Used by permission. Youthful leaders' inexperience and navet have led some to wrong, ill-advised, and hasty actions. In total, I was away for 20 months and the people at Heartlight didn't care one bit in any way. Heartlight Provides Positive Resources for Daily Christian Living. We strive for excellence in our program, activities, facility, and staff, where an atmosphere of relationships creates an arena for change. Except where noted, scripture quotations are taken from the Easy-to-Read Version 2001 by Bible League International. Since our humble beginning in 1988, Heartlight has become the countrys premier residential counseling center and boarding school for struggling teens aged 13-17. All donations are tax exempt. Terms of Use | Your Privacy | Web Privacy Policy | Site map | Advertise with us It could well be the case you'll have to wait patiently for a few years until she finally comes back to herself. After our child left we contacted Heartlight and sought help, they did Nothing! Eventually, a church may restore some fallen pastors to leadership. The Heartlight Boarding School has been home to more than 2,500 teens throughout the years. The personal testimonies of those abused report the repeated and frequent abuse of power, position, and influence over them. The kids live with Christian staff and the idea is that they will pick up good values by living with them. Teens consent to live at the boarding school for about one year to receive focused intervention. I was sent to Heartlight over 10 years ago. Through the years, more and more log cabins were built, reflecting more of a relaxed atmosphere that invited deep conversations, loving relationships, effective Christian based counseling program, and an active lifestyle. Lessons learned from those that have struggled with their teens, are communicated to parents preparing their child for the teen years, or find themselves caught in the turbulent adolescent years with their teen through the mediums of the spoken and written word. It would have saved a lot of heartache for me.. If you are uncomfortable with coming forward, but want to help in the investigation, GRACE will once again be creating an anonymous way for you to share your story that only they will see. So, yes, we must confront pastoral abuse in our churches because it is something the Lord despises and goes against all HE did while on earth. Mark Gregstron's legendary work with teens began in 1978 as youth minister in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The findings of that investigation tragically revealed that, indeed, multiple students in our youth ministry were abused during Waller's tenure at TCPC.. Mr. Rice was not an employee or member of our congregation, but was close friends with the previously-investigated Brad Waller. The complete library of all 10 pocket books (50-150 pages each) written by Mark Gregston to answer the most asked questions of parents of teens today. A camps activities can be seen in all the program schedules. Phone: 903.668.2173 From his 45 years of experience of working with teens and their families, Mark shares his insight and wisdom through seminars, retreats, and conferences, taking up all his free weekends. Never had a job as far as I know. Mark And his wife started out with an amazing vision and built on that with their bodies and souls. They did nothing to help me and I sincerely hope this demonic place burns in Hell forever. Hearltight ministries has an amazing campus, with a great staff, but the real test was the . We offer six short-but-profound devotionals and five in-depth devotionals that help you live for Jesus each day. Employment, Learn more about the program and our facilities in Longview, TX , Learn more about our phone counseling services . All rights reserved. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Premier Author- Mark Gregston, Heartlight Ministries. We seek to raise awareness and to change the law to protect the teenagers in these programs from harm. When I arrived, I was so angry, I wouldn't even look at my parents. Jesus calls these false leaders thieves and wolves who prey on God's precious sheep. Jesus' definition of a JesuShaped shepherd aligns well with HIS stated mission as a leader in Mark 10. Christian Boarding School | Heartlight Christian Boarding School. Childabuse.com, "site" is only intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice from a physician, or other professional educator. That said, if there are others, we urge you to come to us with that information (please email me at pastor@tcpca.org). You can also attend one of their parent conferences that they hold to try to help keep your teen out of a program. The admissions counselors spoke with me at length about my daughters situation before we enrolled her at Heartlight. The beauty of the Lord's description of the Good Shepherd shines through to us. I have wept at the thought of a high school student being exposed to this alleged abuse because of their involvement at the church I love and pastor. Our . Luckily, she is home and on track now. Still, it was my first visit to campus that made me feel comfortable with sending her there. The campus is second to none in the industry. "Heartlight was the light in the midst of darkness for our struggling teen daughter, giving us hope when we were hopeless." "Mark has the God-given talent of probing the heart of a teenager, identifying their struggle and offering a common sense biblical perspective on living through it. Mark has taken all the experience he has gained in working in the various youth ministry experiences and developed resources to help parents nationwide. Guest. i was put on five different self harm restrictions, and during each one i begged for help. Both parents commitment to their child and involvement with their child while at Heartlight and commitment to the folks and program at Heartlight is essential for the best opportunity for a positive outcome . Need help finding a Christian Boarding School that may potentially best fit your teens needs? Our approach is loving and non-threatening, building trust and relationships as well as several forms of counseling and 24/7 care. I felt as if this was the Lord's inspired antidote to the blatant disregard of JesuShaped leadership demonstrated by the recent exposure of spiritual abuse. The amount of rage I feel when talking about this is starting to rise, and I would just like some advice. Why did Mark include it in his gospel? The treatment team wasn't working in lock step to help my child. Create your own Book of Local Secrets today to share with . The buildings are all recently-built log cabin style structures (on the outside) to make the campus feel home-like, serene, and inviting. 16,155 talking about this. Gregston has written about sexuality on his Heartlight parenting blog before, once advising parents of teen girls who are dating girls, dont blow up and label your child a homosexual, or that label could stick!, He suggested understanding, but noted that some teenagers are in same-sex relationships because they just want to be different, or, because theyre currently a fad., Jordan spoke out about the frenzy surrounding Sarahs situation on Thursday, writing on Twitter, Im going to invite you to unfollow me now if you think being gay is something you should preach out of a person. Parenting with Worry VS Parenting with Wisdom, Dealing With Tragedy in the Aftermath of Boston Bombings, Tough Guys and Drama Queens Parent's Guide, Parenting Teens Library (all 10 pocket books! Would they protect themselves with weapons? I'd recommend it to any family in need. Childabuse.com by Chase Enterprises, LLC does not endorse any referred website sites, or products offered. At this point, only one survivor has come to us with allegations. Learn why Heartlight exists What is The Heartlight Boarding School? These people are crazy. Come learn how to get your teen on the right path in life by behavior expert and Heartlight founder, Mark Gregston. There are no guarantees. Churches and God's people must also work to reclaim fallen leaders. That is all we know to share at this time. Their involvement through phone calls, participation at retreats, and commitment to having their child finish the program all work together for a promising return home. You are bound by our legal terms of use of these websites as per their use policies. No wonder Jesus could say that HE lays down HIS life for HIS sheep (John 10:11, 15, 17). When those who claim to lead for Jesus consistently abuse their position, power, and spiritual privilege in the lives of God's people, everyone and everything associated with Jesus and HIS church are damaged. Also, if the parents aren't willing to take part and heal themselves, this program has no chance in working. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Know their sheep personally, so the sheep follow based on that shepherd's life of service and care, not because they are coerced, forced, manipulated, or cajoled. The personal testimonies of those abused report the repeated and frequent abuse of power, position, and influence over them. They also can recommend other programs when Heartlight is full or not a suitable fit for your teen. I am so sorry. Our vision statement is We exist for the glory of Christ and the good of the Bluegrass, and sexual abuse is the very antithesis of that vision. And its understandable that you will worry what it will mean for the reputation of our church. From the pictures, it looks like it has expanded a lot. Heartlights commitment to excellence can be seen in the passion of its staff, the beauty of its facility, the success of its program, and the effectiveness of its work with parents. It is a safe and loving environment, but many parents question the effectiveness of the program. Grow Closer to God and Deepen Your Faith Each Day, Our material always has been and always will be free to use thanks to the generosity of Heartlight readers who financially support our ministry. All of us yes, even our best leaders are sinners. Dedicated to building a program that is saturated in relationships, Mark and Jan lived in the house with kids as the program began, and through the years, the capacity of kids has increased to 56 teens supported by a staff of 40. Follow View all 42 employees . Will parents be ready when their teen needs them the most? Heartlight has given us back our precious girl. It is dedicated to offering help and hope to families in need. Bring God's different sheep together to discover their shared life in Jesus, enjoying the Lord's grace, protection, and power, together. the restrictions included no social events, counting in the bathroom, being in arms reach, and doing physical labor (weeding, raking, taking trash to dumpster, fluffing rocks, cleaning outside of houses, etc) from eight to six. How To Volunteer at The Lighthouse Ministries - The Nehemiah House (for Men): . To this day my parents and I have a very strained relationship and most of it is because of Heartlight. THANK GOD FOR ALL OF YOU AT HEARTLIGHT. We will share their final report when it has been made public. A Public Statement from Pastor Robert Cunningham. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. When we started out almost 30 years ago, my wife Jan and I could never have predicted our small idea of helping kids would one day become a haven of hope and a place of healing for countless families across the U.S. Teens are being bombarded by a highly sexualized culture and over- exposure to behaviors, words and images that can influence them beyond a parent's reach. I give Heartlight 4 out of 5 stars because there is always room for improvement in everything and everyone whether at Heartlight or in our lives. You'd need dirt on both the place and the parents. When I arrived, I was so From family friendly trips with kid friendly activities to local plumbers lawyers, spas, and contractors. Heartlight provides a safe haven of hope for 56 struggling teens at our residential counseling center located in Longview, Texas. parent in this case) must on pain of imprisonment bring the stated person before a court to testify about their detainment, or otherwise be released. Severe family pressure from all quarters can have the desired impact. My experience with Heartlight ministries exceeding my expectations. All donations are tax exempt. We will, of course, get back to the normal rhythms of church life, but we will never move on from this. We did a lot of research before we found Heartlight. Most have a deep, personal, and passionate desire to become JesuShaped leaders. Legal cases can be very costly, and may go nowhere. Enter through the gate, approved by the Chief Shepherd so the sheep can know the Good Shepherd approves of their shepherd. It is a 9-12 month program that helps the teens and family work through five Levels, bringing about a turnaround in the thinking and actions of the teenager and creating a closer bond and relationship with parents and family. Affirming Their Best and Not Giving Up in Their Stumbles. On a recent reading tour through the Gospel of John, I read Jesus' self-definition of the Good Shepherd in John 10. Comes in a handsome signature library sleave. So I want to say, to any and all victims of any and all sexual abuse, we grieve with you, and pray that you will not hold the sins of those who claim to follow Jesus against Jesus. To this day we support Hearlight monthly (because we are grateful) and while I know not every child ends up with the same results our child received I have a frightening idea of where our son would be right now if we had not made one of the hardest decisions of our lives to remove him from our home and send him to Heartlight. I came back home after 15 months and made new friends which led to my joining a garage band. 250,000 Daily Readers Each day Christians of all ages and life stages grow spiritually by using our free resources on social media, in email, and on our website. Heartlight Ministries Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Being adopted, then sent away twice, hurt so much more than it helped. I was eventually kicked out for trying to runaway. The best option is to gain custody, but the easiest way is to have the family put extreme pressure on her parents. brightcove.createExperiences(); The Texas boarding school at the center of Jeremy Jordans family legal drama is speaking out against the Supergirl actors claims that his cousin Sarah is being held there against her will as part of gay conversion therapy. The Lord reminded us that HE served and blessed, suffered, and sacrificed so that God's sheep you and me can have life and have it to the full. i talked to blake about this, and he said that its not a punishment, its a consequence. the definition of punishment is inflicting pain onto someone. i mentioned that and he said well we have to do something thats going to make you not want to do it again. its not a good program, and im sorry for everyone who has to go through that. 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