Today I write to you about an important new ministry that is present and active here in Fayette County. This ministry is “There Is Hope.” Its founder and leader is Fayette County resident Pastor Gary Taber, who is quick to tell us that his passion for this ministry comes from personal experience within his own family. What I will do here today is share with you what Pastor Gary presents as he talks about the growing and vital need for this ministry.
Mental illness is not often spoken about in our society. Many times we also find it very difficult to talk about mental illness in our churches. Yet there is a great need to talk about mental illness.
It is estimated that 1 in 17 American adults suffer from serious mental illness. More than 4 million of our children also suffer mental illness. Studies show 20 percent (one in five) of our American families is impacted by mental illness. Those of us who are dealing with mental illness in our family have learned that the mental health system is a challenging maze which is extremely difficult to navigate.
What about all the families trying to navigate this maze? It drains them physically, psychologically, financially and spiritually. Families experience feelings of frustration, fear, guilt, denial, loss, isolation, sadness and loss of hope. How families react to the crisis of mental illness affects the family member’s recovery. The only way to deal with all this is to know the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding that will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7). According to Taber, this is why he established There Is Hope Ministries.
According to Taber, “We want families who are caregivers of people with mental illness to know they are not alone as nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. There is hope!”
Believing that we are called to carry each other’s burdens, There is Hope Ministries was formed as an inter-denominational Christian ministry for families of people with mental illness. Faith communities can be of tremendous help offering hope, unconditional love, and support to families who often find themselves stigmatized and isolated from the community.
There is Hope Ministry’s vision is to provide Christian support to families of people with mental illness. Also, its vision is to stimulate more conversation and education in church communities on understanding mental illness and how to better care for families of people with mental illness.
The Mission of There Is Hope:
1. To provide families a compassionate, confidential and safe place to be heard.
2. To provide families information on the mental health system.
3. To offer families hope and encouragement.
4. To assist families in their healing process.
5. To provide intercessory prayer for families.
6. To encourage more conversation and education within our congregations on mental illness and the impact to families.
7. To study Holy Scripture with families to learn how to handle emotions of guilt, anger, fear, isolation, denial, conflict and understanding of suffering.
8. To proclaim God’s Word to families that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
9. To host professional speakers, workshops, and educational events for families.
10. Schedule an annual liturgical celebration of lives of persons with mental illness with their families, and mental health workers/professionals.
Pastor Gary meets with families of people with mental illness, and all those who may be interested, monthly on the first Thursday of every month at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church on Ga. Highway 314 in Fayetteville at 7 p.m. Also when requested this ministry will come to other congregations to provide educational presentations on mental health issues and on how to care for families of the mentally ill.
Their website www.thereishopeforfamilies.com lists and defines many of the mental illnesses. They include dementia, Alzheimer’s, delirium, amnesia, depression, mania, bipolar, schizophrenia, schizoaffective, delusional, panic, obsessive-compulsive, posttraumatic, autism, Retts, Asperger, paranoid personality, borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, and histrionic personality disorder.
One of the helping tools set forth by There is Hope is the coping mechanism called “The Five C’s of Coping” for families with people with mental illness. They are:
1. I did not Cause this illness.
2. I cannot Cure this illness.
3. I cannot Control this illness.
4. I can Cope with this …
5. with faith in Christ Jesus.
If you need this help, please come. There is hope.
[Kollmeyer is senior pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Fayetteville, www.princeofpeacefayette.org.]
