ArticleBlog | Wellbeing: for every church. Simple, not easy
Wellbeing: for every church. Simple, not easy
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 13.09.24
I have come to believe, through my own experience of mental ill health, and through seeing a remarkable movement unfold over the last few years, that the word ‘wellbeing’ is at the very heart of the gospel and that every church should be and could be engaging with this language in a very simple, safe and sustainable way. By hosting a café-style space where anyone can bring and share hobbies, alongside a prayer space where all are invited to join in with rhythms of prayer, we have seen a beautiful multipliable way for any church to have a wellbeing ministry that is not just a good way to reach out to the community but also a great way to become the people of wellbeing; healthy for the church as well as good for the locality. What is wellbeing? Wellbeing, I believe, is a good translation of the Hebrew word shalom. There is so much in the Bible that points to this concept of wellbeing. To take just one example, let’s look at Ephesians. When God tells us that he himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14), he is inviting us to find that elusive ‘thing’ (that has become such a buzz word) by being found in him. We are also invited to see every person through the lens of God’s love (Ephesians 2:10) and see each person as a masterpiece or as his workmanship.
With these and many, many other Scriptures (basically all the Psalms and the Gospels) in our minds, we have felt the call of God to prioritise spaces and rhythms of wellbeing that practise his peace, his shalom and that invite every person to know how valued and loved they are.
