Teen Troubles Causing All

the Joy to Leave Your Home?

You’re aware that a problem exists with your teenager, but you’ve already tried everything you know to do and the problem is only getting worse.  That’s what The Gathering at Heartlight is all about.  In one weekend, you’ll gain specific training for managing challenging behaviors in teenagers. 

As a parent, you will develop the new relational skills you absolutely need to deal with your teenager in his or her current state, and you’ll develop a plan for real change within the life of your teen and in your home.   

The 3-day training seminar and retreat is hosted by Mark Gregston, author, national radio host and the Director of the Heartlight Residential Center for Struggling Teens. Several Heartlight counselors will also participate in leading sections of the 3-day seminar. 

The Gathering at Heartlight 

August 21-23, 2008 

You’ll learn what may be causing your teenager to spiral downward, and how to stop this freefall to disaster. You’ll also learn how to intervene and deal with specific situations and capably provide the appropriate response to intense arguing, anger, defiance, and rebellion.

Most of all, you’ll come away with a more complete understanding of your family dynamics, and gain a renewed sense of purpose, energy and confidence to deal with your teenager.

The Venue…

The Gathering at Heartlight is held in the beautiful Heartlight Conference Center, on the Heartlight 100-acre wooded campus located in Hallsville, Texas, about 2 hours east of Dallas.

How to Register…

BY PHONE: Call 903-668-2173 for more information, to receive a brochure in the mail, or to register for the next Gathering at Heartlight. 

REGISTER ONLINE: See the online brochure and register online at www.thegatheringatheartlight.com.

Tell Your Friends…

Pass this on to a friend who needs help with their own teenager, or a youth worker, pastor or teacher who would benefit learning what it takes to deal with today’s teenagers.

This is our one big event of the year as far as coming together to raise funds specifically for the Heartlight residential program.  We do so through a Silent and Live Auction, as well as through sponsorships of tables at the event.

The night’s activities will begin with the Silent Auction, giving everyone plenty of time to meander, mingle, and meet. Then, Doyle Dykes, one of the finest guitarists in the world, will be entertaining us during dinner.  He recently mesmerized us with his talent in a concert held at Heartlight.  To celebrate Heartlight’s upcoming 20th Anniversary, I’ve invited our first Heartlight resident and her dad to speak to us, sharing their perspective “20 years later.” I will give a short update on the growth of the ministry, and we’ll close things out with a Live Auction.

Would you please join us?  It will be an evening you’ll remember for years to come.  Just call 903.668.2173 to R.S.V.P. 

Even if you can’t be present, perhaps you can “participate from afar?” You can do this a couple of ways:

First, we’re looking for more items for the auction. Perhaps you have or know of someone who does have some valuable items that might be helpful. Here are some ideas: art, antiques, your company’s product, time shares, events (concerts, fishing trips or hunts), flying lessons, guns, gift baskets, or services. Just about anything goes, and it is one way that people can help.

Or, maybe you can make some phone calls and secure some items for us. Whatever you can do in this regard, please let Amanda Cox know. You can reach her at our office at 903.668.2173.

Another way you could help would be to sponsor a table. These table sponsorships are for $1,000 or $2,500. Of course, the $2,500 tables would be up front. You can do this and come to the event, or sponsor a table without coming. If you wanted to come and bring a table full of people, this is most helpful.

Basically, our hand is out to you, inviting your participation at any level. Heartlight has made it 20 years because of the involvement of our friends.

We hope to see you there. 

Mark and Jan Gregston

Heartlight Ministries, a residential counseling center in the beautiful Piney Woods Region of East Texas, is seeking dedicated and committed single Christian men and women who will pour their lives into building relationships with our teenage residents. Our staff make an incredible difference in the life of teenagers through life-on-life relationships.

Heartlight is designed for adolescents from Christian homes whose circumstances necessitate an alternative living arrangement outside of their home. Heartlight is evangelical in its theology, committed to excellence in its staff and facility, and progressive in its program to help adolescents and their families. Heartlight is celebrating its 20th year of ministry and enjoys endorsement by well known Christian counselors. It is one of the leading facilities of its kind in the U.S.

