Registration is now open for the Living Grace program, which will commence on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at Millersville Community Church, 163 W. Frederick St., Millersville. Over a 10-week period, participants will gather at the church every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. to discuss mental health topics such as stress, anxiety and depression through a faith-based lens.

Living Grace is a free program that was introduced to the church by Kelly Dennis, a member of the congregation and a mental health professional. The program utilizes a curriculum provided by The Grace Alliance, a nonprofit organization that seeks to use Scripture to equip individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Dennis will facilitate each Living Grace meeting as group members discuss a specific topic and complete exercises from The Grace Alliance workbook. The activities will combine biblical teaching with scientific research to provide participants with the tools to improve their mental health.

Dennis was inspired to create Living Grace in response to the wave of mental health issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally, Dennis wanted to address the stigma surrounding mental health by creating an environment of acceptance for those who are having difficulty overcoming mental obstacles. "The pandemic really increased a lot of folks' anxiety and depression due to how isolated everyone was. We're still seeing those residual effects," Dennis said. "(Living Grace) is a way for people to find the support of others who get what it's like to be a Christian with a mental illness or struggle."

This will be the fourth Living Grace session that Dennis has hosted at Millersville Community Church. The program has continued to grow in popularity among community members; the groups from the previous two sessions were completely full by the start of the first meeting.

Since the first Living Grace session was held, Dennis has made a few adjustments to better suit the needs of its participants. Last year, she added a discussion on cognitive behavioral therapy to the curriculum and moved the meeting time to the evening to make it easier to attend for those with busy schedules. This year, Dennis reduced the program length from 16 weeks to 10 weeks to make it easier for people to commit to Living Grace. The current curriculum will also feature new modules on mindfulness and the methods one can use to change unhelpful thought patterns. The topics of the first few meetings will include "What's Your True Identity?" and "God Is Bigger Than Our Weakness."

To register for Living Grace, call Dennis at 717-951-0266 or email kellyfdennis@yahoo.com.