In 1958, the streets of New York City were ruled by gang violence. Drug addiction and youth crime were out of control. After seeing an article in Life Magazine, David Wilkerson felt God prompting him to help the boys in the magazine.
Arriving in NYC, the young pastor was shocked by what he discovered but he did not turn away. He brought the message of Jesus with compassion. Later that year, Wilkerson started Teen Challenge – not only to get young people off the streets, but to give hope for a transformed future. The program offered faith-based rehabilitation, discipleship, and community.
This led to the establishment of Teen Challenge centres across the USA and eventually around the world. With over 1400 centres in 140 countries, Teen Challenge is a family of ministries that share the same focus, each independent and unique to the local culture and community.
At the heart of all Teen Challenge centres, you will find
- Christ-centred recovery
- Long-term in-residence programs
- Comprehensive healing – physical, emotional, mental, spiritual
- Community reintegration
Teen Challenge Canada operates eight centres with a ninth under redevelopment. While each centre is run by local staff, we share a senior leadership team, finance department, a call centre, a marketing & communications team, and a board of directors. As we continue to grow, so does our capacity to support more lives, restore more families, and build stronger communities. We are committed to overcoming addiction one life at a time.
Additionally, there are three other Teen Challenge organizations in Canada:
The leadership teams for all four organizations collaborate, sharing ideas and resources. Each of these organizations and centres operate with the heart behind David Wilkerson’s original ministry.
While each centre, region, and country may have a different feel, Teen Challenge is a global ministry, united by one mission and one message of hope. We are so grateful for your support as you join us in this vision.