Debbie Michel
September 10, 2025As Pastor Garhett Morgan and his team set up a large black wall in downtown Rockford, a woman stopped. She told him, “I just lost somebody due to suicide in my family and this just means the world to me.”
The wall, four sides of aluminum painted black and marked at the top with the words “Mental Health Solidarity,” quickly filled with notes, Bible verses and doodles. Children crouched low to draw hearts and flowers. Teens filmed themselves leaving messages for Instagram. Parents walked with their children, reading what others had written.
“It was like the easiest transition into deep spiritual conversation ever,” Morgan said.
The Rockford and Sparta churches, near Grand Rapids, launched the initiative on Sept. 6, during the city’s weekly farmers’ market. The day also coincided with “Art in the Park,” drawing even more visitors. In all, Morgan estimates between 300 and 400 people came by.
Rockford is a relatively affluent suburb where many professionals live and traditional giveaways don’t always connect. As Morgan explained, “Traditional outreach in this area, while I still believe in it, it’s kind of hard to reach.”
Members suggested focusing on mental health, a pressing concern in the community after several teen suicides at the local high school, including a 14-year-old who took his life last August. “This rocked the area a bit,” he said.
Planning began six months earlier, with Morgan seeking approval from the township. “There was so much support from the local office about what we were doing,” he said. The feedback was so strong that two weeks before the event the city manager emailed to make sure it was still happening. They told Garhett, “We believe in it and we want to make sure that it happens.” The city gave them a prominent spot near the river and band shell.
Church members contributed their gifts. One, an aircraft mechanic, welded together the aluminum frame. Youth answered questions from passersby and explained the purpose. Older members gave encouragement and prayed. The inter-generational participation was one major highlight for Garhett. “The volunteers of our church coming together was great--seeing people young and old working side-by-side,” Morgan said.
The congregation also invited three Adventist mental health professionals to be present for anyone who needed immediate support. Morgan said their contribution was deeply valued. “One of them mentioned, “The fact that I’m able to be here today and make a difference, not just for people but for my church that means the world to me.”
Even the way people approached the wall struck observers. “People approached it with a level of reverence,” Morgan said. “They would slowly rotate their way around the square and they would read what people had written. It was very quiet. Parents were having conversations with kids. And then they would write something meaningful as well.”
The church handed out “Steps to Christ” and gained a few Bible study interests. For Morgan, the event reinforced the value of simple initiatives. “I believe in public evangelism. I believe in prophecy series—in fact, we’re doing one in October—I believe that’s so important. However, I do think that having events like this, they’re just as important,” he said. “It was not flashy. It didn’t cost hardly anything. It just took a little bit of planning.”
The wall, he added, will be used again.
Debbie Michel is editor of the Lake Union Herald.
