Mike Hodges, President

The Teen Challenge USA National Office provides leadership and services to the entire network of Teen Challenge ministries throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. The Executive Director of Teen Challenge USA serves as a national representative and spokesman for the constituency of Teen Challenge ministries. The role of the National Office is to provide leadership by way of accreditation standards, curriculum distribution, a referral source for people who need Teen Challenge’s services, training, and management assistance in order to enable each of the local Teen Challenge ministries to accomplish their mission.

ACCREDITATION:
Accreditation standards have been developed for the purpose of providing a means to maintain the integrity and unity of the Teen Challenge ministries and to enable Teen Challenge to fulfill its purpose. The goals of accreditation are as follows:

1. To ensure that the standards are a tool for facilitating quality and consistency in all Teen Challenge centers.
2. To ensure the sovereignty and local control of each Teen Challenge center with minimum restrictions which are implemented for the legal, ethical and spiritual well being of all.
3. To assist in providing a measure of public acceptance and approval, hopefully assisting in the center’s public relations and fund-raising efforts, through the awarding of accreditation. A full-time Accreditation Manager is part of the National Office staff.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT:
The National Office facilitates the development, production and distribution of student curriculum materials that are used in the centers. Most of the educational content applies Biblical principles to help people become mentally sound, emotionally balanced, socially adjusted, physically well, and spiritually alive.

REFERRALS:
A third role of the National Office is to serve as a referral source for people who need Teen Challenge’s services. A national directory of Teen Challenge centers and services is updated weekly and the National Office responds to over five thousand telephone calls and e-mails every year from people seeking information about, or referral to, a Teen Challenge center.

TRAINING:
Another function of the National Office is to provide assistance in training Teen Challenge staff by conducting national conferences, participating in regional conferences, and by developing training materials and sourcing instructors to conduct seminars to address specific staff training needs. A full-time Training and Curriculum Development Manager is part of the National Office staff.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:
Along with the previously mentioned roles, the National Office strives to provide management assistance by helping the centers find answers to human resources issues, legal questions, IRS reporting, insurance questions and many other issues.

GLOBAL INTERNSHIPS:
The Global Internship Program provides an extraordinary opportunity for ministry students seeking a unique learning environment. An internship with Teen Challenge is a hands-on experience where the intern is assigned to an outreach that fits their learning goals and interests. Ministry-focused students often feel attracted to Teen Challenge internships because it represents an opportunity to live out their faith commitment in a real way. Typically, most interns are people who are looking for a learning experience that is "out of the box".

Interns who are interested in serving overseas must complete the application process that includes their testimony, their God-given calling, and references. After completing this process, depending on their education or personal experiences, the intern will go through either a 2-week training camp or a 2 ½-month training program. Each will help to equip the intern with the tools they will need to succeed on the mission field. After completing the training process and their monthly support is in order, we will help match them with a Global Teen Challenge program where they can best serve.

Download the Intern & Team Request form.

Dustin can be reached by emailing

PLANNED GIVING:
If you are interested in benefiting from life income gifts, gift annuities and other plans please contact our representative at the AG Financial Services Group, Larry Lister.
Simply email or call him at 417-861-1391.

Thank you for taking the time to explore the benefits of gift planning and possibly benefitting the Teen Challenge ministry in the process.

Teen Challenge is a member of the
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA)