ELCA NEWS SERVICE October 9, 2003 All-Lutheran Candle Lighting for Mental Illness in October 03-179-FI CHICAGO (ELCA) -- This is the eighth year that Lutheran congregations across the United States and Caribbean have conducted candle-lighting ceremonies in October to pray for people living with mental illness and their families. The Lutheran Network on Mental Illness/Brain Disorders, a joint program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, coordinated the effort. "October is Mental Illness Awareness Month in the United States. The ELCA honors that by supplying congregations, upon request, with the All-Lutheran Candle Lighting for Mental Illness, which is a bulletin insert," said the Rev. Lisa T. Cleaver, director for disability ministries and deaf ministry, ELCA Division for Church in Society. Cleaver said congregations can order free copies of the bulletin insert. "It's a short litany of prayers and responsive reading to help congregations honor the lives or the memories of people who have been living with mental illness," she said. It's possible also to download the program from the ELCA's disability ministries Web page -- http://www.elca.org/dcs/epr/disability/mentalillness.html -- which includes "a Flash presentation that has actual stories from families and family members living with mental illness. It allows people to get into the lives of the people a little bit more," Cleaver said. "The Lutheran Network on Mental Illness/Brain Disorders is trying to enable congregations to be supports for people living with this disease, not just the people themselves but the family members also, because they really need a great deal of support too," she said. "The purpose behind the candle lighting is to bring a little more awareness to ELCA congregations about this disease. Mental illness probably has the greatest stigma attached to it of any disability," Cleaver said. "People who have a mental illness look just like you and I do and, for the most part, act just like you and I do, but it's an illness that has a great deal of fear and stigma attached to it," she said. Cleaver added that the All-Lutheran Candle Lighting for Mental Illness bulletin insert can be used any month, and is available all year. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news