The Glory of Young Men is their Strength
I can still remember it . . .
It was October 2004, and I was attending my first TeenPact CHALLENGE. I was a nervous fourteen year old, and had not a clue about what I was getting into. My overall perception of the event ran something like this: it would probably be fairly tough, but not too rigorous - sort of like a Boy Scout summer camp, with a bit of a military flair. Of course, I thought, there would be some PT (Physical Training), and probably some sort of drill instruction. I had heard rumors about the MRE’s (Meals, Ready to Eat), and figured the food would probably be poor - like the C and K-rations I had read about in various WWI and WWII books. But to counter this, I had also heard of boys smuggling in M&Ms, chocolate bars, marshmallows and graham crackers, and making smores around the old campfire with their friends in the evenings - having a jolly good time, in general. Overall, I didn’t think I had much to worry about; I was wrong.
The staff had set up a table under a big old Magnolia tree for registration purposes, and I, along with the rest of the boys who had signed up for the event, milled around the general area, waiting for things to get going. All of a sudden, one or two smoke bombs went off, as well as a whole mess of firecrackers. Out of the smoke came running several staffers, all wearing Army camo and duty caps. They formed us up and marched us through a small piece of woods and into a clearing, where they called a halt. One of them told us to drop all of our gear on the ground. We did so, and he continued speaking. "At Challenge, we do things a little differently . . ." At that precise moment, a plane (flown by a TeenPact friend) "buzzed" us, flying so low we could easily see the pilot and his passenger inside. Almost instantly, another series of firecrackers went off - this one much larger than the first - accompanied by more smoke bombs, and other fireworks of some sort that gave off a hearty "boom". The impression formed was that of being in the midst of a dive-bombing raid, and was quite a shock to most of us.
Although there were no more "bombing raids", this one had done what it was designed to do - catch our attention, and let us know this was something more than Boy Scout camp.
CHALLENGE is a tough event. It is tough physically, with plenty of PT, pushups, rope climbs, and running. But much more importantly, it is tough emotionally and spiritually. CHALLENGE is not designed simply to teach a boy some new exercises, or how to go from "Parade Rest" to "At Ease" to "Left Face" and back again. Its purpose is not just to make a boy physically tough. It matters not how strong a man’s muscles are, if his character, mind, and relationship with Jesus Christ are weak. And that is TeenPact CHALLENGE’S purpose - to "challenge" and strengthen a boy emotionally and spiritually, help him develop his character and cultivate his relationship with the Lord, in order to help him become a true man of God. (And, if he can lose some flab and gain some muscle in the process, all the better.)
Today’s generation often seems to be characterized by a reversal of the roles of men and women. Godly manhood, it seems, often succumbs to secular feminization. Men sit at home tending babies while their wives serve their country overseas, often getting killed or traumatized in the process, both physically and emotionally. Instead of a lifestyle that centers around God, too many men follow a lifestyle that originates from a me first attitude.
In the first of the popular Lord of the Rings movies, a dialogue introduces the story. Paraphrased, it went something like this – "As time went on, history became legend . . . legend became myth . . . and some things that should not have been forgotten were lost." This perfectly describes Godly manhood in today’s culture. It is viewed as an outdated relic of past epochs, impractical and unappreciable in the "modern" world.
As Christians, it is imperative our young men are trained to be men of valor - strong, courageous, mature men who can lead Godly families, protect women and children, and defend the faith. We need young men of this sort to rise up and lead families, train their children in the ways of the Lord, and win souls for Christ. We need men who are men - who are not afraid to suffer hardship for their Lord and their family; to risk, even sacrifice, their lives for God and those weaker than themselves; to step into positions of leadership, and lead others in the fear of the Lord. We need men who can face difficult emotional and mental stress, and by turning to God, emerge stronger than before. We need men who face their duty, and do not shirk; who accept the blame for their mistakes, without laying it on others; who embrace their responsibilities as men of God with everything in them. We need men who understand discipline. Men who are strong. CHALLENGE was created for the purpose of encouraging these ideals in young men.
CHALLENGE cannot, by itself, turn a boy into a man. It is no "cure-all". But it is a very useful tool to be utilized in the training of young men. I see this in my own life. That first time I went to CHALLENGE, now almost two years ago, I had a very hard time making it through the week. I was easily stressed, and CHALLENGE often places boys in stressful situations in order to strengthen them. By Tuesday night (CHALLENGE began Monday afternoon) I was ready to go home - the only TeenPact event I have attended where I really wanted to leave. I was to the point of tears. To be honest, I actually did shed a few! But I fought through it, and finished the week. I came back the next year for another CHALLENGE, and more than one guy said that I was, without a doubt, a different person than I had been my first year. CHALLENGE, for me, was a huge stepping stone in my emotional and spiritual development. I can without a doubt say that I posses a stronger character than before because of CHALLENGE. It has helped to open doors for me that might otherwise have remained shut. The program has definitely assisted me in my development toward Godly, strong, courageous manhood.
