On the 11th and 18th of September, Alpha Malaysia collaborated with Acts Church and Charis Christian Centre to host a webinar, “S.O.S – Help in Times of Trouble”. The objective of this event was to unpack and provide a space to listen, learn, and interact about mental health and faith, and we were delighted to be able to do this with over 200 participants from 88 churches.
There were two sessions held across both days. In the first session, Dr. Justine, Wee Kye, and Jayden led us in the topic of, “Help, I’m in Pain!” and on the second day, the second session entitled, “Help, I’m Losing My Faith!”, was led by Pr. Lisa, Ivan, and Kimberley.
There were many insightful and memorable moments throughout the event.
Here are some of the session highlights!
Dr. Justin
“It’s alright if we don’t understand them. Just love, show care, and pray for them. Be intentional and carefully create a safe space that welcomes, supports, and is open to listen out to them. We have to love them even if it’s hard.”
Wee Kye
“A church should not just be a safe space for people who suffer from mental illnesses within the church but to those in the community as well.”
Jayden
“It’s important that we listen to those who suffer from mental health issues carefully. As we listen more, we understand their struggle better and thus, we are able to support them better.” from mental illnesses within the church but to those in the community as well.”
Kimberley
“When I went through a dark phase, I questioned my faith and God. I relied on various things to keep me surfaced but it didn’t work out. The leaders in my community never gave up, they reached out and supported me in prayer until I got better. I realised dark moments are part of God’s plan. If you’re like me, I would encourage you to continue trusting in God. There is a purpose for everything that happens.”
Pr. Lisa
“Leaders go through fatigue and burnout as well. Yet, as leaders, we have to continue reaching out to the youths to encourage them to persevere in faith. It’s not easy but it is very necessary to keep afloat during tough times.”
Ivan
“As a leader, my struggle was not about questioning God or losing my faith in Him. It was more towards my faith being passive. Being in lockdown, a confined space and a set routine, I began relying more on my own strength rather than God. I saw my faith becoming more passive at that point.”
We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Acts Church and Charis Christian Centre to host this meaningful event. Following this webinar, we acknowledge the importance of mental health and faith as we want to continue encouraging youth to have open conversations and support the well-being of each other.
