Mental illness

[RebornInChrist]

What does a person with mental illness do to minister to those who need help..
I've been to church and it seems mellow... I would like to know which to serve somewhere but I don't know where..
What does one with such illness as schizophrenia or autism do to serve?

 

[Jesus_is_LORD]

Great question.

Two things come to mind. I speak as a mental health therapist of 15 years.

Passion and Proficiency.
What is the person passionate about and what are they good at?

Someone could love people and enjoy making people happy, they might do well in the greeters ministry.
Someone could be very shy but have a gift of music and play an instrument, they could serve in the music ministry.

Sometimes people are passionate about something but not very good at it. Someone could love to sing but not be trained well in musical notation
Sometimes we are good at something but don't have the passion for it. Someone could have the gift of music but suffer with anxiety and not feel passionate about playing music.

Step 1: Are there any areas of overlap between passion and proficiency. If yes, start here.

Step 2: If no areas can be found above, are there any areas of passion, though proficiency is not present that
service can be done on a modified level.

For example: Someone could be passionate about music but not be good at singing.
Perhaps they could sit with the choir and while the choir director may not feel comfortable
giving them a solo, they might allow them to sit in the back and be part of the choir and have
their voice blend in. Or perhaps someone just loves people and wants to be a greeter, but
does not have the best social skills and has poor boundaries (invading others space). You could
have them serve by watching others on the greeters ministry and see how they perform their task.
To allow a period of being present and soaking it all in.

Step 3: If no areas for step two are present, or accommodations cannot be made by the church to assist
this individual to serve, then look for areas of proficient but no passion. This would require someone
to encourage the person to motivate them to serve though the passion is not there but the proficiency is.


Step 4: If no areas of passion or proficiency can be found, the person should pray for God to show them what they
are good at and where service is needed. They should also ask others in the church to pray for them and share
with them what the Holy Spirit has informed them about service. If one is at this place then it is often best
to just ask the church, "What is the biggest need?" One can always serve by praying, sometimes they can
serve by working with the lighting crew with the church, or serve by helping clean the church.

I think it is excellent that this individual wants to serve. I would first say that they shouldn't let their mental health situation
define who they are, but realize that in any state we can serve and glorify God. Thanks for asking the question.

 

[RebornInChrist]

Great question.

Two things come to mind. I speak as a mental health therapist of 15 years.

Passion and Proficiency.
What is the person passionate about and what are they good at?

Someone could love people and enjoy making people happy, they might do well in the greeters ministry.
Someone could be very shy but have a gift of music and play an instrument, they could serve in the music ministry.

Sometimes people are passionate about something but not very good at it. Someone could love to sing but not be trained well in musical notation
Sometimes we are good at something but don't have the passion for it. Someone could have the gift of music but suffer with anxiety and not feel passionate about playing music.

Step 1: Are there any areas of overlap between passion and proficiency. If yes, start here.

Step 2: If no areas can be found above, are there any areas of passion, though proficiency is not present that
service can be done on a modified level.

For example: Someone could be passionate about music but not be good at singing.
Perhaps they could sit with the choir and while the choir director may not feel comfortable
giving them a solo, they might allow them to sit in the back and be part of the choir and have
their voice blend in. Or perhaps someone just loves people and wants to be a greeter, but
does not have the best social skills and has poor boundaries (invading others space). You could
have them serve by watching others on the greeters ministry and see how they perform their task.
To allow a period of being present and soaking it all in.

Step 3: If no areas for step two are present, or accommodations cannot be made by the church to assist
this individual to serve, then look for areas of proficient but no passion. This would require someone
to encourage the person to motivate them to serve though the passion is not there but the proficiency is.


Step 4: If no areas of passion or proficiency can be found, the person should pray for God to show them what they
are good at and where service is needed. They should also ask others in the church to pray for them and share
with them what the Holy Spirit has informed them about service. If one is at this place then it is often best
to just ask the church, "What is the biggest need?" One can always serve by praying, sometimes they can
serve by working with the lighting crew with the church, or serve by helping clean the church.

I think it is excellent that this individual wants to serve. I would first say that they shouldn't let their mental health situation
define who they are, but realize that in any state we can serve and glorify God. Thanks for asking the question.

And thank you for answering it! I really need to quit thinking that the voices im hearing that the doctors call my mental illness--schizophrenia are the actual person that I hear getting mimicked. I hear a voice over the voice of the individual who its trying to be and It makes me think people have special powers and I even hear them in my head and it makes me nervous and I fidget and stuff because I i could just be walking around the lobby area going to the main plsce where they have service and I will hear something in my head acting as if its being said out loud and it might say any random thing that's either true or not true.. I might hear from the voice trying to be me acting as if its saying something out loud say...I just pooped myself and it might make a silly song in my head and I am in the moment and cant understand at that time that its not being said out loud and I know I didn't poop myselfs pants. I then seek confirmation from a person who will tell me if the voices Im hesring sre being heard by them.. And they say no everytime ive asked so far..