LifeWell Hills - Wellness Centre

Today, on World Su***de Prevention Day, we gather united in our commitment to bring hope and help to people in a dark place.
We remember those lost to su***de and acknowledge the pain for those left behind.
We are thankful for the support, love and empathy of those around us.
We recognise the role we all have to play in supporting people in crisis and preventing su***de.
We commit to addressing the issues of stigma and ignorance that are barriers to people accessing the help they deserve.
We invite people in distress to reach out for support.
We encourage those concerned about someone, to engage, listen and connect them with care.
We understand that through collective and collaborative effort, more people will be kept safe and well.
We walk united in our conviction that we can all take positive steps to prevent su***de.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Thought for the day.
I love this!

LifeWell Hills is very pleased to welcome Mark Finlay (Spiritual Director) to our team.

What is Spiritual Direction?

Spiritual Direction has a long history within the Christian tradition, dating back to the time of the Desert Mothers and Fathers.
For many centuries it was expressed almost exclusively within the cloistered walls of religious monasteries, but in recent decades Spiritual Direction has exceeded those bounds and grown to now include laypeople from all branches of Christian faith and practice.

At its simplest, Spiritual Direction is attentive listening, one person paying prayerful attention to another, and to the myriad ways that God is in the particular experience of being human and being alive.
In this way, a Spiritual Director is someone who walks alongside. They are a companion, directing your attention to your ongoing and ever-present relationship with God, the loving Divine Other.
Spiritual Direction is a prayerful conversation, usually lasting for around an hour. You, the person coming for direction, share something of your life, and together, you and your Director, delve into the experience and explore the ways in which you may be being drawn towards, or away from, a deeper level of encounter and intimacy with God. The conversation may include ways to deepen or further savour the experience, or simply notice the presence of God with us.

Mark Finlay graduated from the Spiritual Direction formation program at Tabor College, Adelaide with a Diploma of Theology in 2021 and is a member of the Ecumenical Spiritual Directors Association of SA and the Australian Network of Spiritual Directors.

He brings a wealth of life and Christian ministry experience to his role as Spiritual Director, including many years of talking about Christian spirituality in the context of religious education in government (and non-government) schools through theatre and story-telling. More recently he spent a number of years living and working in a remote Aboriginal community in the western desert region. As well as offering spiritual direction, he and his wife live as house parents in a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program at Tumbelin Farm in the Adelaide Hills.

He has a long-term interest in contemplative prayer practices, and is extremely interested in the ways in which human beings experience God as active and meaningful in their lives. As a practice of stopping to pay attention, spiritual direction can be a very fruitful aid in helping us to notice God’s activity and therefore to developing our sense of God with us in the midst of all the present realities of our unique existence.

Mark aims to create a sense of sacred space where those present realities can be purposefully explored and the traces of God that are discerned there attended to.

Fees: $60 for a 1 hour session or by arrangement.

Call 0450 780 552 or message us, to make your appointment.

We have 1 x 1 hour Massage appointment available tomorrow (11/3/2022) @ 1:30 pm with our resident Massage Therapist Sonia.
Phone 0450 780 552 or message to book this spot for Remedial or Relaxation Therapeutic Massage.

LifeWell Hills , a ministry of Mt Barker Baptist Church, has been serving the wider Adelaide Hills community for over 4 years.
As the church is moving shortly to temporary accommodation, whilst building their new community centre, LifeWell Hills is seeking the help of our Christian community, to find a new temporary or permanent location, to house our wholistic wellness centre.
We require a minimum of 2 office sized consulting rooms (approx 3 x 3 M²) with an area that can be used as a reception / small waiting room area.
A larger room for activities or small groups would be preferred also.
Access to kitchen & toilet facilities are essential.
Fees to be negotiated.
Can you help? Or know someone who can?
Please send private message. Or phone Chris Jeffrey (co-ordinator) on 0450 780 552 or Nick Tuohy (Pastor MBBC) on 0413 132 108

True…

THE HOLIDAYS & GRIEF - Holiday host etiquette: If you’re inviting someone to your home and they’re grieving, be sure you’re inviting their grief to attend, too. It will be there, anyway.

Don’t invite someone with the goal of cheering them up for the holidays. Don’t expect them to put on a happy face in your home. Don’t demand they fake it til they make it or do something they don’t want to do, either.

Invite them with the loving intention of offering cheer and companionship and unconditional care during the holidays. To do this, you will need to honor and be responsive to their needs and emotions.

You can do this by privately acknowledging their grief when you make the invitation:

“I know this season is extra hard and you’re heart is hurting. You and your grief are welcome in our home. Come as you are, we’d be honored to have you with us.”

It’s also incredibly loving to honor the reality that it’s often hard for grieving folks to know what they will want, need, be up for, or able to tolerate at the holidays.

Giving them an invite without the need for commitment and permission to change their mind is extra loving:

“You don’t have to decide right now. If it feels good to be with us, we will have plenty of food and love for you-just show up! I’ll check in again the day before to see if you’re feeling up to coming over and if there’s anything you’d like me to know about how we can support you.”

Your grieving friends and fam need attentive care and responsiveness at the holidays, not plans to keep them busy, distracted, and happy.

If they’re laughing, laugh with them.

If they’re weeping, ask if they’d like your company or your help finding a quiet place to snuggle up alone for awhile.

If they’re laughing while weeping, and this is more common than you’d think, stay with them - this is a precious moment of the human experience that is truly sacred.

We don’t need to protect ourselves or each other from grief at the holidays. In fact, the more we embrace grief as an honored holiday guest, the more healthy, happy, and whole our holidays will be. 🙏

In solidarity,
Sarah Nannen

Be gentle with those you come into contact with. You never know what someone is going through. What may not affect one person, may just be the thing that pushes someone else to the brink.

If you are suffering from the effects of trauma, anxiety, PTSD, depression, excess anger, suicidal thoughts, or whatever you may be feeling, LifeWell Hills now has 7 fully trained, accredited & experienced counsellors, who can help you to turn your life around.
Whatever has or is causing you to struggle with life, taking the first step & picking up the phone or messaging us, may be the best one you make. Call 0450 780 552 or message us, to make your appointment.