Teen Challenge

Terry Branscombe · Tidal Church Moncton · January 22, 2023 · What's the Point? series

Terry Branscombe introduces Teen Challenge, a faith-based recovery program, through two students' testimonies of addiction and new life in Christ. Drawing on Ezekiel and Romans 5, he shows that freedom is possible and invites the church to pray and help spread the word.

More from Terry Branscombe · The What's the Point? series

Topics: Hope, Holy Spirit, Mission & Outreach

Transcript

[0:02] 49 minutes Every 49 minutes we lose someone in their fight and addiction. When you get up this morning, and we're getting your breakfast, making your coffee, just starting to wake up. We lost someone. Friend, family member, a brother, sister, coworker. By the time you finish breakfast and got in the car to come here, we lost somebody else. Every 49 minutes on average, every day. Teen Challenge is in that place that God has called us to, to see lives changed every day. I'm Terry Branscombe. I'm the development officer at Teen Challenge, and we're excited to be here today. Thank you for the invitation.

[0:57] Let's go to the next slide. There's some sobering statistics, friends, coming out of the pandemic. It is worse than it's ever been. I mean, addiction is destroying our country. But right now, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in six, one in six Canadians will deal with addiction in their lifetime. So in this crowd, this wonderful group here this morning, there's, say, 800 of us. That means about 125 people are struggling or know someone that are struggling with addiction. In fact, I'm going to ask you, by show of hands, is there anybody here that knows someone that's struggling with addiction? Put your hand up. Wow, it's usually 80% of the room or better.

[1:43] You know, sometimes we think that addiction only strikes a certain group of people we talk about who have an addictive personality, but let me tell you, that's actually not true. Addiction knows no boundaries. It can happen to anybody from any age, any background, all walks of life. I was in Boston a few years ago with the youth group. We were about to walk into a soup kitchen, feeding a group of homeless people in what was called The War Zone in Boston. And as I was standing there waiting, I met this gentleman. Had a great chat. When the doors opened, there was a chapel service before they went in to the meal, and this gentleman, who was clearly homeless, walked up to the organ and sat down and played the most amazing piece of music that I've ever heard.

[2:37] He was actually a fellow of the Boston Royal Conservatory of Music. But addiction stole everything he had. Next slide. I am so pleased and blessed to be here. My name is Terry Branscombe. I'm the development officer at Teen Challenge. We are excited to be here. We work with men 18 years of age and up. So even though it's called Teen Challenge, it is actually for all ages, and I am excited to invite Zach to come up on the stage and he is going to share his story. Questions. Good morning, everybody.

[3:22] I'm thankful to be here, and I'm excited to be here. This is my first time sharing my testimony in front of a church officially. So I'm glad it's you guys. I thank you for all your support that you give the Teen Challenge. Before I start, I just like to open in a quick word of prayer. So Father God, I thank You for this day, Lord. I thank You for this time. I thank You for just another day clean and sober, and to be able to be here and praise and worship You, God. The glory is all Yours. I just ask it as I share this morning, Lord, You be with all my brothers, You be with all my sisters here. You get in the ears to hear You, You give them the heart to feel, and You just give them the wisdom to understand what I'm saying. Let my story change lives, Lord, and just as we continue to go and praise and worship You throughout the day, be with everybody here, Lord. Fill them with the Holy Spirit. Be with all my brothers as we get up and sing and just praise Your name, Lord, and I just love You and I'm so thankful for You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

[4:27] Okay, so hi. My name is Zachary. I'm from Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and I'm currently in my fourth month of the program, almost finished. This is my story from death to life and how infinite God's grace is. Growing up, family life was alright. My parents had a healthy relationship, and I didn't suffer from any abuse. However, my mom has an autoimmune disease, which was painful to watch and endure as a child. She wasn't always able to do the same things as my other friends' moms. And because of this, more responsibilities fell on my dad, causing him to overwork himself. This led him into depression and anger problems later in life. Drugs and alcohol were all around me and a part of the culture of being a Newfoundlander. The area I'm from has a reputation of being a rough part of town.

