Program Information

  • Safe loving environment for women and women with their children.
  • discipleship programs through Bible studies, Christian education and intensive classes.
  • Substance abuse recovery through NA, AA and Recovery Coaching.
  • The Genesis Process, a recovery and relapse prevention program.
  • Educational advancement through GED, community college, computer literacy classes and tutoring.
  • Personal and spiritual development
  • Nutrition and fitness

Son Shine Lighthouse Ministries is a 1-year, Christ-centered program designed to help women and also women with children. It is a voluntary program, serving women from a variety of backgrounds. For some women, this is the chance to get their children back who are involved in a CPS case and who may be living in foster care. For all women, it the Lighthouse is a safe, loving, home environment where residents are in a highly structured and supervised environment. The emphasis is on transformation through a life-giving discipleship program.

The daily schedule includes addiction recovery programs, life skills, parenting, job readiness, GED study (if needed), and social skills. These classes are offered on a daily basis throughout our 1 year program. Women in our program get daily Bible study classes where they learn about God and how to form a lasting relationship with our Lord and Savior. Women are also involved in daily work chores and assignments. These tasks teach them responsibility and self-discipline needed for change and growth. Our program has four phases, each of which carries individual goals and requirements in order to move up in the program. In phases 1 and 2 the women are required to memorize scriptures, complete book assignments, and attend all classes and church services that we provide. Phases 3 and 4 are individualized to meet our resident’s personal needs but usually include locating work and transitioning back into the world. Although our program is approximately a year in length, we understand that each person is unique and therefore we do not require women to leave before they are ready to rejoin society. We have an extension to our program called “Extended Stay” where she can stay and pay nominal rent while taking advantage of the structure of the program and also continuing to save money to get out on her own.

While in the program, each woman is assigned to a mentor with whom they meet with once a week. These meetings give the resident the opportunity to share their struggles, talk about their progress, and pray with their mentor. During their time at SSLM the residents will find a sponsor through one of their recovery programs such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous or other Recovery courses in the community. They also connect with local churches and learn about becoming servants and ministers themselves.

We currently serve women and their children. We have full time and part time staff members. We are a Christ-centered faith based organization which provides no-cost services to our residents and we are funded by churches, organizations and individuals.

Testimonial

My name is Regina Glass. I am 39 years old.  My parents separated when I was very young and my mother raised my brother and me as a parent, while she did the best she could to raise us, for the most part, she was absent from our lives. The first time I was sexually abused I was only five years old. I was molested several times by different individuals from the ages of 5-13. I never told and through the years I internalized all the feelings of pain and shame and took it upon myself. . I was never able to talk about it until going through counseling this year. Though I wasn’t raised in church, I was drawn to it from about the age of 8. It’s like I knew subconsciously that Jesus was the answer, a truth I would later come to know on a very personal level.  Due to teenage pregnancy, I married at 16.  I stayed in the marriage for 6 years, having a son and daughter. When the relationship finally ended in divorce, my husband was awarded custody of the children because he had established primary residence by keeping them from me for 10 months during our separation. It was at this time that drugs and alcohol entered my life. I didn’t know any other way to deal with the pain of losing my children. Using and drinking offered an escape from the pain that tormented me day and night. The next 17 years would be downward spiral each level lower than the one before. I was arrested for possession of drugs and sentenced to prison. I was in and out of one abusive relationship after another and the relationship with my children so badly broken it seemed nothing would ever change. I was completely lost and hopeless. I met Jesus in jail cell. I gave God an ultimatum that if he was real he was going to have to “show me”. Honestly, he hasn’t stopped showing me since. God has saved my life on several occasions and there is no doubt that it is only by His design that I am still alive, breathing, and fighting for a better life today. I believe that all He has brought me through was intended for such a time as this. Today, I am clean and sober from drugs and alcohol and working my recovery. My 6-yr. old daughter, Journey and I graduated from Son Shine Lighthouse on August 1, 2017. Shortly after, we entered a two-yr. program in Mt. Pleasant, Hope Ministries of Northeast Texas. We have a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment and we love it here! Journey started first grade and I am enrolled at Northeast Texas Community College, majoring in Executive Office Professional, A.A.S. We have something we didn’t have a year ago. We have Hope! Our lives were truly transformed during our time at Son Shine and we will forever be grateful!

Son Shine Kids

Our children are a gift from God to be treasured. Here at Son Shine Lighthouse it is our number one goal to reunite mothers with their children. Upon entering the doors at SSLM children will see an atmosphere of structure paired with wholesome family activities. All of the children who live on site attend West Rusk ISD schools. Families attend local area churches each Sunday.