Press Release
CONTACT: Melissa Maimone
661.433.3973
HIGH RATES OF STRESS AND ANXIETY IN CLERGY
AND CARE-GIVERS LEADS TO DEVELOPMENT
OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, SEASONS WEEKEND
Author Nicole Johnson has formed Seasons Weekend--a 3 day experience designed for women and men in ministry and care-giver roles to find spiritual renewal and refreshment.
A study by the Clergy Health Initiative (CHI) at Durham-based Duke Divinity School conducted among more than 1,700 pastors has found that clergy are at far greater risk for depression and anxiety, mostly due to stress, than those with other occupations. It found that the clergy depression prevalence was 8.7 percent and 11.1 percent respectively, significantly higher than the 5.5 percent rate of the national sample. CHI research director Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell concluded that “The high rate of clergy depression signals the need for preventive policies and programs for clergy.”
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, care-givers have similar symptoms. Research shows that care-givers are more likely to have symptoms of depression and anxiety and are less likely to take good care of themselves.
In response to the growing statistics of burn out in Christian leaders, care-givers, and ministers, author and former Women of Faith dramatist Nicole Johnson developed the non-profit organization Seasons Weekend.
“Collectively, the Seasons team has been to a lot of events over the last decade. There was a sense that ‘We’ve all done high and wide, so let’s go for deep,’” said Johnson. “We scaled it down for intimacy, simplified it for depth and sought to create space rather than fill it. We specifically want to reach those who take care of so much—in the church, at home, in the workplace.”
The next Seasons Weekend will take place at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs January 13-15, 2017. The weekend experience offers thought provoking dramatic presentations, contemplative spiritual practices, uplifting music and worship, mature psychological insight, and personal time alone with God. The Seasons Weekend team consists of Johnson, author and psychiatrist Dr. Curt Thompson, Jay & Katherine Wolf, the Seasons Weekend Band, and a variety of speakers who explore the topics of art, personal growth, story, theology, and more.
Seasons Weekend offers attendees a rare opportunity to be more than spectators in an audience; they are included as participants in an experience. The platform was created to allow the team and its guests the freedom to journey farther and deeper together as they explore the unique seasons of life and faith. Because of the intimate setting, there is a limit of 100 participants per event. Johnson best describes the heart and hospitality of Seasons Weekend. “We have set a table with the best of what we can offer, we are calling out to the hungry and thirsty, the tired and broken: ‘Join us, we’ve pulled out your chair.’”
For more information, please visit www.seasonsweekend.com
Follow on Twitter: @seasonsweekend
ABOUT THE NICOLE JOHNSON: A bestselling author, performer, and motivational speaker, Nicole Johnson has performed in front of millions of women, and she’s been making audiences laugh and cry for over 25 years. With humor, compassion and wisdom, Nicole communicates using her unique blend of drama and speaking skills. She addresses issues drawn from the comedic struggles of our daily lives to the deeper questions that arise from our personal tragedies. www.FreshBrewedLife.com
Support:
Seasons is a non-profit organization
Tax Id # 46-1394769
© 2017 Seasons