[5:16] I shared a bus with the high school kids when I was 11 years old in grade seven. Being bullied was a big part of my life. I was forced to smoke, drink, and even commit sexual acts with other kids on my bus stop. After a year of this abuse, it became enormously overbearing, and enough was enough. I became the bully. I started boxing and learning how to fight, training with my dad and a few of his friends at a local gym. By the time high school rolled around, the soft, loving kid that used to tell his mom when he did things wrong didn't exist. I was selling large amounts of weed and ecstasy and doing a lot of cocaine and party drugs. I even tried huffing gasoline fumes a couple of times. As my thirst for drugs grew, so did my anger and my desire for women, money, and power. By grade 11, at the age of 17, my best friend and I were involved in organized crime, trafficking large amounts of cocaine and speed. This is where I was introduced to people injecting needles and smoking crack cocaine.

[6:11] I was even stabbed in the leg with a needle one night by a girl freaking out because I refused to give her dope after watching her overdose spend the rest of her money. By the start of grade 12, my life was unmanageable. I was in and out of the court system, in trouble with school, and kicked out of my parents' house. My mom shipped me off to Toronto, Ontario, to live with my uncle during this time. I slacked off on the hard drugs. I graduated high school with honors but continued to smoke pot and drink when school was done. I moved back home to find myself, or, sorry, to find my best friend had moved up significantly in the ranks of the drug trafficking business. Over the next few years, I worked all over Canada, went to music festivals, and partied hard. At the age of 25, life became dull and I fell into a bottomless pit of depression after going through a bad breakup, spending a fortune, and being in trouble with the law. Self-medication increased, but the pain didn't go away.

[7:06] Cocaine, booze, and bar fights didn't thrill me anymore. I started to smoke crack and tried injecting. My life became a living hell. I turned into a trash can junkie. I was no longer able to do anything except break the law. I tried to get clean and went to the psych ward to detox before getting into a rehab. This is where I was introduced to benzodiazepines and became a serious and became severely addicted to Valium, resulting in loss of memory and tremors. After completing my rehab, I managed to stay clean for around a month, falling back into smoking pot and taking Valium, which eventually led to booze. Before I knew it, I was back into the hard stuff. By this point, I'm 27 years old, living in a crack house and had no relationship with my parents. My friend who feels bad for me gives me a business opportunity, even a drug addict could do, all it took was a disregard for the law, going to prison, and a stupid amount of nerves. I eagerly accepted and once again felt like I was powerful and on top.

[8:03] This was a short season, and eventually the operation got busted and left me and my childhood friend with a big loss. This is when my life officially hit rock bottom. And the next year is what led up to me coming to Teen Challenge. I went from having thousands of dollars, hotel rooms, and girls to having absolutely nothing. I was homeless, cold, and hungry. Some days I was fortunate enough to have a couch or floor to sleep on. I was doing everything I could to get high, stealing, and armed robberies were part of everyday life, hurting all the people that I loved and cared about. Everything came second to the dope, and one day I couldn't live like it anymore. Early hours of the morning, after running out of cocaine, I decided I was done feeling down, and I drank a lethal amount of a buddy's methadone while he was asleep.

[8:51] Methadone is a highly potent form of opiates, second in potency to fentanyl. The amount I drank was enough to kill a small army, regardless of how much Narcan you get injected into you. And that's exactly what happened. I flatlined and died. They say if you don't start breathing after the second shot, you don't come back. Well, by the grace of God, the ambulance driver gave me a third. I started to breathe, and I woke up in the ICU with my mom and dad looking down at me. That's the first time seeing my parents in over a year and the moment I decided to try something different and get clean. I was petrified. I'd overdosed before, but never had my heart stopped and turned blue from lack of oxygen. Over the next few weeks, I managed to stay clean. However, I eventually fell back into hell and got into more trouble with the law. One morning, after picking through garbage for food, cold and hungry, I debated ending my life. But for some reason beyond me, my cousin tracked me down and put a stop to it.