In closing, I can think of no more perfect example of the sort of manhood CHALLENGE promotes than the true story of the H.M.S. Birkenhead.
In the year 1852, British troopship Birkenhead was sailing off the coast of South Africa. On board were around 640 passengers, mostly soldiers and sailors - but including a large number of women and children, the soldier’s wives and families. Birkenhead was en route to the Cape of Good Hope when, at 2 a.m. on the morning of February 26, she struck a submerged rock ledge roughly a mile offshore from Danger Point. A monstrous hole was ripped in the hull of the ship, and the cold water that poured in drowned many - or all - of the men sleeping in bunks below the aft in the lower decks. The survivors made it to the poop deck, where they formed their respective units into ranks, and awaited orders. Ten minutes after the crash, it was obvious any chance of saving the craft was slim. Captain Salmond, the officer in charge, ordered that the women and children be rescued first. Only moments after the women and children had been placed in the safety of lifeboats, and rowed a short distance away, the ship split, rendering the remaining lifeboats useless or unreachable.
Believing all lost, Captain Salmond ordered the men to swim for their lives, even suggesting the try and make their way to the lifeboats containing the women and children. However, two other officers, Captain Wright and Lt. Giradot - realizing the inadvertent consequences of Cpt. Salmond’s order would be to give the men leave to rush the lifeboats, possibly capsizing them, and injuring the women and children within - countered the orders, instructing the men to stand fast, and await their fate. The soldiers and sailors, already assembled in orderly ranks, obeyed, not a man leaving his post. Minutes later, the vessel cracked once more, this time in two. The Birkenhead disappeared beneath the waves, and with it many of the steadfast men aboard. Those men who surfaced soon faced a horror even worse than drowning: being eaten alive by native sharks, which quickly went into a feeding frenzy. Though apparently over 150 men made it to shore alive, many more willingly laid down their lives for others in the name of Godly manhood. Of all those to perish that day, not a woman or child was lost.
It takes a strong man to do what those men did. Those are the type of men we need. Proverbs 20:29a states, "The glory of young men is their strength." This could be the theme verse of CHALLENGE. CHALLENGE is totally about strengthening young men - physically, emotionally, mentally, but most importantly, in their walk with Christ. That is what it is designed to do. And that is what it does.
Johnson Hardy
Squad Officer
TeenPact CHALLENGE
It was October 2004, and I was attending my first TeenPact CHALLENGE. I was a nervous fourteen year old, and had not a clue about what I was getting into. My overall perception of the event ran something like this: it would probably be fairly tough, but not too rigorous - sort of like a Boy Scout summer camp, with a bit of a military flair. Of course, I thought, there would be some PT (Physical Training), and probably some sort of drill instruction. I had heard rumors about the MRE’s (Meals, Ready to Eat), and figured the food would probably be poor - like the C and K-rations I had read about in various WWI and WWII books. But to counter this, I had also heard of boys smuggling in M&Ms, chocolate bars, marshmallows and graham crackers, and making smores around the old campfire with their friends in the evenings - having a jolly good time, in general. Overall, I didn’t think I had much to worry about; I was wrong.
The staff had set up a table under a big old Magnolia tree for registration purposes, and I, along with the rest of the boys who had signed up for the event, milled around the general area, waiting for things to get going. All of a sudden, one or two smoke bombs went off, as well as a whole mess of firecrackers. Out of the smoke came running several staffers, all wearing Army camo and duty caps. They formed us up and marched us through a small piece of woods and into a clearing, where they called a halt. One of them told us to drop all of our gear on the ground. We did so, and he continued speaking. "At Challenge, we do things a little differently . . ." At that precise moment, a plane (flown by a TeenPact friend) "buzzed" us, flying so low we could easily see the pilot and his passenger inside. Almost instantly, another series of firecrackers went off - this one much larger than the first - accompanied by more smoke bombs, and other fireworks of some sort that gave off a hearty "boom". The impression formed was that of being in the midst of a dive-bombing raid, and was quite a shock to most of us.
Although there were no more "bombing raids", this one had done what it was designed to do - catch our attention, and let us know this was something more than Boy Scout camp.
CHALLENGE is a tough event. It is tough physically, with plenty of PT, pushups, rope climbs, and running. But much more importantly, it is tough emotionally and spiritually. CHALLENGE is not designed simply to teach a boy some new exercises, or how to go from "Parade Rest" to "At Ease" to "Left Face" and back again. Its purpose is not just to make a boy physically tough. It matters not how strong a man’s muscles are, if his character, mind, and relationship with Jesus Christ are weak. And that is TeenPact CHALLENGE’S purpose - to "challenge" and strengthen a boy emotionally and spiritually, help him develop his character and cultivate his relationship with the Lord, in order to help him become a true man of God. (And, if he can lose some flab and gain some muscle in the process, all the better.)
