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Episodes Season 6

From Marketing at MTV to Serving on the Mission Field and Working in Mental Health

Dr. Jessica Cho shares her back story of going from marketing at MTV to the mission field in Japan (where they used talk therapy as part of ministry outreach) and becoming a mental health professional, with a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree and also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Tuck in your earbuds and listen to quite the adventure in how faith and work come together in her life. We also discuss navigating the many roles and careers in the mental health world and how does someone choose or decide.

Dr. Jessica Cho’s private practice is A New Leaf Counseling https://www.anewleafcounseling.org and her clinical specialties are in the areas of Anxiety, Relational/Marital Discord, Fertility, Adoption Triad, and Grief & Loss. Dr. Cho is a second generation Korean-American who understands the melding of multiple generations and cultural complexities.

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Episodes Season 6

The Best Way to Bring Mental Health to Korean Americans (s6e14)

Pastor Jin Lee poignantly shares the urgent need for mental health among Korean American communities, opening with an alarming statistic. Jin serves as an executive board member of Mustard Seed Generation (MSG), a nonprofit ministry that is training Korean American churches to be strategically caring and supporting communities for those who struggle with mental health by providing all of its programming in English and Korean languages. MSG’s impact has already exceeded tens of thousands and recognized by national leaders. 

And you don’t have to be Korean American to benefit from the valuable training and resources that MSG offers. Our hope is that MSG will be a great example that inspires other Asian language communities to develop programs to advance care and compassion in their churches too.

Plus, you’re invited to join their virtual event on December 8, 2022, a fundraiser that will be fun and inspiring as MSG goes from a moment to a movement. Register for free at https://www.lovemsg.org

• Mustard Seed Generation mustardseedgeneration.org

• About Jin Lee mustardseedgeneration.org/en/the-board-bio/2023/3/28/u1x0n0h8q8ojhj8i7dajrey4z2u50e

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Episodes Season 6

How a Safe Community Gives Strength to Overcome Addictions and Mental Health Struggles

NewStory Church in Los Angeles, California, hosts a ministry called Celebrate Recovery. One of its leaders, Peter Ma, talks about how it’s helped him and others in their process of becoming free from their hurts, habits, and hangups.

Over its history, Celebrate Recovery has helped over 7 million people around the world experience freedom in Jesus Christ, and currently over 35,000 churches have a Celebrate Recovery (CR) ministry. Plus, Cultural Communities Connections hosts a monthly live virtual event, to share resources specific to communities with Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, black, latino, indigenous, and other people of color.

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Episodes Season 6

How to Take Good Care of Self and Others, with Pastor Daniel Im (s6e12)

Daniel Im (Lead Pastor of Beulah Alliance Church in Alberta, Canada) talks about how he manages his life, marriage, and ministry in one of the most stressful jobs there is. 

He describes how he does so much—authoring books, podcasting, pastoring, parenting, and more. And we learn about how he stays healthy emotionally and mentally, why it’s important for a pastor to have a counselor and see a therapist, as well as how to talk about difficult topics like mental health in church. 

Show Notes

• “Asking for a Friend” – message series https://beulah.ca/asking-for-a-friend/
• Beulah Alliance Church https://beulah.ca/
• Daniel Im https://www.danielim.com/

Books by Daniel Im

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Episodes Season 6

Why becoming new parents is so overwhelmingly difficult (s6e11)

Hannah Lee Sandoval shares her experiences with something called post-partum depression and why becoming a mother and even becoming a new father can be so difficult and overwhelming after the baby is born. What is indeed a very joyous occasion can often be a very emotionally distressful time also. Learn how young parents can get through this new season of life and how others can better care and suppport the new moms and dads.

Show Notes

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Episodes Season 6

Living well with ADHD – Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Hannah Lee Sandoval describes her experience of being diagnosed during her college years, and how she’s better managed her symptoms through therapy and medication to living well. How did it help or hurt to be part of a church community? Listen to find out.

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Episodes Season 6

How Asian American churches and Christian counselors can work better together

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity.” (Psalm 133:1)

While 90% of Americans recognize that America has a mental health crisis, a powerful solution can effectively help many when churches and counselors creatively work together. Lighthouse Counseling Network was launched with just before the pandemic in 2020 by a handful of churches based in New Jersey. 

Listen in on this conversation with Pastor Dave Park of Mosaic Christian Fellowship and Dr. John Huh, Director of Lighthouse to follow their adventure of faith as a pressing need and a dream came together. 

We pray that you’ll be informed and inspired that this kind of a network of possible and doable in your locality, and more faithful communities can become part of resolving the mental health crisis.

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Episodes Season 6

Real Talk with Pastor Steve Choi about Pandemic Fatigue, Getting Help, Staying Healthy & Strong

Pastors Sam Yoon and Steve Choi (Crossway Church, Brea, California) have honest conversations about pastoring well through thick and thin, ups and downs, learning how to ask for help, being human and healthy. 

Just past the halfway mark, Pastor Steve shares many golden words of wisdom and lessons learned from pastoring since 1994 as an Asian American of Korean heritage, all the more important and valuable in this day and age when we’re seeing burnouts and scandals left and right.

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Episodes Season 6

Where Pastors and Their Spouses Can Have a Safe Space to Talk and Get Care (s6e07)

Diana Sun and Sam Lee of Standing Stone Ministry elaborate on how they’re a part of a most wonderful ministry that shepherd shepherds, caring and supporting pastors, ministry leaders, and their spouses, to stay healthy, to prevent burnout, and to not carry their burdens alone. 

Learn how it’s become even more stressful for pastors and families during and after the coronavirus pandemic; and how Standing Stone Ministry is helping pastors get through these challenging times. Plus, it’s all FREE to pastors because of generous donors that make it possible.

Pastors, don’t wait until you’re in crisis before you reach out. If you’re not thriving in ministry, your best decision is to talk with Standing Stone Ministry—you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Standing Stone Ministry also has field shepherds with years of pastoral experiences to provide mentoring and guidance for church leadership topics like church board management and Asian American church contexts.

Share this episode with other pastors so they know they can have access to this free resource to strengthen themselves and their churches. This is a perfect way to bless your pastors during Clergy Appreciation Month.

SHOW NOTES

Standing Stone Ministry standingstoneministry.org – shepherding shepherds and guiding ministry leaders into healthy ministry

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Episodes Season 6

Mental Health Matters for Pastors and Church Leaders with Sam Yoon (s6e06)

Co-hosts Pastor Sam Yoon and DJ Chuang will have conversations about pastors, church leaders, and mental health throughout the month of October, on this occasion of National Clergy Appreciation Month. We discuss how pastors can have healthier lives amidst a very stressful and demanding vocation, and where their help can come from.

SHOW NOTES

Pastor Sam Yoon https://www.samuelyoon.com/

Sam Yoon’s book, “Your First Year As a Campus Pastor: A Practical Leadership Guide to Build a Healthy Team and Culture

List of Pastoral Care Ministries and Resources
https://mentalhealth.bible/care/

Caring for Pastors and their Families https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/church/

Background music = Cello Suite no. 1 – Prelude in G, BWV 1007 performed by Colin Carr is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. https://musopen.org/music/3998-cello-suite-no-1-in-g-major-bwv-1007/