God is a God of the unexpected. Just ask Abraham and Sarah about parenthood or Moses about leadership or Paul (originally Saul) about preaching the gospel.

I have also found out that God is a God of surprises.

Thirty-one years ago the last thing I would have expected was for God to call me, a church kid from Arkansas, to the ministry of Teen Challenge. What I thought originally would be a one-to-two year assignment stretched out to many years.

As time went on He unveiled another surprise and called me to succeed as Executive Director for a man whom I had the highest respect, Herb Meppelink. To this day “Brother Mepp” is the one I think of when I think of the Executive Director of Teen Challenge International of Mid-America.

Now God has revealed  another surprise and called me to serve as President of Teen Challenge USA. I am sure that some who know me are surprised as well; but I have to believe that just as God knew what He was doing 31 years ago and 20 years ago, He knows what He is doing this time as well.

There was one thing that God showed me when He first called me into this ministry. Using Luke 14:12-14, He showed me that Teen Challenge was a ministry that “gave its banquet” for the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Teen Challenge was and is a ministry that is concerned about reaching out and ministering to those in great need, those who cannot repay us for the banquet that we provide; a banquet of deliverance, healing, freedom, and love; a banquet that comes from God’s throne. For the past 31 years that is what I have endeavored to do as part of a wonderful team that God began building long before I ever showed up.

Now the challenge is, “What am I going to do in the national office? What is my role?” Again the Lord has given me a passage of scripture to use as my guide. That passage is John 13:3-17, where John describes how Jesus washed the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper. My goal in this position, and my goal for the national office, is for us to serve. At the National Conference, God laid on my heart that we are here to serve three groups:

1. The Executive Directors and Program Directors who lead our centers. These brothers and sisters carry an enormous burden and many times feel there is no one they can talk to, no one who understands what they are going through. We want to serve them.
2. The staff members who serve in our centers. They are the backbone of Teen Challenge, and like the non-commissioned officers and foot soldiers in the military, they are the ones who truly take the ground on the battlefield. It is imperative for us to serve them.
3. The students we minister to. These men, women, and teenagers are why we are here. Teen Challenge does not exist so we can have a place of ministry; it exists because the heart of God reaches out with compassion to the poor and needy. We must serve them, giving them our very best efforts under God’s anointing.

I want each one who serves in Teen Challenge to know that the national office exists to help you, in whatever way we can, fulfill the calling that God has given you.

As a servant, I want you to know that I have an “open door” policy. I realize that it is not practical for most of you to pay a personal visit to our office in Ozark, Missouri, though we would love to have you; but I want you to know that I will gladly receive your phone calls and emails (available at the left) when you have a problem or a need.

Now I wish I could tell you that whenever you have a problem or a need that I will always be able to take care of it but unfortunately, I cannot promise that. I can promise you, however, that I will do three things: listen to you, pray with you and for you, and I will do what I can do.

I also want you to know that I would love to visit your center! One of the great privileges that I look forward to is visiting centers around the country and getting to know as many of those who serve there as I can. God has placed some of the greatest people in His kingdom in Teen Challenge and I do not believe there is a greater work going on anywhere than what is taking place in our midst. If there is anything I can do while visiting that might be a blessing to you, please do not hesitate to ask.

I do have one thing that I ask of you: please keep me and the staff here constantly in your prayers. We need God’s wisdom, strength, and grace if we are to do our part to accomplish His will for Teen Challenge across the nation and around the world.

So now it is time to see what surprises God has in store for all of us next. Of course I do not know what they are, but knowing how the Lord works, I am sure they are going to be great!