[9:46] She planted the seed of Teen Challenge, and two weeks later, I arrived at the front doors of Memramcook. When I first arrived, I thought, "Oh my, what have you done? You're around a bunch of religious nut jobs." I had little to no experience with faith or spirituality. I grew up a Roman Catholic, attending church for Christmas and Easter, and when my nan died, not at all. After about three weeks in the program, I started to think about the few sober people I know, the ones that have years of recovery, and they all have something in common. That's a higher power or some sort of spirituality. At that very moment, I decided to try something new and started to really put work into the program, especially the spiritual aspect. Since doing so, my life has changed like you wouldn't believe. I remember hearing Ephesians 2:1 to 10, made alive with Christ. I prayed about it, started spending more time with God, and began to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.

[10:41] At times of worship, chapel, prayer, I get a warm fuzzy feeling my body and the hairs on my neck stand up. This is something I haven't felt before, and I have no explanation for other than the Holy Spirit. Understanding Jesus died on the cross for me and my sins, and that I'm loved so much by my heavenly Father gives me the strength, courage, and power to get up every day and not make the same mistakes I once made. I also realize that coming back from the dead wasn't a mistake, and God has a plan for me. I got a clean bill of health from the doctor, and I'm not sitting in a jail cell for the rest of my life, which is truly a miracle. Even though I'm still going through legal trouble, I know God is with me now, and I'm not fighting the battle alone. In fact, I'm fighting the battle from victory. I can't stand here.

[11:33] Thank you. I can't stand here and lie and say life is easy, because it's not, but since accepting Jesus Christ into my heart, I no longer have the same desires towards drugs, alcohol, gambling, or women. Less angry than I used to be, and I look forward to getting up every day and not being a slave to addiction anymore. I look forward to finishing the program and building a relationship with God more and more every day. Once I graduate, I plan to do a phase four, and God has put on my heart to stay in Moncton and get involved with Glad Tidings Church. I want to help other addicts and let them know they are loved by me and by both our story. I want to help other addicts and let them know they are loved by both me and, more importantly, God. They no longer have to fight the battles alone, but instead with the help of the Holy Spirit. I truly believe that if I could change my life, anyone can. I've done unspeakable things in my life, and if you tried to tell me a year ago that I'd be a follower of Christ and enjoy praying and spending time with the Lord, I'd laugh, and so would anyone that knew me.

[12:32] My story truly shows that miracles do happen, and by the blood of Jesus, a new creation is born. I have some really close friends that are like brothers and sisters to me, and my wish is that when they see the change in my life and the work God has done, it inspires them, and that I can plant the seed of Teen Challenge in their minds, and they could seek help and start to live full and productive lives as well. Ask anyone that knew the old me and sees the born again me. God bless you all, and thanks for listening. And then Crazy Jesus. And Bless you, Lord.

[13:23] Thank you. I was a pastor for over 40 years. I'm a trained Christian counselor. And yet my role in Teen Challenge, I am not involved in the program. I'm not the counselor. I'm not the pastor. I get to travel with these guys, and every day it is such a blessing. It never gets old. I feel like I'm sitting on the outside of the boxing ring watching while God and these guys are going at it, not fighting each other, but fighting the addiction, fighting the lies that they've believed, and watching their freedom, and I am so proud of these men.

[14:08] Our mission at Teen Challenge is very simple. It's the gospel. Jesus said, "If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. The old is gone, the new has come." Our mission is to help men and women overcome substance abuse to lead full and productive lives. That is exactly what you just saw. That's exactly what you just heard. I'm gonna ask you, how many of you have heard this phrase, once an addict, always an addict? How many of you heard that? And usually it's in this context. Usually it's in the context of, You know what? You're never going to change, young man. You're never gonna change. Well, once an addict, always an addict. I am so done with you. You've heard that, you've said that. Well, let me tell you.

[14:55] That is a Lie from the pit of Hell. That is a lie. Because the word of God says that all things have become new that Jesus has come to give us life life abundant and free, we do not believe that once an addict always an addict. We believe that you can find Freedom in Christ. And if you're here this morning, I'm going to tell you even if it's not addiction. Whatever it is, you're struggling it in with whatever problem or hurt or wounds you have. Please know that God is still alive. That God is still on the move. And we watch and are so blessed at Teen Challenge to see that God is still at work. Let's go to the next slide.

