Author Topic: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year  (Read 25558 times)

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Offline Ursus

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Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« on: September 19, 2008, 12:43:25 AM »
Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
Contact:
Rebecca Boone
Program Manager
334-855-3695
http://www.teenchallenge.cc

September 8, 2008

This year, Teen Challenge celebrates its 50th anniversary. Thousands of people representing 38 nations and 200 Teen Challenge centers registered to attend a three-day conference in late June in New York City, where Teen Challenge was founded, commemorating the golden anniversary of the ministry. Attendants heard from Teen Challenge's founding fathers, David and Don Wilkerson, as well as speakers from all over the country and the world that are currently involved in Teen Challenge.

For information about Teen Challenge Columbus Girls Academy in Seale, AL, call 334-855-3695 or visit http://www.teenchallenge.cc.
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Offline Anonymous

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Re: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2008, 07:59:41 AM »
50 years and it 's still a CULT!  Sorta like the Moonies w/out all the political pull w/the Republicans.
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Offline psy

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Re: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2008, 11:15:21 AM »
Quote from: "Old Man from St Pete"
50 years and it 's still a CULT!  Sorta like the Moonies w/out all the political pull w/the Republicans.
No, actually.  It's sort of like the Moonies with the political pull w/the republicans. AFAIK, faith based initiative helps fund Teen Challenge.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
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Offline Anonymous

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Re: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2008, 05:29:07 PM »
Quote from: "psy"
Quote from: "Old Man from St Pete"
50 years and it 's still a CULT!  Sorta like the Moonies w/out all the political pull w/the Republicans.
No, actually.  It's sort of like the Moonies with the political pull w/the republicans. AFAIK, faith based initiative helps fund Teen Challenge.


I hear ya man, but the Moonies actually donate millions of dollars to the Republican party; not sure if the teen challanged folks can muster that kind of scratch!
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Offline Alvasin

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Re: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2011, 12:56:14 PM »
Its the golden jublee.Many many happy returns of the day.teen challenge is already in their way.They will be able to flash with their own potentiality.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline SEKTO

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Re: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2011, 04:03:14 PM »
Hooray for David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz!  

Most of the basic furniture in my apartment came from a Teen Challenge thrift store, the couch I am sitting on right now for example.

Teen Challenge, by the way, has absolutely nothing in common with the Moonies.  That assertion is asinine.  I am afraid, psy, that you know not of which you write with that one.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-ha ... 07744.html

The Unification Church directly owns UPI and the Washington Times.  Teen Challenge is nowhere near their caliber.
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Offline Ursus

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Re: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2011, 05:25:07 PM »
Quote from: "psy"
Quote from: "Old Man from St Pete"
50 years and it 's still a CULT!  Sorta like the Moonies w/out all the political pull w/the Republicans.
No, actually.  It's sort of like the Moonies with the political pull w/the republicans. AFAIK, faith based initiative helps fund Teen Challenge.
Quote from: "SEKTO"
Teen Challenge, by the way, has absolutely nothing in common with the Moonies. That assertion is asinine. I am afraid, psy, that you know not of which you write with that one.
It all depends on which "faith based initiative" you're talking about. The one in Texas? Or the one pushed through nationwide, which followed in its wake?

From what I recall, Teen Challenge was a poster child for Bush's "faith based initiative" in Texas, which was primarily focused on exempting religious childcare facilities from having to comply with state regulation. They could install their own faith-based regulatory agency. TC benefitted greatly from the associated lack of oversight. As did Roloff et al.

In fact, Teen Challenge's artificially plumped stats were cited as example and proof positive of the kind of success one could expect from the encouraged coupling of church and state, and helped sway popular opinion in accepting yet another Bush faith based initiative when he later pushed it through on a national level. This one entailed the loosening of some purse strings.

However, from what I understand, Teen Challenge's history of abuse in Texas was egregious enough, and prolific enough in number, to seriously dampen their ability to capitalize significantly on any such largesse on a national scale ... when it came to receiving substantial financial grants. I believe there is a 49-page licensure-inspection report prepared by the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse which documents their extraordinary lack of compliance in 93 categories. Of course, that report pertained to TC in Texas, which is not necessarily reflective of Teen Challenge in other states, but the Texas Teen Challenge was the one most influenced by Bush policies and legislation.

Subsequently (but not consequently), the Moonies were more than able to mop up the national handouts.
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Offline SEKTO

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Re: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2011, 10:44:46 PM »
Solamente.
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Offline SEKTO

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Re: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2011, 04:42:17 PM »
Necessitas tu hablandas espanol aqui.  Viva la revolucion!
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Offline Saimabaig

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Re: Teen Challenge Celebrates 50th Year
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2011, 09:17:10 PM »
Congrats :bump:
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Offline TC_Saved_Me

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I escaped the Teen Challenge "Cult"
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2011, 10:26:47 AM »
Well, I've been reading through some of these Discussion Boards, and thought that my input might carry some weight.  Since I have actually been enrolled in Teen Challenge, and successfully completely both phases of the program, unlike some other people who are posting on here...

When I went into Teen Challenge, I was court ordered because I had been arrested three times in just under a year.  All of the arrest were drug-related offenses.  To make a long story short, I was raised in a church, and never even liked going to church when I was invited.  But by the time I was arrested for the third time, I was completely addicted to drugs & alcohol, and was desperate to get myself clean, so I thought I'd try Teen Challenge.

The program had a very strict curriculum, and I wanted to leave the program several times (Once you are in the program, you are free to leave whenever you choose, but you cannot come back for a certain amount of time once you do).  If I wasn't court-ordered to finish Teen Challenge, I probably would have left to be honest.  But I stuck it out, and did my best to follow all of the rules that were enforced.  The consequences for breaking the rules vary, but you normally will have to do extra chores, and memorize more scriptures out of the Bible.

The program is basically: very structured, work responsibilities, Bible classes, required church attendence, scripture memorization, etc.  It was EXACTLY what I needed!  I'm not going to claim to be an expert on cults, but I believe most cults brainwash you to believe that someone or something in the confines of that cult should be worshipped.  Teen Challenge is not like that at all.  You are required to attend church services, but that's about it.  They don't strong-arm anyone to believe anything, they simply take an approach like most parents should when raising their children, "You're living under my roof, you will follow my rules.  If you don't follow my rules, you will have to pay consequences.  If you don't like the consequences, you are free to leave at any time."  It's that simple!

Anyway, as I stuck with the program, I tried to give this "Christianity" thing a serious try, and started praying and reading my bible daily.  Before I knew it, God had healed my body and my mind.  I was a new person by the time I left that program.  I never "worshipped" or "served" Teen Challenge while I was in the program, I was encouraged and learned how to "worhsip" and "serve" God.  That's it.

If you're still reading this, I have long been removed from Teen Challenge.  I am no longer affiliated with the program in any way.  But because of that "Cult," I have now been sober for 6 years, and have a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters.  I'm a pretty decent husband, father, and man.   I attend church every Sunday, and pay my taxes.  I have a great job working for the US Army.  Basically, I'm now a normal person, and my family - who couldn't trust me as far as they could throw me when I was addicted to drugs - loves me more than ever before.  Teen Challenge did all of that for me.  If that's what a "cult" is, then I encouraged anyone with a life-controlling addiction to find the nearest cult, and get involved as soon as possible!  God Bless!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »