Do You Want To Get Well? Joy, Hope, Stress and the Ministry

Thursday afternoon at the Reach2016, the North American Discipleship Summit, a panel of experienced ministers and counselors hosted a group of men to discuss and provide insights into mental health and wellness with particular concern for church leadership.
Upon this panel sat our brothers Darren Gauthier (elder/evangelist at the Chicago Church of Christ), Dr. Tim Sumerlin (leader of the In Motion Ministry at the Denver Church of Christ), Mike Shapiro (elder at the Athens Church of Christ), and Wyndham Shaw (elder/evangelist at the Boston Church of Christ).

During the course of the hour and a half meeting, our brothers spoke of the challenges of mental health facing our leadership, how to care for one’s own mental health, and how to be a help to others who are facing such struggles. To paraphrase from the words of our brother Tim, the challenges of caring for mental health within the church are often met with unease, and many prefer to play “hands off” where these issues are concerned. While our brothers advocated that professional help is sometimes a necessity, there are many practicals that can be observed in order to prevent breakdowns in our mental health as we seek to guide those around us.

Knowing how to care for our own mental health as well as that of others, and knowing when to point them towards professionals (or to go there ourselves) are critical elements in protecting our joy and hope, and to defeating stress as we navigate the challenges of leadership. While the class targeted leadership within the church, all men were welcome to be a part of this discussion.

Listen to the lesson here. (Please note that a small subscription to DTV is required to access the lesson).