“A significant proportion of youth in Singapore has experienced severe or very severe symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress, the first nationwide survey on youth mental health by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) found.

Nearly a third of young people aged 15 to 35 reported symptoms that included feeling empty, tense or upset most of the time, according to the National Youth Mental Health Study.” (19 Sep 2024, Straits Times)

“In an ever-changing world, different circumstances shake our mental health.

The Covid-19 pandemic, for one thing, brought more mental health issues to the fore, with higher levels of stress, loneliness, anxiety and depression reported, and pre-existing problems exacerbated.

And in recent years, experts have warned about the harmful effects of excessive social media use and online addiction.

The silver lining is, more people are shrugging off the shroud of mental health stigma, and coming out of the shadows for help.

It is no longer something to keep behind closed doors. Nor will it be confined to hospitals and specialised treatment centres.” (6 Oct 2024, Straits Times)

Christians are not immune to mental health challenges. We live in a fallen world. We possess a mortal body. We are works in progress and there will be times when we are overwhelmed by the storms of life, especially when they hit us suddenly and therefore unexpectedly.

As part of the church family, we ought to be there for each other during such crisis. It is part of what it means to exercise the ‘One Another’ principle, namely, ‘to accept one another’ (Romans 15:7, NIV), ‘to seek to do good to one another’ (1 Thessalonians 5:15), and ‘through love, to serve one another’ (Galatians 5:13).

In short, we are to love one another as Jesus has loved us (John 13:34). 

It is with this in mind that we have set up the peer support ministry so that someone who is equipped can be readily available to walk alongside members who may be suffering from mental stress.

The peer supporters are not trained counsellors, psychologists or psychiatrists. They are more like first aiders who will identify those at risk early and link them to professional help if required.

If professional help is deemed not necessary, the peer supporters will journey with the support seekers and give them some handles to help them tie over the stressful period.

The peer support ministry aligns with the church mission to establish the faith of the saints.

During times of crisis, the faith of the saints may be shaken. It is our prayer that the service of the peer supporters will help to strengthen the faith of our members so that they can emerge from their storm with a greater confidence in God and a deeper appreciation for the church community.

We launched the peer support ministry last year during our ACM on 7 May 2023. The first batch consisted of 24 peer supporters. This month, another 22 peer supporters have been added to the list. We are aiming to train 10% of our members from across different sections of the congregation to serve in this capacity.

However, the take up rate for their service has been low. I wonder why. Is it because we are all very healthy mentally and therefore buck the Singapore trend? Or is it that we are too proud or too shy to come forward to seek help?

The newspaper reported that more people are shrugging off the shroud of mental health stigma, and coming out of the shadows for help. Shouldn’t Christians do better since we are never called to be lone rangers in our faith and we need not navigate our stressful situations on our own.

Your stressful situation can arise from but not limited to the following reasons: sickness, relationship, finance, marriage, children, grief, work, retrenchment, burnout, etc.

You can approach the peer supporters directly. Their contact can be found in the church website. Click on the “Resources” tab -> “Peer Supporters” https://www.trueway.org.sg/peer-supporters/ or the “Serve” tab -> Pastoral Care” -> “Peer Support Ministry” https://www.trueway.org.sg/ministries/pastoral-care/.

You should select a peer supporter who is of the same gender as you.

You can also approach the core team and we will try our best to match you with the most suitable peer supporter. The core team members are Martin Nornis, Christine Ang, Linda Chew, Eld Kin Ming, Ps Eng Keat and myself. Our contact can also be found in the List of Peer Supporters.

Be assured that a peer supporter will get in touch with you within 24 hours. Be assured that what you share will be private and confidential, just between you and your peer supporter. I don’t even know who the peer supporters are seeing, much less the content of their meet-ups.

Please tap on the services of the peer supporters. If you don’t, they may lose their effectiveness because they do not have the opportunities to hone their skills. Let them have a chance to serve you. You don’t need to wait for your world to come crashing in before you activate their help. As long as you need a pair of listening ears, they are the ones you can approach. Coming forward to seek help is a win-win situation.

It is my prayer that the True Way family will be known as one where we readily mourn with those who mourn, carry each other’s burdens with compassion, and build one another up in the Lord.