Thanks to the generosity of the Empowering Leadership team of the Hudson River Presbytery, FPCY will be hosting a Soul Shop Workshop on Tuesday, April 26, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm.
What is Soul Shop? Soul Shop is focused on faith-based suicide prevention and equipping faith community leaders to minister to those impacted by suicide.
Why is this important? Suicide impacts more people than most of us realize. When you take into account people who have experienced suicidal desperation, people who have lost a loved one to suicide and people who are worried that someone they know might be currently considering or at risk for suicide, this counts for 1 out of every 6 people in our pews every Sunday!
Because suicide is often a last resort in these situations, the mental health needs leading up to a suicide attempt are even more prevalent, and the ongoing pandemic has only intensified the mental health needs in our congregations. According to many public health officials in our community and nation, the “next wave” of the current COVID-19 pandemic will be a mental health pandemic of which we have only begun to glimpse the magnitude.
According to the Soul Shop website, “Soul Shop™ is an interactive workshop that equips faith community leaders and other people of faith to train their congregations to minister to those impacted by suicidal desperation. At a Soul Shop event, attendees will learn:
- How prevalent suicide is in their communities
- How to recognize the signs of suicide risk
- What the Bible has to say about suicide
- How to ask a person at risk if they might be thinking about suicide.
- Ways to companion those experiencing and healing from suicide loss
- The local and national resources available for suicide prevention
- How to integrate suicide prevention into the life and ministry of the church
Suicide is a public health crisis which requires our communities to respond. We believe all congregations are well situated to be significant sources of hope and healing for those impacted by suicide, and Soul Shop trains leaders how. FPCY’s Mental Health & Wellness Team is very excited to bring Soul Shop to FPCY and other congregations in Hudson River Presbytery! We need BOTH for people to attend and for people to help host this workshop. Please contact Tami Seidel (tami@fpcytorkown.org) to help.