenges as the families and ministries we serve. This is part one of a must-hear/must-read podcast interview.
This blog post and podcast episode are being published shortly before Christmas, 2023. I love the Christmas music that is sung and shared this time of year. Recently, one song in particular got me thinking about Jesus’ mother Mary. Do you think Mary realized that in addition to being the mother of His Son, that she had her own ministry purpose? Stay tuned to hear what we can glean from Mary’s life that can help you find God’s ministry purpose for you, in a life that includes disabilities.
When you think of the biblical concept of abundant life, do you think that is possible in a life that includes disabilities and mental health challenges? In today’s podcast, learn why Catherine contends that it is not only possible, but it is at the heart of what God pours out into the lives of believers. Listen to the podcast or read this post to learn how you can experience His abundance, even if you are living in a season of scarcity.
In this week’s podcast episode, Catherine interviewed Kristin and Todd Evans about their experiences with mental health and marriage challenges, while parenting a child with disabilities. Kristin and Todd share how they were able to move from an incredibly challenging time to a deep, rich relationship with Christ and renewed connection with each other—with application for any couple parenting a child with disabilities.
Is God stirring something in you, perhaps drawing you into ministry work? In today’s podcast, Catherine shares four aspects of God’s protection that can help you discern and fulfill this calling, while living a life impacted by disabilities.
Scripture says we are to be thankful in all circumstances, that this is Jesus’ will for us. At times when thankfulness and gratitude feel completely impossible, God makes a way through what scripture calls a ‘sacrifice of praise.’ Here’s why sacrifices of praise matter, and how such sacrifices can benefit you.
Blockbuster movies and summertime are as American as baseball, fireworks, and apple pie. However, one recently released movie addressing human trafficking is generating significant cultural conversation. Here are three ways churches be equipped to support individuals who have experienced human trafficking.
If your life includes disabilities, you probably already know that perseverance is needed in different ways. If you sense God stirring you towards ministry in some capacity, here are four aspects of perseverance that can help sharpen your understanding of what perseverance looks like in the midst of disabilities.
Are you interested in being part of a new Key Ministry initiative? Learn how you can help us create and launch mental health small groups for families with disabilities, in collaboration with Fresh Hope for Mental Health.
In today’s podcast episode, Catherine interviews Rachael Newham from Kintsugi Hope, a UK-based mental health ministry that has developed a theology of mental health, and is spearheading a mental health friendly church project.
Key Ministry is pleased to offer free one-on-one coaching with twenty seasoned ministry leaders at DATC2023. Keep reading to learn more, and register for your coaching appointment!
In today’s episode, guests Robert and Lori Crosby talk with Catherine Boyle about their book and ministry, Reach Hurting Kids Institute. The Crosbys are presenting a ministry intensive on creating a trauma-Informed children’s or youth ministry at DATC2023.
What do St. Patrick and parents of triplets with disabilities have in common? You probably think the answer is ‘nothing!’ Read this post or listen to this podcast episode to learn why they have much more in common than you might think.
In today’s podcast episode, Catherine Boyle talks with Kim Botto, one of the featured speakers at DATC2023.
In today’s podcast, Catherine Boyle interviews Doc Hunsley from SOAR Special Needs, and lets you know how you can sign up for Doc’s Disability Ministry 101 Ministry Intensive at DATC2023.
In today’s episode, Catherine Boyle reflects on what God has been revealing to her about multiplication and a bountiful 100-fold increase in disability and mental health ministries.
In this week’s episode, Catherine Boyle gives five reasons why the Disability and The Church Conference is a unique opportunity for ministry leaders and anyone affected by disability.
As the year draws to a close, Catherine Boyle reflects on how the great commission and disability ministry go hand-in-hand.
In this episode, Catherine talks about a little-known issue called “parentification” and how we can protect typical children in families with disabilities from experiencing its effects.
In today’s episode, Catherine Boyle discusses how churches can use wisdom to detect or rule out abuse and how to support families with disabilities through abuse allegations and investigations.
