Heartlight ministries

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heartlight Ministries is a non-profit Christian Boarding School and therapeutic program for troubled teens located about two hours by car east of Dallas in the Piney Woods region of East Texas.

1 Background
2 Philosophy
3 The Founders
4 External links
5 See also
6 Personal references
7 Professional organizations

[edit] Background

Heartlight was founded in 1989 by Mark and Jan Gregston to help adolescents (ages 13-18) and their families work through difficult situations. It is a 9-12 month Level-based program designed to bring about a turnaround in the thinking and actions of the teenager and to create a closer bond and relationship with parents and family. Heartlight is a co-ed, year-round program for 50 residents, supervised by over 40 staff on a 100-acre campus near Hallsville, Texas.

[edit] Philosophy

Heartlight was founded on the philosophy that an atmosphere of relationships creates an arena for change. All components of the Heartlight program are designed to create an environment of personal relationships and also to provide involvement of the staff in the lives of the residents and their families. Through an intricate weaving together of activities, counseling, teaching, personal relationships, and the involvement of parents in the process of working with a child, Heartlight helps bring about a turnaround in the lives of kids who are struggling.

Each resident meets weekly with a designated staff counselor who is responsible for the emotional care of approximately 10-15 students. Counselors lead group sessions and counseling sessions with the student each week. They are involved in the lives of the young people counseled, as well as with the parents, becoming the "point of contact" for each family. Parents are phoned after individual counseling sessions to provide an update and to discuss important issues. Counselors also meet with the parents during on-site retreats and family weekends.

[edit] The Founders

Mark and Jan Gregston began their work with teens 30 years ago, when Mark was a youth minister at First Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their involvement with Young Life moved them to open their home to work with those who were struggling through crisis family problems. During the 1980s, while living at Kanakuk Kamp in Branson, Missouri, Mark helped start a residential program there. In 1989, Mark and Jan moved with their two children to Hallsville, Texas, where they started Heartlight Ministries in a large house on 100 donated acres. Since then buildings have been added including several log-house style resident homes and a large conference and counseling center.