Resources
The Mental Health & Pastoral Care Institute is curating a growing library of facts, tips and personal stories to help Christians in their understanding of mental health. We also want to support churches by providing access to a range of resources.
These articles draw on the great wisdom and guidance offered in the Bible, combined with the best psychological and medical research.
Our hope is that these resources will make a real and lasting impact on the mental and spiritual wellbeing of many in our churches and communities.
Mental health
All of us experience challenges to our mental health; nearly one in two of us will suffer a diagnosable mental health disorder at some stage in our lives. Even with many advances in clinical psychology, Christian faith and experience can offer enormous potential for benefitting people’s lives.
Here you will be able to learn about the most common mental health conditions, how to spot signs and symptoms, and ways to support the mental health of yourself and your loved ones.
Mental wellbeing
“Beloved, we pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.“
3 John 2
Good mental health and wellbeing are important for all of us. Mentally healthy people make small, daily choices that contribute to their mental health. None of us drifts into these habits. But small changes in these areas can assist our wellbeing and help us cope when life is uncertain and stressful.
These resources seek to help Christians understand mental wellbeing from a Christian perspective and provide tips on having a healthy mind, body and soul.
Relationships
We don’t work properly as human beings without healthy relationships. Our brains and our bodies depend upon them.
When relationships are not working properly, that’s stressful and has a big impact.
Pastoral care
The Bible affirms that all pastoral care derives from God, the one who “tends his flock like a shepherd … gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (Isaiah 40:11). Although those in Christian leadership (pastors) bear a particular responsibility to nurture, protect and support those under their care, every Christian can reflect the character of God as they “encourage the fainthearted, help the weak,” (1 Thessalonians 5:14) and seek to lovingly attend to the needs of others.
By drawing upon the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can speak into all life contexts and provide grace and encouragement in trying times.
We believe that pastoral care is a necessary complement, but not a competitor, to the work of mental health professionals. Learn practical ways to better provide compassion and care to others.
Resources for churches
Supporting and being inclusive of all the diverse needs of your congregation can often be a challenge. To enable churches to better address mental health and pastoral care issues, we have developed a number of resources specifically for churches.
We hope these resources will make a real and lasting impact upon the mental and spiritual wellbeing of many in our churches and communities.
