Program Description
It is our commitment to introduce every Abundant Life Academy
student to the creator of this universe, Jesus Christ, with
the purpose of calling forth and releasing their specific
purpose (gifting) and destiny in Christ Jesus. We provide
this opportunity in an alternative Christian Boarding School
environment. Abundant Life Academy IS NOT a therapeutic wilderness
program, boot camp, military school, residential treatment
center, emotional growth school, or therapeutic boarding school.
Abundant Life Academy is an early intervention schools for
troubled teens with academic and motivational issues. Please
note: Abundant Life Academy is a Christ-centered leadership
school and we do not offer therapeutic services; no therapy
or any other mental health service will be offered by Abundant
Life Academy or our staff.
Abundant Life Academy is a non-denominational Christian boarding
school for both troubled boys and troubled girls ( ALA is
not a co-ed program). We focus on academics, Christian discipleship,
and leadership training. Abundant Life Academy is also a Positive
Peer Culture governed school, set in a small, intimate, home-like
environment where we encourage emotional and spiritual growth
through a process of adversity and hard work. ALA does not
cater to our students… we coach, teach, encourage, train,
and compel. We expect the ALA student to become self-motivated
and governed by the standards set by Jesus Himself. Therefore,
the accomplishments of the ALA student come from their willingness
to invest them selves. At Abundant Life Academy we hope and
trust that the change in our students is an internal change,
coming from the inside out. This way we know for certain that
the resurrected hope of the child is real, because it is a
“heart” based change.
The truth is that ALA is not the answer, Jesus is... We only
lead the student to the answer, but it is up to the individual
student to apply what we teach. You can lead a horse to water
but you can't make him drink. At Abundant Life Academy we
do not force any student to comply with the growth process,
or to excel academically. We coach them in such a way as to
promote an internal drive to change. We desire that all improvements
come from within the child as led by the Holy Spirit. The
good news is that ALA student come to realize that they don't
need ALA or the ALA staff to be successful. They realize that
God has blessed them, and that He alone will lead them into
the fulfillment of their greatness. We coach and train the
ALA student to trust and rely on the Holy Spirit, who is our
comforter.
Positive Peer Culture
We believe that young people who populate our nation's schools
are in desperate need of an antidote to the narcissism, laziness,
rebellion, and antisocial lifestyles that have become so prevalent
with today's youth. The antidote is to teach the principles
of the Bible as declared by Jesus Christ and the Apostles
through a student governmental system known as "positive
peer culture". However, teaching the principles of the
Bible are not enough. Churches everywhere are doing that and
are failing our youth. The real secret is to “experience”
the principles of the Bible… meaning, we teach about
a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is real, with true
experiences, and not just head knowledge. Students of Abundant
Life Academy experience their faith through participation
in Mercy Ministries as they are encouraged by their peers
to drop the selfishness and give to those who are in need.
The positive culture governmental process promotes the ideals
of caring, serving, and trusting. It is our goal that the
students of ALA will feed the poor, assist the elderly, build
homes for the homeless, and we provide mercy to those who
are in desperate need. We realize that these are lofty goals,
yet Jesus taught his disciples to love and serve one another,
therefore so do we. The Abundant Life Academy Positive Peer
Culture process uses and promotes the same foundational teachings
of Jesus Christ found in the Gospels of the Bible.
You are probably very familiar with the concept of "negative
peer pressure". Negative peer pressure involves street-led
governmental system driven by selfishness and self-centeredness.
His/her negative peers taught everything you dislike about
the negative choices of your son/daughter. However, being
taught about negative values is not enough to compel them
to act out negatively. It takes another component that is
often overlooked. It takes a combination of "modeling"
and "peer pressure" to cause a perfectly good teenager
to turn into a troubled teen. The positive peer culture process
works in the same manner, only the outcome of the behaviors
is positive as opposed to negative. The positive peer culture
process uses “modeling” and “positive peer
pressure” to create the transformation of a negative
peer into that of a positive peer.
The peer pressure your child has been under is immense. The
pressure comes from your teen's desire to fit in, to be cool,
and to gain status within his/her peer group. If his/her peer
group has determined that they must defy authority to gain
status within the group, then you have a rebellious troubled
teen that won't listen to you, and most assuredly he/she is
creating havoc and pain for you and the rest of the family.
