Fresh Hope for Mental Health For Facilitators

A Curriculum for Fresh Hope Support Groups

I Choose Hope

A 16-week journey: Week 1 introduces the group and the check-in, the 7 Principles of Recovery each take two weeks — one to learn it, one to go deeper — and Week 16 closes with the Bracelet Ceremony. Everything is written out for you — the scripts, the questions, the handouts, the videos.

Access the curriculum

How it works

Sixteen weeks, start to finish

Week 1 opens the series with welcome, the community guidelines, the check-in tool, and a look at the 7 principles ahead. Each principle then takes two weeks — one to introduce it, one to go deeper — before the series closes with the Bracelet Ceremony in Week 16.

Week 1

Introduction

  • 10 minWelcome and opening prayer
  • 10 minThe four community guidelines, read in full
  • 15 minTeaching the check-in tool: mood 1–5 and hope tank 0–100%, recorded in writing for each person
  • 15 minA one-sentence overview of each of the 7 principles
  • 15 minGroup expectations — what brought each person here
  • 5 minClosing prayer of commitment

Total ≈ 70 minutes

Part 1

Introducing the principle

  • 5 minWelcome and opening prayer
  • 10 minCheck-in and the four community guidelines, read in full
  • 15 minWatch the principle video, then a short explanation and first questions
  • 15 minSection A — for people living with a mental health challenge
  • 15 minSection B — for loved ones, with different questions
  • 5 minClosing prayer and invitation to reflect during the week

Total ≈ 75 minutes

Part 2

Deepening and application

  • 5 minWelcome and opening prayer
  • 10 minQuick check-in and a brief reminder of the guidelines
  • 5 minRead the full principle again and recall the verse
  • 17 minSection A — deep dive, including the lies people believe
  • 17 minSection B — deep dive for loved ones
  • 6 minOptional personal declaration, using the participant handout
  • 3 minClosing prayer and invitation to the next principle

Total ≈ 75 minutes

This two-week pattern repeats for each of the 7 principles, Weeks 2 through 15.

The curriculum

The seven principles

Every principle is written in three voices — one for the person living with the challenge, one for the loved one, and one they say together. Open any principle to see the full text, the verse, the key points, and the video.

I AcceptanceWeeks 2 & 3 · Key word: acceptance ›

For people with a mental health challenge

My life is affected by a mental health challenge and can become unmanageable and hopeless, especially if ignored or untreated. Therefore, I choose the help and support of others to overcome the struggles and find more joy in life.

For loved ones

My loved one's mental health challenge has also left me feeling helpless and hopeless. Therefore, I choose the help of others in learning about the disorder and choosing healthy boundaries for myself.

Together

Together, we have understanding. We remind each other of the Lord's love, and that He alone can do all things. He is the source of our hope, and in Him we can overcome all things.

“I can do everything through Him Who gives me strength.” — Philippians 4:13

What the group works through

  • Acceptance is not resignation — it is naming reality and choosing to seek help.
  • The forms denial takes: over-spiritualizing, self-stigma, not prioritizing recovery, ignoring symptoms, blaming others.
  • Four filters for finding real causes: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental — usually a mix, rarely one cause.
  • The diagnostic process is long. Patience is part of the work.
Open on YouTube ↗
II RelationshipsWeeks 4 & 5 · Key word: relationships ›

For people with a mental health challenge

My mental health challenge has also affected my relationships and the lives of those around me. Therefore, I choose to overcome for both my own good, and the good of those who love me.

For loved ones

I haven't always responded to my loved one's mental health issue in ways that were good for the relationship. Therefore, I choose to learn better ways to communicate with, support, and encourage my loved one.

Together

Together, we commit to speaking the truth in love, healing broken relationships and viewing each other as the Lord views us.

