Prayer, Evangelism & The Holy Spirit

This month was a time of thankfulness for our country and for those that helped establish it; we will always be grateful for our Founding Fathers and for the role that they played in making our country great.

Another great founder that we are all so thankful for is David Wilkerson. According to Merriam Webster, a founder is an originator of an institution or movement. I am grateful that God chose a man like Wilkerson to be the originator of Teen Challenge. It was God’s idea but He placed it in Wilkerson’s head and, thankfully, he was obedient to the call- the crazy, impractical, startling and even bewildering call. This was a call that could have very well led to death but God went before Wilkerson and gave him great favor…you know the rest of the story.

I am challenged today to heed to the foundational ideas that Wilkerson had when the ministry of Teen Challenge began. Wilkerson was walking in purity before God; he listened to God and obeyed and he depended on three things:

Evangelism. This is where Wilkerson started- sharing the Good News of the Gospel. He believed it was the only message that could make a difference in the lives of the gang members he was ministering to.

Prayer. It was the thing that Wilkerson depended on to hear God’s voice and to receive Praying Wilkersonthe strength he needed for obedience. It was also the only way that addicts and gang members were going to receive deliverance. There was no other way.

The Holy Spirit. Without the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the ministry that God called Wilkerson to would have been fruitless. Wilkerson needed the Holy Spirit to go before him, to work in the lives of the hurting and to permanently change the hearts of those he was ministering to.

After almost 60 years, nothing has changed. In order to have any degree of success in what we do, we need to continue to give the powerful Gospel message, we need to be people of prayer for strength, guidance and power and we need to depend on the Holy Spirit to change the hearts of men and women.

David Wilkerson was a great man but he would have been the first to admit that he was imperfect. He would point us directly to the One who is perfect- the one who gives us all that we need to do all that He calls us to do. As we share the Good News, bathe all that we do in prayer and depend on the Holy Spirit, God will continue to make this ministry fruitful for His glory!

The Best is Yet to Come, in Christ,

Brice Maddock, COO, Teen Challenge Southeast

ELP Summit_Staff Day

We are exactly one month out from our ELP Summit_Staff Day scheduled for August 15-18 at Lakeside Retreat and Event Center. If you have not already registered yourself and your emerging leaders for this event, registration will close on July 15th, so go ahead and register here.  Look out for our final e-memo in a few weeks which will give you final details on what to bring.

 

Dr. J Graduation KeynotePutting Hope Within Reach 4Global night 4Boat race

ELP Highlight – July 2016

Name: Matthew RossignolMatt Rossignol

Age: 25 years old

Hometown: Northhampton, Maine

Teen Challenge Center: Jacksonville Men’s Center

My Testimony in Brief: I was raised in a traditional home where I learned good morals and work ethic.  I spent my whole life trying to fit in and belong, looking for significance in all the wrong places. At 21 I was divorced, became even more depressed, and became addicted to cold medicine, which led to 4 baker acts, over 8 antidepressant prescriptions.  During this my brother passed away suddenly from organ failure, which drove me to God.  After a few more failures I came to Teen Challenge and figured out my problem wasn’t drugs, but rather a lack of God.

Purpose and Calling: I have been here 8 months and the ELP program is God’s tool to strengthen and develop my character, and to make me ready for His calling of serving others who are bound with sin.  This ministry, ELP and God has turned out to be more that I imagined.

 

Level II Link – July 2016

Welcome

This month we welcome Wendy Baxter, Lauren Schiller, Maddie Pietrangelo, Caity O’Shaughnessy, Tara Schmidt, Aaron Murray and Colleen Lightle from the Emerging Leaders College to the Level II. Welcome guys! Looking forward to see how God grows you and your leadership.

Congratulations

Congratulations Mike Spivey on completing Level II!

Current Course

You are on the last month of our 3-month course Values in Leadership and our text: People First by Jack Lannom. I know this course has challenged and stretched you to lead systematically and to grow in your leadership.

Remember to fill in your Personal Action Plans at the end of each chapter and mail these in to me by August 15th.

 

Rep’s Link – Jul 2016

Welcome

This month we welcome Sharon Varasse as the ELP Rep for the Emerging Leaders College. Sharon is a TC graduate of Women at the Well and a recent graduate of ELC. Welcome Sharon! Thanks for answering the call of God to raise up the next generation of leaders!

Level I Adult

This month we start our new course Team Building and our text: The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player by John Maxwell. Maxwell presents a clear analysis of the personal characteristics necessary for becoming an effective team player. He outlines the success of team players who have been Intentional – making every action count toward a long-term goal. Relational – focused on others. Selfless – willing to take a subordinate role for the sake of the team. Tenacious – hardworking and optimistic in the face of setbacks. Your emerging student leaders will learn a lot about working with a team from this course.

Level I Adolescent

Our course for the Adolescent track is Servant Leadership and our text: Help, I am a Student Leader by Doug Fields. Although this book is set in the context of a youth ministry, our emerging leaders will learn how Jesus led others and figure out how to be more helpful to everyone. They’ll discover the secrets of getting others involved, learn how to listen better and deepen their own faith as a young leader.

Monthly Book Orders and Grades

Southeast region Rep’s can go to Google Drive and search for ELP Monthly Order Form and Grade Sheet Edited. Look for your center’s name in the tabs at the bottom and fill in your information. No need to save or email the spreadsheet (Google Drive saves it and we can access the info from my Drive). If you place an initial order on the form and update the order later (i.e. add 2 more books) after we have ordered your books, please send and email to andree.aiken@teenchallenge.cc. All new applications must be in by the 10th of the month for students starting the 15th.