Wellbeing

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, we know this… in our heads. However, we sometimes need to be reminded to believe this in our hearts.

In these pages there is guidance and resources to sustain your wellbeing you, not as something else on the to do list, but underpinning everything in life. Wellbeing is simply how people feel about themselves and their lives.

These pages will encourage everyone to develop and establish healthy patterns and habits of self-care and to maintain good living and working practices.

We also know that sometimes the ground begins to shift due to illness, change of circumstances or additional responsibilities – any number of things can threaten our wellbeing. Here you will find guidance and resources for those times too.

Heart →
Attending to relationships, emotions, making time for fun

Soul →
Prayer, spiritual wellbeing, generosity and being present

Mind →
Intellectual wellbeing, learning, purpose and challenge

Strength →
Attending to our bodies, bank accounts and sleep patterns

Having a bit of a wobbly →
When things begin to wobble or life tips into crisis. When you are on the struggle bus.

And sometimes the wheels seem to come off completely. In these pages there are signposts to people and resources that are there for you. You are not alone.

These sections have been informed by Mental Health First Aid, and NHS Wellbeing guidance. The impact attending to these areas of our lives are scientifically and experientially proven to support living life in all its fullness. And it will come as no surprise, because our God longs to see us flourish, that we see these things reflected in scripture and the Christian tradition.

They are grouped around the biblical imperative to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength [Matthew 22:37]. We pray that they will offer signposts along the way as you seek to live this out in your day-to-day faith and ministry.

Story: Remembering grace

I was stuck in a dead-end job. You know the type…a magnolia box lined with desks with little hope for appreciation or advancement. Devoid of purpose, I felt a bit lost. However, I was listening to worship music (the only thing that kept my spirits up), and a new (at the time) song came on called “Reckless Love”. A particular lyric about God’s love struck me: “it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the 99”.

This last bit about leaving the 99 to find the one naturally led me to Luke 15 and Jesus’ parable. For the first time, I really resonated with the story. I felt I needed saving, I needed putting on Christ’s shoulders and in the middle of that magnolia box, a sentence from a song and the scripture to which it pointed was God’s gracious gift to me. Reminding me, that if nothing else, he saw me and heard me. I didn’t know at the time whether I would remain at that desk or not, but I knew in that instant my purpose could only be found in His gracious embrace.

~ Vicar in first post of responsibility