157: Becoming A Sanctuary For Mental Health with Daniel Whitehead

10/03/24 • 35 min

In this episode of the Care Ministry Podcast, Laura Howe sits down with Daniel Whitehead, CEO of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, for an insightful conversation. Daniel shares his journey from leading a church in England to facing emotional burnout, which led him to pursue studies in theology and mental health. Together, they talk about the pressures of leadership, the power of vulnerability, and how meaningful friendships can make a difference in mental health. Don’t miss Daniel at our upcoming Church Mental Health Summit, and tune in for a special course his organization offers! It’s all in today’s episode!

Quotes

"Mental health is something we all have, and there are seasons of flourishing and languishing for all people. We're just going to help churches begin conversations." – Daniel Whitehead
"God isn't scared of us bringing our stories into His story. That's actually what we're meant to do." – Daniel Whitehead
"The church should be famous as the safest place for someone to recover, wherever Christ is Lord." – Daniel Whitehead
"The pain of isolation is more than the pain of the diagnosis itself. If only there was a community in every town that just knew how to love people really well." – Daniel Whitehead
"You can turn up on a Sunday, you can preach, you can do the things, but actually be really languishing and struggling internally." – Daniel Whitehead
"It's hard to admit that you're fallible... but it's the only way to stay healthy." – Laura Howe

Resources

Connect with Hope Made Strong

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org

Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

Quotes

"Mental health is something we all have, and there are seasons of flourishing and languishing for all people. We're just going to help churches begin conversations." – Daniel Whitehead
"God isn't scared of us bringing our stories into His story. That's actually what we're meant to do." – Daniel Whitehead
"The church should be famous as the safest place for someone to recover, wherever Christ is Lord." – Daniel Whitehead
"The pain of isolation is more than the pain of the diagnosis itself. If only there was a community in every town that just knew how to love people really well." – Daniel Whitehead
"You can turn up on a Sunday, you can preach, you can do the things, but actually be really languishing and struggling internally." – Daniel Whitehead
"It's hard to admit that you're fallible... but it's the only way to stay healthy." – Laura Howe

Resources

Connect with Hope Made Strong

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org

Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

Previous Episode

156: Building A Culture Of Care With Grace Family Church

In this episode, Laura Howe speaks with Pastor Chris and Samantha from Grace Family Church in Tampa, Florida. They discuss the unique dynamics of their multi-campus church, the challenges of growing a culture of care, and their plans to utilize the Church Mental Health Summit as a tool for staff training.

Pastor Chris shares his 13 years of experience in care ministry and how Grace Family Church has expanded from one to eight campuses. The conversation dives into the importance of resourcing their care teams and the exciting potential of integrating mental health training for their staff.

Samantha, a care ministry coordinator, highlights the significance of building a culture of care that resonates with their diverse congregation. Together, they reflect on the church’s mission to grow disciples and equip leaders, emphasizing that care is a central part of their strategy.

Quotes

“Care is one of those foxholes... when the real difficult stuff shows up, people can’t wait to find the care pastor.”
“Care is not just one size fits all... we really want to create strong and healthy disciples to carry out the mission of care.”
“The local church becoming a safe space for people to feel like they belong is the hope of our community.”
“We're not building roads anymore; we're building signs to help people find the care they need.”

Resources

Connect with Hope Made Strong

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org

Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

Next Episode

158: How To Get The Most Out Of The Church Mental Health Summit

In this episode, Laura and Rebecca discuss how to maximize the benefits of the upcoming Church Mental Health Summit, offering practical tips for attendees, including registering early to avoid last-minute technical issues and organizing watch parties for community engagement.

They also highlight the advantages of the all-access and ultimate passes, which provide ongoing value through access to summit content for volunteer and staff development. Rebecca shares ideas for involving church communities and sponsors in making the most of the summit, while Laura emphasizes the importance of intentional participation to fully absorb the content.

Quotes

“I love our summit. You get the packet that you can download, and you can go through and highlight all the things you want and get super excited about." - Rebecca Bailey
“If you have the capacity to get the all-access pass, please know it’s our heart’s desire that you use that over and over in your church—for volunteer training, staff discussions, and watch parties.” - Laura Howe
“We don’t want people to feel left hanging. This could be a great opportunity to kick off a think tank in your community or start a cohort for ongoing discussions.” - Rebecca Bailey
“Set your intention, be present, schedule your time, and engage with the online community to fully participate.” - Laura Howe

Resources

Connect with Hope Made Strong

Website: HopeMadeStrong.org

Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube