Dr. Chuck F. Betters, founder of MARKINC Ministries, has announced the release of his new book, "Learning to See When the Lights Go Out." The book, based on sermons he preached in the weeks following the tragic death of his sixteen-year-old son, Mark, explores the intersection of grief, suffering, faith, and hope.
The announcement comes from Magnolia, Texas, where Betters' publisher, Lucid Books, is based. The book offers a deeply personal account of how Betters and his wife, Sharon, navigated the devastating loss of their son. The family's journey began when a phone call delivered the news: "Your son has been in an accident. You need to come now." That moment shattered their world, leaving Betters to wrestle with questions that haunt many grieving parents: Can I still trust the God I have preached about for decades? How can God's love and sovereignty coexist with such tragedy?
In the book, Betters does not shy away from these difficult questions. Instead, he walks readers through them with remarkable transparency, demonstrating that even the deepest pain can become a place where God's faithfulness shines most brightly. "I hope readers discover hope in the middle of their own crisis," Betters said. "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 Sharon founded MARKINC Ministries, an organization dedicated to bringing help and hope to hurting people worldwide. Decades later, the mission continues through counseling, teaching, writing, and speaking. "What began as our greatest loss became a calling to help others navigate theirs," Betters said. "Writing has never simply been a profession for me. It is a calling."
Betters brings nearly five decades of pastoral experience to his writing. He served churches in Philadelphia and Delaware, founded Red Lion Christian Academy, and pastored Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church for over thirty years. He is also the author of "Teaching Them Young" and "Harlots & Heroines," and coauthor of "Treasures of Faith." His ministry has reached global audiences through radio, television, and online platforms.
The book's title reflects a journey from seeing God's goodness in a sunset to learning to see His presence when the lights go out. Betters draws inspiration from Charles Spurgeon and describes his writing journey in three words: loss, hope, purpose. His challenge has never been finding words but finding time, and when writer's block strikes, his solution is simple: perseverance.
Now living in Florida with Sharon, surrounded by their four children, fourteen grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren, Betters continues to lead MARKINC Ministries. For readers facing grief or profound suffering, the book offers more than sympathy—it offers the steady assurance that God remains faithful even in life's darkest valleys.
The book is published by Lucid Books, an independent hybrid publisher in the Houston area. For more information about the publisher, visit lucidbookspublishing.com.
