At The Pillar we want to be PILLARS for everyone we meet…
P - Proactive.
‘Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!’ - Ephesians 5:16
We know that young people are often unable to access the mental health support they need in a timely manner. They can then reach crisis point and receive reactive support, which often means a longer and more difficult recovery journey. We will work hard to meet young people before they get here, are left without support or are put onto waiting lists. We also know that often, young people are unable to access services due to their strict eligibility criteria. Our desire is to grow and be sustainable so that we can support every young person wanting to attend The Pillar. This will include the development of specialist services in the future.
I - Impactful.
‘People whose minds are in the dark do things that have no good purpose. Keep away from wrong things like that. Instead show how bad those things really are.’ - Ephesians 5:11
We believe that there is hope for every young person and no one should be left facing mental health struggles alone. Sadly, this is not true for many young people in our current climate and often young people are not being listened to. We want to use our work to highlight where young people are being let down and to inform change in mental health policy, helping young people’s voices to be heard. We work to change the lives of those we meet and to change things for generations to come.
L - Loving.
‘Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us.’ - Ephesians 5:2
We want to walk alongside young people in their struggles and confusion with complete acceptance and love. We want to continually show empathy, compassion and unconditional positive regard. This means that nothing they can do could give us a reason to stop seeing them as inherently human and inherently lovable. It doesn’t mean that we accept every action they take, but we accept who they are, seeing them at a level that is deeper than their behaviour.
L - Luminous.
‘So now you must live as people who belong to the light.’ - Ephesians 5:8
We know that young people often lack positive role models in their lives. We want our lives and the way we live them to be a light that shines in and on the darkness in the world and encourages change in young people. Whilst Jesus loves us as we are, He also encourages us to grow. We aim to mirror this by accepting young people as they are, whilst lovingly encouraging them to grow. We also want to support young people to tell their stories, to encourage other young people to grow too.
A - Authentic.
‘Let no one deceive you with empty words.’ - Ephesians 5:6
We know that this next generation are hungry for a real and honest connection. We want to be authentic and accountable at all times as we know this is key in building trusting relationships with young people. We will do this by sharing our own stories where appropriate, continually reflecting on what we can do better and by knowing when to apologise for getting it wrong. We aim to never over-promise and under-deliver and we want everyone to be able to live authentically as the people God created them to be.
R - Relevant.
‘But everything exposed by the light becomes visible and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.’ - Ephesians 5:13
We want young people to know that a relationship with God is relevant to them, by using our light to expose the darkness in their life. We hope for them to find the answers they’ve been looking for in Jesus, rather than where they have previously searched. We long to see young people noticing the church being relevant to other young people, sparking a desire to come along and see for themselves. We believe relevance can only be truly illuminated when we do not conform to the world’s way of working and instead offer a radically different way of doing things.
S - Spirit-Led.
‘Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behaviour from their parents.’ - Ephesians 5:1-2
As an overtly Christian project, we take a theological, as well as a psychological and sociological approach to our work. Our support and resources will be influenced by biblical teachings and the project is constantly supported and driven by prayer and worship. We believe that Jesus is at the heart of every transformation and we want to honour and welcome Him into everything we do.