WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged)
WISE congregations are Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged in the mental health of each other and the greater community. During an Annual Congregational Meeting, Ebenezer approved its WISE covenant, because at Ebenezer, all are welcome!
The WISE Congregation for Mental Health Resolution was adopted at the United Church of Christ General Synod in 2015. The United Church of Christ Mental Health Network then developed the WISE Certification process. The objective of WISE is to encourage UCC congregations to provide a warm welcome, promote inclusion, and offer support for all who live with mental health challenges and to engage in living a commitment to be WISE about mental health.
Since one in four lives with a diagnosable mental health condition, it’s safe to say that individuals in our congregation are dealing with mental health and substance use challenges every day. An atmosphere of openness and acceptance in a congregation makes members, friends, and visitors more likely to feel safe and free from judgment. This acceptance and sense of safety can create a place of belonging, where truly everyone, no matter where they are on life’s journey, is welcome.
With its vote to approve the WISE Covenant, Ebenezer’s congregation expressed our goal of becoming open, accepting, and supportive of individuals facing mental health challenges. Let’s continue to become WISE – together.
Click below to connect with videos from the UCC Mental Health Network:
Click below for articles and blogs from the United Church of Christ Mental Health Network: