The Lifesaving Church

From the title, you might think this book is a how-to for churches and other faith communities on how to prevent suicides. It is that, but also much more. It is the story of the author, Rachael A. Keefe, her struggles in a highly dysfunctional family, her eating disorder, and her own attempted suicide as a teen. She is honest about her feelings then and now, and her continued emotional turmoil as she attended college, seminary, became a pastor, and became aware of her bisexuality.

It was the church of her childhood and adolescence which she credits as having saved her by letting her know that she was not alone. Her experiences led her to become an advocate for churches to take on the task of suicide prevention. Her courage and honesty will surely inspire others with thoughts of suicide to break their silence about the subject, one which Keefe refers to a “one of the last taboos of the church.”

In order to get churches talking about the subject and then taking action, a free downloadable study guide for the book is available. There is also a free download available of the PDF 10 Facts Every Church Needs to Know about Suicide Prevention.

Keefe addresses some of the theological questions surrounding suicide but cautions those dealing with suicidal people or survivors of suicide to be careful about what they say. The best answer, she maintains, is that “God is not a fan of suicide.” She emphasizes that the language we choose to talk about suicide is important.

The book includes seven appendixes, filled with useful information and resources. They are: Signs of Suicide Risk, Resources for Clergy, Resources for Laypeople, Resources for Those Struggling with Suicidality, Resources for Suicide Loss Survivors, Scripture Verses and Stories That Emphasize Hope, and Prayers.

The book is available from the publisher, Chalice Press, as well as Amazon and other booksellers.

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.