New Guide and Training to Help Students’ Mental Well-Being

UPDATE: The June and July Awakened Life training retreats are now at capacity. Due to popular demand, GBHEM is exploring the option to offer a third retreat. Please check back on our site in mid-May or reach out to Gerald Liu (gliu@gbhem.org) with questions.

The number of 18- to 26-year-old students who report suffering from an anxiety disorder has doubled in the last decade. One in five young adults live with a mental health condition today. There is a mountain of data to support what those who work on college campuses already know: students are struggling.

Now there is something you can do. Learn how you can help your students build resilience, find joy and connect with the world around them.

“The Awakened Life: An 8-Week Guide to Student Well-Being” is an exciting new training program and hands-on guide offered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM), the leadership development agency of The United Methodist Church.

Recently released by the GBHEM Publishing Office, the simple but profound purpose of this guide is to help address issues of student well-being through mindfulness practices proven to improve mood, concentration and relationships.

A core piece of this curriculum includes attending one training retreat for leaders who will be using this guide with their students. GBHEM is hosting two FREE training retreats this summer:

• June 3-5, 2019: Beersheba Springs, TN. Register here by May 3.
• July 19-21, 2019: Denver, CO. Register here by June 12. (This training immediately follows the UMCMA Summer Institute.)

The retreats focus on teaching campus ministers, chaplains and spiritual leaders the core components of The Awakened Life curriculum and equipping them to address common issues with their students. All participants will receive one free copy of “The Awakened Life: An 8-Week Guide to Student Well-Being.”

For more information about the retreats or The Awakened Life curriculum, please contact Gerald Liu at gliu@gbhem.org

About GBHEM: As the leadership development agency of The United Methodist Church, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s mission is to build capacity for United Methodist lay and clergy leaders to discover, claim and flourish in Christ’s calling in their lives, by creating connections and providing resources to aid in recruitment, education, professional development and spiritual formation. Every elder, deacon and licensed local pastor benefits from our training and candidacy programs. Many young adults find help in clarifying their vocation and God’s call in their lives through our leadership and discernment programs. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @GBHEM.

About the GBHEM Publishing Office: GBHEM’s Publishing Office produces books that engage, nurture, and advocate for the intellectual life of The United Methodist Church. Visit GBHEM.org, follow @GBHEMPublishing on Facebook, and for catalogs and review copies, email publishing@gbhem.org.