Building a Bridge of Healing

Sometimes God opens a door through a conversation. Sometimes through a person who sees a need. And sometimes through an unexpected gift that helps us take the next step.

I am grateful to share that Good Shepherd has received a $10,000 grant from our denomination, The United Methodist Church, for a new ministry called The Healing Bridge. We give thanks for this support and for the connection we share with the wider United Methodist Church. Together, we can offer care that reaches beyond what any one congregation could do alone.

Since I arrived at Good Shepherd last year, I have applied for many grants. Some applications were successful, and others were not. We received $8,500 in grants in 2025 and $10,800 earlier this year, followed by this additional $10,000 for The Healing Bridge. Please forgive a little bragging!

But what excites me most is how these gifts affirm the potential we have at Good Shepherd to serve our community. God has given us people with caring hearts, gifts to share, and opportunities to put our faith into action. These resources help us reach out and share God’s love with our neighbors.

I am grateful simply to be an instrument in God’s timing, helping connect the gifts already present in this church with the needs around us.

The Healing Bridge begins with a concern: Where can people turn when they need mental health support but cannot easily access it? For some of our neighbors, including immigrants, international families, and families with limited incomes, barriers such as cost, language, unfamiliarity with available services, or the stigma surrounding mental health care can make seeking help difficult. We hope to help build a bridge between those neighbors and the care they need.

We believe every person bears God’s image and deserves to receive care with dignity and compassion.

Our goal is to partner with a nonprofit organization and offer free counseling sessions at our church one day each week, provided by qualified mental health professionals. We are still in the early stages, and finding the right partner will be an important next step. Please pray that we find a partner who shares this vision and can help us offer this care.

One part of this ministry brings me particular joy: our young people will help lead it.

I have formed a youth council that will help find a nonprofit partner, develop the project, and consider how we can welcome our neighbors and let them know that support is available. I believe our young people have thoughtful questions, creative ideas, and compassion to offer. Their faith and gifts matter to the church today.

To support them, I am inviting adults to join an advisory group. This group will walk alongside the youth council, offer guidance, help build community connections, and work through the practical steps needed to launch the ministry. My hope is that we will give our young people both meaningful responsibility and the encouragement they need to grow.

Perhaps you have experience in mental health advocacy, counseling, healthcare, education, nonprofit work, or community outreach. Perhaps you are good at organizing, communicating, or helping an idea become a reality. Or perhaps you simply enjoy listening to young people and encouraging their gifts. You do not need to be a mental health professional to help support this ministry.

There is room for you in this work.

If you are interested in serving with the adult advisory group, please contact me. If you know an organization that might be a good partner, I would love to hear from you as well. And I invite all of us to pray for our youth council, our future partners, and the neighbors this ministry may serve.

We have received a generous gift. Now we have the opportunity to help that gift become care, connection, and hope in someone’s life.

I look forward to seeing how God will guide us as we build this bridge together.

Love and thanks in Christ,

Pastor Jae Song