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Navigating Church as an Autistic Person
Madeleine Scholefield Madeleine Scholefield

Navigating Church as an Autistic Person

What does being an autistic Christian look like, when church spaces are so often hard for me to be in? What does my relationship with God look like, when sometimes I have to fight my own mind and body just to sit with Him? Four years after my diagnosis, I’m still figuring it out. And so is the broader church, I think.

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Clinical Anxiety Isn’t What the Church Thinks It Is
Anxious Faith Anxious Faith

Clinical Anxiety Isn’t What the Church Thinks It Is

All I knew about anxiety had come from my church. And all my church taught was that anxiety was worry. It was a failure to trust God with my future. And if I prayed and ‘genuinely gave it to God’, it would go away.

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What the Bible Says About Peace
Anxious Faith Anxious Faith

What the Bible Says About Peace

There’s so much going on in the world, and it can be overwhelming. Whether we’re struggling with troubles in our own lives or feeling the barrage of bad news every time we look at the headlines, peace can feel elusive – if not impossible. All that can leave us wondering, “How can we find peace with everything going on?”

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Filling Our Bellies With the Bible: A Guide to Biblical Meditation
Stephen Unwin Stephen Unwin

Filling Our Bellies With the Bible: A Guide to Biblical Meditation

Many people associate meditation with the idea of ‘emptying our minds’, achieving a state of inner peace, or a focus on ourselves and not others. But biblical meditation is different. Biblical meditation is pondering the words of Scripture with a receptive heart, trusting the Holy Spirit to work in you through those words.

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What Not to Say to Someone Struggling With Mental Illness
Anxious Faith Anxious Faith

What Not to Say to Someone Struggling With Mental Illness

I’ve recently been trying to be more open about my bipolar disorder; I want to be a voice for those with mental illnesses within the church. It’s a scary endeavour, especially when there are so many misconceptions about the illness.

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If Jesus Is Enough, Why Would I Need Psychology? 
Anxious Faith Anxious Faith

If Jesus Is Enough, Why Would I Need Psychology? 

“But the gospel should be enough.” These were words a younger Chris once uttered to a fellow church leader who suggested that a church member who struggled with mental illness should see a psychologist. At the time, Chris had completed two theology degrees, was working on his Masters, and pastoring the church.

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The Truth Behind the Verse That Says “Don’t Be Anxious”
Stephen Unwin Stephen Unwin

The Truth Behind the Verse That Says “Don’t Be Anxious”

I’m sure we’ve all seen Philippians 4:6 plastered on a cosy-looking book cover or quoted in a talk at church or maybe even rattled off by a well-meaning friend when we’ve shared something we’re worried about: “Do not be anxious about anything…” But if you’ve had those words spoken to you—whether by an inanimate object or an actual person—I wonder if they’ve always been what you needed to hear?

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It’s Hard to Be Open About Mental Illness as a Guy
Anxious Faith Anxious Faith

It’s Hard to Be Open About Mental Illness as a Guy

However you define a true-blue Australian man, there seems to be one universal agreement: Men should not be weak. Not surprisingly, men are far less likely to access mental health services than women, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Sadly, this desire to be strong does not dismiss our mental suffering. Instead, it exacerbates it.

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I Was a Pastor With Depression
Anxious Faith Anxious Faith

I Was a Pastor With Depression

I was still pastoring a church when I began experiencing dissonance between my faith and emotions in the form of anxiety and depressive thoughts. This would happen especially during sermons. But surely it was just stress that would pass?

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A 5 Part Series on Rest
Stephen Unwin Stephen Unwin

A 5 Part Series on Rest

We all need a break sometimes; we all need rest. Work, church, caring and studying can physically tire us out. But sometimes, our need for rest goes deeper; sometimes, our very souls feel weary. We’ll be exploring how God’s gift of rest not only meets our needs, but is also something to delight in.

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