At 5:17 church, we’re all about connecting with people and connecting people with Jesus. As an outworking of this, we’ve recently decided to support a great ministry called Teen Challenge. As their website tells us, for over 30 years Teen Challenge has given young people who struggle with life-controlling problems a second chance at life. The program aims to eliminate their self destructive habits by meeting the needs of the whole person… not only dealing with the addiction, but also rebuilding their self-image, work ethic, spiritual awareness and relationships.
Last week, Keiyeng encouraged me to read a biography of one young girl who went through the Teen Challenge program. The book was so captivating that I read it in one afternoon (that doesn’t happen very often!!).
Jodie Cadman was a young woman running away from life. In her early teens, her parents went through a messy divorce, and neither of her parents showed her love and acceptance. Her only love and support was her brother - Jonathon. But in her late teens, Jonathon was killed in a motorbike accident. For Jodie, life had lost its meaning. What now? Where to from here?
Jodie fell into a life of self-destruction in the world of drugs and prostitution on the streets of Kings Cross. It’s a brutal read – the author doesn’t leave us guessing about the depravity that Jodie had fallen into. But hope rose out of hopelessness when she discovered Teen Challenge. Through a long and gradual process (including both successes and failures), with the love and care of Teen Challenge, Jodie escaped the clutches of heroin addiction.
In time, Jodie came to trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour – and her healing and vibrant love for God powerfully speaks of the wonderful grace of God. It is a striking testimony of the great truth that if anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I’d recommend this book to all 5:17ers – it’s a challenging read, and it’s good to read more of a ministry that we support. Alongside financial support (part of our Sunday financial giving has been channeled to Teen Challenge), we also hope to prayerfully find more ways that we can be involved in this terrific ministry.
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grace & i got a chance to visit teen challenge in toowoomba, namely, the rehab residence for guys. we followed the GP who visits weekly to meet with the guys to check up on their physical & mental health. we had the privilege of sitting in on the consultations & hearing a quick history of each guy before he came in the room. it was amazing hearing of (& even seeing in some cases) the transforming power of the gospel of God in the lives of some of these guys.
it’s so cool that 5:17 will be supporting this ministry. i’d like to read this book as well. are there copies available?
nice to hear from you Eleasa! yeah, I’ve read about the Toowoomba TC centre/s and work in one of their magazines. great that you got to see it first hand! Steve has put the book aside with a note on it and will leave it at church for you, perhaps in the white mailbox on the foyer table? look for it on Sunday morning! and congrats on being our first ever commenter