Author: Greg Schaffer
Submitted: December 10, 2018
Tell us a little about yourself. I participated in my first small group with a ministry called Restore in 2011 and then became a facilitator with the ministry to help others find their direction toward a purposeful life. My firsthand experiences of seeing lives changed through such healing groups led me to write Leaving Darkness, hoping the tale of transformation through God's grace may encourage those lost in their own darkness to reach out for help.
What was your motivation behind this project? I hope that, by blending fiction with ministry experiences, readers may be helped through the story of a young man on the brink of suicide who, through participation in a small group ministry, finds a path out of the darkness of depression.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? My goal is that some struggling can possibly relate to Leaving Darkness and that the novel may trigger within them the motivation to reach out for help, and that others simply enjoy the uplifting tale of finding hope and faith.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? I was called to write Leaving Darkness and while it was a daunting task taking nearly two years, I feel closer to God for having responded to HIs call.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? The ministry Restore Small Groups influenced both a portion of this book and my own faith journey.