In today’s episode Catherine Boyle interviews Laura Howe about the upcoming Church Mental Health Summit.
In this episode, Catherine Boyle talks about the link between anorexia and autism, and 2 ways that you, as a ministry leader, can help.
Do you have a desire to be involved with ministry in some way, but all the existing ministry options don’t seem to fit? If you’re interested in discerning where God is leading you, or just want to shorten the path to living out His purposes, we’ll share more details about how to recognize and pursue the path God is laying before you, not only from our perspective, but also with some ministry friends who have gone through this process.
Have you ever heard the saying “The straw that broke the camel’s back”? In this episode, Catherine Boyle will discuss what we can do to help lighten the load on another person’s mental health. It’s easier than you might think!
In this episode of Key Ministry: The Podcast with cohost Catherine Boyle, we’ll explore the biblical concept of lament, and discuss why lament should be a necessary ingredient to help churches come alongside people with mental health needs.
This post is shared as part of our series on sexual abuse trauma, but also addresses the importance of confronting and correcting abusive behavior of any kind. Repentance and transformation to the mind and actions of Christ must always be the goals.
Throughout this fall, we will feature a variety of blog posts and webinars addressing sexual abuse, both for parents of children with disabilities and ministry leaders. We hope you will join us and contribute to the conversations.
Do you want to take your disability inclusion ministry to the next level? Be like the early church, by not only meeting the need of the moment, but by using the wisdom of those who have gone before to anticipate the needs that will be predictably coming soon.
I still remember waking up in the hospital, surrounded by about a half dozen men and women in white lab coats. They were all just looking at me, like I was a new species or a classroom exhibit. With this and many related experiences, all this time later, I routinely follow a thoughtful process, researching potential supplements, medications and alternatives to medicine, whenever my doctor makes a recommendation, and that includes vaccines. COVID vaccines are no different.
As 2020 winds down, one thing is clear: the ministry changes experienced this year will continue, and many of these changes will become the new standards, including offering both in-person and virtual options simultaneously for church services and classroom gatherings. As ministries have shifted to meet the challenges of 2020, best practices for a variety of important ministry details have emerged. We have compiled the principles and practical solutions shared in recent discussions with ministry leaders, and offer these to you and your ministry team so that the mission of spreading the gospel and developing disciples can continue unhindered in 2021.
Many people seem to believe they are too bad, broken, sad or worthless to be accepted by God. In our outrage culture, people who have been rejected or treated poorly often end up hating those who have hurt them, particularly when the hurt comes from a person who is supposed to represent God. But what might happen if your church explicitly communicated that mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and more are not a barrier to finding a shalom-building relationship with Christ?
When COVID-19 began disrupting the world this spring, the Key Ministry team prayed and sought how we could support the emotional and mental health needs of pastors. We came to the realization that an online retreat for pastors might provide a necessary and beneficial respite. But in some ways, this retreat may even be redemptive for the broken paths of ministry families from previous generations.
We are making a deliberate shift this week in some of the resources we’re offering to help families and churches get through the ripple effects of Coronavirus. We’re emphasizing mental health, in part because of what we have learned from other countries and church leaders who are farther down the pandemic path. Here are four areas where churches can sharpen their focus ahead of the increase in mental health needs.
One of the reasons why Illuminate – Inclusion Fusion Live 2020 is the largest disability ministry conference in the United States is because it addresses real life with special needs. But our desire is that this conference will address questions that maybe you haven’t been able to ask anywhere else.
Last month, I was invited to attend the Autism Speaks Thought Leadership Summit on Achieving Health Equity in Washington, DC. Much like Inclusion Fusion Live, it was one of those conferences where your mind is filled to overflow with information, generation of new ideas and new people you’d like to collaborate with on your work. Here are five takeaways and four action steps for churches and families.
