Elaina sits down and talks with Lisa Jamieson from Walk Right In Ministries about family caregivers, the holidays, and ways the church can better support them.
The training, content, gatherings and experiences that we’ve created for pastors, church staff and ministry volunteers produced with the assistance of like-minded colleagues serving in disability ministry have become our principal service. So much of what we’re able do to help churches welcome and support families, we accomplish by bringing together experts from other ministry organizations.
November is Caregiver Awareness Month. As someone who became one of my dad’s caregivers before I started school, I grew up thinking everyone in the world was aware of caregivers and caregiving. As a young adult my husband and I cared for a son born with a life-threatening medical condition, and his typical sibling. As members of the sandwich generation, my brother, sister, and I cared for our mother for 15 years after she was diagnosed with dementia. This explains why, when I first heard that November is Caregiver Awareness Month, I was incredulous, and I still am.
In this episode, Lauren Hickman shares her personal journey and calling to disability ministry, describing how God has guided her every step of the way to serve families impacted by disability.
In today’s episode, Sandra talks about the challenges small to normative-sized churches face in disability ministry and shares how the churches she’s been a part of have overcome these challenges.
Two times of the year are devoted to building awareness about mental illness. In October, Mental Illness Awareness Week is October 4 – 10; October 10 is World Mental Health Day. The hope is that within these days, weeks, and months when we bring awareness, specifically through the Church, that we can reduce stigma and bring the Church to the forefront of conversations about mental illness.
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?
I had an appointment with my doctor, to adjust to my medication for an ongoing health condition, and to get a prescription for depression. When the doctor asked why a pastor would want to take depression medication, I responded, Who wants a pastor who can’t care for the sheep because I’m just too depressed? An important post about the need for pastors to care for their mental health needs.
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.
The Church has a spotty past with working alongside people who have substance misuse issues. The goal of recovery shouldn’t be just to stop the negative behavior. While that’s certainly important, our goal should be a transformation from the inside out. Here’s some information about substance abuse that can help your church.
Depression and anxiety are real challenges for many people; pastors are no different. The reality that most people will never know is that the calling to be a pastor comes with a hefty price tag. I cannot speak for all pastors, so I will speak for myself and for those whom I personally know who struggle, while watching over the souls of others. Maybe by sharing this way, we can get to the heart of why many pastors are hurting, especially during this difficult time.
