And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. Ezra 6:16

“In dedicating this building today, we are choosing to designate it as a sacred place. We do this because we desire holy things to happen here. We desire people who enter these doors to sense at deep levels in their own spirit that this is a place in which the Spirit of God resides and therefore their dreams and their purpose can be restored.

We don’t just dedicate a building today, we dedicate ourselves to the mission of this building — Teen Challenge, a Christ-centered, faith-based solution for youth, adults and families struggling with life-controlling problems.”

– Gordon Houston, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Teen Challenge of Southern California, at the dedication of the new Fresno County Teen Challenge office

Fresno County Teen Challenge (FCTC) held an Open House on Saturday, July 19, to dedicate and celebrate the opening of its new outreach office, the first of its kind in Fresno County! We are so excited to finally realize our long-held dream of bringing hope and healing to Fresno through the operation of a local Teen Challenge center.

The FCTC vision is to make a difference in the community by bringing recovery to those who struggle with addiction. There are many forms of ministry that we can share in Fresno, including:

– Outreach: FCTC is currently conducting outreach ministry in the local community. Staff is meeting with men and women seeking help, as well as conducting intake interviews and referring applicants to other residential Teen Challenge centers in Southern California.

– Support Groups: FCTC is hosting support groups for people struggling with addiction and their family members.

– Learning Center: Space is set aside at the Fresno office to create a Learning Center for at-risk children. Here local children can have a safe, fun place to go after school and receive tutoring and guidance from qualified Teen Challenge staff.

– Residential Facility: Plans are in place to create a residential recovery center for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.

– Addiction-Prevention: FCTC is scheduling presentations at schools, local community service organizations, and churches to educate youth about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, as well as to spread the news about how FCTC can help.

At the Open House, dignitaries California State Assemblyman Jim Patterson, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, and Nathan Alonzo, District Representative for California State Senator Andy Vidak, officially welcomed FCTC to Fresno.

Bethany von Steinbergs, Community Care Pastor for Peoples Church opened in prayer and Teen Challenge’s vision for Fresno County was presented by Ron Brown, Executive Director of Teen Challenge of Southern California, and John Burns, FCTC Superintendent of Operations.

Ceremonies wrapped up with a ribbon cutting in front of the outreach office’s main doors. Afterwards, guests were treated to a barbeque tri-tip luncheon. Approximately 300 people attended the Open House, which was also covered by local news media.

For more info on Fresno County Teen Challenge, see https://teenchallenge.org/ftc or call John Burns, Superintendant of Operations at 559-549-6657.