Dr. Chuck F. Betters, founder of MARKINC Ministries, has released a new book, "Learning to See When the Lights Go Out," a deeply personal exploration of grief, faith, and hope. The book, which is based on sermons he preached in the weeks following the sudden death of his sixteen-year-old son, Mark, aims to guide readers through their own seasons of suffering.
The narrative begins with a serene evening in Betters' backyard, reflecting on God's faithfulness, only to be shattered days later by a phone call: "Your son has been in an accident. You need to come now." That moment plunged the Betters family into unimaginable grief, prompting questions that every grieving parent asks: Can we still trust a God who allows such pain? How do love and sovereignty coexist in tragedy?
Rather than offering platitudes, Betters walks readers through these hard questions with remarkable transparency. He shares his own wrestling with doubt and despair, yet consistently points to the steadfastness of God's character. "I hope readers discover hope in the middle of their own crisis," Betters says. "Our journey has taught us that suffering does not have the final word. God does."
This conviction has shaped Betters' ministry. Following Mark's death, he and his wife, Sharon, founded MARKINC Ministries, an organization dedicated to bringing help and hope to hurting people worldwide. The ministry has since expanded to include counseling, teaching, writing, and speaking, touching lives across the globe.
Betters' pastoral career spans forty-eight years, during which he served churches in Philadelphia and Delaware, founded Red Lion Christian Academy, and pastored Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church for over three decades. He is also the author of "Teaching Them Young" and "Harlots & Heroines," and coauthor of "Treasures of Faith." His writing, inspired by Charles Spurgeon, is described in three words: loss, hope, purpose. When asked about his greatest challenge, he cites finding time rather than finding words, and his remedy for writer's block is simple: perseverance.
The book, published by Lucid Books, a Houston-based partnership publisher, offers readers more than sympathy; it provides a steady assurance that God remains faithful even in life's darkest valleys. Betters' message is one of hope, not just for the grieving, but for anyone facing unanswered questions or seasons of profound suffering.
For those interested in learning more about Lucid Books and their mission to help authors inspire and inform, visit lucidbookspublishing.com.
