Students: Week of May 15, 2023

Wednesday Night Update

This week is the Student Ministry Mental Health Forum! It is my hope that God uses this night to allow your students to understand and possibly tell their stories in regards to emotional burdens with Biblical insight and understanding. We hope you will join us to learn about mental health, misunderstandings about mental “disorders,” and to reduce stigma about struggles Christians and non-Christians have alike!

There will be a 20-30 minute breakout time at the end for HS, MS, and parents (depending on # of parents attending).

Here is the timeline and agenda as planned... understanding the Holy Spirit may change things around if appropriate!

OSM Mental Health Forum Agenda

6:30 p.m. | 15 minutes recreation

6:45/6:50 p.m. | Prayer, introductions and pass out cards

6:55-7:20 p.m. | Info and overview

7:20 p.m. | Collect and screen cards/answer questions already received

7:35 p.m. | Split off into groups and answer questions/engage in discussion

OSM Mental Health Forum Outline

Purpose:

• Introduction of presenters
  1. Laura Cherone, LCSW, LSAC, Accredited Adoption Competency Provider and trainer, Senior Director at Family Services in Waukesha
  2. Nick Kavelaris, LPC, Financial Advisor, Private practice, professor at Carrol University, financial advisor at Annex Wealth Management
  3. Jonathan Irish, LPC, HTR, Owner, Set Apart Therapy Services, LLC
• Pass out and explain cards - Jonathan
• What is mental health from both a Biblical and non-Biblical perspective?
  1. Christianity and mental health
     1. Focus and mindset, not a genie in a bottle
     2. Access to the Holy Spirit

• Community

1. Scripture as a guide and lifestyle... servant nature, sacrificial mindset, family roles, etc.

• Stigma of “disorder”- really more of an imbalance
• How are Christian therapists different than non-Christian therapists?
• Nick - different viewpoints of Christian vs. Secular
• Laura - Mood disorders
  1. Anxiety generally vs over applied stigma of it; impact of culture on anxiety
• Examples of Biblical characters with emotional imbalances
  1. Paul
  2. Samson
  3. Kind David
  4. The demoniac
  5. Peter
• Seek God in all things and the balance He wants for us, not what the world wants of us
• Give some tools of how to improve mental health
  1. Get outdoors, turn off devices, get active, listen to positive music, get connected with at least one other person you can be open and honest with
  2. Sense of Awe again
• Collect cards - Jonathan - and review
• Break out sessions
  1. HS stay put - Laura
  2. MS head downstairs - Jonathan
  3. Parents (if enough) go to library - Nick
• Questions received thus far:
  1. How can you love someone who has a mental illness? It can be so hard!
     1. Relational, foundational, etc.
  2. How can we respond to things like anxiety and panic attacks?
  3. How, psychologically, do you set your mind on something? How do you set your mind on things above and on eternity while being in the moment?

See you there!

Jonathan Irish

Sunday Morning Update

Hello parents, 

Thanks, all! 

Chris Schmidt