Leadership Training
for Young Men
Not sure what career you should choose or what you should study? Sometimes just finding the next bit of work and doing it is all that's needed for today. Find the low hanging fruit: get a job, learn a skill, work actively in your church. As you build your skills and experience, more options will open to you, but find useful work and do it.
Everybody has something to say about nutrition or "diet". There tends to be a *cough* *cough* grain of truth to most of the popular "fad" diets. Eventually everything boils down to macro (protein, carbs, fat) and micro nutrition (vitamins, minerals, etc.). Most foods are some combination of the 3 macros so everything comes down to 3 things based on your goals: getting a decent ratio across the 3 macros for whatever change or maintenance you're targeting, getting the right quantity & frequency to absorb what you need, and getting enough whole foods and micronutrients to sustain organ function so you can use those gains in the first place.
Trying to put on muscle? Might need to increase your protein. Trying to lose weight? Might need to limit carbs. Are you a young skinny guy wanting to get stronger? Just eat. Eat a lot. Much of what's easily available to us in America has an excess of carbs (particularly sugar or pseudo-sugar) and fats. Learn the basic mechanics of your anatomy (as well as what your stomach can tolerate) and take ownership of your nutrition.
Sights and triggers: the smallest definition of marksmanship. Rightly applied, these two things are all that's needed to put accurate fire on a target. That's not at all to say that's all that's needed... As soon as more than one round is required, principles of grip and stance become the most important thing to presenting and controlling that firearm. Each of these can fill whole books with nuance, variations, and context, and *should* be addressed to that level. In a similar way, theology can be summed up in carefully concise ways. Salvation (saving faith in Jesus Christ) could be described as 1: man's inadequacy (sin), and 2: the Savior, Christ Jesus. Sinner and savior: the sights and triggers of salvation. Man as a fallen creature incapable of saving himself from the just punishment for sin, and God's calling of salvation and redemption in his Son.
Similarly to our first example, while these two things *are* the fundamentals of the faith and a good summary... that's only part of the story. I pray that after you read this you would think on your eternal state. If you have professed faith in Christ, then good... but now the war begins: Seek out a faithful church and brothers and sisters to fight alongside you. Seek out the training you need to serve God's kingdom, and discipline yourself as a warrior for Christ.
We do! As far as payment goes, only a small amount is required up front to reserve your spot. The remainder is due when you arrive at CHALLENGE. Hopefully you've signed up early and have a few months between sign up and the event, during which time you can pull the remainder together. If the total amount is a concern, we encourage you to reach out to us. Our general process is to address the candidate on a case-by-case basis and see what they are able to pay or work off. If they come up short, we have sponsors who contribute in order to ensure young men are able to receive this critical training regardless of their financial situation.
Short answer - no! Although CHALLENGE: Basic was designed for young men ages 13-18, we have had much interest from young men outside those ages, as well. For eleven and twelve year olds, there is an "Intro" track where they can participate in the training and instruction, but their routine is slightly more relaxed. They receive a lot of benefit from learning spiritual lessons and teamwork from a young age, and they become more prepared to keep up with the rigors of CHALLENGE (and life) as full recruits when they get older.
Bodyweight training is great, and you can accomplish a lot with no equipment at all. However, there are more optimal ways to build strength and endurance, especially after puberty when you can recover much more rapidly from training. 3-6 months of a basic barbell program like Starting Strength is a very efficient path to lasting improvement in your physique and, more importantly, your health.
Interested in more training? Check out our upcoming events on the website or send us an email to see what we can do for you.
If you're not also reviewing your past year and learning the lessons. New year's resolutions are such a cliche that the "resolution-try-fail" cycle is almost a given. Focus instead on where you've learned or grown (intentionally or not) this past year and how you can apply that experience going forward.
"Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." - Prov. 27:1
Do you find yourself with a stoic "meh" attitude towards the holidays? It feels a little manly, doesn't it. If you take that attitude, though, it should not be to revel in how much you don't care. Your duty as a man is to be that much more attentive and conscientious of your responsibilities and the needs of those around you. Someone's car having trouble starting? Learn to be the guy who can get them back on the road. Your niece running around the family party needing attention? Take her outside for a swordfight (win of course but make sure she has fun).
When you find yourself tempted to scoff at how romanticized the season is: turn your attention to the needs of those around you. Find your fulfillment in advancing your family, friends, and community. Christmas isn't a celebration of you. It's a celebration of something beyond yourself that we can participate in communally.
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up the horn of salvation unto us, in the house of his servant David, As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which were since the world began..." - Luke 1:68-70
Finished Basic and looking for more? CHALLENGE: Extreme leaves some of the bootcamp/drill sergeant feeling behind in favor of more advanced leadership development. More advanced training, more frequent deployments (a la C-course), and a sharper gospel message.
This year's Basic class demonstrated a level of competency worthy of an Extreme class in several areas. One in particular being land navigation and the ability to plot their own points and routes on a map. We hope to run an Extreme in the near future. If you've graduated Basic, let us know via facebook/instagram or the website if you'd be interested in attending next year!
One of the themes we discussed at CHALLENGE this year was "progressive overload." Our bodies need an ever-increasing stress of some kind to provoke growth. Similarly, Scripture calls us as believers to sanctify ourselves and be always growing towards Christ through the work of the Spirit. (read II Peter 1)