Mental Health Awareness Week

Help is at hand... FURTHER RESOURCES TO HELP YOU IN YOUR MINISTRY

Revd Meg Burton, Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy for the Free Churches, has been gathering and sharing a range of supportive and informative communications with Healthcare Chaplains. Although these are primarily aimed at those working in healthcare chaplaincy, many others may find the content encouraging and helpful in their life and ministry.

There is:

Help is at Hand (support after someone may have died from suicide) - booklet

  • Chaplaincy is… (a poignant reflection by a healthcare chaplain) PowerPoint presentation

  • Our Story - Reflections from a healthcare chaplaincy team during the pandemic

You can find out more and explore these reflections and materials HERE.

Meg provides the leadership on Healthcare Chaplaincy work at a national level for the Free Churches as well as in a multi-faith context.

(photo courtesy of Kelly Sikkema at Unsplash)

"I lift up my eyes...." - further resources to help you in your ministry

Revd Meg Burton, Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy for the Free Churches, has been gathering and sharing a range of supportive and informative communications with Healthcare Chaplains. Although these are primarily aimed at those working in healthcare chaplaincy, many others may find the content encouraging and helpful in their life and ministry.

There is:

  • An adapted version of Psalm 121- I lift up my eyes

  • Facing the Storm - support in the time of trauma

  • Support materials for ‘psychological first aid’

  • Life after Lockdown - tackling loneliness (report from the British Red Cross)

You can find out more and explore these reflections and materials HERE.

Meg provides the leadership on Healthcare Chaplaincy work at a national level for the Free Churches as well as in a multi-faith context.

(photo courtesy of Andrew Coelho at Unsplash)

Kindness matters most, Mental Health Awareness Week

be kind.jpg

This week is the Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme this year is kindness. You may have already seen this clip but if not, it's worth spending a couple of minutes looking at it.

Kindness Matters - Mental Health Awareness Week

"Kindness was chosen because of its singular ability to unlock our shared humanity. Kindness strengthens relationships, develops community and deepens solidarity. It is a cornerstone of our individual and collective mental health. Wisdom from every culture across history recognises that kindness is something that all human beings need to experience and practise to be fully alive."

Over the past eight weeks we have seen all over the country wonderful acts of kindness and how it can bring communities together to strengthen, support and encourage.

There is support for people who are finding life a struggle and who need a helping hand. No one should suffer in silence. There are plenty of suggestions and ideas if you tap in Mental Health Awareness 2020 into a google search. I am sure you will have either yourself, or know of somebody who is or has, struggled at some point in their lives. Thankfully this topic is talked about a lot more these days and help available but we need to be mindful at all times.

One of the quotes is "Now is the time to re-imagine a kinder society", hopefully we all try to do that, pandemic or no pandemic!

Matthew 25:35-40 Taken from The Message

34-36 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’

37-40 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ Amen.

Di Welchman
Trinity Methodist Circuit & Clays Churches (Admin Support)
Grove Street Methodist Church