[15:41] I need your help brothers and sisters. Teen Challenge which works with man 18 years of age and up. I I hear it. I wish we could change the name. To adult and Teen Challenge or something else. But here's the problem. It is a well-kept secret. I was traveling a while ago to Halifax, stopped in Truro on the way back to get gas. My favorite spot, or normal spot. Went in to pay for the gas. I have Teen Challenge on my polo shirt. I have Teen Challenge on my company credit card. I have Teen Challenge on my Air Miles card, and the girl, I'd say 16 or 17, looked at me and she said, "What's Teen Challenge?" So I gave her my little 30-second elevator speech.

[16:28] And I wasn't prepared for what she did. She looked at me and she just started crying. Now, I'm an old fat white man. I don't know what to do with that. Right. And then she said this: "I wish that my mom had known." I don't know the rest of the story, but I can tell you it wasn't good. What kind of difference would it have made if she had found this brochure that says, "Get help when you call this toll-free number, 877- 343-1022." You don't get a call center with a guy in a lab coat. You get one of our students, one of our graduates who's fought and won.

[17:18] And works with us. You know, 20% of the staff of Teen Challenge, our students that graduated out of 200. That's pretty good. So I'm going to ask you to do something for me. Would you take one of these? We have two tables out by the door in the foyer to my right. Would you stop by and grab one of these or a hundred? And help me get the word out. In fact, here's a really interesting suggestion. When you're done here, maybe you're going to go to a restaurant, maybe this afternoon. You're going to stop at the grocery store. You're gonna get gas later today. Take one of these and go and put it in the bathroom. Put it on the cash register counter and let's let these become ticking time bombs of God's grace, so that when that person who's at their wits' end and doesn't know what to do, and it's going to become one of those folks in our 49-minute scenario, gets the help they need, would you help me do that?

[18:19] Amen. Next slide. Teen Challenge Canada operates nine centers across the East and into Ontario and into the Prairies. We have four in Ontario, three in the, sorry, four in the Ontario region. Three in the Prairies. We have a Women's Center in St. John's, Newfoundland. And then right here, Miramichi, our Men's Center. Across these nine centers, we have room for 233 people, men and women. It's not awesome. No, it's not. I want you to think about it. It's not awesome. It's great that we've got room for 233, but we need 2,000. Right? If one of every six struggles with addiction and there's 36 million people in Canada, that's six million of us.

[19:12] Please pray that God would raise up more centers, Teen Challenge centers, other faith-based centers, that God would continue to change the hearts and rescue men and women that are struggling with addiction. And by the way, I need to tell you, thank you. You folks have been such a huge blessing at Christmas when you took up your Christmas offering. You gave a portion of that to help men come to Teen Challenge. In fact, you've made it possible for as many as 12 or more men to get into the program. See, we only charge $1,000 for men to come and live with us for 12 months. Anybody here raised teenage boys?

[20:00] Are you with me, Mom and Dad? Your grocery budget alone. Right? It actually costs us about $50,000 to put a man through the 12-month program. So every dollar, we squeeze it. And we do as best we can. Look at our salaries, you know. Seriously, thank you. Thank you for your support. Now, let's go to the next slide. Our program is a tough program. I'm going to describe it in just a minute. But I want you to think about what it would be like. Every man that comes to our program, the average is they've already been to three other rehabs.

[20:46] All right, so when guys finally come to us, we're a 12 months live-in faith-based program. That's one, two, three strikes against us. Most guys, we're the last resort. They don't want to be with us. But they only have two other choices, and you heard it in Zack's testimony. You would hear it in the story of every man that we work with that we're blessed to have in our care. They only have two choices: death or prison. And thank God, God is still in the business of raising people from the dead, of changing lives. It's a tough program. In fact, a new statistic that just came out is that 58% of the students don't make it through the first four months.

[21:45] 58%. We have an impact report. You can grab one at our table and you'll see that there are thousands of men that apply, but there are only hundreds of men that graduate. The attrition rate, because it is so difficult. But here's the other statistic that is so encouraging: if they make it through the first four months, there's a really good, high probability that they're going to graduate, and when they graduate, they've got the tools that they need, that even if there is a bump in the road, they know that. What's the phrase, gentlemen? When you stumble, be humble. Pick up the phone and we'll continue to love on you and help you. It's a tough program, but it works. Next slide.

[22:32] Program is broken into three phases. Each phase is four months long. In the induction phase, they're getting sober. They're getting physically healthy again. They're eating regularly. They're getting out of bed, making their bed. It's all about developing new habits, because when you become addicted, when you become, get to that place where you're struggling, there's only two things that an addict thinks about. You know what they are? The first thing an addict thinks about is, how do I get high? How do I get my fix? Because that's what I crave, even if I don't want it. There's all kinds of shame. There's all kinds of other stuff that gets mixed up in that, but that's the first thing and the main thing that we think about as addicts. The second thing we think about is, how do I get my next fix? How can I stay high? So everything I'm going to do with you, it's going to be about that.

[23:28] So we want to help the guys develop new habits, new ways of thinking, new ways of living, even things like making the bed and doing dishes. In that second phase, the next four months, it's now training, helping them discover their identity in Christ. And as I would say, not who you are, but are you ready? Whose you are? Because we are made in the image of God. We're made to be loved by God, to have relationship with Him. And in that second phase, there's a lot of that training and stuff going on. In the final four months, the transition phase, we're helping the guys figure out how to reconnect with family and friends. Where are they going to live? Where are they going to work? Where's their home church going to be? And I'll tell you again, after 40 years plus of pastoral ministry, it is so sweet, so amazing when you see the forgiveness and the grace when moms and dads and wives and kids reconnect with these men, and you see the healing that comes. Graduation at the end of 12 months is an awesome experience. You think you were going to camp meetings or something. It's just unbelievable.

[24:38] Once they graduate, they have an opportunity to stay for another six months, a year. That's called a Phase Four program. It's sort of like an internship. They get the car keys. They get their cell phone back. They get access to the internet, and they continue in counseling in their program, but now they begin to explore what's God calling us to next. And that was one of the things that Zach was referring to when he talked about staying here in Moncton and helping other men. So that's a quick overview of the program. Let's go to the next slide. And I am going to invite Steve to come. Steve is close to graduating, and I've watched as God has done a work in this man's life, and I am honored to introduce him and to welcome him. Would you give him a welcome?

[25:30] Thank you, church family. God has given me the strength to dance again. Love that part of that song. Thank you, Zach, for sharing your testimony, brother. Good morning, everyone. I'm 10 months into the Teen Challenge program. My name is Steve, and I'm 51 years old. I was born and raised in a small town in Southern Ontario. I had a fun childhood with both parents in the home, along with three other siblings. We were a close family, always together fishing, camping, and hiking. I love being active, playing sports, especially baseball. I'm sure I slept with my glove many nights. Playing ball was my dream. Thankfully, my parents nurtured this passion I had as a little boy. I looked up to my father, and wherever he was, I wasn't far behind him. One day we went fishing with my dad, then I got dropped off at a baseball park. This was the perfect day for me, and he went off to work. Not long after that, I saw my mom. She pulled up and waved me off the field. We found out my dad had a massive heart attack. So we stayed by his side all night. He was transferred to another hospital, and on the way, in the ambulance, I see my I'd sit up, I could see him waving through the back window, and the back tinted window. I thought everything was going to be alright.

[26:51] I didn't know that would be the last time I would see him. My father passed away in 1987 when I was 13 years old. I experienced a new flood of emotions: guilt, shame. The what-ifs rendered me into a hole that filled me with self-blame. Was this my fault? Could I have changed this outcome in any way? Questions digging through me, causing severe to severe depression and anger. My mom had always tried her best to raise us four children and work full time. I saw her go through many years of hardships and depression, all so for me. Playing baseball was my escape, where I avoided life and the thoughts of depression. I had a big weekend, a baseball coming up to be at Niagara Falls, a provincial weekend. This was hard on my mom because time, money, and availability.

[27:36] I remember my coach stepping up to the plate and offering to drive me. What a relief, or so I thought. I remember this. Well, this is where my life took a terrible turn for the worst. I was sexually assaulted by this man that weekend. I was given cigarettes and alcohol. And I was told not to say anything about what happened, or he would tell everyone. I never told anybody about this, but looking back, you could see the pain in every one of my photos that was taken on me, from sports to school to every family photo. I was just a shell of a little boy. How can I let this happen to me? I hated myself for that, and this was all my fault. At this point in my life, the enemy had a firm grip on me. I started rebelling, stealing, doing drugs, drinking, and fighting. I even spent time in jail for being violent, with multiple run-ins with the police.

