Seeking to reach people both within and outside their walls, more than 200 Seventh-day Adventist churches in North America, including 35 in the Southern Union Conference, hosted the short mental health series MindFit this past spring. The Voice of Prophecy (VOP) produced the event to empower churches to be both practical and spiritual resources for their communities in battling a continent-wide mental health crisis.
“On a global scale, one in eight people struggle daily with mental illness — one in five in North America. The implication is clear: it is nearly impossible to live on Earth and not be affected by mental illness,” said Alex Rodriguez, associate speaker for VOP.
Each session of MindFit, a four-part event, commences with audiences watching a 30-minute episode of a docuseries hosted by Rodriguez, who traveled across North America to speak with mental health professionals and patients. The series sheds light on the history and prevalence of mental health challenges. It emphasizes that effective treatments are available and amplified by biblical principles. After each episode, a local church leader guides the audience through a provided study and discussion.
Julie Hayek, Ph.D., N.M.D., who has decades of experience as a health ministries leader and speaker, presented MindFit at Columbus First Church in Columbus, Georgia, where she is an elder. She was delighted by her audience’s energetic response.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Hayek. “Talking about mental health is a far different experience compared to discussing struggles like diabetes or neuropathy, so I was happy when people shared their views.”
Some non-members also came to MindFit at Hayek’s church. One woman, who had already expressed interest in Adventism, attended each session. Hayek knew she had experienced trauma and struggled with her mental health. “I think she really enjoyed the meetings because she could relate to what we talked about,” shared Hayek.
Following MindFit, the woman took her two daughters to Columbus First Church to participate in the VOP-created Bible study “Peace Is an Inside Job,” where she and her eldest daughter said they would like to be baptized.
Like Hayek, Jeremy Leggett, pastor of White House Church in White House, Tennessee, watched God mold the hearts of audience members at MindFit.
“We talked about the stigma around mental health, how some of our biases play into the way we view those who are suffering,” said Leggett. “Church members who battled mental illnesses were willing to open up and confirm what we were hearing and seeing. We realized we needed to recognize that mental health truly is a far-reaching subject that touches each of our lives in different ways.”
For churches interested in hosting MindFit and receiving an advertising boost to draw in more community members, VOP will conduct a continent-wide MindFit campaign on September 19-21, 2024, and again on January 2-4, 2025. In the weeks leading up to these dates, host churches will benefit from a mass social media campaign promoting the series.
“With approximately 6,500 Adventist churches dotting the landscape of North America, our denomination is uniquely positioned to be a center of healing for those who are struggling,” said Rodriguez. “We filmed MindFit to place churches at the forefront of the mental health conversation. May the love of Jesus be reflected through us as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in bringing physical and spiritual healing to a world perishing in hopelessness.”
Visit MindFitEvent.com/Host to join the myriad churches serving their communities through this unique evangelistic event.
Southern Union | September 2024
Comments are closed.