SANCTUARY IN THE NEWS
On this page, you’ll find news articles, TV and podcast episodes, press releases, and other media highlighting the work of Sanctuary around the world. If you are interested in sharing about Sanctuary’s work to equip the Church to support mental health and wellbeing with your audience, please email us at info@sanctuarymentalhealth.org.
Please note: Our work with these organizations allows us to have greater impact and reach in our mission to equip the Church to support mental health and wellbeing. However, the media and platforms/outlets below do not always represent the views of Sanctuary.
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The Sanctuary Course is a series featuring filmed interviews of people sharing their own stories of lived experience with mental health, interspersed with experts commenting on the subjects’ journeys through psychiatric treatment and Christian spirituality. Sanctuary CEO Daniel Whitehead says the course is designed to ease churches into difficult discussions about mental health and illness, as many churches don’t know where to begin. Read more.
Regent College alumna Jane Born (MDiv '20) discusses her involvement in the launch of The Sanctuary Course, its impact, and its relevance for the church. Jane shares, “I hope The Sanctuary Course equips and empowers the church to call people by name, to see the whole person, and to love individuals in the midst of mental health challenges, helping people hold onto God in seasons when that might feel difficult to do." Read more.
Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries releases a revised and improved version of its flagship resource, The Sanctuary Course. Available free of charge on an all-new online resource portal, the eight-session small group study guide explores key mental health topics and introduces meaningful ways to support recovery, offer companionship, and promote wellbeing for individuals facing mental health challenges. This program has proven to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health by changing attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours towards people living with mental health challenges. Read more.
Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries announced on May 4 that its widely used resource, The Sanctuary Course has been revised. It includes new films with diverse voices and a broader range of stories from people with lived experience of mental health challenges, and a new discussion guide that simplifies facilitating the course. Read more.
Corin Pilling, Director of Sanctuary UK, speaks to Christian Today about the culture shift he would like to see in churches around mental health, and why it's so important that they are places of safety and welcome. He shares, “The question for the Church is: can we be communities that handle both of those things—being both hopeful and lamenting places? Because that's what creates safety for people going through that.” Read more.
Corin Pilling, Director of Sanctuary UK, introduces The Sanctuary Course: a new small group resource designed to reduce stigma, raise awareness, and engage communities in meaningful conversations about mental health and faith. He says, “we see a crucial opportunity to move the mental health conversation out of the back rooms and into the heart of the Church.” Read more.
Sanctuary UK have released a course to support churches in their response to growing mental health challenges in our communities. The Sanctuary Course offers a tangible way for churches to engage in a topic that is often viewed as complex in an informed and helpful way. Read more.
As people experience stress and anxiety, many look for help in navigating their mental health challenges and often turn to the Church. The Sanctuary Course encourages an approach to mental health awareness and healing that relieves pastors of holding every responsibility for spiritual care and companionship, and instead equips community members and small groups to engage in these discussions as well. Read more.
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PODCAST, RADIO, AND TV
Daniel Whitehead, CEO of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, sits down with Gabby Wilkinson on the Dear God, I’m Sad Podcast to talk about his experiences as a pastor and CEO, the work being done at Sanctuary, and his understanding of God’s relationship to our mental health. Listen here.
Daniel Whitehead, Sanctuary’s CEO, is interviewed on the Fuller Theological Seminary podcast, Conversing. He shares how Sanctuary’s resources help the Church have important conversations about mental health and learn how to best support people experiencing mental health challenges. Listen here.
Daniel Whitehead, Sanctuary’s CEO, is a guest on Impactus Podcast, sharing his lived experience with mental health, including from his time as a pastor. Since mental health concerns affect everyone, regardless of social factors or religious affiliation, it’s crucial for the Church to provide a welcoming, supportive environment where people can seek help and recover. Listen here.
Sanctuary Ambassador John Swinton is featured on the Everything Happens Podcast with Kate Bowler. As a practical theologian and mental health nurse, John has thoughts on how to love and be present for people living with intellectual disabilities, dementia, or mental health challenges. They also explore how the Church and hospitals should be known as places of belonging. Listen here.
Corin Pilling, director of Sanctuary UK, joins Esther Higham on Premier Christian Radio to share about mental health and worship. Sanctuary is partnering with The Porter’s Gate to produce an album called Sanctuary Songs that can help us worship even in the midst of mental health challenges. It was important that the music was created to speak to people’s lived experiences. Listen here.
