We’re about to embark on a mission from God. Unlike Jake and Elwood, we’re not called to save the orphanage in which we were raised from foreclosure. But we’ve been working for a long time on a project I’ve sensed God has prepared us to do since the beginning of our ministry. And we’ll need the help of all our our friends and extra help from some truly special friends if we’re to fulfill our mission to the best of our ability.

As many of you know, I’ve been working on a book for the last two years that provides a model for churches seeking to minister with children and adults with common mental health conditions and their families. Thanks to the efforts of my ministry teammates past and present and some great people at Credo Communications and the Zondervan division of Harper Collins Publishing, Mental Health and the Church is scheduled for release on February 6, 2018.

For the book to have an impact pastors, ministry leaders and families impacted by mental illness need to know the book exists. And that’s where you come in.

Our Key Ministry team is looking to assemble a launch team to help the world discover the resources available through Mental Health and the Church. We’re looking for friends with access through social media to pastors, church leaders, persons with mental illness and their loved ones who are willing to share their platforms with us to help get the word out to those likely to be most interested in mental health inclusion ministry.

While I’m hoping all of our blog readers will help us spread the message about the book, we’re looking for a few dozen people willing and able to assume a larger role in helping our team with publicity. Some of the responsibilities of persons serving on our launch team will include…

Reading an advance copy of the book by January 28th.
Writing a blog post or posting a video review related to Mental Health and the Church from January 28th (nine days before the scheduled release date) and March 8th (thirty days following the scheduled release date).
Posting reviews of the book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christian Book or ChurchSource.
Sharing posts about the book from Key Ministry and fellow members of the launch team at least once a week during February and March.
Inviting your friends and social media followers to free Key Ministry training events promoting mental health ministry and inclusion in the church to take place following the book’s initial release.

Some of the ways through which our team plans to show our appreciation to members of our launch team will include:

An advanced, electronic copy of the typeset manuscript
Two copies of Mental Health and the Church… one containing a personalized note of thanks from the author, and a second copy for team members to donate to their church’s library.
Enhanced visibility for your content as posts are promoted through Key Ministry’s social media platforms and links to your blog or website included on a new section of Key Ministry’s website dedicated to mental health resources.
Launch team members will be provided with images and links to share through your social media platforms and platforms managed by organizations you represent.
A guest post or interview with the author for your blog or podcast.
The opportunity to apply for a slot on one of our Key Ministry writing team, if desired.

If you’d like to be considered for the Mental Health and the Church launch team, click here to submit an application. You’ll be asked for some basic contact information, a link to your blog or website, information about your social media presence and some information about why you’re interested in mental health inclusion ministry. A Key Ministry team member will be in touch with you by January 15th to let you know if you’ve been accepted to the launch team.

If you have the connections, qualifications and experience we’re looking for, we’d be honored to have you join us as we begin this new phase of our mission.