New book “Hope One” offers practical, faith-based guide to transform lives through lasting hope
Author and ministry leader Scott Highberger announced the release of Hope One: A Guide to Foster Hope in the Lost, a powerful and practical resource designed to equip individuals to make a lasting impact in the lives of those struggling with addiction, instability, and spiritual disconnection.
Written for ministry leaders, family members, friends, and church communities, Hope One provides clear, actionable guidance for walking alongside individuals who feel lost. These are people often marked by cycles of addiction, repeated legal trouble, or an inability to find direction and stability. Highberger challenges readers to move beyond simply “helping” in temporary ways and instead embrace a deeper calling to “hope one”—investing in others in ways that lead to lasting, life-changing transformation.
“There’s a profound difference between helping someone in the moment and instilling hope that can change their life forever,” says Highberger. “Hope One is about equipping people to do the latter.”
Drawing from more than 35 years of personal and professional experience—including 20 years in a destructive lifestyle and 15 years serving in ministry—Highberger offers readers a uniquely authentic and tested perspective. As the founder of Behind the Wire Ministries, a prison ministry and long-term residential reentry program for men, he has dedicated his life to helping individuals break free from destructive patterns and discover a God-centered, productive life.
Highberger is also a national speaker, regularly addressing organizations, churches, and institutions on how to effectively reach and support those who are struggling. One question consistently arises in his work: “How do we reach someone who is lost and guide them toward lasting change?” Hope One was written to answer that question.
The book builds on Highberger’s previous work, Behind the Wire: A Prisoner’s Journey to the Pulpit, and his life story, which was featured in the film Pardoned by Grace, starring Joey Lawrence and Michael W. Smith.
Highberger holds a Bachelor of Science in Ministry Leadership from Grace College and a Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies from Wheaton College. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation for Ministry Leaders at Wheaton College.
Hope One: A Guide to Foster Hope in the Lost is an essential resource for anyone who feels called to support those in need of hope, healing, and restoration—offering not just inspiration, but a roadmap for meaningful, lasting impact.
About the Author
Scott Highberger is the founder of Behind the Wire Ministries, a prison ministry and residential reentry program for men. With over three decades of life and ministry experience, he is dedicated to helping individuals find hope, healing, and restoration through faith.
