Call for Creative Submissions on Mental Health & Wellness

The National Benevolent Association’s Mental Health & Wellness program is calling for creative submissions of mental health and wellness experiences of people across the life of the church. Your stories will be shared on NBA social media and website platforms during Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2022.

Mental health narratives often celebrate people quickly overcoming their mental health and wellness challenges, yet we know that every day people are living with continued challenges and God is still with them. During Mental Health Awareness Month, NBA will share your stories of God’s presence amid your mental health experiences with the goals of reducing stigma, offering hope, expanding our understanding of God, and our understanding of mental health and wellness.

We invite you to share your own story with us in response to this question:

Where do you see God in your experience with mental health and wellness?

Things to keep in mind as you prepare your response:

  • Share challenges you have experienced and lessons you have learned as part of your mental health and wellness journey.
  • Include how or where you’ve seen God in your experiences with mental health and wellness.
  • Consider these scriptural references: Psalm 73:23, Psalm 139:7-12, Psalm 34:18.
  • We know that sharing personal stories can be triggering and encourage you to only share what you are comfortable with and that you are at a safe place in your recovery/experience to share
  • Although other persons may be part of your mental health and wellness journey, we encourage omitting their names and locations from your submission.

Your creative submission can be:

  • Artwork
  • Song (audio or video file)
  • Poetry or other creative writing
  • Essay (500-800 words)
  • Storytelling by video (3-5 minutes)

Please upload your submission to this Dropbox link by Sunday, April 10, 2022.
By submitting, you consent to NBA sharing your submission publicly with credit to you by name.
Submission will not be edited except for spelling. If you would like to remain anonymous, please let us know.

For more information or questions, contact NBA’s Mental Health &
Wellness Director, Joselyn Spence at JSpence@NBAcares.org.