Mental Health for Teenagers, Gospel-Centered
I am thankful for the opportunity to have read this great work before it was released by New Growth Press with support from Rooted Ministry.
There are rampant mental health issues all over the world today. There have been a large uptick in resources, books, blogs, and podcasts from both secular and Christian perspectives on how to help with a plethora of mental health issues. One area that has been neglected, but that is deeply needed is teenagers and their struggles with mental health. Enter Monica Kim and Danny Kwon with their new book Teenagers and Mental Health: A Handbook for Parents, Pastors, and Youth Leaders.
I believe this to be the best resource from a biblical worldview on mental health for teenagers currently on the market! They meet parents, pastors-youth leaders with strong foundational truths that is centered on the Gospel, where all of this must begin as followers of Jesus. They don't shy away in the least from the hard topics of mental health. Starting with what the Bible says about mental health issues is crucial for the tone of the whole book. Weaved throughout with a pastoral heart and years of counseling experience is a strong foundation that can be built on to help young people struggling with mental health issues. The flow and setup of the book make it very readable and easy to pull out as a resource on specific topics when needed.
The way they set it up was great, and the balance of Gospel and truth with pastoral heart and practical ways to deal with these issues made the work so unique! This book is so practical on so many levels. From the activities, to dealing with specific issues with grace and truth mix, you can find many unique ways to help teenagers to work through these hard issues. You find the typical issues we associate with mental health such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. However, they address some more modern struggles that are really helpful such as body image, identity, and screen time struggles. Each specific issue has a way biblically to handle the situation and signs of needing further help outside of the church as well.
As part of the title speaks to this book is immensely helpful for parents, those working in churches either as a vocation or as youth leaders with teenagers. Monica and Danny both with conviction believe that the parents are the ultimate ones that lead the way and this book provides great help in leading their children through deep hurt and mental health issues. For pastors and youth leaders, we too need to be equipped to handle these mental health issues to be proactive and not just reactive when these problems arise with those in our ministries. I am a youth pastor and I have a teenager son in my home. This book will help me to be more aware of mental health issues and when they arise I can be more equipped in the power of the Holy Spirit to work through them.
There is some real transparency with honest insight throughout from the authors. This is a resource that should be on the shelves on each of the people this book is targeted towards. The balance of truth and grace on display here is some of the best I have seen in a book of this difficult to navigate material. Monica and Danny turn to the only source for healing and hope, the Lord Jesus Christ for help in handling mental health for teenagers. We should not wait for the problems to arise in our home or churches before read this great resource on mental health for teenagers. Get a copy, tell others about it, and allow it to be a book that challenges, encourages, and guides us to better handle these things as they come along.
Favorite Quotes-
"Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, God can reveal to us our anxious hearts. So we appeal to God, who knows us intimately, for deeper self-awareness." pg. 19
" Teenagers need to know that the church is aware of and cares about their mental health issues." pg. 27
"The ability of teenagers to regulate emotions and exercise self-control is one of the more important developmental tasks during the teenage years." pg. 41
"In demonstrating to teenagers that we will not leave them, that we will walk alongside them as they struggle, we show them what the kindness of God is like and they begin to experience relief from their burdens, finding hope that they are his beloved, redeemed by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ on their behalf." pg. 51
"In this heart-level change, thanks be to God that it will not be about doing more and more or becoming masters of our own sin more and more, but it will be again and again about how we will be swallowed up or mastered by the abounding grace of God through Christ." pg. 75
"As parents, pastors, or youth leaders who love teenagers draw near to them, you can offer the hope of the gospel in the present moment through your compassionate relationship and various practical activities." pg. 133
Tim
