Geneva church offers worship series on faith and mental health
The United Methodist Church of Geneva will launch a new worship series, “Honest Faith, Honest Feelings,” exploring faith, mental health, and emotional well-being through stories from scripture and the wisdom of local care-centered leaders.
The series, starting May 10 and continuing to June 7, is designed to create space for honest reflection on burnout, anxiety, depression, life transitions, grief, addiction and the healing power of community.
Rather than offering simplistic answers or suggesting that people should “just pray harder,” the series will affirm the value of counseling, medication when appropriate, grief support, social-emotional learning, trusted relationships, and other healthy practices that support mental and emotional well-being.
“So many people carry heavy things quietly,” said Pastor Rob Hamilton, senior pastor of the United Methodist Church of Geneva. “Some have been told, directly or indirectly, that struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, or big emotions means they are somehow failing spiritually. We want to offer a different message: God meets us with grace in the middle of real human struggle, and good mental health care is a gift.”
Throughout the series, worship will explore biblical figures who experienced deep distress, while avoiding simplistic conclusions or retroactive diagnoses. The goal is not to “fix” people with a sermon, but to offer honesty, hope, compassion, and connection.
The series will also feature local dialogue partners, including Jules O’Neal of TriCity Family Services and Rev. Jonathan Shipley of Fox Valley Hands of Hope, helping connect the worship series with local mental health, grief, and care-centered resources.
The series will be accessible for teenagers in worship, and the church’s concurrent Sunday school program will explore related themes in age-appropriate ways. Children will be invited to learn how God is with us when we have big feelings.
“We want young people to know they don’t have to leave their real lives or real feelings at the door to be part of church,” said Pastor Heather Connor, minister of Formation and Outreach. “This series creates space for all to engage honestly with topics like grief, worry, and overwhelm, while discovering that God meets them with care, compassion, and presence in every season.”
Community members are invited to participate in person or online. Worship is open to all, including those who are active in church, returning after time away, supporting someone they love, or simply looking for a compassionate place to reflect on faith and mental health.
Sunday worship is at 9 a.m. at the church, 211 Hamilton St. Online worship available at genevaumc.org/services.
About United Methodist Church of Geneva
The United Methodist Church of Geneva illuminates the community with God’s grace as it lovingly accepts, listens to, and serves all in the Spirit of Jesus. The church is a welcoming, inclusive congregation committed to compassion, generosity, open-minded dialogue, and serving the wider community.