Connectors' Programsare held virtually and in person 4p-5p the 2nd Thursday of designated months. Upcoming are Jan 8th, March 12th, May 14th
Holiday Season Sadness
Please email [email protected]with your 2025 Seasonal Worship Services of hope that arespecifically aimed atthose grappling with sadness, loneliness, and anxiety during the holiday season.
This phenomenon, often referred to as "holiday blues," can be triggered by the pressure to appear happy, social, and generous, or by the contrast between the social ideal of the holidays and personal reality.
It was 2010 and I had just returned from my deployment to Iraq where I served as a chaplain with the North Carolina Army National Guard as the 230 th Brigade Support Battalion Chaplain for the 30 th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. In Iraq, I was responsible for medical and mortuary emergencies. It was a challenging deployment and complicated by my being medically evacuated before my unit’s return due to a breast cancer diagnosis. Back at home, I faced re-acclimating to civilian life and processing my experiences in Iraq while undergoing breast cancer treatment. I went to my mandatory Army mental health assessment conducted by a civilian psychologist. He looked at my file, then looked up at me and said, “Oh, you’re a chaplain. You have God, so you are fine, right?” In that moment it became readily apparent that the mental health world was not going to be helpful in navigating my new reality.Read more....
Clergy Reflections on Mental Healthis an interfaith forum for faith leaders to share insights and observations, sometimes speaking from personal experience, about faith and mental health. We welcome diversity of thought and perspective.
Please consider subscribing to the blog to receive a notification each month when the new essay is available.
Faith Connections on Mental Illness, Inc.
FCMI is an interfaith nonprofit whose mission is
"Connecting across faiths in mental health ministry"
Speaker Programs: 2nd Thursday of Alternating Months
FCMI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN #46-4112070.
Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law
October 28, 2025 FCMI eblast
Friday, November 7, 2025
Registration: 8:00 am-8:50 am
Program: 8:50 am-1:00 pm
Registration Fee: $35
WAHEC 3.5 CEUs
Binkley Baptist Church
1712 Willow Dr.
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Led by Ellen Parker and Ashley Wilson The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness is a 2024 book by Jonathan Haidt that argues that the spread of smartphones, social media, and overprotective parenting has led to a "rewiring" of childhood and a rise in mental illness.
Haidt argues that the combination of the decline of play-based childhoods, exacerbated by what he describes as overprotective parents, and increasing smartphone use has been harmful to children since the late 2000s
QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide.
Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year, thousands of Americans, like you, are saying "Yes" to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor.
QPR can be learned in our Gatekeeper course in as little as one hour.
We are hosting a speaker to give an introduction about this nesccesary training
The need to support mental wellness is growing and identifying strategies to achieve this can be difficult. The goal of this event is to bring together clergy, behavioral health practitioners, family members, and those affected by mental illness to improve open dialogue and increase access to resources in an attempt to improve mental wellness in the community.
This half-day event will include a keynote on The Anxious Generation, a panel of clergy talking about their own experiences and consequent fighting of stigma, and two speakers focusing on resources available in our community. QPR training will be included. Seating is limited.
