STARTING A FRESH
HOPE GROUP
How Long It Takes to Start Implementing the Service, Starting a Fresh Hope Group?
01
ACCESSING - Access Plan Subscription 1
Ask the Big Question: Are You Willing? Do you have the capacity to DIY? If you believe that you have enough staff or people in your congregation who are passionate about this ministry and are keen to involve, this option is for you. After selecting this option, go online and register by selecting the Access Plan Subscription and download your Starter Membership Kit.
02
PREPARING
Determining Facilitators and Training -[3-4 weeks, depending on when you want to stat]
Your Starter Membership Kit, includes:
Fresh Hope book (1) | Holding to Hope Book (1) | Electronic Training Manual (Download)| 1 Laminated Tenet Card | First 12 weeks Video Series (Downloads) | 1 set Topic Cards (Download) | 2 Posters | 5 Brochures | Invitation Business Card (Download) | Facilitator Training online access
Determine who will be trained to facilitate (As a peer-led support group, facilitators are to be one with a diagnosis or a loved one. We recommend a minimum of 2 trainees so you have back-up in case one cannot attend).
Submit facilitator applications and letters of recommendation to the Office.
Begin promoting your group's start date and time (Sample PSAs and other suggestions are included in the Promotional Packet).
Start online training. You may complete it individually at your convenience or set up times to train together. Training requires 8-10 hours to complete.
Once the training is completed, contact us for a follow-up conversation with your Regional Coordinator.
03
DOING
* Promoting and Starting Your Group - [8 weeks - Introduction Course]
* Distribute reminders to media and/or area churches during the weeks leading up to your first meeting, especially the week prior.
* Welcome attendees warmly. Consider offering refreshments, have the introductory video playing as people enter.
* Ask all new attendees to fill out a Contact Info Sheet (These are kept in a secure location as they are confidential, but available with emergency contact and follow-up information. Please request approval from each person and send only the names and emails to the International Office for inclusion in our newsletter lists).
* Complete the Meeting Summary after each meeting (Submit to the International Office monthly for inclusion in the statistics so they may be used to obtain grants and for product development). Meeting summaries can be submitted online, or paper forms may also be emailed or mailed.
OPTION Two
Development Plan Subscription 2
Ask the Big Question: Are you willing? Are you committed but you don't have time to plan and implement the Fresh Hope Ministry? Your staff have no space to lead anything extra, but you have people in your congregation that are passionate about this ministry and are willing to be trained as you go, then this option is for you. We will come and help you get it started and prepare your team to take over.
Once you decided on this option, go online and register the Development Plan Subscription. Once we received your registration, we will organize a time to meet with you and your team to start planning.
WEEK 1: We meet with your team to start planning the date, time, location. We start doing some training.
WEEK 2 & 3: Start promoting the course and do some more training of facilitators, administrators and other volunteers
WEEK 4: Preparation for the launch, printing resources and spend time in prayer.
WEEK 5-12: Launch and start running your first group(s). The Fresh Hope team will lead and facilitate the groups, running the course for the 8 weeks, with your facilitators observing.
WEEK 13 - 20: Your team will start facilitating the next 8 weeks of peer support group, with the Fresh Hope team coming along and watch your team leading.
WEEK 21-24: Reviewing & Evaluating, and training of new facilitators, getting ready for the next uptake. Also setting up ongoing online, or onsite, peer support group, and assign your facilitators to lead.
AFTER the first 6 months, we will withdraw and let you run your fresh hope ministry. We will continue to be available to assist as needed and to provide ongoing support.
Become a FHA Coach?
Receive Coaching / Become a Coach.
A Hope Coach comes as a peer alongside someone who is going through a difficult situation, a crisis, or one of the many messes of life. The Hope Coach walks with them, listening empathetically, helping them process their pain, fears and frustrations, and speaking hope into their situation without it becoming toxic positivity, but rather a faith-filled hope based on Romans 8:28
Hope Coaching is a free faith-based Christian program offered by Fresh Hope for Mental Health.
Become a FHA Facilitator?