Heartlight provides many opportunities to enhance the lives of each staff member, with extensive staff training, fellowship and recreational opportunities, including water sports, horseback riding, rock climbing, paintball, rappelling, fishing, and more. Most former staff members say that the experience changed them as much as it changed the teenagers under Heartlight’s counseling care.

If you know of a young Christian man or woman, age 21 or more, who would be interested in serving in our ministry, please pass this on to them.

Contact Emily Roberts at Heartlight: 903-668-2173, ext. 24.

www.heartlightministries.org/employment.htm

– PLEASE PRINT AND POST –

Hi Jan & Mark:

First, I know I didn’t really thank you guys a lot when I left, it was so unreal - that graduation dinner. Coming to Texas and being looked after by everyone, the talks with the counselors, and especially Susan and you made me finally feel the love and attention that I shut out for so long.

Heartlight saved my life, gave me a new chance in school, gave my family the hope and communication that they needed to let me go, and it brought God back into my life.

All of the times I thought I was ready to come home, every minute I stayed longer, I grew and learned more about myself.

I wish that you could feel the appreciation and gratitude I have for all that you gave me. Jan, hearing your story and feeling the empathy you share, and the advice and open-minded perspectives Mark gave to me, and just the warm, friendly, funny, genuine loving family of yours made me comfortable and trusting in you all, and it totally restored my heart — even though it didn’t happen overnight.

Thank you so much for not ever giving up on me, for listening to me, and for helping my family make it through another year. I can’t tell you how many times a day my mom says how grateful she is for all of this. She says that you, your family, Susan, and Angel are all angels, and we both truly believe that. I look through the pictures of everyone at Heartlight and I cry. I know I will never forget one memory from it.

I’m not going to stop writing, calling, and visiting you. I love you guys and I can’t imagine not having you in my life. You guys are family to me and my family. Please don’t ever stop being my family. I hope you know now that I’m not forgetting you or ungrateful.

I’m pretty excited — my first real sober Christmas!

I plan to go snowboarding in January for the first time. I’m stoked! After Christmas break I plan to get a job at a pet store and get my driving permit. I’ll be 17 and just getting it. I am a year behind in school, but I’m doing great. My GPA from this semester is 3.5! The school says I’m a great student. I haven’t heard that since the fifth grade!

Well, I really hope you guys are doing well. I hope you all have a great Christmas and a safe New Year. Please give Maile and Maycee hugs for me, and tell Blake and Melissa “Hi” as well. Again, thank you for everything,

Love,

(name withheld for privacy)

Jon Rivers, host of 20 The Countdown Magazine and morning program host for K-Love Radio, says this about the program, “Mark Gregston has one of the most powerful teen ministries in existence. His Parenting Today’s Teens radio program is relevant and effective in a painful world for teens. He is making a real difference.”

The goal of the Parenting Today’s Teens radio program is to provide tools, insights and encouragement to parents of teens and pre-teens. The program will also direct the listener to other helpful resources and training developed by Heartlight on various teen parenting issues.

Mark Gregston shares why he started the program, “If parents listen and implement the practical things we talk about, they’ll be better equipped to deal with their teen and turn things around when the teen is spinning out of control. We can only help so many kids at Heartlight, so this way we can hopefully help many more who don’t have a chance to come to Heartlight.  Radio stations have already told us there is no other program like it, so that puts us in a perfect position to get on a broad number of radio stations and to help millions of parents.”

For those who are interested in helping us get the word out to local radio stations, a demo kit is currently being produced.  If you’d like to help, or if you represent a radio station, just send us an email at radio@parentingtodaysteens.org saying you’d like to help and we’ll send you a copy of the program demo kit. The radio program will also be avaliable online and via podcast on Itunes and various other podcasting websites, plus via RSS feed and by automatic email. 

A corresponding new web site focusing on teen parenting issues (www.parentingtodaysteens.org) is also under construction, which will feature a broad variety of resources, tools and tips not only from Heartlight but also from other trusted sources.

Michael Martin Murphey, the “singing cowboy poet,” is the number one, best-selling singer/songwriter of American Cowboy Music and one of the world’s more respected singer/songwriters in the Country-Western field.  He is best known for his song, “Wildfire,” the top song in May of 1975, though he has written numerous songs for dozens of today’s most popular musical artists. 

