Abundant Life Academy is the ideal Christian Boarding School environment for the troubled teen who is struggling with substance abuse issue, yet is highly gifted. These teens are unmotivated, and rebellious toward parental authority. The ideal Abundant Life Academy student is a good kid, from a good Christian family, yet is struggling to understand and find his/her unique identity and destiny. Additionally, this child is struggling with substance abuse issues. Moreover, the prospective ALA student is a boy or girl who is looking for significance in all the wrong places, often putting his/her peers in higher position then that of his/her family. The ideal Abundant Life Academy Substance Abuse Program student is the troubled teen who acts entitled, is selfish, and does not think parental/societal rules apply to them. The ideal Abundant Life Academy student behaves relatively well outside of the home (accept for the drug and/or alcohol use), but inside the home he/she has left his/her family in great peril.

The prospective Abundant Life Academy student does not have a mental illness nor does he/she respond well to secular counseling/therapy. Why? Because there is nothing mentally wrong with the child and therapy has never produced maturity or spiritual growth anyway. The typical ALA student is "entitled", "selfish", "self-centered", or "self-engrossed". This child has compounded their emotional immaturity with the abuse of drugs and/or alcohol. In earlier times this child would be considered to be "spoiled", "demanding", or a "brat" who used drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with the negative consequences of their choices. Today we consider them to be a troubled teen. Besides, there is no therapy in the world that will help a child to grow into an adult.

Because of the parent's determination to protect and provide for their children their child has lacked the adversity needed to induce and promote maturity and emotional growth. Moreover, this child has rarely been required to invest into his/her family, training them to believe that it is all about them. Their day-to-day life has revolved around getting their own needs met even at the detriment of others needs. Additionally, they have been rescued time and time again from inappropriate behavior, and very rarely have they felt the consequences of their actions (although their parents have). Due to the fact that they believe that the world has been created to serve their needs, coupled with the parent's determination to provide for their every need, this prospective student has contracted "entitlementitis". And, Jesus is the only cure.

 

The Abundant Life Academy student is not in need of mental health treatment, they need the reality of Jesus Christ in their life. Additionally, they need to know self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and service towards others, giving, charity, and adversity. They need to experience hard work, perseverance, and longsuffering. They need to get outside of themselves long enough to see how well they have it, and begin to appreciate all that they have been blessed with. They need to be grateful for all that they have and begin to invest themselves in the lives of others.

"...In addition to leadership and academic concerns, we are dedicated in training the young men of Abundant Life Academy to live and operate in personal responsibility, practicing excellent communication skills, exercising respect and submission to all authority ordained by God, and the ability to self-govern..." -Craig Rogers , CEO

Because of the lack of respect for parental authority the ALA prospective student is in need of an alternative educational setting. The ideal Abundant Life Academy student has began to "struggle" as he/she makes one poor choice after another. Not too long ago this student seemed to be the perfect child. However, around the time of puberty things started to change and the sweet kid turned into a stranger. Instead of maturing into a healthy sound adolescent with a strong moral compass, this student now identifies more with the latest hip-hop rapper or gangster. Some of our student spends countless hours playing video games, or messaging friends through the Internet until the wee hours of the night. Some of our students have become sexually active. Most of our students have become immune to how they hurt others and have an "I don't care attitude".

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The prospective Abundant Life Academy student is most likely rejecting his/her Christian upbringing, or at least seems spiritually lost in comparison to where they once were. This student has dropped their affection for sports, healthy hobbies, and good friends. Good grades are no longer important because working hard in school takes away from their social life and school is not cool with their new circle of friends. As a matter of fact their new friends have become the center of their universe and their values no longer are in alignment with their parents.

The typical Abundant Life Academy family

The typical Abundant Life Academy family is a Christ-centered family who loves Jesus with all of their heart. Furthermore, this family has provided everything they can to their children. The ALA family is not perfect, but there is nothing more important then their child. The ALA family would sacrifice their own lives for the life of their child. Providing and protecting their child has always been of the utmost importance to the prospective Abundant Life Academy parent. Moreover, the prospective ALA family has been devastated by their troubled teen's decline. Even though the parents have always model strong Christian values their precious child has turned away for no apparent reason. Not only that, but the other children in the family are starting to be adversely affected by the actions of the troubled teen. The typical Abundant Life Academy parent is willing to do whatever it takes to turn their son/daughter around before it is too late.

How Abundant Life Academy views the troubled teen

At Abundant Life Academy we see our students a little differently than most, as we see the current underachiever/rebellious teen as a future leader in training, only he/she has yet to see the inherent power within himself through Christ. We believe that with the intimate knowledge of a loving God our students will return to their Christian heritage, and become the man/woman of God they were destined to be.

We believe that the three most powerful forces of life are leadership, creativity, and life management. The key to releasing these powerful life forces is usually found in the midst of one's struggle. For instance, the struggle for identity in the life of a teenager is an incredible potential training ground for future success. Unfortunately, most kids fail in the midst of the struggle for identity without ever realizing that their failure could be used to promote them into a powerful position. In these cases, a traditional Boarding School is not the answer. Abundant Life Academy is anything but traditional.

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At Abundant Life Academy we see failure as opportunity, and potential power, while others see failure as a problem that must be eliminated. Where other schools and programs see kids who are defiant and rebellious, we see them as the next generation of leaders, full of creativity, only they lack adversity and life management skills to put it all together. We see their struggle as an opportunity to promote them into a prevailing place full of promise.

Prior to coming to Abundant Life Academy our student-leaders found them selves caught up in the ways of the world (self-centeredness, rebellion, drugs, etc.). They struggled to make good choices, and now they need to be set free from the negative consequences that come with living in a self-destructive lifestyle. The parents of the ideal Abundant Life Academy student has identified that he/she needs to make some radical changes, and needs some coaching and guidance to reach his/her awesome potential.

ALA is an alternative to the traditional emotional growth school, as we present a fresh approach, coming from a Christian perspective, perfectly suited to help young men and women find their personal identity and DESTINY in life.

Abundant Life Academy is not a placement for defiant youth with major behavioral or mental problems. Again, the typical Abundant Life Academy student is a good kid from a good family who has gotten caught up in a world he/she was never destined to be a part of. Within a short time after enrollment most of our students declare their commitment to refrain from drugs, alcohol, and other self-sabotaging habits, and are restored to Christ-centered lifestyle. ALA is a safe place for teenagers to avoid the reoccurring pitfalls of adolescences.

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Additionally, ALA serves young men/woman who have successfully completed wilderness programs and other emotional growth schools. While these settings are very powerful, many emotional growth programs tend to "intuitionalize" their students, leaving them unprepared to deal with the pitfalls of re-entering the "real world". Moreover, traditional therapeutic programs lack the Christian perspective, and the student is often left with a desire for more truth. ALA could easily be considered a "transitional" situation, where a young man can establish a foundation before returning home or moving on to college.

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"...Are you an Eagle who has been hanging out in the chicken pen, scratching around like the chickens, but having an overwhelming desire to fly the coop? Then ALA is the perfect place for you!"
Craig Rogers , CEO