Today’s generation often seems to be characterized by a reversal of the roles of men and women. Godly manhood, it seems, often succumbs to secular feminization. Men sit at home tending babies while their wives serve their country overseas, often getting killed or traumatized in the process, both physically and emotionally. Instead of a lifestyle that centers around God, too many men follow a lifestyle that originates from a me first attitude.
In the first of the popular Lord of the Rings movies, a dialogue introduces the story. Paraphrased, it went something like this – "As time went on, history became legend . . . legend became myth . . . and some things that should not have been forgotten were lost." This perfectly describes Godly manhood in today’s culture. It is viewed as an outdated relic of past epochs, impractical and unappreciable in the "modern" world.
As Christians, it is imperative our young men are trained to be men of valor - strong, courageous, mature men who can lead Godly families, protect women and children, and defend the faith. We need young men of this sort to rise up and lead families, train their children in the ways of the Lord, and win souls for Christ. We need men who are men - who are not afraid to suffer hardship for their Lord and their family; to risk, even sacrifice, their lives for God and those weaker than themselves; to step into positions of leadership, and lead others in the fear of the Lord. We need men who can face difficult emotional and mental stress, and by turning to God, emerge stronger than before. We need men who face their duty, and do not shirk; who accept the blame for their mistakes, without laying it on others; who embrace their responsibilities as men of God with everything in them. We need men who understand discipline. Men who are strong. CHALLENGE was created for the purpose of encouraging these ideals in young men.
CHALLENGE cannot, by itself, turn a boy into a man. It is no "cure-all". But it is a very useful tool to be utilized in the training of young men. I see this in my own life. That first time I went to CHALLENGE, now almost two years ago, I had a very hard time making it through the week. I was easily stressed, and CHALLENGE often places boys in stressful situations in order to strengthen them. By Tuesday night (CHALLENGE began Monday afternoon) I was ready to go home - the only TeenPact event I have attended where I really wanted to leave. I was to the point of tears. To be honest, I actually did shed a few! But I fought through it, and finished the week. I came back the next year for another CHALLENGE, and more than one guy said that I was, without a doubt, a different person than I had been my first year. CHALLENGE, for me, was a huge stepping stone in my emotional and spiritual development. I can without a doubt say that I posses a stronger character than before because of CHALLENGE. It has helped to open doors for me that might otherwise have remained shut. The program has definitely assisted me in my development toward Godly, strong, courageous manhood.
In closing, I can think of no more perfect example of the sort of manhood CHALLENGE promotes than the true story of the H.M.S. Birkenhead.
In the year 1852, British troopship Birkenhead was sailing off the coast of South Africa. On board were around 640 passengers, mostly soldiers and sailors - but including a large number of women and children, the soldier’s wives and families. Birkenhead was en route to the Cape of Good Hope when, at 2 a.m. on the morning of February 26, she struck a submerged rock ledge roughly a mile offshore from Danger Point. A monstrous hole was ripped in the hull of the ship, and the cold water that poured in drowned many - or all - of the men sleeping in bunks below the aft in the lower decks. The survivors made it to the poop deck, where they formed their respective units into ranks, and awaited orders. Ten minutes after the crash, it was obvious any chance of saving the craft was slim. Captain Salmond, the officer in charge, ordered that the women and children be rescued first. Only moments after the women and children had been placed in the safety of lifeboats, and rowed a short distance away, the ship split, rendering the remaining lifeboats useless or unreachable.
Believing all lost, Captain Salmond ordered the men to swim for their lives, even suggesting the try and make their way to the lifeboats containing the women and children. However, two other officers, Captain Wright and Lt. Giradot - realizing the inadvertent consequences of Cpt. Salmond’s order would be to give the men leave to rush the lifeboats, possibly capsizing them, and injuring the women and children within - countered the orders, instructing the men to stand fast, and await their fate. The soldiers and sailors, already assembled in orderly ranks, obeyed, not a man leaving his post. Minutes later, the vessel cracked once more, this time in two. The Birkenhead disappeared beneath the waves, and with it many of the steadfast men aboard. Those men who surfaced soon faced a horror even worse than drowning: being eaten alive by native sharks, which quickly went into a feeding frenzy. Though apparently over 150 men made it to shore alive, many more willingly laid down their lives for others in the name of Godly manhood. Of all those to perish that day, not a woman or child was lost.
It takes a strong man to do what those men did. Those are the type of men we need. Proverbs 20:29a states, "The glory of young men is their strength." This could be the theme verse of CHALLENGE. CHALLENGE is totally about strengthening young men - physically, emotionally, mentally, but most importantly, in their walk with Christ. That is what it is designed to do. And that is what it does.
Johnson Hardy
Squad Officer
TeenPact CHALLENGE
posted by TPC STAFF at 13:21
2 Comments:
Officer Hardy:
Truly appreciate all that you and the other staff did to invest your lives in the those of the recruits. Timothy and my dad were tremendously impacted by the week.
Elizabeth McCullough
when will the new challange dates for 2007 be announced?
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