welcome! and what's heating up this summer
good things happening from coast to coast
Welcome to this first email update from Christian Asian Mental Health!
Grateful for the numerous opportunities to talk with people around the country about how we’re advancing mental health in collaborating and partnering with Asian & Asian American churches, expanding beyond the Erasing Shame podcast, a digital outreach that’s been on-going since 2018. For an overview of how CAMH works, see camh.network/overview.
First, a brief announcement to all our new subscribers.
Welcome to everyone coming from the private Facebook group, Praying with DJ & Rachelle. We’re so very grateful for how you’ve joined us in prayer since 2017 and expressed your care and support. And, we also thank you in advance for joining DJ on his final chapter with this initiative called Christian Asian Mental Health, for which we need your care and support all the more, from many more, and preparing the way for the next generations to thrive and flourish. (In case you don’t want these updates by email, no more than once monthly, just unsubscribe and opt out; no harm, no foul.)
August 25-27, 2023 Mental Health Conference in Atlanta
“Finding Hope & Resilence: Unveiling the Stigma of Asian American Mental Health” | 盼望和堅忍之源 : 揭開亞裔心理健康的面紗 • hosted by Atlanta Chinese Christian Church Northwest • Join in person or via Zoom. Get all the details.
Speakers: Pastor Hugo Cheng 程德鵬牧師 (Chinese Bible Church of Maryland), his daughter Victoria Cheng, and DJ Chuang of Christian Asian Mental Health.
The Room Where It Happened
On July 20th, I was invited and attended the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Mental Health Summit in DC. I was very honored to be in the room where it happened, the first AANHPI Mental Health Summit ever. I went representing Christian Asian Mental Health (as director) as well as Asian Mental Health Collective (as board member). Afterwards, I confirmed that I was invited because of BOTH of these roles; how blessed it was to be seen!
I shared my personal reflections on that experience at erasingshame.com/my-experience-at-the-first-whiaanhpi-mental-health-summit
Launched a Mental Health Ministry in 2 Months
One church in the Los Angeles area launched a mental health ministry in just 2 months by partnering with CAMH! I (DJ Chuang) talked it on this podcast episode erasingshame.com/learn-how-to-start-a-mental-health-ministry and what the partnership & collaboration was like. Praying for more opportunities like this around the country.
Here We Go Again
And then on September 7th, I'll be going to DC again for a one-day conference, Intersection of Faith, Community and Mental Health: The Urgency of Now. You can attend in person or online. Get info and register at mentalhealth.bible/urgency - this one is an open invite, so feel free to spread the word.
Praying for More
We’re doing what we can with what we have, as a nonprofit startup. (Yes, that means it’s a voluntary effort, with no budget and no staff yet.) Thank you for joining us in prayer for how God can provide in the best of ways. I can only do my small part; please pray for with me for the right people to come along and do more than I can ask or imagine.
— DJ Chuang, Director of Christian Asian Mental Health