Blue Christmas Service

            Order of worship for a Blue Christmas worship service held at San Carlos United Methodist Church of San Diego, CA. A Blue Christmas service seeks to acknowledge that emotions like depression and grief exist in a season of comfort and joy.

     Caring for Every Child's Mental Health
       Available from: P. O. Box 42490, Washington, DC 20015
       Phone: 1-800-789-2647
       FAX 301-656-4012

       “Guidelines for Clergy: Providing Pastoral Care to Persons With Mental Illness and Their Family.”

        How to Rate Your Faith Community (Adapted from criteria established by the Presbyterian Serious Mental Illness Network – PSMIN) 

        Information brochure about mental health and children: Publ. #CA-0037 Sept. 1999     
       Available from: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services

July is National Minority Mental Health Month

Mental Health Awareness Week by Mental Health Foundation of New Zeland

Mental Health Ministries Resources in both English and Spanish

Children's Mental Health Week Bulletin Insert 

May is Mental Health Month Bulletin Insert

Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents

National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding

    Mental Illnesses Awareness Guide for Clergy and Other Spiritual Leaders
       COST: Free
       Available from: American P

sychiatric Association.
       Phone: 1-888-267-5400

NAMI Faith Net

     Outreach to People with Mental Illness and Their Families, a packet of four bulletin inserts:

     Reaching Out to Someone Who has Mental Illness

     I was a stranger and you took me in. Matthew 25:35

                              Mental Illness: Community Outreach

  Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect of show your hospitality to strangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without know it. Hebrews 13:1-2  Creating Caring Congregations for People with Mental Illness and Their Families  This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12  Responding to People with Mental Illness in the Congregation and in the Community. And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with they God? Micah 6:8 Order Form Children and Mental Disorders: Myths and Facts

And whosoever shall give drink unto one of the little ones a cup of cold water, he shall in no wise lose his reward. Matthew 10:42 Order Form Putting the Pieces Together: Correcting the Myths of Mental Health and Aging Give Justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy. Psalm 82:3-4 Available in a Christian and in a Jewish version. 

Pathways to Promise: Ministry and Mental Illness

The Episcopal Mental Illness Network

The Presbyterian website about Mental Illness and Churches

When Mental Illness Strikes in A Family of Faith
       A brochure in Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish versions for families and for clergy working with families who have a member who has mental illness.

Writers from One Caring Place, Authors. St. Meinrad, IN: One Caring Place (imprint of Abbey Press).

These short (8-10 page), inexpensive, and sensitively written Care Notes

These  pamphlets  deal with a wide variety of spiritual, mental and emotional challenges for people of all ages and stages of life—children, teens, parents, single adults, and  seniors. They are based on current medical and counseling practices, and offer  further reading suggestions at the end of each positive, balanced piece. Sample topics range from grief, serious illness, depression, anxiety, chronic illness, and  anger to forgiveness, stress, unanswered prayer, and addiction. One Caring Place  (an imprint of Abbey Press) offers these in bulk  rates for individual use, or church foyer display stands. An excellent tool for chaplains, counselors, and individuals  who care.

The Religious Community and Mental Illness:

                                How a Congregation Can Respond

Clergy and congregations are asked to respond to a variety of community needs.
These needs often focus on persons living within the neighborhood of the congregation. In many cases an effective response can be made. This is as true for the needs of those who have a mental illness as it is for others in need. The following are  some suggested ways to respond:

Members of the congregation can be a friend.

Long- term mental illness tends to isolate people. Be a friend to those who may have no other friends or support systems.

· Be accepting, friendly, understanding, and genuine.

· Write, send a card.

· Telephone to keep in contact.

· Talk with the person, listen to the person.

· Make visitations.

· Encourage the person to work with their strengths, with their gifts.

· Help set realistic goals.

· Be a resource for information and referral.

· Avoid implying that if the person can "get things right with God" or "confess" that the person will be cured

Members of the congregation can let the person know he/she is not alone.

· Welcome the person into the church community.

· Recognize the need for spiritual healing, without focusing on the "cure" for the illness.

· Always reassure the person that God loves and cares for him/her.

· Remember that this is not a punishment from God or caused by demons or the devil.

· Encourage the person to join a support group, social club and/or advocacy group.

The congregation can offer opportunities to integrate the person into the church community.

· Holiday programs are nice. More important is including the person in the church's year round activities, outings, interest groups, etc.

· Encourage the person to volunteer at the church. Make tasks you ask of the person constructive and meaningful. These could include doing a reading, preparing the place of worship, helping with the coffee hour, helping with the bulletin or newsletter.

The congregation can open the church to:

· Hosting a group of people who have a mental illness from a community facility.

· Sponsoring a support group for persons who are ill or family members.

· Sponsoring a social club or drop-in center.

· Offering employment, such as secretarial, using artistic talents, janitorial, maintenance, food preparation, etc.

· Initiating a visitation program.

Members of a congregation can educate themselves and others by:

· Encouraging clergy, lay staff and congregations to learn about mental illness.

· Raising awareness in the congregation about mental illness in a sermon, bulletin or newsletter.

· Adding materials about mental illness to the congregation's library.

· Encouraging heightened awareness about mental illness beyond its congregation by writing a letter to the editor or an article for a regional or national denominational publication.

· Encouraging the denomination's area wide, regional or national structure to be responsive to the needs of persons with a mental illness and their families.

Members of a congregation can advocate for persons with a mental illness in the community by:

· Being willing to work with other congregations in the community to improve the quality of life for persons with a mental illness and their families.

· Supporting efforts to obtain appropriate housing and jobs.

· Not letting false, stigmatizing statements about mental illness go unchallenged.

· Objecting in writing or by telephone when media and public events stigmatize people who have a mental illness.

· Encouraging the denomination's legislative and advocacy groups to support increased budgets for research, creation of appropriate housing, and community services.

From "The Congregation: A Community of Care and Healing." PC(USA)

World Mental Health Day