Connecting with Pastors and Counselors
Working together to help more people experience hope and healing in Christ
Pastors, Academics, Counselors Together
I’m delighted to be attending the first quarterly gathering of PACT—Pastors, Academics, Counselors Together on Friday, February 23rd at Harvest Community Church in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Please email me for an RSVP link if you are (or you know of) an Asian American pastors, academic, or counselor in the Chicagoland area who’d like to attend.
When I first heard of PACT, I had to capture the story of their pioneering effort and share it far and wide. You can watch or listen to this Erasing Shame podcast convo with Irene Cho and Pastor Dave Lee about about how together they’re learning how to better care for the whole person by embracing mental health in church contexts.
AAPI Pastors Gathering on Spirituality & Psychology
Asian American & Pacific Islander pastors are invited to this monthly AAPI Pastors Gathering—a safe space to engage in mental health. The next virtual event is scheduled for Thursday, February 29th, 2024 @ 12pm PST/ 2pm CST/ 3pm EST.
Our special guests are Roy Kim and Jin Lee. They will share their pastoral insights in a panel discussion format, informed by their lived experiences, expertise, and formal training from degrees in Master of Divinity, M.A. Counseling Psychology, and more. Because Roy and Jin have been both pastors and counselors, they have much to share.
Personal Prayer and Spirituality in Real Time
I confess I'm a little embarrassed to share this; so I’ll share this to be intentional with erasing shame, as the co-founder of the podcast by the same name. I need your prayers for God’s help to intervene and renew my mind and body, more and more, as I’ve been stuck in an episode of depression for over a month now. Yes, that’s all of 2024 so far.
Good people have prayed, listened, cared, supported, accompanied, and all of that is good and needed, each and every one is very appreciated. Medication and therapy are helping me hold it steady, but it looks like it just takes time to heal. Patiently persevering.
The hardest part for me is that I can’t think clearly. There is research that indicates how depression can impair cognitive functioning. I am definitely experiencing mental and emotional difficulty here. God is good, God is great, I do hold on by faith and hope. Thanks for praying.
— DJ Chuang, Executive Director of Catalyst Wellness Alliance • 949-243-7260