Millersville Community Church is providing safe spaces to work on one's mental health through its Empowered by Grace ministry.

"Empowered by Grace is kind of the umbrella name for the mental health care ministries Kelly Dennis was inspired to begin," said Bruce Heydt, one of the team leaders.

Dennis, the coordinator of the church's mental health management team, first developed Living Grace, a program for adults who are struggling.

"We started holding mental health support groups about three years ago," Dennis said. "We've done five groups of Living Grace. Then we decided there was such a call for it, we wanted to start a ministry that would include education and information and reduce the stigma that goes along with mental health."

That is the impetus for two more programs, Redefine Grace, for 16- to 23-year-olds who are struggling, and Family Grace, for caregivers, loved ones, and friends of those who are struggling.

"We're branching out now," Heydt said. "The difference is Living Grace is for adults. Redefine Grace is for teens and youth. I think the issues those two groups deal with are kind of the same, but the triggers are a little different. Peer pressure probably has a lot more to do with the teens. So we're kind of branching out because we found there's a great deal of interest, both within our own church and from members of the community."

Family Grace will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Mondays starting Feb. 24, Redefine Grace will gather from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays starting Feb. 25, and Living Grace will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning Feb. 26. All three options are 10-week programs.

Dennis has a Master of Science in clinical psychology from Millersville University, is licensed as a professional counselor, and is a member of the American Counseling Association and a Diplomat with the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies.

Empowered by Grace is designed to be peer-led, following the curriculum established by Grace Alliance.

Dennis will lead an educational opportunity for team leaders to provide a brief introduction to mental disorders and tell them what they might encounter in groups and how to handle it.

Heydt and Sharon McIlhenney are the Living Grace support group leaders.

McIlhenney took part in a Living Grace group 18 months ago. "I really felt like I benefited from it, and I'm looking forward to being a part of the group again, helping Bruce lead the group," she said.

Dennis and Scott Donaldson will lead Redefine Grace, and Carol Bond and Sherry Mull will guide the discussions for Family Grace.

"What we aren't is a substitute for professional, clinical care," said Heydt. "We're a supplement for that. ... Sometimes when you need a shoulder to cry on, a peer could be of more comfort than perhaps maybe a professional, and it's easier for some people to open up to that sort of person. That's how we fit in."

Empowered by Grace seeks a balance between science and faith.

"There are two elements here, and I think too often we isolate one or the other," Heydt said. "This program recognizes the need for medication and the science and the theory behind treating people with mental challenges. But also there is a role faith could play."

Heydt, a former lay pastor at Millersville Community Church, can guide people through the spiritual aspects. "We can help them learn how faith could be an important tool in the toolbox," he explained.

Everyone is welcome to attend the support group sessions, and there is no fee. "Our groups have been made up by some folks who already knew each other because they do attend here, but also people from the community," Heydt said.

"I started handing out anonymous surveys for feedback to find out how we can make the group better," Dennis shared. "One of the consistent things that people say is that it's a safe place and they didn't feel judged. They really felt like this was a place where they could talk about all this stuff and people tried to understand."

"That's really the goal, to reduce the stigma and the judgment people feel about their mental illness so they're not afraid to get treatment," Heydt said. "We're going to provide an ear and some understanding and some compassion, so they feel like they're not alone."

"This program is not just for someone who has been diagnosed with clinical depression or those kinds of things," Heydt continued. "Who among us doesn't go through periods of depression or doesn't struggle with a sense of grief over loss? This could be a benefit to you no matter where you are."

"We can provide tools for people," Dennis noted. "That's where faith comes in, too. Faith is one of the tools. I've been really impressed by people from the community, not church members, who come in and talk about their own personal faith and how important it is to them. The program brings Scripture into it, and the people respond to that. It's one of the most powerful tools, I've found."

Millersville Community Church is located at 163 W. Frederick St.

For more information about the mental health support groups, contact Dennis at 717-951-2266 or kelly@kellyfdennis.com.