Moving Forward with Intention

Everything that happens in our world starts with intention - the plan or determination to act in some way.

As leaders, it’s our responsibility to set intentions for ourselves and understand the intentions of those who work around us. That’s not always an easy task. If you have been in ministry for any period of time, you have probably misread the intentions of some people along your journey. Intention is concealed, so we can only judge intention by the actions we see, and often, the actions of a person or organization don’t reflect the values they claim.

I don’t ever want that to be the case for Global Teen Challenge. That’s why, today, I want to share and be clear about our intentions as an organization and challenge each of us as leaders to hold ourselves accountable.

A Strategic Plan with Three Intended Impacts

The last seven months have involved intense prayer and personal soul-searching as our team reviewed the vision for Global Teen Challenge. Our team has worked tirelessly to develop a strategy that will empower and equip every member of our Teen Challenge family to put hope within reach of every addict.

We recognize that, together, we are part of one of the largest, most committed ministries in the world—with over 1,400 programs in 125 nations and 4,000 dedicated staff members and leaders who hold some of the longest terms of service of any nonprofit. That’s astounding, and it is because of you and every leader who shares in our mission.

It’s miraculous the impact we can do together. That’s why I’d like all of us to recommit to our organization’s mission and three Intended Impacts for those in our care:

• Recovery: We focus on reaching the most challenging addicts in the world with 12-month programs that help them break free from the chains that hold them and restore hope for an addiction-free future.
• Reintegration: We not only help addicts recover from addiction, we also help them re-enter society with new life skills and renewed support from their families and communities.
• Relationship: We ensure each and every student has a healthy and flourishing relationship with God before they leave our program. It’s His love that makes both recovery and reintegration possible and sustainable.

I challenge you to study these three outcome goals and to be intentional in how you lead your center.

Let’s stay clear and focused on what we do, helping every addict regardless of their situation. Let’s commit to helping each student find a clear pathway to functioning in society after graduation. And, finally, let’s ensure that each and every student experiences the power of God in their life.

We can do this! Together, we can hold ourselves accountable for making these three Intended Impacts a reality for every addict who seeks our help.

Thank you for your leadership. As we move forward with intention, we get one step closer to reaching every addict in every corner of the world.

Jerry Nance PhD
President
Global Teen Challenge