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Character & Leadership

Developing important life and leadership skills

Character and leadership skills are developed as clients work their way through fourteen group studies (GSNC) and seven customized individual learning units (PACE). During this time clients participate in about 3-4 hours of classroom study every day.

Group Studies for New Christians (GSNC)

Group Studies for New Christians is composed of 14 learning units. Each unit takes about 3 weeks to complete.

  • Attitudes
  • Temptation
  • Growing Through Failure
  • Christian Practices
  • Anger and Personal Rights
  • Love and Accepting Myself
  • Personal Relationships with Others

Personal Accelerated Christian Education (PACE)

Clients must also complete a customized individual program called 'PACE'. Guided by his teacher/counsellor, the client decides which units would best benefit him and signs an accountability contract promising to complete the units.

  • Orientation
  • Self-image and Identity
  • Spiritual growth
  • Relationships
  • Leadership
  • Future plans and next steps

Individualized tutoring is available for clients with learning difficulties. Clients who have not completed their GED will receive tutoring in basic math and/or literacy if necessary.

Clients also build character and leadership skills while serving others in various ways throughout their program.

For example, those in the programs volunteer to help open the Town of Allan pool by painting the pool and drywalling the building. In exchange, clients are able to access this pool 3-4 times in summer. Also, when the town discovered that its water source had been contaminated, Teen Challenge clients distributed information pamphlets door to door.

Some in the program are also able to do community service projects such as yard work on civic property for the Town of Allan Office to pay off their fines or convictions.

Churches sometimes call on Teen Challenge to serve by directing traffic or managing crowd control at a concert, or unloading supplies for a church event, or providing kitchen help, clean up, and ushering during a conference. Clients also serve soup at the Salvation Army twice a month.