Communities of Care: The Church and Mental Illness

One in four U.S. Americans annually experiences mental health issues ranging in severity from temporary psychological distress to serious depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, yet less than one-third of these persons receives appropriate care, often because of the stigma associated with these illnesses and their treatments. This issue of The Christian Citizen, published by American Baptist Home Mission Societies, tells stories and provides insights for ministering with people with mental illnesses. The entire issue is available for free online. 

In this issue:

• EDITORIAL Mental Health and Faith Community Partnership
• to Reduce Stigma and Provide Help and Healing
• Mental Illness and Families of Faith: How Congregations Can Respond
• A Call to Healing
• Un llamado a la sanidad
• Depression Idols, Demons and Grace
• It Takes a Community
• Psychiatry and the Faith Community in Partnership
• NAMI FaithNet A Lifeline, a Cairn and a Network
• WISE and Caring Congregations: Creating a Safe Haven for People in
• Your Church Who Have a Mental Illness
• Youth Leaders as Instruments of Transformation and Hope
• Doing Small Things with Extraordinary Love
• Admitting Our Powerlessness
• The Pizza Mass
• A Welcoming and Supportive Environment for Latinos
• A Deep Well of Meaning
• Be Still
• When the Caregiver Needs Care
• Sand Dollar
• Spiritual insights for parents, clergy, and churches ministering to special needs families.