40 / 40 Teen

“What good will it be for you if you gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul?”

Matt 16:26

God has always used the literal wilderness to develop individuals into persons after His heart. God has used the wilderness to shape, equip and refocus. David as a shepherd and young man fleeing Saul, the apostle Paul in Arabia and John the Baptist are all examples of changed persons because of wilderness encounter. Interestingly, throughout the Bible God has specifically called individuals to the wilderness for 40 days and nights of transformative growth and development.

Noah spent 40 Days in a violent storm at sea. Moses spent 40 Days on Sinai. Joshua, Caleb and the 10 spies spent 40 Days traveling in the Promised Land. Elijah spent 40 Days hiking to Mt. Horeb to hear God. Jesus Christ is our most vivid example of a 40 Day wilderness experience. God used 40 days in the wilderness as a teaching, testing, training, renewing and equipping experience.

Yet, in the midst of modernity millions of young men and women are divorced from creation. Many are products of a highly technological post-modern world emphasizing commercialism and escapism.

SROM is passionate about changing this current deficit of wilderness encounter. SROM is passionate about raising up teens who have been refined and molded by God in His creation. SROM is committed to providing a wilderness experience that offsets the impact of a secular and self-indulgent culture.

The 40/40 Teen ministry experience is a difficult but rewarding wilderness living encounter. The activities learned include backpacking, rock climbing, mountaineering, back country cooking, navigating, and outdoor living. These lay the groundwork for a safe and enjoyable experience and create opportunity for personal growth. However, the 40/40 Teen experience is largely devoted to using these activities for spiritual transformation.

The course will focus on four foundational spheres of a teenage life and heart. Instructors will lead participants to examine:

  1. Their relationship with God and His Son Jesus
  2. Their relationship with parents, siblings, and peers
  3. Their relationship with themselves in terms of character, lifestyle and identity
  4. Their personal influence in regard to leadership.

The course will challenge students to align their life and heart with the will and ways of Christ and His Kingdom. It will be a discipleship experience that asks hard questions and allows scripture to prune and create transformation in each individual.