Support Groups

Christian Support Group Meetings Location:
Asbury Church
6767 South Mingo – Tulsa, OK 74133
We meet in room 2820.
This is a second-floor room. However, there is an elevator for easy access.

When facing a major illness, living with a chronic health challenge, or needing to know how to best cope with a stressful life change or crisis, you don’t have to go it alone—in fact, it’s healthier for you and all concerned that you do not try to go it alone. A support group can help. Support groups are designed to bring people together who are facing similar issues. It can be helpful just to get to talk with other people who are in the same situation.

BRIGHT TOMORROWS recognizes that not only are those diagnosed with specific health challenges in need of support, and educational opportunities, family and friend support givers and caregivers do as well. BRIGHT TOMORROWS offers two different support group opportunities. These are described below.

BRIGHT TOMORROWS SUPPORT GROUP (BTSG) meetings for adults with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder take place September through May, typically on the FIRST & THIRD Thursday evenings (7:00-8:30 p.m.). This is a curriculum-based psycho-educational support program that gives to participants helpful tools. This opportunity inspires hope and affirms the Christian faith as participants join together with others on a similar healing-recovery journey.

PARTICIPANT PRECONDITIONS: One must be an adult who (1) has been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder) or a unipolar disorder (major depressive disorder); (2) has a current medical, clinical, and/or therapeutic care connection; and (3) are current with their medications.

TOPICS INCLUDE: Identity, Stigma, Medication, Holistic Recovery, Healthy Thinking, Rest / Relaxation and Joy, Coping, Cycles & Triggers, Mindfulness, Community, It’s Not Your Fault, and Staying Resilient. *

*Core Curriculum Source: Mental Health Grace Alliance / Living Grace Group Materials (www.mentalhealthgracealliance.org)

• The third Thursday meeting each month joins the BTSG together with the BTFG for a Pizza Party With A Purpose Nite that is a special time for food, fellowship, and focus.
• During “focus” time, Tim Reside facilitates question & answer sessions, discussions, and/or a presentation designed to inspire and inform.
• There are no 4th and 5th Thursday evening meetings.

BRIGHT TOMORROWS FAMILY GROUP (BTFG) meetings take place September through May typically on the SECOND & THIRD Thursday evenings (7:00-8:30 p.m.) for the supporting families or friends of those living with a mental health difficulty or disorder—this is not limited to bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder. This is a curriculum-based psycho-educational support program that is both hope-inspiring and Christian faith-affirming. 

TOPICS INCLUDE: Building Your Faith, Stigma, Communication, Medication, Grieving & Grace, Being Holistic, You’re Not the Hero (self-care), Cycles & triggers, Community, Crisis & Problem Solving, Negative & Destructive Behaviors, Boundaries to Rebuild, Enabling vs. Empowering, Staying Ahead of the Game (prevention planning) *

* Core Curriculum Source: Mental Health Grace Alliance / Family Grace Group Materials

• The third Thursday meeting each month joins the BTFG together with the BTSG. We call this Pizza Party With A Purpose Nite. This is a special time for food, fellowship, and focus. 
• During “focus” time, Tim Reside presents an object lesson that is designed to be inspiring and informative for those dedicated to being courageous survivors and overcoming navigators of the challenges presented by mental and emotional health concerns. This includes caregivers and care recipients alike.
• There are no 4th and 5th Thursday evening meetings.

FACILITATORS: Offered under the auspices of Bright Tomorrows, Tim and Nancy Reside are the co-facilitators of these support groups. Click here for biographical and credential information.

COST: We are supported by the freewill tax-deductible donations of those who benefit and/or appreciate the work and ministry services offered under the auspices of Bright Tomorrows. This includes welcoming churches and para-church organizations to consider including Bright Tomorrows in their benevolence budget.

In addition to donations given in person or by way of postal service, donations can be made online. Simply click on the blue and yellow DONATE button on this website for instructions. In order to ensure that cost not be a prohibitive factor, we do not charge for our services.

DISCLAIMER: Although the results of attending Bright Tomorrows support group meetings are often found to be therapeutic, a support group is not a therapy group. The objective of the support group is not to resolve the deeper mental health-related issues that require one-on-one professional therapeutic assistance. The focus of these Christian support group meetings is two-fold: (1) to provide a safe environment that is faith-affirming, hope-inspiring; and informally structured; and (2) to promote supportive communication among brothers and sisters in Christ who share common experiences, challenges, and concerns.

Bright Tomorrows does not recommend or endorse the use of any specific treatment or medication. Individual group participants must assume responsibility for consulting with their physicians and mental health care providers (psychiatrists, therapists, medical doctors, etc.) regarding medications and treatment protocols.

While all information offered by Tim and/or Nancy Reside, including discussed and suggested coping strategies and skills, are offered in good faith, each recipient is advised that they need to assume personal responsibility for verifying the validity and applicability of such information and/or suggestions. Again, individual group participants should consult with their medical and mental health care providers.

RESEARCH-BASED EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE VALUE OF SUPPORT

The group, Peers for Progress: Peer Support Around the World, observes that research-based evidence supports the assertion that peer support is a critical and effective strategy for ongoing health care and sustained behavior change for people with chronic health challenges. ¹

The Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) has more than 700 support groups for people with depression or bipolar disorder. They have discovered that…

• People who had been attending a DBSA support group for more than a year were less likely to have been hospitalized in the past 12 months. ²

Bright Tomorrows has been facilitating a support group for adults with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder since 2001. During these years we have observed the same trend identified by DBSA.

Grace Alliance (Mental Health Grace Alliance), whose materials Bright Tomorrows utilize, in their preliminary research through Baylor University Psychology Department demonstrates that faith-based, psycho-educational, tool-providing, and community-style support groups like those sponsored by Bright Tomorrows inspire hope, reduce symptoms, enhance recovery, and restores personal faith. ³

The Bright Tomorrows Support Group Mission Statement:
We are dedicated to promoting mental health and assisting those who are struggling with mental illness and/or mental health-related concerns toward healing-recovery as a lifestyle.

Our mission is to offer ongoing support that reflects the compassion of Jesus Christ to individuals struggling with the bipolar or unipolar disorder by…

• INVESTING help
• INSPIRING hope
• INFORMING understanding
• INSTRUCTING in ways that EQUIP and EMPOWER 

Some of the questions that can be raised and discussed are:

• How can I get a clear diagnosis?
• What is major depression?
• What is bipolar disorder?
• How do I handle crises?
• How does one learn how to cope with major depression?
• How does one learn how to cope with bipolar disorder?
• What about psychiatrists, counselors, therapists, and support groups?
• What and where are the sources for getting more information and education?
• How do I become aware of local services available within the community?
• How do I cope with suicidal thoughts?
• What if I have more than one mental health challenge?
• What about faith, religion, and spiritual resources—prayer?
• Can a person with major depression or bipolar disorder be healed?
• What do I do if my loved ones won’t accept that I have an illness?
• What do I do if my loved ones won’t accept that I need help?
• How can I communicate better with my relatives?
• What is my responsibility for my mental health?
• What are the responsibilities of my family and/or friends for my mental health?
• How do I take care of myself in all of this?
• How do I pay for all of this?
• What are all these medications for?
• What if I don’t like the way my medications make me feel?
• What are the best treatments now available?