Beacon of Light Mental Health

Mental health affects everybody.  Even the church.  

Every church, regardless of denomination, is a trusted spiritual partner, not just to their members but to the community at large. When in a crisis, the first place many turn is to their church. But few churches are equipped to provide even the most basic mental health services. Given the current mental health crisis in our country, churches are on the front lines – whether they’re prepared or not.

We can no longer ignore the reality of the need to help people with these struggles.  The statistics speak for themselves:

• 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness each year
• 1 in 6 youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health condition each year
• In the United States, one person dies by suicide every 11 minutes

Pastors and pastoral care staff are rarely educated and trained to deal with people in crisis, and mental health concerns are often beyond a church’s expertise.  Church leaders are likely viewed as counselors to the congregation, and it is not unusual for these individuals to assume they know how to help. 

Pastors and staff are not mental health professionals, nor should they replace them. Yet, the church, through Jesus, is a source of hope and healing, and it’s time we proactively create mental health inclusive communities, bringing light into this darkness.

Who We Are

Beacon of Light is a nonprofit mental health ministry, created to bring mental health awareness and wellness through Christ-centered, clinically based mental health care to the church body through the equipping of church leaders.

What We Do

Beacon of Light has a proactive and professional approach to equip church leaders with the tools, resources, and training they need to support their congregation.   We uniquely combine clinical expertise and mental health resources with a faith perspective to deliver a comprehensive mental health ministry to churches and centers of faith wherever they may be.

Why We Do It

Beacon of Light exists to join with Christ-followers in the trenches, walking hand-in-hand through life’s most vulnerable moments.

We saw a need to bring two things together: mental health clinical expertise and the hope of Christ. We believe that mental health practitioners and church leaders can work together to provide hope for healing and bring light to what is for many a very dark world. By integrating the clinical with faith, we address the whole person – body, mind, and spirit.

Our Goals

1. Raise mental health awareness while reducing the stigma
2. Be preemptive, providing education resources for mental health wellness
3. Offer clinically based training for church leaders
4. Make treatment easily accessible