The Sanctuary Course: Bring Mental Health Ministry to Your Congregation
Last month Ministry Forum community member and recent MTS grad, Heather Robinson attended the Ministry Mental Health Summit—a day set aside for ministry leaders to confront the often invisible but deeply felt impact of mental health in church settings. Heather was gracious enough to recap some of her experience in a guest post on our website here. In her reflection, Heather touched on the deep connections between theology, embodiment, and trauma. She highlighted keynote speaker Dr. Hillary McBride’s reminder that our bodies are not afterthoughts or obstacles to spiritual growth—they are sacred spaces where healing begins. “Our bodies are always telling the story,” Dr. McBride said, and that simple truth reframed the day’s sessions for many participants. In addition to the book Holy Hurt, Heather also mentioned Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries which offers a free eight-session curriculum designed to bring mental health conversations into the heart of congregational life - and that’s the resource we want to highlight for you this week.
In fact, The Sanctuary Course has came up repeatedly in our conversations with ministry leaders who had used it in their churches and found it helpful - so we thought we’d share it with the whole Ministry Forum community!
Developed by Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, the course was designed specifically for church settings. It’s accessible, beautifully produced, and FREE to use. The course offers a framework to talk about mental health in a way that honours both faith and science, both theology and lived experience.
About The Sanctuary Course
The Sanctuary Course is an eight-week, video-based small group study designed to equip churches to engage in conversations around mental health in a faith-informed, compassionate, and inclusive way. Developed by Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries, a nonprofit based in Canada, the course integrates insights from mental health professionals, theologians, and people with lived experience of mental health challenges.
It is designed to be accessible, pastorally sensitive, and biblically rooted.
Each of the eight sessions includes:
A short film featuring theologians, psychologists, and individuals with lived experience
A reading from the comprehensive coursebook
A group discussion guide with reflection questions
A spiritual practice or liturgical element (e.g., a Psalm, breath prayer, journaling prompt)
Topics Covered
Mental Health and Illness – why it matters in a faith context
Mental Health Stigma – explore cultural and theological factors that contribute to stigma
The Recovery Journey – emphasizing hope, resilience, and holistic healing
Companionship – developing practices of presence and listening
Caregiving and Community – recognizing our role in mutual care
Self-Care – moving beyond burnout to sustainable, embodied rhythms
The Church and Mental Health – a call to reimagine our theological frameworks
Reflection and Integration – working through insights from each topic to make actionable next steps
Each session opens with Scripture and closes with prayer, grounding the conversation in spiritual practice and reflection.
What makes this course unique?
Tri-Perspectival Approach: The course integrates psychological insight (mental health literacy), social understanding (stigma and community care), and theological reflection (Scripture, suffering, and spiritual formation).
Lived Experience: It prioritizes real voices—people who have struggled, recovered, relapsed, and kept the faith.
Designed for Church Use: This isn’t a clinical training—it’s a pastoral resource meant to normalize mental health conversations in Sunday school rooms, staff meetings, Bible studies, and small groups.
Free Access: Everything is downloadable, adaptable, and cost-free, thanks to the generosity of donors and Sanctuary’s commitment to accessibility.
Have you worked through The Sanctuary Course? Share your insights and take aways in the comments below.