Restoration
Bringing peace of mind in a troubled world
Background & History
The idea of Restoration originally came from a group of Christians working at Crossways Community in Tunbridge Wells. Crossways is a Christian organisation that has been supporting people with mental health problems for the past 40 years in the context of a registered care home and a hostel.
They identified three needs.
* The need to take some of what they had learnt over the years into the wider community.
* To draw together some of the experience of other Christians in the area
* To support churches as they reach out into the community to people with more complex needs
In February 2005 they came together with other Christians in the Tunbridge Wells area to discuss how more help could be given to people living in the wider community experiencing a variety of emotional difficulties which affect their mental well being.
There was great enthusiasm from other local people and from this meeting a Steering Group was formed to move the concept of Restoration into a practical reality. They came from a number of different churches.
As they met together they quickly realised that they needed to be in agreement on a few fundamental beliefs and drew up a Statement of Intent and some Guiding Principles:
How will it work?
We want to provide a safe and comfortable place for people to come and spend a day or weekend where they will feel secure enough to enter into a time of healing. These days will be called ‘Restoration’ days.
These events will vary but will include some of the following:
a safe place to talk
a safe place to be quiet
the opportunity to network with others
to teach coping strategies
opportunities to express oneself creatively
opportunities to enjoy music
a place to worship and meditate
to be prayed for
to enjoy a meal together
a place to have fun.
All this and much more!
We are looking for people to join us who can bring their ‘gifts’ and skills, their love and compassion to join us in this outreach.
You do not have to be an expert; we need people who:
can support us in prayer in a variety of ways
have creative gifts
are worship leaders
are administrators and fundraisers
can publicise the outreach
will be willing to help set the venues up
can be caterers.
Whether you are an individual, a member of a group or an organisation, who has a heart for those with mental health difficulties and would like to join with us, we should love to hear from you. Please contact Martin Granger or Kathy Lewis at Number 8.
Restoration reflects the desire of Christians to reach out to those struggling with emotional and mental health issues and enable them to experience a sense of inner harmony. We believe this will come from greater self-awareness and self-acceptance understood within the love and grace of God.
The intention is to provide a safe environment where, if they wish, people may acknowledge, either inwardly or openly, the difficulties they face and experience the support that may come from sharing with others and finding acceptance as themselves.
Other ways of experiencing spiritual peace will be offered through creative outlets and worship. The focus will be on greater insight and personal development and resourcing people to move on and feel encouraged to find other networks to which they can belong.
Whilst it is hoped that eventually there will be a national network of support, it is understood that outreach will best be given within local communities through a variety of ways offering support to people experiencing different stages of mental health.
The Guiding Principles of Restoration
* God loves us all and wants us to receive healing and to grow in our creativity and gifts.
* The love of Jesus is freely offered.
* Different expressions of spirituality are to be respected.
* People have a variety of needs and experiences.
* Throughout life we all experience both positive and negative aspects of mental well being.
* All of us are both able and need to give as well as to receive.
* Most healing takes place over time as we gain insight and self-acceptance
Some Definitions and Understandings of Mental Health
“Mental health is the emotional and spiritual resilience which enables us to enjoy life and to survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of well-being and an underlying belief in our own, and others’ dignity and worth”.
“A person’s well-being as it relates to their mood, self-esteem, level of anxiety and sense of reality.”
“It is more than just an absence of the symptoms of mental illness or mental distress. It underpins all health and well being and influences how we think and feel, about ourselves and others, how we interpret events, our capacity to learn, to communicate and to form and sustain relationships.”
“Mental health is influenced by many factors including individual coping skills and levels of social support, as well as structural factors like housing, employment and financial security. Most people will experience life events that are stressful and can affect mental well-being, for example the death of a partner, the birth of a child, redundancy, retirement or ill health. In addition, some people suffer the chronic stress of coping with poverty, exclusion, unemployment, racism and other forms of discrimination, which also seriously undermine mental health.”
It is not a constant state but varies throughout an individual’s life and may also vary from day to day.
It can be considered to be on a continuum with most of the behaviours and feelings that are common to all of us. It is the degree of perceived distress that this causes the person or others that may prompt the intervention of others.
It is also related to what is experienced as normal and abnormal behaviour within the society in which we live and consequently definitions are open to interpretation by individuals and society.
Some Further Thoughts about Mental Illness:
“People with a mental illness can experience problems in the way they think, feel or behave. This can significantly affect their relationships, their work, and their quality of life. Having a mental illness is not only difficult for the person concerned but also for their family and friends.”
“Mental illnesses are some of the least understood conditions in society”
“Unlike the images often found in books and on the television, most people with mental illnesses can lead productive and fulfilling lives with appropriate treatment and support.”
“It is important to remember that having a mental illness is not someone’s fault, it is not a sign of weakness, and it is not something to be ashamed of.”
“Seeing someone’s problems solely as an illness that requires medical treatment is far too narrow a view. It discourages us from thinking about the many different influences on a person’s life, on their thoughts, feelings or behaviour, which can cause mental distress. It may also prevent us from exploring the various non-medical treatment options which are available. For these reasons, many prefer to talk about mental or emotional distress rather than mental illness.”
The Steering Group
The group sees its role as facilitating the setting up of Restoration. Steering Group members are:
Donna Farmer – Donna lives in Maidstone with her husband Peter; she has a real concern for people with emotional and mental health difficulties.
Martin Granger – For the past few years Martin has wanted to see an outreach approach to supporting people with mental health difficulties living in the local community.
Alan Harvey – Alan has been involved in church leadership and as Chairman of Crossways over many years and therefore brings a wealth of experience to the group.
Kathy Lewis – Kathy trained as a psychiatric nurse and oversees the day care of residents at Crossways, she has developed a programme of coping strategies for people living in the local community.
John Neel – John was a volunteer worker at Crossways until he joined the organisation as manager of the hostel. He is very enthusiastic and full of ideas!
Helen Steven – Helen has been coming alongside people with enduring mental health difficulties for many years. Helen is very creative and encourages others to get involved in painting and weaving etc., as many find these activities therapeutic.
Jo Wheeler – Jo works part-time at Burrswood Healing Centre, and until recently she managed an advocacy centre in Tunbridge Wells for people who experience mental health difficulties.
Site last modified: : 29/06/2010
|
© Crossways Community 2009. All Rights Reserved. Registered Charity 1007156. Registered Number 02649197 England |
||