By Bobbi-Sue Menard

TEEN CHALLENGE in the Okanagan is reaching men in the midst of addiction, through the life changing power of Jesus Christ – and bringing wholeness and healing to their lives.

B.C. Teen Challenge opened its doors in the Okanagan in March of 2005, and the organization is celebrating three years of service. As part of Global Teen Challenge, the local branch is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of international ministry.

The Teen Challenge story is familiar to many people.  

In 1957, David Wilkerson was a country preacher in Pennsylvania. He was gripped by the news story of a murder trial for seven teenage boys in New York City.  

Wilkerson traveled to New York – but was unable to help those boys. Instead, he was  given a vision prompting him to minister in a practical way, to gangs and drug addicts in the city. From those efforts came Teen Challenge.  

Nicky Cruz was one of the most notorious gang members in New York at the time, and he became one of the first significant converts in the new ministry.

His story was told in  Wilkerson’s well-known book, The Cross and the Switchblade. Cruz followed that up with his own bestseller, Run, Baby, Run.

Teen Challenge has since flourished; there are now hundreds of centres worldwide, for both men and women.

Teen Challenge offers a one-year residential program based on Christian principles.  Funded through donations, Teen Challenge provides spiritual, academic and vocational training.  

The facility opened in Winfield three years ago and currently houses 22 men who are taking the program; many graduates have gone on to lives free from addiction.  

Teen Challenge has an exceptionally high rate of documented addiction recovery.

Adam Reynolds directs B.C. Teen Challenge–Okanagan; he graduated from the program himself in 2001.  

“My job is to build relationships within the community, to support what we do,” explains Reynolds.

The organization makes community service a large part of its program.  Personnel work with the Boys and Girls Club, participate in community events and speak at churches to raise awareness about their program.  

Teen Challenge participants will also talk at schools when invited;  their direct experience conveys a powerful message.  

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The typical day at Teen Challenge is all about the hard work of recovery from addiction. Using the Bible as the basis for healing, the program is rigorous – as participants move toward an addiction-free life.

A day will normally include morning devotion, chapel, classroom, work detail and a small amount of free time. The day ends with evening class, prayer and quiet time.  

Each week, participants go out into the community to gain work experience.

When clients join Teen Challenge, they must show they are serious about the program.  

Aspiring clients must phone Teen Challenge themselves, undergo a medical and criminal check, and call in on Mondays until they are accepted.  

“We give them some footwork,” says Reynolds.  “We want to know that they are serious. We will accept people with Hep C and AIDS; but we want to see what we are dealing with.”

The Christian underpinnings of Teen Challenge are clear, “We believe that God can heal,” says Reynolds.

“There are genuine hurts, and you can learn to deal with that pain. You learn about the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of addiction – and implement new things in its place.”

B.C. Teen Challenge has two other locations in the province: a women’s centre in Abbotsford and another men’s centre in Chilliwack.  

Brian Pierson, executive director of B.C. Teen Challenge, describes the opening of Teen Challenge in the Okanagan as “a miracle.”

The ongoing work of God within the program is the true measure of the ministry’s success, he says, adding: “You’ve never experienced anything like this. It is amazing what the Lord does in people’s lives.”

As part of Global Teen Challenge, B.C. is readying for the 50th anniversary event which focusses on the miracles witnessed by the ministry.

There are local events planned to mark the milestone, with speakers at various churches.  

B.C Teen Challenge continues to graduate participants; each person is a study in victory.  “It works, whether you are a white collar or street drug user. It is enduring, a complete change from the ground up,” says Pierson.  

This transformation also extends across church-imposed barriers.

“At Teen Challenge, we break down denominational walls.  It is all about Jesus,” says Pierson.

April 2008