Student Christian Movement’s Sophie Mitchell writes:
‘SCM is a student-led movement inspired by Jesus to act for justice and show God’s love in the world. One of the outcomes that we are working towards is to create, support, and sustain inclusive communities where students and recent graduates can find a place to belong and the space to grow as thoughtful disciples.
In May 2022, we sent 200 care packages to all our members on the theme of ‘discipleship when we feel overwhelmed’. Each care package contained an at-home prayer station, a campaign decision-maker with ideas for social action and resources on the intersectionality between wellbeing and discipleship, including blogs and prayers. Resources were created and distributed by SCM staff in collaboration with members of local SCM groups.
This project aimed to support the wellbeing of our members and help them to grow as thoughtful disciples. We intended that this project would strengthen the faith of our members by equipping them with a deepened theological understanding and experience of wellbeing and discipleship, which they could use to go out and equip others. In our most recent members survey, 79% of members surveyed said “Receiving SCM care packages benefits my mental wellbeing”. One member said: “The care packages are also a big encouragement and help me to feel more connected to national SCM”.’