Dear Pastors,

As a former Huntsville area pastor I know first-hand the overwhelming need for Christ in the lives of our addicted young people. I presently serve Alabama Teen Challenge as the State Director of Operations, and I want to very respectfully remind you that the follow-up Greater Huntsville Teen Challenge Organizational Meeting on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at HOPE CHURCH, Madison. Please plan on being in attendance; or, if you can not be there personally, please send a representative from your church.

In Alabama, 467,000 of our residents have used an illicit drug in the past year, 256,000 have used in just the past month affecting over one million Alabamians in the past 30 days.[i] In the Huntsville area the numbers are staggering. We have an epidemic – Alabama Teen Challenge is a growing statewide with a Great Commission centered solution to addictions. Since 1958 Teen Challenge remains the highly effective world-wide provider of discipleship ministry for those who would be evangelized and look to Christ to transform their lifestyle and develop a new life free in Christ from the devastation of drug and alcohol abuse. Teen Challenge is seven hundred centers in ninety-three countries.

Our area needs to know there is an answer to life controlling problems for our addicts through the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. The answer for these who are trapped is their total surrender to a Savior who would rather die than live without them – Teen Challenge is a missionary outpost for Christ that successfully reaches those trapped in this epidemic. Teen Challenge has young adult students from every walk of life – currently represented are those who were living on the street to a pilot from a major airline.

Many young adult addicts from our area have already been helped through Alabama Teen Challenge’s residential discipleship programs across the state. In our meeting we will also hear from one TC graduate who was in eight secular drug programs before finding Jesus in Alabama Teen Challenge.

The vision: In the Huntsville/Decatur/Athens area, two needed adolescent ministries (ages 13-18) will be opening. Once opened, residential Christ centered discipleship will be available to Huntsville residents of virtually any age or income in concert with the young adult ministries throughout our state. Alabama Teen Challenge is in full cooperation with area churches, and has the full endorsement of the Huntsville Pastor’s Prayer Summit.

For an introductory video of Alabama Teen Challenge ministry: http://alabamateenchallenge.org/video.html

Agenda

Please contact me if you have any questions.

I am with you in mission,
Doug

Douglas Wever
State Director of Operations
Alabama Teen Challenge
205.783.0855 cell 256.714.7729
dwever@alabamateenchallenge.org

Dear Pastor Co-Laborers,

As pastors, I particularly want you to be aware of the “Living Free” (formerly Turning Point) ministry that is being organized for area churches. This ministry has a twenty plus year history of Great Commission based non-residential intervention with substance abusers. We have numerous churches in the area that will be part of this, I’d love to send you additional information if you request it. It is an incredible ministry for you people and adults in your church struggling with addictions. The last church I introduced this to ended up with over two hundred folks going through.

I knew the need for the residential expression of Teen Challenge has been vital in our area for some time. I did not fully appreciate how significant the need is, but numerous pastors such as like Keith Miller have really enlightened me to what a vital need we are asking God to address. While the state executive director of Alabama Teen Challenge will provide final ratification, a tentative plan for this area includes:

Crisis Center and Administrative Office, Phase I and II with the operation of 7 Living Free Groups by 2009.

Ado Girls (Ages 13 – 18) 32 – 40 Beds Opening 2009 – 2010
Ado Boys (Ages 13 – 18) 32 – 40 Beds Opening 2010 – 2011
Young Adult Men (Ages 18 – 32) 32- 40 Beds Opening 2013 – 2015
Young Adult Women (Ages 18 – 32) 32 – 40 Beds 2015 – 2017

As you consider Teen Challenge, please remember we are Great Commission based. Because we are about Jesus, numerous government and university effectiveness studies have found this ministry to be the most effective and cost conscious effort going (studies range from 1976 to 2007 each finding that, depending on the study, 74%–86% of Teen Challenge graduates are still drug and alcohol free after seven years).

Doug Wever
Cell 265.714.7729