Young men need to leave the home: Right at the beginning in Genesis 2 we see this theme of a man (no longer a boy) leaving his parent's household to begin his own. Historically we can see this happening in stages prior to marriage such as apprenticeship, higher education, or simply a first job. In a bootcamp environment like CHALLENGE young men are expected to function and problem solve on their own from the first hour.
Young men need to be with other men: Throughout the new testament we have example after example of God's people discipling, building fellowship, and striving together for the kingdom. Many young men have little to no experience doing self-directed hard work with a group of their peers. As a homeschooled young man with 5 brothers I spent years navigating complicated relationships, but learning to function with complete strangers at CHALLENGE was a whole new experience.
Young men need a challenge to surmount: An old military mantra states "the more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in war". If we take the Christian walk as the spiritual warfare that it is (2 Cor. 10:4) we must take our spiritual training even more seriously. CHALLENGE puts deliberate, yet manageable stress on young men so that the skills and scriptures they learn under stress can be replicated under stress.
We hope to see you and your sons at CHALLENGE this fall. Learn more by visiting our website, following our socials, and signing up for the mailing list.