At Abundant Life Academy we use the same foundational mechanisms
of the peer pressure system, but instead of being pressured
to act out our students are encouraged to love, serve, and
support one another as well as others. In the words of Jesus
; “Out in the world the master sits at the table and
is served by his servants, but not here! For I am your servant.”
Luke 22:27 TLB
We believe that the answer to negative peer pressure is found
in the presence of a pro-social "positive peer culture".
By using the identical dynamics of a negative peer culture
(the need to fit in), the positive peer culture system replaces
the anti-social values with pro-social values with incredible
results. In a positive peer culture the only way to gain status
within the group is to function in the pro-social values while
challenging the anti-social behavior of negative peers. This
is exactly what Jesus taught to his disciples. Instead of
anti-social behavior as a means of gaining status within the
group (negative peer culture), the positive individuals who
exemplify pro-social behavior gain desired status.
“Be humble and gentle. Be patient with
each other; making allowance for each others faults because
of your love. Try always to be led along together by the Holy
Spirit and so be at peace with one another”
Eph 4:2-3 TLB
We know that kids just want to fit in and be accepted within
their peer group. We also know that they can easily adapt
to the pro-social values if those values help them to "fit
in". As adults, we can redirect the negative peer culture
in such a way as to promote pro-social values. In doing so,
kids naturally begin to conduct themselves in a manner that
gains acceptance. Once they transition from the anti-social
to the pro-social values, the outcome is amazing. To the Abundant
Life Academy student, operating within the positive peer culture
becomes as natural as hanging out with his friends
The core design of positive peer culture is accomplished
when we create an environment where young people develop a
sense of self-worth, significance, dignity, and responsibility.
However, this only happens as the students become committed
to the positive values. The commitment toward pro-social values
is reinforced when the student gains status for behaving pro-socially.
In the case of Abundant Life Academy , the pro-social values
are centered on the idea of helping and caring for others.
With the positive peer culture we direct students away from
narcissism and conflict, moving them toward a spirit of concern
and service for others.
“Since you have been chosen by God who
has given you this new kind of life, and because of His deep
love and concern for you, you should practice tenderhearted
mercy and kindness to others. Don't worry about making a good
impression on them, but be ready to suffer quietly and patiently.
Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember,
the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Col 3:12-13 TLB
With the positive peer culture system the Abundant Life Academy
staff build a climate characterized by "trust and openness".
Most schools and programs operate on the opposite premise,
as they use "invasion and exposure". In reality,
it is the operation of invasion and exposure that actually
creates the negative peer culture in the first place. So,
it would reason that "trust and openness" would
have an opposite effect, that being a "positive"
peer culture. The positive peer culture process empowers the
students. They are empowered to help and serve one another.
The focus is to reward those students who demonstrate genuine
concern for fellow students, as well as staff. There is no
coercion, psychological intimidation, or manipulation involved.
Within the peer culture no one is forced to do anything. Instead,
they are encouraged through authentic concern.
“God has given each of you some special
abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing
on to others God's many kinds of blessings.”
1 Peter 4:10 TLB
Within the positive peer culture there is a climate of "change"
versus and climate of "security". Many people believe
that children grow strong in an environment that is safe and
free of conflict. That simply is not true. Growth comes through
conflict and struggle. "Change" often creates conflict
and struggle, and many times the behavioral issues regarding
kids are derived from their unwillingness to deal with change.
When kids are taught that change are opportunities that are
to be embraced and relished, then their struggles turn into
opportunities to advance and grow. Change becomes exciting
and fun, instead of frustrating and disliked.
“ We can rejoice, too, when we run into
problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they
help us learn to be patient. and patience develops strength
of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we
use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.
Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high
no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know
how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere
within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill
our hearts with his love .” Romans 5:3-5
TLB
Positive peer culture focuses on the direct and immediate
issues and challenges of an individual, not the past problems.
Contrary to popular belief you can't go back into your past
and fix things. There are many unfortunate events in everyone's
life, causing tremendous trauma. Many times children are truly
victims of horrendous trauma. Nevertheless, you can't go back
and change what happened. The question is, "what are
you going to do about it now?" Within the positive peer
culture one does not go back and get entangled in an analysis
of all the details of a child's history. It is all about how
and what someone is going to do with the choices he has today,
even when it involves a horrific event of the past. Again,
when kids see all problems as opportunities for growth, they
can reframe their past to positively impact their present,
as well as their future.