Join Fresh Hope Australia as a facilitator and play a vital role in supporting those facing mental health challenges. As a facilitator, you’ll receive comprehensive training to lead peer-to-peer support groups, offering a compassionate space where individuals can share, heal, and grow. Fresh Hope equips you with the tools and resources needed to guide participants in finding hope and resilience through their mental health journey.
If you’re passionate about making a difference in your community, becoming a Fresh Hope Facilitator is an impactful way to empower others and foster a supportive, faith-based environment for recovery.
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Fresh Hope has helped thousands of people in spite of a mental health challenge.
FAQ
What does it cost to start a group?
- The Starter Membership Kit is $199 AUD. Everything needed to start a group is included in the kit (see Step 2 above). The Starter Kit includes online training for up to 4 facilitators. If you have more than 4 wanting to train, the cost is $45 per individual. Additional books, brochures, posters, invitation cards, and meeting supplies may also be purchased in our online store.
Group Sponsorship
- Starting a group requires sponsorship either by a church or directly by the Fresh Hope Australia, or Fresh Hope International, if outside Australia. In the case of the Group being sponsored by a Church, this means the Fresh Hope for Mental Health group becomes a ministry of the church, with oversight by the church leadership. Groups may meet in churches, ministry centres, health facilities, or correctional institutions. With approval of the sponsoring church, exceptions of meeting sites may be in private areas of public places (e.g. Public Library meeting room). We will provide you with several free resources to use in introducing Fresh Hope to your church leadership. We expect each group to be accountable to Christ, to their sponsoring entity, and to the established model of Fresh Hope®. A church or organisation may decide at its discretion to use the Fresh Hope® book and mix with other resources or programs. However, use of the Fresh Hope® name is prohibited without active membership (Certified Facilitators, using the Fresh Hope tenets, and following the Fresh Hope method). In the case of the Group being sponsored by the Fresh Hope International Office, groups may meet online or in person at public places and other places approved by the office, except in a home.
Who Leads The Group
- Groups are peer-led and facilitated. In other words, the groups are not expected to be led by a professional mental healthcare person, especially qualified counsellors or psychologists, which would be part of the medical model. Instead, our groups are led by peers and come from a wellness model; that is, with the belief that one can live a rich and full life in spite of a mental health diagnosis. Groups are facilitated by teams of two to four people, preferably those who have a diagnosis, and loved ones, but not restricted to. Pastors and other lay leaders can also facilitate. Following the basis of Fresh Hope support groups being peer-led, we require that at least one of the facilitators has a mental health diagnosis. We encourage you to start your group with at least two trained facilitators, so that you have back-up in case one is unable to attend a meeting. Facilitators are screened through an application process, trained and certified by the Fresh Hope staff. Training is offered in various ways (online or in person) and places. The training requires approximately 10 hours to complete. Once training is completed, please contact the Fresh Hope office in Australia by emailing [email protected] to schedule a post-training interview to complete your certification. Any questions, please contact [email protected]
How To Present Fresh Hope To Your Church or Organisation
- You’re excited about the possibility of your church offering this ministry, and you’re ready to introduce it to your church leaders. You know how busy they are, and you want to be sure to communicate the main points. Download the Presenting Fresh Hope sheet. These step-by-step instructions show you how to present Fresh Hope to your church staff with clarity, conciseness, and passion. Leave the Introducing Fresh Hope sheet with your pastor. It contains a summary of what you’ll have shared with him, plus instructions on where he can go to find more information. Additional free promotional help are available by download through the Fresh Hope Store.
Is Fresh Hope Australia Trademarked?
- The Fresh Hope® name and logo are registered trademarks. Permission to use the name and logo of Fresh Hope® is granted only to those groups with active membership. Items produced for commercial sale using the Fresh Hope® name are strictly prohibited. We expect each group to be accountable to Christ, to their sponsoring church or to Fresh Hope International Office, and to the established model of Fresh Hope®. A church or organisation may decide at its discretion to use the Fresh Hope® book and mix with other resources or programs. HOWEVER, use of the Fresh Hope® name is prohibited without active membership (Certified Facilitators, using the Fresh Hope tenets, and following the Fresh Hope method).
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