Several weeks ago, Dr. Grcevich wrote about his experience at the White House Mental Health Summit on December 19, 2019. We wanted to give our readers, especially church and ministry leaders, an opportunity to view the video transcripts of the event, and to learn for themselves how their church can be part of the growing efforts to support individuals and families living with mental illness.
In recent years, significant focus has been directed towards states and localities hit the hardest by this nation’s opiod crisis. Per capita, there are more children available in the foster care system in opioid-impacted states. But in terms of sheer numbers of kids available and aging out of the foster care system, concentrated efforts in six large states would address more than a third of all foster care cases in the country.
We’re thrilled to announce our featured speakers, and will be providing more information on each of them and the rest of the program throughout November and into 2020.
Shortly before Dr. Grcevich’s book Mental Health and the Church was published, we asked our readers to share their experiences, both good and bad, about mental health needs and church support. We continue to get responses, and want to share a few that we have received since we made our initial request, for the insight that churches and ministries can glean from the experiences of others.
I’d never wish the darkness of mental illness on anyone, but if it wasn’t for anorexia, bulimia, anxiety and depression, I don’t know if I would be a Christian today. There seems to be a pattern common to many Christ-followers who also live with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc. Here’s how I now characterize the five stages in my relationship with Christ, and the spiritual growth He worked through each stage to the next.
Not many adults would call themselves artists, but that spark of creativity is still there. Letting creativity come forth within the church can be a meaningful aspect of your church’s mental health ministry, and may even lead people outside of church life to think differently about faith.
No one wants to think of themselves or their family as dysfunctional. And the mental image associated with the term special needs most definitely does not fit. Special needs seems like a suit that was tailored for someone else. But there are no other health conditions for which there are such lengthy delays in diagnosis and treatment solely because of denial. Ditching the camouflage that covers your minimized mental illness might be the best wardrobe decision you ever make.
When I think about the scripture that exhorts Christ-followers to number our days correctly, I kind of get the meaning backwards. I think about things from a natural human perspective, when what I really need is God’s perspective. The verse isn’t so much about the volume of what I accomplish, but the quality and the purposefulness of what I do. It’s also what I let ministry do to change me. Without anyone reminding me, do I actually see the personal dignity of every person?
God is the master director and storyteller. The most important story, of how He works with humanity and how He came to rescue humanity as fully God and fully human is of course the Big Story. But the Big Story is full of trillions of lesser stories. And I’m convinced the lesser stories mostly revolve around God breaking through the illusions we have in our lives.
Bulls are known for aggressive, threatening behavior; that’s why we call people who behave this way towards others ‘bullies.’ Tight limits and wide margins are not only wise in a pasture, it’s also wise in ministry.
What do you think happens to a teenager when one of the main authority figures in his life lets him know in no uncertain terms, without words, that he doesn’t matter to your church environment? God offers us all incredible love and grace, but as His followers we have the responsibility to love others with both truth and grace, even when we don’t understand what we’re seeing.
I’ve been in ministry long enough to know that the prayers and time spent seeking God determine the outcome of ministry and special events. Everyone working in the space of special needs or mental health ministry needs to stay prayed up, in God’s Word, for guidance, wisdom, and protection. Make no mistake, the work of all special needs ministry, including ministry to and with people whose disability is revealed in behavior, is very much intertwined with the battle over whose life holds value. Anyone working in this space is on the front line of the battle between darkness and light.
Janet Parshall issued a powerful call to the church to minister more effectively to persons with mental illness in this keynote presentation from Inclusion Fusion Live 2019, a national disability ministry conference hosted by Key Ministry. She identifies key biblical figures who experienced symptoms of mental illness, challenges church leaders to end their stigmatization of persons with mental health issues and pastors to begin addressing the topic in the course of their preaching.
Opportunities for mental health ministry support from Key Ministry!
Communication from one person to another is so fundamental that we assume all but the youngest children can understand what we say—and even what we mean—in our own language. But mental health conditions and high functioning autism often interfere with a person’s ability to communicate with others, much like living as a stranger in a strange land, speaking a foreign tongue.