Sundays at 4 p.m., March 10 through April 14 at Desert Palm UCC, 1230 E Guadalupe Road, Tempe
Desert Palm is offering a Lenten Series related to becoming a WISE congregation (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged). Presentation and discussion will be followed by a light meal and continuing table discussion. These workshops will be designed to provide education and resources about mental health and mental illness. Our goal is to decrease the stigma around mental illness and to create a safe space where people can learn how to get help and how to be of help.
We’ll focus on a different aspect of the mental health crisis each week. Along with sharing resources and useful information, we’ve decided to be very intentional about balancing facts and figures with time for people to share from their own personal experience. Given that the overall goal of the program is to reduce the stigma around mental illness, our hope is to create space for folks to learn and share in a safe, supportive environment.
If anyone reading this thinks, ‘Well I’ve never had any contact with someone suffering from mental illness,” then these sessions are for you! That’s because they’re really for everyone, regardless of past experience. Much like becoming an Open and Affirming congregation, the process of becoming a WISE congregation affords us all an opportunity to learn and stand in solidarity with a marginalized group.
The educational piece will begin at 4 p.m., followed by dinner and discussion at 5.
Sunday, March 10th at 4 PM - Overview - General Statement
Mental Health Treatment, History and Changes
Ray Littleford and Pastor Tom
Sunday, March 17th at 4 PM - Overview of different mental illnesses
Sunday, March 24th at 4 PM - Children and Parents
Silence in family ) Kathryn
Experiences with the legal system ) Kathryn
Trauma
Sunday, March 31st at 4 PM - Addiction
Sunday, April 14th at 4 PM - Dementia
Theme is Wellness
RSVP to Jo Vredenburg at jimjovred@gmail.com or to Robert Koth at RobertKoth1@cox.net.
For more information or questions, please contact Rev. Tom Martinez at tomnmartinez@gmail.com