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Teen Challenge
by Dana Chaffin Celebrating 50 Years of Miracles By Dana Chaffin The official celebration date is June 25-28, 2008. The need is great for this successful ministry that over 170 centers have opened across the United States, as well as over 200 centers in 77 other countries. Various Teen Challenge centers are celebrating their great achievements throughout the year. Teen Challenge is a ministry that God has truly blessed. Pastor David Wilkerson started Teen Challenge in New York in 1958. In 1957, he read a story in the news of seven teen boys in New York who were on trial for murder. He sensed God wanted him to help these boys. Wilkerson traveled from his home in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania to New York. However, he was not able to meet the boys, but he saw there were many more teens without hope. He saw teens in prostitution, drugs, gangs, & worse they did not know Jesus. This sparked his passion to help teens overcome their addictions and to bring them to Jesus. Teen Challenge is the program that he created to do just that & 50 years later, it continues to positively impact great numbers of teens. Teen Challenge is now one of largest and most successful programs to help teens and adults beat their addictions and find Jesus. Because of its success rate judges, mayors, governors, & law enforcement officials are advocating Teen Challenge. Several United States presidents have noticed the great impact of Teen Challenge. Pastor Wilkerson's story was produced in the movie - The Cross and the Switchblade. This movie tells of the remarkable influence God has had on the lives of these teens. One of the early converts of Pastor Wilkerson was gang leader Nicky Cruz. Cruz was born in Puerto Rico to parents that practiced witchcraft. Nicky's parents abused him severely physically and mentally. At 15 years old, he went to live with his brother in New York. Because of his anger, he decided to go his own way on the streets. The local gang showed him acceptance that he had never felt. However, David Wilkerson would show him more - the love of Christ! Nicky rejected Wilkerson's approaches many times by spitting on him, beating him up, & even threatening his life. None of this would stop Wilkerson. He persisted to reach Nicky. Finally, the message of forgiveness reached Cruz' heart & he accepted Christ. Now Nicky Cruz travels around the world delivering the message of salvation to young people. His ministry is saving lives because a young preacher would not give up on him! The movie Run Baby Run is an autobiography of Nicky Cruz. You will be amazed at how his life has changed and how he is changing lives. Teen Challenge is a Christian recovery program. Several addiction surveys have recognized it as being one the most successful programs. The National Institute of Drug Abuse accredited Teen Challenge for having a 74% cure rate while secular programs only have 10% - 15% cure rate. God is awesome! Teen Challenge helps young people with more than addictions; it equips them to deal with everyday life issues and trains them to become exceptional leaders. Teen Challenge also offers a prevention ministry through churches and schools. One of the Teen Challenge centers is in New Mexico. This ministry is celebrating 24 years of success. Although it has not always been easy & they have sacrificed, it is all worth obeying what God has called them to do. In 1984 with nothing more than a desire to help troubled people, the New Mexico site began. It started with husband/wife team Lin and Kathy Hall, now Executive State Directors. It is a residential ministry, which means that the students live at the facility. Before appointed to Teen Challenge Lin & Kathy were associate pastors in Roswell, New Mexico and Kathy was a teacher at a Christian school. The Hall's gave everything they had money, time, & strength to the students, but most of all LOVE. They even used their home as the site for students to live for the first several years. On an average, they had 2 to 7 teens living with them and their two daughters. They gave up a 'normal' life to do what they knew God was calling them to do. Kathy said, "We took crisis calls 24 hours a day." Their daughters had to share not only their rooms, but also their parents with the students. The Hall's had to sacrifice spending time with loved ones because they could not be away from the students. They traveled every weekend to churches to let them see the vision of Teen Challenge. This ministry does not receive national funding or government assistance. They are reliant on donors and sponsors to donate items &/or money to fund their ministry. They do not charge students for their services. Please consider helping this ministry continue changing lives. The ministries purpose is to help people become mentally sound, emotionally balanced, socially adjusted, physically well, and spiritually alive! The Teen Challenge Cure is based on four principles: 1. There is hope! 2. Sin, not drugs, is the major root problem. 