Please tell us about your upcoming mental health and faith-related events.

One and Two Day Events

Faith Connections supports a NAMIWalks team every year.
Other Initiatives
Mental Illness Stations of the Cross-2016
     Friday, March 25, Noon to 8:00 pm
     University United Methodist Church
Mary Henley Lecture Series:
     February & March 2016
     University United Methodist Church
     150 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 
  • "Why Medicine Needs the Church," Dr. Warren Kinghorn, Professor of Psychiatry and Pastoral/Moral Theology at Duke Divinity School (DDS); 
  • "Prayers of Rage and Hope in Hebrew Scriptures," Dr. Anathea Portier-Young, Professor of Old Testament (DDS);  
  •  ""Flourishing: Positive Approaches to Mental Well-Being," Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, Director, Duke Global Health Institute. (Parking validation offered for parking in the Hill-Swain lot).
Contact:  Mitzi Johnson (mjohnson@chapelhilluumc.org)
Mental Health Series: February - April 2016
University Presbyterian Church
209 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
  • Panel moderated by Kari Marvin. Participants include youth struggling with depression, parents, siblings and friends of struggling youth. 
  • Medical overview of Teen Anxiety/Depression. How to spot "red flags" in the midst of normal teenage behavior. Led by Dr. Christian Mauro, Director of Psychosocial Treatment Clinic at Duke Child and Family Study Center
  • Book discussion, Chapters 1-4. Led by Mellicent Blythe.
  • Book discussion, Chapters 5-6. Led by Helen Brantley.
  • Dr Kathleen Lapp, psychiatrist.  Strategies and treatment options for depression/anxiety. Open discussion.
  • Discussion on how to walk faithfully with teens through this journey. How can we support teens and families who are struggling with depression as a community of faith. Led by Kate Fielder Boswell and Kim McNeill.

Reading Across Our Faith Communities

Mental Health Community-Wide Book Discussion Groups 2016
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Many of our supporting congregations hosted book discussion groups based on  ​A Relentless Hope: Surviving the Storm of Teen Depression.
Written by the Rev. Gary Nelson, keynote speaker for our 2016 Spring Conference, the book relates the author's son's struggles with depression and anxiety during his teen years. 
Those congregations included:
  • ​St Philips Episcopal Church, Durham
  • Chapel of the Cross Episcopal, Chapel Hill
  • Chapel Hill Friends Meeting
  • Westminster Presbyterian Church, Durham
  • University United Methodist Church, Chapel HIll
Mental Health Community-Wide Book Discussion Groups 2015 
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In preparation for the 2015 annual conference, many supporting congregations hosted book discussion groups featuring "Troubled Minds" by Amy Simpson, keynote speaker for our 5th Annual Conference. Simpson shared her family’s experience with the trauma and bewilderment of mental illness, and reminding us that people with mental illness are our neighbors and members of our faith community. Participating congregations included:

Westminister Presbyterian Church
The Chapel of the Cross
Binkley Baptist Church
University United Methodist Church
Watts Street Baptist Church

The 2015 book group was a huge success and a blessing to so many of the participants.  
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (September 23, 2014) – Faith Communities and individuals from across the triangle are invited to participate in a community-wide book reading of the award-winning “Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission.”  Coordinated by Faith Connections on Mental Illness, the initiative’s goal is to open a dialogue within congregations on the often taboo subject of mental illness. The book’s author, Amy Simpson, will be the keynote speaker at Faith Connections’ 5th annual conference, to be held in Spring 2015.

St. Thomas More in Chapel Hill will kick off the inaugural book discussion group Tuesdays, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm from October 7 through November 18. Other faith communities in Chapel Hill and Durham will announce their schedules in weeks to come, which will be posted at faithconnectionsonmentalillness.org.  Individuals - regardless of faith affiliation - are welcome to attend any group. Faith Communities that wish to join the “Reading Across Our Faith Communities” program may call Donna Olsen at 919-933-6302 to learn more.

Faith Connections on Mental Illness is an inter-faith coalition of faith communities whose mission is to work with all faith communities to welcome, include, support, educate, and advocate for individuals and families who are living with mental illness.  

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Press Release for book discussion groups
Article on Book Groups  (scroll down at link for article)
Reading Across Our Faith Communities-2016
​​January 24, February 28, and March 27 at 12:30 p.m.
​Chapel Hill Friends Meeting
531 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC
Contact: Alice Carlton, amberalice@mindspring.com