10 Years ago, Teen Challenge celebrated 50 years. As part of their celebration, a book was commissioned called “So I married a Teen Challenge Graduate”. They took a couple from each of the fifty years. Since I graduated in 1998, Tracy and I were blessed and privileged to be asked to submit our story (Actually Tracy was asked to submit her story) obviously for 1998.
Ten years have passed since then. Teen Challenge is 60 years old this year. In that time, since a naive 25-year-old man walked into a New York courtroom hoping to share the love of Jesus with boys charged with a gangland murder, countless thousands of men and women have been rescued from a living hell in addiction. That means even more families have seen loved ones resurrected to life (in Christ) before their very eyes.
Churches and communities in over 100 countries have been blessed as these men and women have found their purpose and true worth in Christ and have gone out to make a difference.
I consider it a privilege to be part of the fruit of Christ in David Wilkerson’s (and all the others) life. I have had the joy of touring with his brother, Don Wilkerson. I am thankful for godly men like Ken Persaud, Roy Lees, John Macey, and Phil Hills, and countless others. For their wives, Pauline, Mary, Anne Macey and Lynn, who also laid down their lives to see hope raised in the lives of the hopeless. Time does not really allow me to go into the Ross’s and the Fallon’s, the Black’s and the Kerr’s. Not enough column inches to talk about Jim and Jean Stead, or Pastor Kerri Jenkins nor Mike and Audry Rankin or Steve and Meryl Griffiths. I would be too afraid to miss out an important soul who waged war in the battle for my soul. I could go on about Peter Clare and his heading up teaching during my later days in the Teen Challenge programme. Or the many students I learned to enjoy Christ alongside.
So many more that stepped out in faith in a God who loved the unlovely.
On the 19th of May I recalled with fondness my first interaction with Teen Challenge. Ken Persaud prayed with me over a phone when all I wanted was to complete the tenner for a bag of smack. 21 years later I am still standing becaus eof Christ in them and now in me.
Rather than retype Tracy’s words, I want to just post the pictures of the pages. I am so thankful to God for my darling wife Tracy, and my beautiful daughters, Alisha, Zoe and Naomi. And for all who have been part of my journey, good and bad, before Jesus rescued me and since – thank you.
What a HOPE!
What a SAVIOUR!
This POST is part of a wider collection to show the journey that would eventually lead me to the cross of Jesus Christ, my personal redemption, and my journey of faith afterwards. If you would like to know more of my story, please click on my “About” page and take it from there.
Alternatively, you can visit the Media Links page and see a short visit done by BBC Radio Scotland for an interview I did there.
You can purchase these direct from Amazon (please use Amazon Smile link below and Amazon will contribute to ECC at no cost to you), They are all available in both Kindle and Paperback formats.
Or you can buy directly from me. Email me directly to arrange this.
There is now a devotional aimed at new Christians called “Take a seat“ this is available direct from me.
If you or someone you love, needs help with the Christian response to addiction, or if you would just like to know more or need hope, please click on one of the following:
Completing the Tenner 