wfn.org | All-Lutheran Candle Lighting for Mental Illness in October

[NEWS@ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

October 9, 2003

All-Lutheran Candle Lighting for Mental Illness in October
03-179-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- This is the eighth year that Lutheran
congregations across the United States and Caribbean have
conducted candle-lighting ceremonies in October to pray for
people living with mental illness and their families.  The
Lutheran Network on Mental Illness/Brain Disorders, a joint
program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and
the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, coordinated the effort.
     "October is Mental Illness Awareness Month in the United
States. The ELCA honors that by supplying congregations, upon
request, with the All-Lutheran Candle Lighting for Mental
Illness, which is a bulletin insert," said the Rev. Lisa T.
Cleaver, director for disability ministries and deaf ministry,
ELCA Division for Church in Society.
     Cleaver said congregations can order free copies of the
bulletin insert.  "It's a short litany of prayers and responsive
reading to help congregations honor the lives or the memories of
people who have been living with mental illness," she said.
     It's possible also to download the program from the ELCA's
disability ministries Web page --
http://www.elca.org/dcs/epr/disability/mentalillness.html --
which includes "a Flash presentation that has actual stories from
families and family members living with mental illness.  It
allows people to get into the lives of the people a little bit
more," Cleaver said.
     "The Lutheran Network on Mental Illness/Brain Disorders is
trying to enable congregations to be supports for people living
with this disease, not just the people themselves but the family
members also, because they really need a great deal of support
too," she said.
     "The purpose behind the candle lighting is to bring a little
more awareness to ELCA congregations about this disease.  Mental
illness probably has the greatest stigma attached to it of any
disability," Cleaver said.  "People who have a mental illness
look just like you and I do and, for the most part, act just like
you and I do, but it's an illness that has a great deal of fear
and stigma attached to it," she said.
     Cleaver added that the All-Lutheran Candle Lighting for
Mental Illness bulletin insert can be used any month, and is
available all year.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news