Aug 23, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello friends,
As Christians we believe–really, we have to believe–in the ability of people to change. While it’s easy to look back on our lives and reflect on how we have already changed, it’s a little bit more difficult to imagine how we might change in the future (spoiler alert: we’re all going to continue changing and growing, no matter how much we might insist otherwise). It’s enough to make you wonder…what types of things change us? Major life events, of course, but surely there are “small” things that change us over time, too?
This week we’re going to talk about one way in which people change: by listening to the personal stories of others. We’ll listen to a ~5-minute excerpt (starting at 3:45) of a podcast episode titled, “Communications to Power Mental Health” by none other than our very own Carrie Fox! In this episode, Carrie interviews Schroeder Stribling, President and CEO of Mental Health America, who tells her story about how she was inspired to be the leader she is today. As you reflect on her story, think about how it makes you feel, and perhaps how similar personal stories have changed the paths you’ve journeyed along throughout your life.
Our warm-up question for this week:
What’s a song that you love dancing to, or (if you’re like me and desperately try to avoid dancing), a song that you danced to for a memorable occasion?
Aug 16, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello friends,
One day photographer Danielle Hark found herself at her lowest point ever when something just “clicked” for her. She had been suffering from severe depression, had fallen to the floor in the midst of a panic attack, and then, “click”… she took a picture. That moment not only changed her life but set her on a course to change the lives of many other people living with mental illness.
We’re going to watch a brief video of Danielle’s story and talk about what it means to create community where (and in what form) it is needed. If you get the chance, please also check out the art and community experience Danielle founded at the Broken Light Collective. It’s an inspiring story that each of us can relate to in our own way. Join us for the conversation!
Our warm-up question for this week:
Without showing it, describe one photograph you have that you will never forget.
Aug 10, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello friends,
Have you ever felt that receiving effective treatment for mental illness requires that we turn away from religious or spiritual support and instead seek help from clinicians? It’s easy to understand why this idea might have developed in encouraging people to seek structured, evidence-based care from trained mental health professionals. Have we gone too far in dismissing the role of religion and spirituality in protecting our mental health and combatting forms of mental illness?
Dr. Lisa Miller, a psychologist at Columbia University, would say that we’ve definitely underplayed the role of spirituality in preventing and treating depression specifically. In this week’s discussion we’re going to watch a brief video where Dr. Miller describes her research and what she and her team have found over multiple studies. Spoiler alert: she finds convincing evidence that spirituality–as defined by our connection to “something bigger than ourselves” (i.e., God)–can protect the human brain against despair and be an effective treatment for depression via altruism.
Maybe it’s time we move from “either or” to “both and” when it comes to religion and treatment for mental illness? Or is that a step in the wrong direction? Join us tomorrow to share your thoughts!
Our warm-up question for this week:
It’s said that certain scents can be very strongly tied to memories. What’s a memory you have, good or bad, that has a distinct smell associated with it?
Aug 3, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
This week we’re going to consider two unrelated but complementary personal perspectives on mental illness. We’ll start by watching a brief clip from an installment in a PBS series called “Mysteries of Mental Illness.” In this clip, pastor Michael Walrond talks about labels, race, the church, and his experiences with depression.
After discussing this video, we’ll then listen to the poem “in this season we heal” by poet Trapeta B. Mayson. We’ll talk about how these two videos tap into a similar set of experiences, but also how they represent different ways of thinking about the pain and loneliness that can accompany mental illness.
If you haven’t been able to join one of our conversations in a while and are unsure when is the right time to drop in, I might suggest that this week is a perfect opportunity to reconnect. We’ll be so glad to see you!
Our warm-up question for this week:
If you could live in a world that was just like a board game, which board game would you want it to be like, and why?
Jul 20, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello friends,
Hopefully you’ll forgive my “maybe it’s still too soon” subject line, because this week’s conversation topic is another great one and it even builds on our discussion last week.
That’s right: *emotions* are contagious. I say that’s a “good thing,” but the reality is that emotional contagion can be detrimental to our well-being, too. I guess it’s not really bad or good…it just is.
We’ll watch a brief video (https://youtu.be/TqRYpEDDCrg) on the subject that, while tailored to a business audience, is just as relevant to us outside of work and volunteer roles. It makes you think really hard a out the emotions you pass on to others, as well as what you allow yourself to receive from others. Our warm-up question for this week:
If you could only eat at one restaurant again for the rest of your life, but you could eat there as many times as you wished, what restaurant would it be and why?
See you soon,
Alex
