04/19/2017

A message from the Director of Disability Ministries of the ELCA regarding Mental Health Month

Message from the director of ELCA Disabilities Ministries

Greetings!

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter.

May is Mental Health Month, which is just around the corner.

Mental Health Month was created in 1949 to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of mental wellness for all. In the spirit of the month, the ELCA recommends that all congregational and community leaders create and encourage a dialogue with congregation and community members about mental health awareness and the destigmatizing of mental illness. Nearly every person in the pews has been touched by mental illness in some way; individuals and families do not need to suffer in silence. Our faith communities can be an active and sympathetic sanctuary for people living with a mental illness, their family members, friends, advocates and allies. Help is available to you, and there is hope for all of us!

When the righteous call for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all. He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken (Psalm 34:17-20).

More information and resources:

Mental Health America
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 800‑273‑TALK (8255)

Blessings,

Rachel Bouman
Program Director, Disability Ministries
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

To learn more about Disability Ministries visit the ELCA website at http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Disability-Ministry.