Mental illness affects one in four of us during our lifetime and can have a devastating effect on every aspect of life. Each year, doctors give out 21 million prescriptions for tranquillisers and mental illness accounts for 40 per cent of all visits to the surgery.

In the first century, Paul the apostle reminded his co-leader Timothy that one of the blessings God wants to bring to each person is 'a calm and well-balanced mind'. Two thousand years later, God's comforting and challenging message is the same.

But in today's society, where mental illness has become such a huge problem, is the church of Jesus still confident and effective in bringing God's restoration to damaged minds? And can Christian community play any significant role?

Read these two stories:

The ghost of depression
Sharing the journey