In schools across the country teachers demand conformity
and obedience. Elaborate sets of rules are concocted and then
they search for ways to enforce them. Rewards are offered
to students for behaving, and punishments are applied to keep
them from misbehaving. Rather than demand obedience, the positive
peer culture concept demands that young people become the
mature and productive human begins they can be. Positive peer
culture is concerned with setting expectations high enough
to challenge the young person to do all he is capable of doing.
To expect less is to deprive him of the opportunity of feeling
as positive about himself as possible.
Additionally, the focus of a positive peer culture is on
"values" instead of "rules". Kids need
obvious boundaries in the form of rules; however, values are
much more powerful. Too often rules are geared to keep students
in submission, and to "control" behavior. Moreover,
kids often see rules as an opportunity to "get over"
on adults. This creates an "us" versus "them"
mentality, and subverts trust between student and staff. The
truth is that rules do not teach a child how to live responsibly
amid the complexities and uncertainties of the real world.
While some students may learn to obey rules, they still may
fail miserably when no one is there to set and enforce the
rules. Young people need to learn the basic values for living
and not merely memorizing and following a set of rules.
At Abundant Life Academy we make "caring' fashionable.
We know that a positive peer culture can only exist in a climate
of mutual concern. The job of the teachers and staff of Abundant
Life Academy is to establish positive values, and teach (by
example) how to serve one another. The teachers and staff
of Abundant Life Academy establish the pattern of caring through
modeling, and rewarding those students who follow their lead.
Jesus did the very same thing during His three-year ministry.
Jesus created the most powerful positive peer culture known
to man!
Foundations of Abundant Life Academy
No matter what has happened in the life of the Abundant Life
Academy student prior to his arrival, there is always a new
opportunity to get it right. The Abundant Life Academy program
is built on the principles of caring, serving others, discipline,
commitment, honesty, and integrity. We believe that these
virtues are missing in the lives of this generation of young
people, and we believe that any young man armed and trained
with the power behind these principles will become a leader
in any industry. It is our mission to instill these principles
into each and every student we work with through the positive
peer culture concept and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
ACADEMICS
Fully Accredited self-paced academic curriculum through Willow
Bend Academy will be offered to accommodate each student's
individual academic needs. The student's academic progress
is governed and managed by a credentialed teacher. Furthermore,
Abundant Life Academy provides comprehensive academic and
career (vocation) counseling, using state of-the-art software
to assess and determine interests, ability, and skills. Every
Abundant Life Academy student will be given the opportunity
to graduate from high school, earn a GED, and prepare to enter
college.
CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING
The dynamic principles of the Life of Jesus Christ are the
foundation to the Abundant Life Academy Leadership program.
In a normal church setting the ALA leadership instruction
would be referred to as "discipleship" training.
Although it is true that we disciple our students in the principles
of the Bible, we go beyond the basic "instruction".
We dig into the meat of the Word, and provide opportunity
to experientially live out the commandments of our Lord and
Savior. Our goal is that every student learns to be Spirit-led,
and walk in the anointing of his/her calling.
Our goal is to train up kids through the Word of God and
by His Spirit to go out and impact the world with the reality
of God. At Abundant Life Academy we are not religious, but
we do manifest the love of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to release
the Christ-breathed destiny that lies dormant in the life
of every young man or woman. In doing so, we help our students
to see themselves and others through the eyes of Jesus. They
must understand that all men are precious in His sight, regardless
of what they have done. There is room for Grace, through forgiveness,
and the work of the Cross.
We are under a call to equip the future saints of God to
impact the world around them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We hope that some of our students be launched into the ministry
of Jesus Christ, preparing them to enter Bible College or
enroll in Christian Colleges and Universities.
“He told His disciples, I have been given
all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore go and make disciples
in all the nations baptizing them into the name of the Father
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and then teach these
new disciples to obey all the commandments I have given you,
and be sure of this-that I am with you always, even to the
end of the world.'” Matt 28:18-20 TLB
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