Our ‘Spring Harvesters’ will be giving further feedback from their time at Spring Harvest 2023 (10th – 14th April) at Minehead. In Part Two, they will be talking about Mental Health – Just like physical health, everybody has it and we need to take care of it!

The most challenging aspect of our culture now is the relentlessness of many of the demands we are experiencing —people of all ages are struggling with their mental health like never before. So, if the mental health crisis in the UK is so big, can the Church effectively respond? It’ll be important to discuss how we can be better listeners and more empathetic

Humanity: designed for connection

Taking a biblical worldview,  humanity are designed and created for connection with God and with one another.  The way we are parented has long term and ongoing effects on our functioning. The ‘still face’ experiment is a powerful study which shows our need for connection from very early in life. It gives an insight into how a parent’s reactions can affect the emotional development of a baby. Early in our lives we were learning about other people’s reactions and how our behaviour can affect others. This experiment gives us insight into what it is like when connection does not occur.

KEY POINTS

• In 1970, the Still Face experiment showed how a parent’s visual reaction can impact a baby’s emotional development.
• The Still Face experiment was done originally with mothers and infants but replicated with fathers, as well as toddlers.
• The research findings do not imply that short or occasional non-responsiveness is the same as prolonged inattention.

Online Service

Digging Deeper Resources

• • • The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. One of the thirteen WHO priority areas is mental health, aimed at the prevention and reduction of mental disorders. On 10 December 2013, a new WHO database, known as MiNDbank, went online. The database was launched, and is part of WHO’s QualityRights initiative, which aims to end human rights violations against people with mental health conditions. The database allows visitors to access the health information of WHO member states and other partners. Users can review policies, laws, and strategies and search for the best practices and success stories in the field of mental health.
  • • The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Day on 10 October each year.
  • • WHO Doing What Matters in Times of Stress An Illustrated Guide
  • • Mind (The National Association for Mental Health) – is a mental health charity in England and Wales. They provide advice, information and support, to anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They also campaign to improve policy and attitudes and, in partnership with independent local Minds, develop and provide local services.
  • •The Mental Health Foundation: their work involves rigorous research and practical projects to identify what’s most helpful, public information that empowers people to look after their mental health and influencing work to move policies in the right direction.  Their  Annual Mental Health Awareness Week usually takes place in May
  • • Mental Health Access Pack, this free resource comes from a partnership between Livability, The Mind and Soul Foundation and Premier Life.
  • • The Mind and Soul Foundation – a Christian information provider in the field of emotional and mental health. It has sought to improve mental health outcomes for Christians by reducing stigma and increasing understanding of psychological and psychiatric treatments. The charity promotes an integrated view of wellbeing which incorporates mind & body alongside a person’s faith.
  • • Faith, Wellbeing and Mental Health, a webpage with recommended resources provided by Baptist Union of Great Britain
  • • Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries is a Christian non-profit that equips the Church to support mental health and wellbeing. Sanctuary envisions a future where the Church plays a vital role in supporting mental health and wellbeing in every community.
  • • Sanctuary and The Porter’s Gate are creating an album of songs about mental health and faith, called Sanctuary Songs 
  • Local News: Hurst Café and i-Rock Horsham District are mental health support for young people, aged 11-18.  Providing supervised social space to meet, socialise, access information and support relevant to them. The site is now run by local youth charity ‘4 The Youth’.  For more information about Hurst Café, click here and for iRock click here
  • • The Bereavement Journey is for anyone who has been bereaved at any time and in any way. Through a series of films and discussion groups, this course gently guides those who’ve been bereaved through the most common aspects of grief, enabling them to process the implications for themselves and discern next steps. Kingdom Faith Horsham have arranged these discussion Group and are planning to initiate another in the Autumn 2023

Talks in this Teaching Series

Click the images below, or click here for previous teaching series.

Easter Sunday

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Horsham Baptist Together Joint Service 2026

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All Age Christmas Carol Service 2025

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