Over the years Heartlight has become one of the finest residential Christian counseling centers of its kind, with an added national outreach to families that includes publishing, radio, internet and live and recorded seminars.

Heartlight is firmly attached to its mission – helping families with teens who struggle. Some of the new opportunities for Heartlight include the development of the Heartlight Radio program, growing weekly, with new networks and stations adding Heartlight to their air-time schedule every week.

Mark Gregston’s new book, When Your Teen is Struggling, released in January, was chosen as a premier Harvest House publication and is now already scheduled for a second printing.  Mark has started work on his second book, The Many Faces of Rebellion. MORE OF THIS ARTICLE >>>

The launch of Heartlight Radio this past fall has been an exciting development in our ministry. The radio broadcast hit the airwaves in September with a weekly program dedicated to bringing help and hope to parents. And its outreach is expanding rapidly! By April 2007, Heartlight Radio will be on more than 700 stations across the United States, sharing its message of real hope and practical help with thousands of listeners. With moderator Wayne Shepherd and host Mark Gregston, the hourlong program weaves interviews of special guests with true stories from residents of Heartlight. Parents can also participate by calling in with questions or concerns pertaining to their teens. MORE OF THIS ARTICLE >>>

“When Your Teen Is Struggling shares Gregston’s observations and experience working with disturbed teens, using personal stories and case histories to encourage readers not to lose faith when the situation looks dire. He helps them see the bigger picture when dealing with adolescents who seem to be drowning in life’s undertow. He encourages readers to persist and gives them skills to throw these teens a lifeline. Using biblical and practical insight, he speaks directly to problems that confront both parents and teens.”
—Aspiring Retail

Mark just finished writing another book entitled A Look at Adoption…from the Other Side sharing his reflections about parenting adopted kids, his love for the adoption process, and his advice to help families deal with issues surrounding adoption. He shares his insight gained from having more than 600 “adopted kids” live with him throughout the last 30 years. A strong supporter of adoption, Mark encourages future parents to consider all “sides” of adoption, in hopes of bettering everyone involved in the process. The book is slated to be released in a few months. MORE OF THIS ARTICLE >>>

After 20 years of wear and tear on the Guy’s Main House, the Heartlight Foundation Board has decided to remodel the 6,000 square foot house into an Educational and Recreational building. This facility will then become the center for academic classrooms and recreational opportunities at Heartlight. We will convert the existing brick structure into a log home, allowing it to fit the rustic motif of the rest of the buildings on the Heartlight property. MORE OF THIS ARTICLE >>>

If someone would have told us that Michael Martin Murphey (songwriter of the 70’s hit song “WildFire”) would be sitting on the steps of the Heartlight Conference Center singing for us, we never would have believed it. But this past year it became a reality.

“Murph” came to benefit Heartlight’s program twice this past year, first on the grounds of Heartlight, complete with hay bale-seating and an incredible chuck-wagon meal prepared by John Schaffner and then at a Cowboy Christmas Concert benefit for Heartlight.  Our sincere thanks go out to Murph for his support of Heartlight.

Few people get a standing ovation just for playing the guitar. Doyle Dykes was one of those people as he played at the Spirit of Heartlight dinner held in Dallas both this year and last. Doyle also joined us on the campus of Heartlight for another performance for the kids and friends of Heartlight in November. His love for Heartlight, his love for music, his wonderful daughter Haley, and his willingness to come to Heartlight was a blessing to us all!

For the past three years, we’ve been fortunate to host singer/songwriter Paul Overstreet at Heartlight. This year, he was back for another evening of rousing music, bringing along friends Jim Collins and Leslie Satcher from Nashville. They performed at Heartlight in an “in the round” songwriters concert - a setting that the Longview News Journal called “East Texas’ best kept secret.” It was a great night and a great time all rolled up into one, with the proceeds benefiting the young people and their families at Heartlight.