This week has been incredible.  We just had the 2022 Church Mental Health Summit and I’m excited to tell you all about how many people registered and all the fun stuff around the summit.   

But more than that I want to share with you what God is doing all around the world in the space of mental health and the church and what you can do to get involved.  

 

 

MORE THAN JUST AN EVENT

 

What is happening is more than just an event or individual churches trying to manage the incredible demand for their people but it’s a movement.  People are coming together, collaborating, building partnerships, and finding common ground around mental health. 

It’s all very exciting and honouring to be a part of it and the coolest thing is that we are just beginning this work.  It’s been amazing what has been done, but there is so much more to do. 

On November 29th I invite you to join us live over zoom. This will be an 45 min opportunity to connect with the thousands of others who are in this space.  

This is just the beginning of the movement.  Gathering people who want to transform their communities with the care and compassion that only the church can do.  You can register at HopeMadeStrong.org/community

Let me share all the fun and exciting details of the Church Mental Health Summit because I know you are all super curious. 

 

CHURCH MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT RECAP

 

Our first year of the summit was in 2020 and after only 8 weeks of planning we had 2,200 across sixty countries.  

It was in that moment that I realized that I wasn’t the only one with the passion to equip the church to support mental health.  

Last year the 2021 summit there was 3,300 registrations and people across 75 countries logged in to view the summit.  

It grew by 50%  and I started this podcast and offering consulting for churches in response to the growing need for resources and sustainable practices in care ministry

This year… drum roll please…. We had over 5000 people register over 100 countries!!!

Wow, God is good!  What this means is that there are so many ministry leaders around the world who;

•  Recognize that mental health is a significant issue that their leaders, church, and community deal with. and even greater
•  Are willing to do something about it 

 

Globally thousands of leaders are willing to spend time to grow in their understanding, willing to learn new skills and see that by their church becoming a safe place to talk about mental health they can transform their communities. 

Because that is truly what it’s all about.  It’s about strengthing the Kingdom of God, loving God and loving people as that is our single focus.  

So I want to thank you for being one of these ministry leaders.  Someone who sees that mental health is a place where the church can do better, then doing something about it. 

If you are listening to this podcast and you missed the Church mental Health Summit I want to make sure you know that you can still listen and learn from 60 speakers by  purchasing an all access pass.  

Just go to churchmentalhealthsummit.com  and you can purchase the access pass for the previous summit or if you are listening to this in Spring then we have likely opened up registration for the next year’s summit. 

 

This isn’t a one and done event as there is a lifetime of learning that needs to happen.  

There will always be more to learn about, grow in, and change.  It could be in how we care for others, but there is also seasons when we need to care for ourselves.  

And that is what I’m passionate about.  How can we equip leaders and churches to support those in their community without burning out.  

 

How can I help?

 

This isn’t a rhetorical question.  This is a real question that I want to know your answer.  

I have lots of ideas of resources, tools, masterminds, and events, but one of the first things you learn in supporting others is never assume what people need. Always start by gaining trust, asking permission, and asking what would be helpful for the person you supporting. 

What would be helpful in your ministry in caring for people?
If you could customize a resource, tool, or training for your specific church or need what would it be?

 

I can just see some of your eyes rolling and that’s okay I get you. You are facing insurmountable needs.  The needs that you are facing right now are huge.  

You are probably thinking of housing, food security, trauma counseling, and child welfare support.  These are the biggest needs that your people are facing. 

But those aren’t the needs that I’m talking about.  Those are other people’s needs.  What I’m talking about are your needs. 

 

You are wired to think of others and that makes you an incredibly gifted caregiver. 

But I’m going to ask you to zoom out a little, not because those individual needs aren’t valid, but because I want to look at that from a different perspective.

What is making serving those people hard, what is tripping you up as you meet those needs?  If you could have a magic wand what would you change that would make serving more effective, easier, and less burdensome? 

Those are the needs I’m talking about. 

And like I said this is not a rhetorical question.  I really want to know.  So whether you email me at laura@hopemadestrong.org, message me on Facebook, or dm me over Instagram at @hope_made_strong I want to hear from you. 

 

I would be so disappointed if the Church Mental Health Summit was a once-a-year event and the rest of the year you felt isolated, lost, and overwhelmed.  

This is a movement. There are five thousand of you ready to lead your communities to transformation through care and I want to help you do it.  You are not alone. 

If there is anything we can take from the Summit is that You are not alone.  

So what do you need to serve well? 

Do you need to collaborate with others? Do you need resources to train your teams?

Do you need tools to support your people?  Do you need strategies to develop systems and processes?

You tell me. 

 

On November 29th at 1pm EST I’m hosting a live zoom meeting as an opportunity to share the feedback and next steps. This will be an opportunity to actually meet others in this space.  The first step in taking this from an event to a movement. 

One of the things that I struggle with when I go to an event is the emptiness of the leftover like what’s next.

So I want to make sure you know that it’s not over.  It’s just beginning and you are not alone, but part of a collaborative community. 

So join us on November 29th by registering at HopeMadeStrong.org/community

I’m so excited to put faces to so many people I’ve connected with over email and I’m so pumped for you to meet others.  

Thank you for living into your call.  Seeing and serving the marginalized is not easy, popular, or comes with a lot of thanks. However, you are changing people’s lives every day by sharing Christ’s love.