{"id":4485,"date":"2019-06-13T09:00:45","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T15:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pastorbrad.blog\/?p=4485"},"modified":"2025-07-04T18:07:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T23:07:43","slug":"getting-hopeful-seven-reasons-to-start-a-fresh-hope-group-in-your-church-by-katie-dale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freshhope.us\/es\/getting-hopeful-seven-reasons-to-start-a-fresh-hope-group-in-your-church-by-katie-dale\/","title":{"rendered":"“Getting Hopeful: Seven Reasons to Start a Fresh Hope Group in Your Church” By Katie Dale"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0By: Katie Dale<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The first place Christians with mental health issues go for help is to their church<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Think about 25% of your church. One in four Americans suffers from a mental health challenge in their lifetime. If the staggering number of 1 in 4 doesn\u2019t quite hit home, think about times in your life you have had a meltdown, a breakdown or an experience of large enough proportion that you couldn\u2019t function 100% because of an emotionally and mentally challenging time. Then think about the guidance many of us seek out from our pastor or other church member who appears to have it more \u201ctogether.\u201d According to a Lifeway Research poll, the percentage of churches that are actually equipped to respond to such distress is <\/span>3%.<\/b><\/p>\n

    The church is a beautiful body of redeemed souls, yet our minds are still subject to the effects of sin in our fallen world. This is a truth we can\u2019t ignore. Which is why it is so crucial that the church proactively and appropriately responds to hurting members that are in need of attention and proper treatment of their mental health conditions. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Fresh Hope for Mental Health is such a way to assist in the healing process. Having a Fresh Hope group in place in your church will empower participants to live a full, rich and faith-filled life in spite of their mental health challenges. <\/span><\/p>\n

    2. Fresh Hope empowers your church to reach out and minister many at one time<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Fresh Hope groups are offered through local churches and online mental health support groups sponsored by local churches and ministries. As part of their mission, Fresh Hope also supports and encourages faith leaders to help their faith community through resources for pastors such as webinars. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Churches that facilitate these groups are trained and certified by Fresh Hope in a 8-hour online training course with quizzes followed by a personal interview. They also offer free phone and online support and a facilitator website to help troubleshoot problems and receive peer advice on leading a group. They provide promotional materials (videos, press releases, sample articles) and curriculum for facilitators and participants. New content is offered regularly to help empower group participants in their recoveries.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Groups usually meet weekly for up to an hour and half each session and are not limited to a specific number of participants. Both those with a diagnosis as well as their loved ones attend the group together for the first half of the meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. Fresh Hope leads to healing and a better quality of life<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The proven track record of Fresh Hope groups\u2019 success is shown in that:<\/span><\/p>\n