UK disability charity Liveability has released a free six week Bible study for churches to engage with mental health challenges faced by those in their communities.
Lifting the Lid has been created for use by small groups and draws on well-known Bible stories to open up discussions around the topics of emotional and mental well-being. The course also draws on material published through a collaboration with Christian organisation Mind & Soul.
Liveability cites data which shows that one in four people experience a mental illness in the UK each week.
Corin Pilling, community engagement director at Livability, said that given opening up positive discussions can be challenging, “time has been spent creating studies that navigate this carefully”.
The study’s creator, Mat Ray – head of church partnerships at Liveability, said that emotional and mental ill health “is an area that many of us lack confidence in”.
“Whilst churches should never seek to offer medical or professional advice to mental health sufferers – they are in a great position to lift the lid on these areas positively. We have good reason to be hopeful and we have an important part to play in raising awareness.”
The resource, which consists of six sessions with each designed to run for about one-and-a-half hours, was trialed in the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield.
~ www.livability.org.uk/resources/lifting-the-lid
