The show today is a flashback to one of the top viewed sessions in our 2020 church Mental health summit with Executive Pastor Colin Nanton. I choose to replay Colin’s talk to also address this third question. He identifies that pastoral care is a specialized type of support that offers support and guidance based on scripture. He also challenges leaders to be honest about their limitations and to build a network of mental health professionals around them to assist in providing specialized care.
PODCAST LINKS:
Local Resources Chart: 3 Steps to Building a Sustainable Care Ministry
Pastoral counselling and mental health counselling can work together
It’s clear that we are spiritual beings; however, we live in a body and we have a soul. As a three-part being how do we care for people. And caring for people as a whole would look at all three parts.
“May God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things endures all things.”
“So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, 13
As Pastoral caregivers, we are to be encouragers and supports of faith, hope and love.
Pastoral Care brings hope to a hopeless situation
Mental Health Professionals
Psychiatrists – those who can diagnose and prescribe
Psychologists – those with a Ph.D. and offer therapy and often specialize in an area like trauma or addiction
Psychotherapist – Mental health professional with a Master’s degree that specializes in talk therapy
Social Workers – Clinicians holding a bachelor’s or master’s degree and provide supportive counselling, case management, advocacy and crisis work.
Each one of us has limits in our abilities,
Be honest about your limits in your abilities and expertise, and build a list of referral resources
The mental health community can help and serve as we support our churches and community.
CONNECT WITH COLIN NANTON
Life Church Fort Myers: Website
Socials: Instagram – Facebook
CONNECT WITH HOPE MADE STRONG
Websites: HopeMadeStrong.org
Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube
Join the Church Mental Health Facebook Group! In the Facebook group, we chat about how to care for others, what are your challenges as well as share tons of resources. This is a great community of pastors, clinicians, and those with lived experience and we want to get to know you.