Valerie K. Norton is Founder and President of Living Waters Ministries, Inc (formerly House of Hope S.W. Michigan) , A ministry that brings healing and restoration to troubled teens and women in various areas. Hosting INTO THE WILDFLOWERS weekend retreats and 11 week programs for sexually abused girls, many have found the healing they need. Hosting seminars like SET APART GIRL with Eric and Leslie Ludy, many teen girls find their value and are helped to pursue their God given destinies. Through prayer times and inner healing ministries, many have found a more intimate walk with God and changed the direction of their lives from destructive choices, to fulfilling lives rooted in a deep relationship with Christ. Going into public schools of America to save physical lives and challenge young people to consider their life choices in areas like drugs, alcohol, bullying, suicide, partnering with an organization called BREAK THE GREY is another way Living Waters Ministries is making a huge difference in this culture. She event manages for BREAK THE GREY concerts that top off a week worth of up to 12 assemblies in public schools. Bill Ballenger and his band BALLENGER, perform a concert at the end of the week, where he shares Christ as the way his life was changed, and helps the students to see their need for Christ as their Lord, bringing hundreds to Christ after every concert. Booking appearances in area churches, youth ministries, and organizations, Valerie and Living Waters Ministries is making a difference. This partnership with Break the Grey has been an amazing merger of two shared visions! In 2010 -2011 alone over 56,000 students were reached!
A native of Michigan, Valerie attended Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois and Appalachian Bible Institute, in Bradley, West Virginia, for Christian Counseling and Youth Ministry. She was a youth leader for over 25 years, bringing troubled teens into her home mentoring, teaching, and guiding them. Her heart was driven with compassion and God’s love for them. Through out the years, Valerie was saddened she could not help more teens than she could fit in her home. She was trained for 4 year through the National House of Hope training program and conferences. She saw the need for troubled teens to understand life-changing principles based on God's Word. Valerie saw through her work with troubled teens that there is no lasting help when Jesus Christ can't be shared. Valerie continues to see a need for a resident home and boarding school where those reached through Break the Grey, as well as reaching into troubled homes across her community, could go for continued healing and restoration. She would like to follow the National House of Hope Model and open this home when the timing is right.
Valerie asked Christ to be her Lord at the tender age of 7, at a vacation Bible School, and has followed Him with all her heart ever since. To spread the news of Jesus Christ to everyone she meets has been a life long mission. However, Valerie received a call from God to troubled teens at the age of 16 at Hiawatha Youth Camp when she was praying for God’s will in her future. He spoke to her heart and told her she would be ministering to teenagers and marry someone who would also have the same heart. Years later, she met and married John Norton, who has also spent 27 years as a youth pastor, and mentoring the teens brought into their home.
Besides being a youth leader for over 25 years, Valerie served on the board of a local Nonprofit home school co-op organization called, “SHARE, INC.” for many years where she took her own children for enrichment classes and sports. She also took many of the teens she mentored to this program. She taught several classes for teens there, and worked with teens in a drama program. Valerie sits on the advisory board of Leaps and Bounds Inc., a ministry to help fight child abuse, and continues to be the Event Manager for Break the Grey (www.breakthegrey.com).
She has completed her courses at Radiant School of Ministry through Radiant Church in Richland, Michigan. She received her Advanced Biblical Counseling Certification through American Association of Christian Counselors in 2009.
John Norton, Val's husband, served as a youth pastor for over 25 years, and is a Master Electrician. He has owned and managed several businesses. He also attended Appalachian Bible Institute for Youth Ministry. He served as president on the executive board of Building Trades Credit Union, in Battle Creek, Michigan for many years. He also served on the board of an area church for many years. Valerie and John have been actively involved in various types of ministry at Lake Ann Camp (a Youth Camp) in Lake Ann, Michigan, for many years.
Valerie and John have two children, Nathan (now married and working at Kellogg Corporate), and Cassie (Intern Director for Break the Grey). They have many surrogate children they have mentored and nurtured in the Lord through out their 37 year marriage.