Feb 17 and 24, 11:15-noon
The Caring Congregation program, designed by the Mission Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, serves as an introduction and invitation to intentionally creating a ministry that addresses and centers the needs of those living with mental disorders such as chronic depression, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. As many of our UU congregations work to dismantle the systems of oppression around us, from white supremacy to LGBTQ+ discrimination to classism and beyond, we must begin to talk openly and respectfully about the important part that mental disorders and access to mental health treatment play in oppressive systems, and how our church can help to support those congregants, families, and friends who live with mental disorders.
This frontier of ministry is more than a passing interest for me; in fact, as someone who lives with and receives treatment for depression and anxiety myself, it’s a deeply personal mission. The role of a welcoming and understanding spiritual community, strengthened by a healthy understanding of neurodiversity, can be life-saving and sustaining. It’s my hope that these introductory workshops can begin that conversation at UU Auburn, and that this is only a beginning to a new and expanded idea of what our ministry can look like and for whom it can be.
