First Congregational UCC is on a journey to become informed advocates for mental health. In doing so, we will become part of a national effort by the United Church of Christ to become Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged (WISE) around issues of mental health. The WISE certification process has been approved by our church council and is supported by our co-pastors. The WISE certification is similar to the process our church completed several years ago to become an Open and Affirming church.
Over the past two years, the Mental Health Task Force has been working to increase our awareness of mental health within our congregation and our community. We have provided educational offerings to church members, purchased books on mental health in our library and participated in the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) walk. We surveyed the congregation to learn about your mental health needs and the support and education you wanted. We have shared the results of the survey.
We seek WISE certification because mental health is important to us and we want to declare our desire to continue to offer support to our family, friends and neighbors who experience mental health conditions.
The next step in the certification process is to share our WISE covenant with the congregation, and after discussion, to hold a vote on the covenant at the congregational meeting on January 12, 2025.
Our Covenant
First Congregational United Church of Christ, Appleton, Wisconsin has embraced the 2015 UCC General Synod’s call to become a Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged (WISE) congregation for mental health.
With God’s help and guidance, we are working to help our church to become a WISE congregation for mental health.
We recognize that many among us and those we encounter in our lives are living with mental health conditions, brain disorders and substance use challenges every day. We also recognize that stressors, loss and life events can challenge any of us at any point.
With creativity, curiosity and courage as we follow Jesus Christ, we strive to provide a warm welcome, promote inclusion, and offer compassionate support for all who live with mental health challenges and to those who love and support them.
Our objectives are to promote understanding and compassion, to confront fears of mental illness through education, and to support connections with local community agencies that advocate for those living with these challenges.
We hope our congregation’s atmosphere of openness and acceptance of people with mental health concerns will make members, friends and visitors more likely to feel safe and free from judgment. This acceptance and sense of safety can create a space of belonging for all people no matter where they are on life’s journey.
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