The Real Deal: a new model for mental health

Nov 12, 2005

Real Deal aims to help the many who flock into St Martins Church every day

About 18 months ago, a senior figure in the Mental Health Service walked into my front room buzzing with excitement at the idea God seemed to have dropped into his mind and heart.  He had heard me speak two years ago about building spiritual movements, and knew that health was one of eight workplace domains in which we wanted to help do that.  He subsequently raised £30,000 from the NHS to help launch “Real Deal”, and now we are preparing to establish it as a company.    Well this morning I have been drafting an ethos statement – could use your prayers as we tie this down.  The challenge is to stay Jesus-centred, but still attract NHS funding.  Here’s what I have so far….

The Real Deal Community Interest Company has been established to raise the level of health and well-being of those who feel let down and forgotten by society.  Its unique resource is the healing power of a community empowered by the spirit of Jesus and reflective of his praxis.  Real Deal thus appeals to the universal recognition of the pervading influence of the figure of Jesus, including a heritage of grace, generosity and hope in the West, a tradition of forgiveness, reconciliation and non-violence in the East and South, and a vision of moral perfection in the Middle East.

Consistent with transformational leadership theory and person-centred holistic therapy, Real Deal seeks to build a participant-led spiritual dynamic transmitted primarily through the lived experience of its executives, facilitators and mentors and only secondarily through its policies and programmes.  This lived experience will include in particular:

  • a humble appropriation of the grace and forgiveness of God, and a radical commitment to loving both neighbours and enemies, resolving conflict and pursuing peace
  • a confident expectation that God can raise up life from death, hope from despair, integrity from fragmentation
  • a resolute commitment to welcome and include potential participants whatever their race, religion, gender or sexuality.

These characteristics will be lived out in our mission focus, our board meetings, our organisational culture, and our training of participants and mentors.I’ll let you know how it develops.