Even though you may not be able to attend, if you would like to use this opportunity to send a gift in support of Heartlight, you may do so online by clicking here, or by mailing your Christmas gift to the Heartlight Foundation, P.O. Box 480, Hallsville, Texas 75650. 

When you give, be sure to request the new Heartlight mug, filled with Dean & Delucca gourmet coffee. It is our gift to those who give $25 or more this Christmas.

Next year we hope to have an online auction as well, for those who cannot attend the concert, but if you have tickets and can attend, we encourage you to check out the many auction items including Michael Martin Murphey autographed guitars, several rare western guns including an authentic stagecoach shotgun, a saddle, several beautiful Thomas Kincade paintings and numerous other unique items. Bring your checkbook and be prepared to bid on these one of a kind items before the concert or during the intermission. 

All gifts are tax-deductible and will be used to provide a way for struggling teenagers to receive help from Heartlight.  Thank you.

I’m excited to make our latest newsletter available to you via electronic means. Sending it this way saves postage and printing costs, allowing more funds to be applied toward helping parents and teenagers in crisis.

It also gives me the chance to share with you how God is using Heartlight to change the lives of hurting kids and keep you updated on a more regular basis.

For many families, Heartlight is their last resort in a never-ending cycle of pain and confusion. On their behalf, we thank you for helping underwrite some of the costs to give kids and parents physical, emotional, and spiritual support in their time of need. 

The issues teenagers deal with aren’t going away any time soon. So we really do depend on friends like you to help us continue to offer a biblically-based alternative to families looking for residential care for their struggling kids. Though we charge a fee for a teenager’s time at Heartlight, your gifts allow some kids to be helped whose parents otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it.

Please know how grateful Jan and I, and over forty five of our staff, are for your support of Heartlight, especially when we can accomplish this totally online and save costs that way.

Thanks again for your support and may God bless you!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT A DONATION COUPON (to mail)

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE NEWSLETTER

The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to see the newsletter and coupon files.

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.

Mark’s most recent booklet A Look at Adoption From the Other Side is now available. The number of Heartlight resources is rapidly increasing. Our booklets on topics like cutting, discipline, and control issues are already available. Parent training on DVDs and CDs with the Dealing with Struggling Teens series is also complete and two new curriculum kits for church and small group study will be released later this year.

Heartlight has made big strides in its web presence, with an updated main site and new websites developed for Heartlight Radio and Heartlight Resources. We have also launched programs of instructing and encouraging parents via email, blogs, and podcasts.

The dream of Heartlight has come a long way this year in its development. With the current explosion of our ministry, we believe Heartlight’s best years are still ahead. Our past success has created an arena for a ministry that will flourish and grow with each passing year. Our mission is clear, and remains the same. We’ll stay true to form, serving in excellence and depending on God for our daily direction for the teens who come to stay with us and with those He puts before us.

Our guests have included a variety of parenting experts, including Michael Blackman of Fuller Seminary, Dr. Melody Rhode of Bellingham, Washington, Michael Card of Franklin, Tennessee, Dr. Larry Crabb, Dr. Joe White of Kanakuk Kamps, and Mark’s wife, Jan Gregston. Many of these broadcasts were recorded and are now available for purchase. Look for the Heartlight Radio CD audio sets entitled Disciplining Your Teen, Preparing for the Difficult Years, Parenting Through the Pain, Spinning Out of Control, and When Your Teen is Struggling at our website www.HeartlightResources. com.

To find out more about Heartlight Radio and our station listings in your area, please visit our website at www.HeartlightRadio.org

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.

Mark is also writing The Many Faces of Rebellion. Most young people who come to live for a time at Heartlight are struggling with rebellion. In the midst of developing relationships with and counseling these young people, Mark has learned that what is “rebellion” to one, is a healthy attempt to live life to it’s fullest to another. Mark will share his insights and experiences through “story telling” the lives of 25 young people, and disclose the many lessons he learned from them in an effort to help parents deal more effectively with rebellious teenage behavior.