[28:27] I would use every day to bury my negative feelings. The thoughts of suicide played with my mind for the next 25 years. All this time during my addiction, I got married, had two amazing sons whom I love beyond words can describe. I tried so hard to change my life and to be the best I could be, but it proved impossible. In 2004, after being out all night and coming home at 7 a.m., this was normal for me, I heard the door open, and it was my mom. She knew everything. I came clean. I told her about the abuse, and then I kept it from her because I didn't want her to blame herself for not protecting me. This was a huge day for me, the start of me opening up my life, the parts where I hid inside for so many years.

[29:18] There was no way I had the strength to start the process by myself. My mom took a lot of first steps for me, but this one was the biggest. She helped me take the first step in a recovery. She found 30-day, 60-day, 90-day programs, but I just shook my head. I needed so much more, and Teen Challenge continued to come up as a one-year program. And for some strange reason, I was fine with it. Within a month, I was on my way to Teen Challenge in London, going through the gate. So this was the right place for the peace. I was two days into the program, during class, a teacher asked anyone if they would like to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and I stood up. The students and teachers prayed over me that day, and I gave my life to Christ, and I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.

[30:08] God was moving in my life and knocking down walls and showing growth in many areas. God was mending my relationships with my family and taking the shame, guilt that held me down for so long. All these small victories brought such great joy and purpose to my life. I was enjoying life, going to church, helping at youth group, active in Bible studies, and volunteering at the Teen Challenge London Sports Night. Many years later, my marriage started to fall apart. What happened? Everything was going so well, my life seemed to crumble around me, and separation happened. I started to believe these old foolish lies again, and I put on the fig leaf of despair. It didn't take long, and I was back to my old self again. In my head, I could hear things like, Steve, this is all you'll ever be. I knew I had to go back to Teen Challenge. It was hard but necessary. What legacy would I leave my two boys, especially my sons or my family, especially my sons, Brady and Blake.

[31:08] On March 2nd, 2022, I cried out to God for help once again. I can't continue living like this. It was His Holy Spirit in me at work. I started the application process and made a commitment to myself and to God. I'm gonna add to them 14 years of following Him. How can I be this excited to go away for another year of my life. On April 11th, 2022, I jumped in the car with everything I had, and 20 hours later, I was at Teen Challenge Atlantic. Ready to dig deeper into all parts of my life. My prayer from the start is, Holy Spirit, I know You know what's best for me. I pray You bring up everything in my life that needs to be fixed, healed, encouraged, and pruned. Just know that was a big prayer, and we went right to work. My relationship with Jesus today is much stronger than it ever has been. The Holy Spirit and I are finally coming to terms of understanding.

[32:09] I was reading in a chapter of the Book of Ezekiel. God says He will put a spirit in me and I will live. I was a pile of very dry bones with no life. The Lord says to these bones, I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I feel that every day. What a hope of great things to look forward to. I have a calmness about myself now that I've never had before. I catch it and I smile. I know it's a gift from God. Here's what I know for sure. I need to yield as much of myself as I can to Him. When I do that, the Holy Spirit doesn't make me better than anyone. Anyone else, but better than myself. He gives me wisdom beyond my knowledge, power beyond my strength, and gifting beyond my abilities.

[32:56] With the help of the Holy Spirit, I become better than my best effort, better than my best thought. I become the best version of myself and pleasing to my heavenly Father. God has given me this great opportunity to be a positive role model in my child's, in my children's lives. I just cannot wait to share and be a beacon of hope in my own community. I still have a passion for baseball, and I feel God moving me in the direction to help youth have fun, a safe place to get together and have joy, getting back to helping others and being involved in community. And in church is where we all need to be. Jesus saved me from the pits and gave me a hope. I have a purpose in my life. Now I feel valued and I can finally say I love myself again. God put this scripture on my heart when I first entered the program. Romans 5:1-5. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing tribulations produce perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope.

[34:09] Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Thank you. If you have any doubt today that God is at work, just rewatch those testimonies. Wow.

