Teen Challenge

A group of young men from Teen Challenge came to our church Sunday morning. They ministered with human videos on getting out of bondage from Satan and the Hope we have in Christ. These young men serve a year in Teen Challenge where they learn about Christ and how he can work in their lives if they surrender to him.

Two of the young men gave their testimonies on what they came out of and how Teen Challenge has helped to change their lives. Two of the young men gave their testimony. We were greatly moved by the things they said. One young man said he was 21. He had lost his Dad at the age of 10 from cancer and had a mother who was a recovering addict and always has been. He got into drugs at the age of 15, and into smoking and heavy drinking. He said he was a full-blown heady drug addict at the age of 19. He had sort of give up on life, left home and only had the clothes on his back and had to steal or do whatever he could in order to survive. Then, one day his Mom told him she had a place for him to go if he wanted help and came home. And that place was Teen Challenge.

The young man went on to say that he had been told he would not like it the first two weeks. But, after about 4 days, he got into the routine and has liked it ever since. He did get on probation for being caught smoking and said he had to do dishes for 40 days, three times a day. He said it wasn't fun, but he learned his lesson. These young men leave this facility in our community for another one for another 8 months where they will graduate from the year-long program.

The leader of the group was a minister. He said he could identify with these young men, in that he was a graduate of the program 25 years ago. I have been reading some information against Teen Challenge, in that the program didn't work like they say it does. But, I disagree. With this minister having been in the program 25 years ago and come out all of what he had, and lasted this long, the program has to be a good one. These young men were very sincere young men. The 21 year old said this was his first time to give his testimony and he was very nervous. But Teen Challenge had saved his life and got him back in good with his family.

The one thing that those who disagree with the program fail to let people know is that this is a church-oriented program that introduces God into these young men and young women's lives. It doesn't just change their mind about drugs, alcohol, and other abusive things. It changes their hearts and souls, because most of them become a child of God. They learn how to function without all these mind-altering things that reek havoc on them. And one thing the minister said was that not all the participants in the program are teenagers. The ages range from 17 to 47 or so. Most of the guys that came to our church were 19.

This is the second time our church has had teen challenge here. The first time they sent the women's group. But you can tell these young people are wanting to gain acceptance back in the society. So many of them had been turned away from their family and friends because of the abuse. Teen Challenge is helping change many lives and turning them on to Jesus!

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