Pastor Scott's Message
Thank you to everyone who joined us for last Saturday’s Oktoberfest. We counted 91 guests. We had kids playing hide and seek in the church, new people sharing Tony’s homebrew with members, and friends catching up over a Brat. All of this was within eyeline and ear shot of our neighbors. They got to see this place alive in Christ. The courtyard was full of music, love and laughter. I can’t wait to do it again.
The next day, I left for the Missouri District Pastor’s conference at the newly remodeled Margaretville at Lake of the Ozarks. The theme of the conference was around helping those with Mental health needs. It coincides with a resolution that passed at this summer’s convention that encourages clergy and congregations to educate themselves about mental health. I love learning this stuff because God can use this type of conference to equip me to bless someone in distress.
The first day’s speaker was Dr. Bev Yahnke, a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Executive Director for Doxology, which is an LCMS organization that cares and counsels. Her first session was loving kids who are struggling with transsexualism. These are young people who feel a disconnect between their given sex and their gender identity. Studies show that less than 1% of 13-17 year olds struggle with this but those who do have a 41% suicide attempt rate. Those struggling with gender identity have usually suffered trauma. The majority have a diagnosed separate mental disorder like bipolar, or schizophrenia. The majority of their moms have more than one diagnosed mental disorder. This is said not to place blame but to show these families are hurting. The answer is not surgery. There is no medical evidence that this helps. The 41% suicide rate is just as high after surgery as before. Withholding surgery is the safest course. 90% of boys who struggle with transitioning go back to their original sex by adulthood. 83% of girls do. Dr. Yahnke said we should treat those with gender Disphoria the same we treat Anorexics. We don’t indulge their disillusioned body image but lovingly help them to be healthy.
Those with Mental Disorders are trying to navigate this broken world the best they can just like everyone. We should empathize with them, help them get proper treatment and let them know that Jesus is with them and for them.