[34:55] Well, we're coming down the home stretch. Just a couple of things before I invite the guys to come back and our own band to sing a closing song. But you should have received a brochure like this. If you didn't get one, you can get one at the table at the back. But I want to just highlight a couple of things that are in that. First of all, there's a little bookmark. It says Change Lives. This is an amazing website that I would encourage you to check out: changelives.ca. And on that website are simply videos, professionally done, of our students that have graduated and what God has done in their lives and what God is doing in their lives. Now, one of them, Ricardo Benigno, graduated 13 years ago from Dartmouth, one of our own local guys, who five years later...

[35:45] Oh, I won't tell you. You need to go and watch the video. Next slide. Again, thank you. Thank you for the invitation to be here. Thank you for the support, the ongoing support. Many of you are students' sponsors, and we appreciate that. We want to continue to bring hope. And now I want you to understand that we want to bring hope to you. We want to partner with you. And so there's three things that I want to point out. First, let's go to the next slide. We are excited to announce that because of the pandemic being in the past, we are going to be having a banquet again, a spring gala in May, 16. And so we're excited about that. We'll be giving you more information, but you can get that on your calendar now, May 16. And in just less than two weeks, we have the sleep out that's going on. Yes, we're gonna pitch tents and sleep outdoors.

[36:43] Uh-huh. And that is a major fundraiser for us. If you know somebody that is involved, please support them. And let's go to the next slide, because I'm excited. This is an important part for me, and that's this. In your brochure, there should be a white piece of paper. I'd like you to show it to me. Show me this white piece of paper. This is a very important part for us, brothers and sisters. At the beginning, I asked you if you knew anybody that was struggling with addiction. Now here's our commitment to you. Each of these men and our staff want to pray for that person, whether it's you or someone you know. So I'm going to ask you to take a step of faith. Write just the first name down on this piece of paper. At the doors and at our table will be baskets. You can fold this and put it in the basket. We'll gather them, and that little box that you see, the Pray for a Stranger box, our staff and students meet several times a week and we pray for people by name.

[37:52] I am a theologian by training, so I'm going to make a statement that you might think is bad theology. I think there's an amazing power in prayer. When a gentleman who's in our program, who's been struggling with addiction, opens this little piece of paper and sees Michael's name, and knows instantly what's going on in Michael's life, because they've lived it, and prays, and I think that is an amazing prayer that God's going to sit up and say, You know what? I'm gonna do work in this Michael's life. Amen. So, please, yeah.

[38:40] Write your name, write the person's name down. If you have more than one name, I've had as many as 10 names on one piece of paper. If you need more paper, there's paper at our table. I'm going to pray now for your friends, your family. I'm going to invite the student team to start to come and prepare, but would you join me in a word of prayer? Father, we've heard the testimonies, Zach, Steve, and what You've done in their lives. And I know that in their lives and in the lives of every one of our students, that there are a group of people that have been praying for God to spare them, to rescue them, change their lives.

[39:36] And I thank You, Father, that You are at work in their lives. But now, Father, we lift up before You the names of those that are in our hearts: husbands, wives, children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors, coworkers. God You know who they are. We ask now, Father, that You would do an extra work of grace. Jesus, You talked about leaving the 99 and going and finding the one, and I thank You, Father, that in leaving those 99, they're still safe because You're still with them. But Father, thank You for that heart that You want to go after those of us who were lost.

[40:21] Father, we're reminded as we pray of our own stories of how You came after us and rescued us. And God, in my life You continue to rescue me day after day. Father, we plead the blood of Jesus that You indeed would rescue our friends, our family. Holy Spirit, reach out and touch and do a work even now as I'm praying those in this room, those listening to us online that are struggling with addiction. Father, grab their hearts. Father, wrap Your arms around them and draw them to Yourself. Bring, Father, bring healing and restoration.

[41:09] Now thank You in Jesus' name for that. In Jesus' name, and everybody said, "Amen." I am delighted to share with you this group, the choir and the band. None of these are professional musicians that have flown in. These are our own men, and Victoria, who is our administrative assistant and also a worship leader, has worked diligently. And if you've ever worked with some of these guys, it's like herding cats some days. But I am blessed and honored to encourage you to worship with us as they sing the song.