Let’s Talk About It.

Did you know? One in five adults and one in six youth experience mental health challenges every year? And things aren’t getting better. To make matters worse, due to stigma surrounding issues like these, many people (both inside and outside the church) suffer in silence and isolation. As followers of Jesus, how should we respond to this rising mental health crisis?

Care Day is an annual, community-wide event hosted by First Woodway designed to normalize (and therefore destigmatize) the conversation about mental health in the church. At this free event, you will find helpful, hope-filled learning opportunities that address some of the common emotional and mental health challenges you and your loved ones experience. These seminar-style sessions will be led by experts in their field and will include topics such as anxiety, depression, grief, caregiving, trauma, and more. Learn more about these sessions and their leaders below. If you find yourself or a loved one struggling, please know there is hope! Care Day might be your first step toward help and healing, so grab a friend and register today.

Questions? Please reach out to Alexis Gurley, Congregational Care Coordinator, or call the church office at 254.772.9696.

Sign-Up

Everyone is welcome to attend this free event!
You don’t have to be a church member to sign-up.
Childcare is available for regular FW attenders only.

Schedule

2:30 – 3:45 pm
Round 1 of Sessions
Throughout FW Campus

3:45 – 4:15 pm
Connection Time, Resource Tables,
+ Light Refreshments
Worship Center

4:15 – 5:30 pm
Round 2 of Sessions
Throughout FW Campus

BREAKOUT Sessions

Led by Alice Fry, MTS, LCSW  |  Rounds 1 & 2

As an adult, anxiety and depression can come in many different forms. While symptoms can feel unmanageable and overwhelming, it’s important to remember you’re not alone. In this session, we will explore how culture, environment, bio-temperament, and trauma can all contribute to depression and anxiety symptoms. We’ll also talk about how to identify both, provide practical tools to manage, and discuss the options for seeking professional support.

Led by Jim Roberts, PhD Baylor University | Round 1 Only

In this session participants will learn to recognize the signs of smartphone and social media addiction. We will challenge the myth of multitasking and explore the reality of eroding attention spans. Participants will also learn strategies for finding their digital “sweet spot” by intentionally controlling their technology use.

Led by Kelly Woods, LMFT | Round 1 Only

Communication in marriage and in committed relationships is tough, especially when there is conflict or disagreement. All of us want to be able to talk with loved ones and work through challenging conversations well. When there are misunderstandings and hurt feelings, tensions can escalate. In this session, we’ll discuss how to talk effectively to meet your relationship goals and to heal from past relational wounds. This session will be of special interest to married couples and to those in a committed relationship headed toward marriage.

Led by Lynette Wilson, MMFT, LMFT-S | Round 1 Only

The National Council for Behavioral Health reports that 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives. Experiencing a traumatic event can bring suffering, hopelessness, and isolation. The good news is that trauma is treatable, and people can and do recover. In this session, you’ll gain a greater understanding of trauma and learn helpful tools and resources to bring hope and healing.

Led by Dr. Dennis Myers, Ph.D., LCSW | Round 1 Only

After you raised your children, you probably thought your caregiving days were over—only to find yourself caring for an aging parent, spouse, or a sick loved one. This newfound role can feel challenging, isolating, and overwhelming. In this session, we’ll discuss care planning, making difficult decisions, using health care services, and care with the caregiver. We’ll also consider the idea of caregiving as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth.

Led by Dr. William (Bill) Hoy, FT | Round 1 Only

Though grief can occur in our lives from a variety of different kinds of losses, there is widespread misunderstanding about what healthy grieving includes. Bereaved individuals often grapple with questions like, “Am I doing this right?” and “How can I get through this loss?” In this fast-paced session, we will tackle these questions and many others that grieving people ask as they navigate loss.

Led by Dr. Larry Parsley, MDiv, PhD | Round 2 Only

There’s no pain exactly like church hurt. Most of us join a church with the most hopeful of aspirations, only to be blindsided by the pain of church people behaving badly. Sometimes, we can even find ourselves caught up in participating in the dysfunction ourselves. In this session, we hope to identify some of the major causes of church hurt, including doctrinal drift, toxic cultures, unresolved conflict, and immoral/abusive leadership. But we also aspire to find strategies for spiritual healing.

Led by Marissa Smith, MDiv, LCSW-S, LCPAA | Round 2 Only

Children’s behaviors often communicate what their words cannot. When a child acts out, withdraws, or shuts down, they are often communicating distress. This session explores how anxiety, depression, and trauma show up as behavioral challenges in children. Using Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) principles, we’ll look at practical strategies and tools to differentiate behavioral and mental health needs, recognize signs of anxiety and depression, and create environments where healing and growth can happen.

Led by Doug Webster, MDiv | Round 2 Only

Discover biblical wisdom and practical application to navigate the challenging and often unsupported, unguided season of life with adult children. Topics will include: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out, Why Is It Taking My Kid So Long to Grow Up?, When a Grown Child Veers, Money, Estrangement, and Grand-Parenting: The 5th Chamber — all with the objective to parent your adult child like Jesus would if He were you. This session will include interactive teaching, peer conversation, and empathic support.

Led by Tabitha Corbin, LCSW-S | Round 2 Only

This is a faith-integrated look at what burnout really is, why it happens, and how to heal without pretending everything is fine. Through a blend of Christian scripture, whole-body psychology, and practical boundary-setting tools, this session offers honest encouragement for anyone feeling stretched thin. Attendees will learn to recognize early signs of burnout, understand how the body and spirit respond to chronic stress, and practice healthy limits that honor both God and their own humanity.

Liderado por Cintia Aguilar, MDiv, MSW | Solo Primera Ronda

En esta sesión, los participantes explorarán cómo su crianza y las relaciones familiares han moldeado sus patrones de comunicación. Basado en la Teoría de Sistemas Familiares de Bowen, los participantes aprenderán a rastrear dinámicas relacionales a través de varias generaciones y a reflexionar sobre cómo estos patrones influyen en sus relaciones actuales. Además, los participantes saldrán de la sesión equipados con habilidades prácticas y efectivas de comunicación que podrán aplicar en su vida diaria.

Liderado por Rev. Nancy Flores | Solo Segunda Ronda

En esta sesión, los participantes reflexionarán sobre pasajes bíblicos e historias cristianas. Estos pasajes e historias ofrecen esperanza y demuestran que la salud mental y la fe coexisten y se fortalecen mutuamente. A través de ejercicios espirituales y prácticos interactivos, los participantes descubrirán maneras de nutrir su salud mental y bienestar emocional y obtendrán herramientas para sentirse más equilibrados, resilientes y apoyados.