3. The only cure for sin and its symptoms is Jesus Christ. 4. Christ within you, which Teen Challenge refers to as the Jesus Factor, takes the desire for sin out of an individual's life. When the urge to sin is taken out, the desire for drugs, alcohol and all manner of deviant behavior is removed. The New Mexico facility helps girls and boys ages 13 to 17. Currently they can house 16 girls and 20 boys. Students stay at the facility approximately 18 to 24 months. During their stay, they study subjects like how to live the Christian life, anger and personal rights, God's plan for my life, & many more like subjects. Students also learn etiquette, physical education, music, & properly do household chores. Additionally they are required to complete academic & Teen Challenge curriculums. Teen Challenge facilities all teach the basic principles, but they are free to add studies or activities that will help students develop skills. Such as the New Mexico Teen Challenge has a music ministry that has recorded 4 CDs at the request of churches they have visited. This talented group performs at various functions. In addition, this ministry has an earning incentive lesson. The students are required to complete tasks to earn money to purchase personal items. They receive money for completing their chores and their curriculum assignments on time and in an acceptable manner. They can earn more money if they do extra tasks and show initiative. Kathy said, "It helps them to understand that on the job they must perform their work to please a boss or they will lose that job." "It also helps them to budget their money and make wise spending decisions." They must make a shopping list and have it approved by staff before they go on their monthly shopping trip. The students do chores in the residence & maintain the grounds. Their disciplined morning routine starts at 6:30am with extensive personal devotions, chores, & breakfast. After breakfast, the students attend Chapel services where they pledge allegiance to the flag and to the Bible. They also put on their armor with a prayer in line with Ephesians 6. Then it is off to school, with academic courses and Teen Challenge required courses. Teen Challenge courses include memorizing Scriptures & applications, character qualities, & an assigned book to read with oral and written reports. In addition, there are evening activities like sermon notes class, study hall, & Bible study. Each student must also learn to cook since; they take turns preparing the meals. Because the ministry is self funded it receives food donations of items that are soon to spoil, so the students take turns going through often truckloads of food to get what they can use. Even on Saturdays, the students have responsibilities such as heavy cleaning of the facility and they attend study hall. The ministry, packed with lots of hard work also makes time for fun. They enjoy horseback riding, cookouts, shopping, & trips out of town. They enjoy celebrations of each other's accomplishments. These teens are very committed to change their lives. You can see that by the hard work they put into changing and learning to become leaders. This lifestyle is not for the weak. They are continuously working to better themselves. The students come from different locations & backgrounds. Kathy Hall said, that at their annual Christmas party, "it is amazing how many students never knew Christmas had anything to do with God." Teen Challenge helps students prepare for a successful life after they leave the ministry. She remembers the first girl that graduated the program; she went on to marry a Teen Challenge graduate. Mrs. Hall says that even if students do not complete the program, they learn things that change their lives. She says, "That as a general rule students that stay as little as 2 weeks will call her years later & tell her how they had learned how to change when they were finally ready to make that commitment." Many students go on to be in ministry, but most of all they are Christians. Other graduates of Teen Challenge have gone on to do great things to glorify God, they become authors, pastors, moms, etc. This ministry is an awesome work of God. From its beginning with Pastor Wilkerson to the many Teen Challenge centers around the world they are changing lives. We ask that you join us in prayer for continued success at all the Teen Challenge ministries and that it may have another successful 50 years. Please pray for the Teen Challenge students, staff, & supporters. If you would like more information about Teen Challenge of New Mexico go to www.teenchallengeofnewmexico.com or you may write to P.O. Box 20610 Albuquerque, NM 87154 Dana Chaffin is a Christian freelance writer and editor of Certain Cinema magazine who has published many articles on faithwriters.com and other Christian websites. Passionate about Christian film. www.certaincinema.com Email [email protected] Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |