Renew Week 1: Your Mind is a Miracle

Nov 17

“Mind Maps & Miracles”
Give each person a blank sheet of paper and a pen and ask them to draw a quick “mind map” of their week: place their name in the center, and around it jot down 4-5 words or drawings representing how they felt mentally/emotionally during the week. (E.g., “excited”, “tired”, “anxious”, “grateful”.)
- Which word surprised you?
- Which word would you like to change or see shift next week?”

Read Scriptures:

Review Questions:

Which scripture stood out to you the most, and why?
Sunday’s Bottom line was: My mind is not a mistake to be fixed, it’s a miracle to be cared for.
1. how do you respond to this idea?
Was there anything from Sunday’s Lead In you found challenging or surprising about how God views our thoughts/feelings?

How does the idea that our mind is a “miracle” change the way we view our own thoughts, emotions, anxieties, etc.?
In what ways do you think God cares about our mental health (not just our moral/spiritual state, but our emotions, thoughts, stress, rest)?
How does the church (this group, our community) reflect God’s care for mental health? What do we already do well? What could we get better at?
Have you ever felt safe in a church context to say: “I’m having a rough mental/emotional week”? What helped / what blocked you?
What practical things can we as a group commit to doing (or improving) to care for each other’s minds? (Examples: regular check-ins, safe space to share feelings, prayer pairs, resource list, walk & talk, spin-bike buddy, etc.)

Invite each person (voluntary) to share one question or concern they have around helping someone else’s mental-health journey (or their own). Example prompts:
- “I’m not sure how to talk to someone who says they’re depressed.”
- “I’m worried about reaching out because I don’t know what to say.”
Please record these concerns as we’ll try to address them in the coming week

Ask: What is one takeaway you’ll carry from today into this week?
Encourage everyone to pick one actionable step: “This week I will…” (Examples: send a check-in text to someone, go for a walk and invite someone, journal my thoughts nightly, attend to rest and sleep, reach out for help if needed.)
Pray together: Thank God for our minds and hearts, ask for wisdom and compassion, ask Him to help you support each other well, and commit your action steps.

A New Chapter