1. Remember to start your day with the PCUSA Lectionary and prayer.
2. Practice your PIES for Wellness! Visit the Wellness Wednesday newsletter archives to refresh your memory about PIES for Wellness practices!
3. Plan ahead for Sundays: Ask your minister to include “and those with mental health challenges” during the prayers at the end of the service. (Let us know if he/she does it…. give thanks….notice how you and others respond).
4. Plan ahead for Sundays: Ask if you (or others) can be the reader for the Old Testament Lesson, The Psalm, or the New Testament Lesson (Epistle) and open your reading with something like: “I’m   ___Name___ a person who has been comforted by this congregation (church), Almighty God during my (my family’s, or my child’s, or my etc.) recent illness, or difficulty, or bout with depression, etc., and I am pleased to read…" When finished, sit down as usual.  Notice how you feel. Thank God and notice what happens. (Share with myCMPcoach@gmail.com if you wish.)
5. Ask your Sunday School class or other group if you could tell your story of how this church, your prayer life, or whatever has been a comfort to you and your family.
6. Encourage a friend you know with a neat story to do likewise, the following Sunday.
7. Post this Suicide Prevention Lifeline number around the phones at your church. (If you go to the Media Resources page you can download the logo and other resources!)
8. Order free printed materials (or download and print) to place handouts around the church campus:

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Fact Sheets and Brochures - note the variety of handouts on depression and anxiety or other mental health and wellness topics. Printed materials can be ordered free of charge or download and print copies.
• Mental Health America - Tips for parents
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - Faith and Spirituality

1. Have a covered dish in May with Mental Health as the focus: entertainment can be the Bible Wellness Q&A game from the Presbytery of St. Augustine and see who wins the PIES!
2. Contact the local NAMI (https://www.nami.org/) or Depression and BiPolar Support Alliance (https://www.dbsalliance.org/) support group and invite someone to speak at a special event during the month. Perhaps the Presbyterian Women meeting can use this speaker. (Each website has a way to type in your zip code to find the closest group, talk with them! They are great people who will be interested to learn what you are doing.)