Markku Kostamo, Sanctuary’s Director of Development, is featured in a recent episode of the This Is Bipolar podcast. Both he and the podcast host Shaley Hoogendoorn live with bipolar disorder and are mental health advocates. They talk about symptoms, getting a bipolar diagnosis, hospitalizations and even mental health stigma in faith communities. Markku also gives touching words of encouragement to those walking a similar path as him. Listen here.
In this episode of Out Of The Margins, podcast hosts Sara and Brendan talk with the UK director of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, Corin Pilling. They discuss how churches can offer support and become communities that remove stigma around mental health. Listen here.
Daniel Whitehead, Sanctuary’s CEO, is featured on the Faith Today Podcast. In it, he shares his own journey with mental health and the Church, and casts a beautiful vision for all the Church could be. His hope is that “the Church would be famous for being the safest place for people to turn to in a point of crisis.” Listen here.
This episode of 100 Huntley Street includes a panel discussion on mental health featuring Daniel Whitehead, Sanctuary’s CEO, Markku Kostamo, Sanctuary’s Director of Development, and Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada. They discuss how we can effectively respond to people experiencing mental health challenges in our faith communities, and the stigma within the Church around mental health. Watch here.
Daniel Whitehead, Sanctuary’s CEO, is featured on this episode of 100 Huntley Street along with Shaila Visser from Alpha Canada. They discuss the state of mental health post-pandemic, as well as the Church’s unique role in responding to those experiencing mental health challenges. Dan shares, “churches can offer spiritual friendship to someone in the midst of crisis…what we all need is a circle of care around us.” Watch here.
Markku Kostamo, Sanctuary’s Director of Development, is interviewed on 100 Huntley Street. He shares about getting the proper diagnosis of bipolar 1 disorder, the stigma around mental illnesses, and the benefits of continuing to seek help to be well. Markku also reflects on how Jesus has always been present with him even in the hardest of times and finds comfort knowing that Jesus too experienced anguish and abandonment. Watch here.
Sanctuary UK was pleased to partner with St Ann's Church, Tottenham for this online worship service with The Church of England, focusing on mental health. Corin Pilling, UK Director of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, shares a homily about wellbeing and being communities of belonging for those living with mental illnesses. Watch here.
On Connections, Daniel Whitehead shares how he went from a burnt-out pastor to the CEO of a mental health ministry. He shares about Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries and why it is important to equip churches to deal with mental health challenges. Listen here.
In this podcast episode, Daniel Whitehead, CEO of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries sits down with Wendi and Johan to talk about all things mental health and what it looks like for the church to care for those who are struggling with mental health challenges. He highlights the transformative power of honest conversations in creating a welcoming environment in churches. Listen here.
Feedspot compiles a list of the best mental health podcasts on the web ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority, and freshness. The Sanctuary Podcast is listed as #36 for the best mental health podcasts to listen to in 2023. Read the list.
Sanctuary CEO Daniel Whitehead and Sanctuary Ambassador John Swinton join The Rector’s Cupboard Podcast to discuss the role of the church in mental health, ways to reframe our understandings about mental health challenges, and some helpful resources for those wanting to learn more about mental health and faith. Listen here.
The isolation that has come from the COVID -19 pandemic has had devastating consequences for us as relational beings. In this podcast episode, Daniel Whitehead, CEO of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, shares about the importance of togetherness and the lessons we can learn from majority cultures that value interdependence over independence. Daniel leaves us with a poignant question: what restores your soul and when was the last time you did it? Listen here.
Sanctuary’s CEO Daniel Whitehead shares about the challenges churches face in not addressing the subject of mental health well. He highlights the free resource, The Sanctuary Course, which was created to equip churches as they seek to become sanctuaries where individuals with mental health challenges feel safe, supported, and have a sense of belonging. Listen here.
Daniel Whitehead, CEO of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, joins the In the Making podcast to discuss the ministry of God in the midst of mental health challenges and mental illness. He highlights, “When we go back to the psalms of lament we have this framework of people who are in the depths, who at some point get a vision of God in the midst of their darkness…and suddenly they turn to worship.” Listen here.
Daniel Whitehead, CEO of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, shares his experience with burnout as a pastor and how he ended up in his role with Sanctuary. He also explains the importance of not stigmatizing people who have mental health challenges, the mental health continuum that we are all on, and what Sanctuary does to equip churches to support mental health and promote wellbeing through their resources. Listen here.
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