Emotionally Healthy Church

Every year over 6 million people visit a gym (over 150,000 more start each year), over 1.2 million people have ran full marathons, and healthy eating products are being consumed more and more every day. Many of in the UK are healthier than ever, and yet depression, anxiety, and emotional problems are more prevalent than ever as well.

We are both healthier and sicker.

In the race towards chia seeds, kale and avocado, we have pigeonholed healthiness to mean a flat tummy, a shorter run time, and better diet. That’s not to say that exercise isn’t beneficial to emotional wellbeing. The routine, discipline, and wellness of exercise have lifted the haze of depression enough for many to find their way out. But it is a mistake to conflate physical and emotional healthiness.

First written over 10 years ago by Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality sought to uncover the missing areas in the Church’s ‘spiritual formation’. It’s deep-dive into the spiritual life encouraged growth that was meaningful and empowered faith. It required no jogging, no smoothies, and not kale. Rather, it encouraged people to slow down, and look with maturity at their inner selves. The problems and faulty functionings that hinder a healthy attitude towards faith and towards others.

Since then, the series has grown, and with Emotionally Healthy Church the scope for change has grown significantly.

Where before Emotionally Healthy Spirituality was an incredible personal and acute way to becoming spiritually mature, this Church-specific edition exists to guide leaders in fostering that growth on a larger scale. Equal parts discipleship and leadership guide, Peter Scazzero draws on his own experiences of leading and teaching, turning them into a strategy that can change lives for the good.

It will help you to identify the beneath-the-surface problems that are often overlooked, as well as creating a culture of spiritual healthiness in your Church.

When asked how a Church is doing, many leaders may answer with: “Attendance is up lot more”, or “We just had several baptisms”, or “Our new building seats 100 more people”. But what if, instead of numbers and material growth, you were to answer “We are healthier, happier and more mature than ever”?

Next Sunday, don’t just ask yourself if your Church is growing. Instead, ask:

‘Is your Church healthy?’