Religion & Spirituality
“First recognize the person before you for who they are in Christ, not because of what they are going through… When a diagnosis is all you see, that’s when problems begin.”How do stigma and the language we use affect those struggling with mental health? This week on the podcast, Dr. John Swinton is joining Crystal to discuss faith, mental health, and how to love our neighbors well. Listen as he shares the important difference between mental illness and mental health, and how listening to someone’s experience with the goal of understanding can better shape our response and care. Be encouraged by his practical strategies for helping our friends with various mental health challenges reconnect with the Lord and stay oriented to his Word. Related Podcasts:Walking with God through SchizophreniaCaring for Someone with SchizophreniaA Response to DepressionDepression and Anxiety When Life is Going WellMental Illness and the Church Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.orgSupport Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible. Follow Joni and Friends on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. *Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Together, our mission is to glorify God as we communicate the Gospel and mobilize the global church to evangelize, disciple and serve people living with disability.Joni and Friends was founded in 1979 by Joni Eareckson Tada who in a diving accident was left a quadriplegic at 17 years old. Ministry began as Tada, joined by friends around her kitchen table, responded to letters she received from people with disabilities in search of support. For more than 40 years, the ministry has grown to serve thousands of people impacted by disability worldwide: delivering more than 191,000 wheelchairs and Bibles through Wheels for the World and provided Christian care to 64,000 special needs family members through Family Retreats. The organization also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses through the Christian Institute on Disability. For more encouragement, download the Joni and Friends Radio Program podcast in English or Spanish, and view inspirational videos on the Joni and Friends website.www.joniandfriends.org*