“So let's pursue those things which bring peace and which are good for each other.” — Romans 14:19

What the group works through

  • Personal responsibility: a real apology, not “I'm sorry, but I have a diagnosis.”
  • The difference between an explanation and an excuse.
  • The lie that surfaces here: “My family would be better off without me.”
  • Reframing it: my family needs me, and that is a reason to keep going.
Open on YouTube ↗
III Push ThroughWeeks 6 & 7 · Key word: push through ›

For people with a mental health challenge

My disorder can become an excuse. Therefore, I choose to believe I can live a full and rich life in spite of my disorder. I choose the support of people who will urge me to “push through.”

For loved ones

At times I don't understand my loved one and can allow them to either wallow in their excuses, or push them too hard. Therefore I choose to learn healthy, appropriate ways to contribute to my loved one's recovery.

Together

Together we do better than trying on our own. We will hold one another accountable for learning, growing, and choosing to push through in hope.

“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11

What the group works through

  • Pushing through means doing what is good for recovery even when you don't feel like it — and it is not the same as forcing yourself.
  • The belief that has to come first: a full life is possible in spite of the diagnosis.
  • Each person defines what a full life means for them — purpose, not perfection.
  • Limitations are real. The work is finding purpose inside them.
Open on YouTube ↗
IV HopeWeeks 8 & 9 · Key word: hope ›

For people with a mental health challenge

My disorder can lead me to feel hopeless. Therefore, I choose to believe, regardless of my feelings, that there is help and hope for my physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being.

For loved ones

At times I also feel hopeless, letting my loved one's actions and recovery define my happiness. Therefore, I choose to live with healthy emotional boundaries, and I choose my own joy despite the ups and downs of my loved one.

Together

Together we remind each other that our hope and joy come from the Lord. He alone is able to fulfill our needs in every aspect of our lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord… plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11

What the group works through

  • Hope is a choice, not a feeling.
  • Pastor Brad's illustration: watching a match live versus watching the replay when you already know the result.
  • Why the check-in separates mood from the hope tank — and why they can differ.
  • A low mood and a full hope tank can be true on the same day.
Open on YouTube ↗
V Medicine and MoreWeeks 10 & 11 · Key word: medicine ›

For people with a mental health challenge

While medicine is a key component in my recovery, it is not the only answer. Therefore, I choose to explore new ways of thinking and acting in my relationships and daily living.

For loved ones

I, too, have been part of the cycle of dysfunctional living, either thinking I had all the answers or thinking the problem didn't belong to me. Therefore, I choose to submit myself to learning new behaviors and taking responsibility for my own healthy, balanced living.

Together

Together we choose freedom over suffering, and joy in living through self-knowledge in action.

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5

What the group works through

  • The principle does not say everyone must take medication — it says that when a doctor prescribes it, it matters, and that it is never enough on its own.
  • Being your own medical advocate: if a medication isn't working, keep working with your doctor; if your doctor isn't listening, find another one.
  • Never change or stop psychiatric medication without medical supervision.
  • The four spheres of personal work: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental.
Open on YouTube ↗
VI IdentityWeeks 12 & 13 · Key word: identity ›

For people with a mental health challenge

At times I have allowed myself to become a victim, “defined” by my disorder. Therefore I choose to overcome and live in hope and joy, in spite of my disorder.

For loved ones

At times, I have viewed myself as a victim of my loved one's behavior and disorder, living in resentment, anger, unforgiveness, or self pity. Therefore, I choose to separate the disorder from the person I love, forgive and let go of the past, and live as a contributor to successful recovery.

Together

Together, we share in each other's victories and celebrate the whole person.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7

What the group works through

  • The shift from victim to person: “I have bipolar disorder,” not “I am bipolar.”
  • Self-stigma is often heavier than the stigma others impose.
  • Seeing others live well with a diagnosis is what dissolves it.
  • Levels of disclosure — you decide who hears what, and in what words.
Open on YouTube ↗
VII GivingWeeks 14 & 15 · Key word: give ›

For people with a mental health challenge

At times, my mental health challenge has caused me to focus only on myself and my needs, leading me to believe the lie that I don't have much to offer to others. Therefore, because focusing on others will help me grow, I choose to give back, sharing my story with others, that my past pain might provide insights for someone else's journey to living well.

For loved ones

I, too, have become focused on my loved one's situation and how it has affected me. I can easily become so consumed by our issues that I fail to see those around me who would benefit from what I've learned. Therefore, I choose to give back by seeking opportunities to help others by sharing my insights and experiences.

Together

Together we recognize that sharing helps both us and others heal. Sharing helps us find our voice and becomes empowering as we see our pain redeemed by the Lord. As we share, it helps reaffirm our own hope while also giving hope away to others.

“He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others.” — 2 Corinthians 1:4

What the group works through

  • Giving here means serving, not money.
  • You don't have to be fully recovered to serve — your story, as it is, has power.
  • Naming your losses, and asking which ones feel redeemed and which still hurt.
  • Who you could help from where you are now, not from where you hope to be.
Open on YouTube ↗

Adapting it

Three ways to run it, depending on who is in the room

Every session has a Section A for people living with a mental health challenge and a Section B for loved ones. Use the one your group needs — or both.

Only people with a challenge

  • Skip Section B entirely
  • Extend Section A to 30–35 minutes
  • Ask 4–5 questions instead of 3–4

Only loved ones

  • Skip Section A entirely
  • Extend Section B to 30–35 minutes
  • Ask 4–5 questions instead of 3–4

Mixed group

  • Run both sections within the time given
  • Make room for both perspectives
  • Invite mutual validation: “So that's what it's like from where you sit”

Two things you do every week

The check-in and the guidelines

The check-in

Each person gives a mood number, then says where their hope tank sits. The point is that the two can be different — and tracking them week by week is how the group sees progress it would otherwise miss.

1. Mood level

1Depressed
2Sad
3Neutral
4Good
5Stable

2. Hope tank

EmptyFull

The four community guidelines

Read in full in Part 1, briefly recalled in Part 2.

  1. Confidentiality. What is said here stays here. That is what makes honesty possible.
  2. We don't give advice. We listen without judging and speak from our own experience. Not “you should” — instead, “what I went through was…” and “tell me more.”
  3. We are mutual support, not a replacement for professionals. A complement, never a substitute. Refer clearly when it's needed.
  4. Language of hope. We validate the pain and still believe in the possibility. We avoid details that could be triggering for others.

Week 16

The bracelet ceremony

The cycle closes with everyone putting on an “I Choose Hope” bracelet at the same time — a tangible reminder of a decision they will keep making every day. It is the moment participants remember most, so it is worth preparing early.

A woman wearing the white I Choose Hope silicone bracelet
The bracelet as participants receive it — white silicone, the butterfly, and the words "I Choose Hope".
Fresh Hope butterfly

Use the butterfly on yours

Download the mark and send it to your local supplier along with the phrase.

Download the logo

Have the bracelets made locally — start in Week 1

  • Order from a local supplier of silicone or engraved wristbands during the first week of the cycle. Most need two to three weeks, and delays are common.
  • Specify the text I CHOOSE HOPE on the surface. Keep it to that phrase alone — no logo needed, no dates.
  • Order one per participant, plus three or four spares for people who join late or lose theirs.
  • Confirm the size before you order: adult wristbands are usually 202 mm; ask for a mixed batch if your group includes teens.
  • Keep them out of sight until Week 16. The reveal is part of the ceremony.

Ask participants in Week 1 to contribute the cost if your group covers it that way, and confirm the delivery date with your supplier by Week 12 so there is still time to fix a problem.

Get started

Everything you need is in one folder

Facilitator guide for all 16 weeks, the participant handouts, the intro handout, and the closing ceremony. Print the handouts, open the guide, press play on the video.

Download the curriculum

Questions about running the series? Write to info@freshhope.us