I hold no ill will toward Teen Mania and have come to terms with my experience, forgiven people, and moved on. However, I feel like I need to share my experience with the board of directors in order potentially improve the Honor Academy as a whole and spare others from a similar experience. My experience […]
Note from RA: I expect to hear back from the Board of Directors today. If I do, I will post a full update tomorrow morning. When I first started reading about the experiences at TM I was a little skeptical. It led me to think about my experiences at TM. I was a January intern
Ok, yesterday we talked about Teen Mania’s standards for women on campus so here’s a little something so that the men don’t feel left out. I’d love to give the context for this, but I have absolutely no idea what it is. Maybe someone can explain in the comments…Click the author’s feed to see a
If you are drinking something, put it down right now, otherwise it may come out of your nose. An alumnus sent me the following document, “Ways a Teen Mania Woman Acts on Campus,” that was presented to all intern women during her year. My comments and questions are in italics. Curriculum for Practical Guidelines for
Honor Academy: Ways a Teen Mania Woman Acts on Campus Read More »
I’ve been following the blog of Michelle Arnold, former HA staffer and wife to Rod Arnold, another former TM staff member. On her anniversary, Michelle wrote a great post about marriage. She starts by saying: I once heard someone say if you marry the right person, you will never have a fight. That person is
Another Perspective on Marriage Read More »
Somehow with the second semester, all hell broke loose. I hadn’t realized how lonely I would become as the second semester worse on. Many of the people I really confided in had graduated at the end of my first semester. I began to feel very out of place. The powers that be moved me to
Shannon’s Story: Part 2 Read More »
First of all, I’d like to get it straight that I don’t hate Teen Mania. I don’t consider it a cult. I don’t regret having been a part of it. I don’t love Teen Mania. I don’t put it on a pedestal of spiritual perfection. I regret a lot of my choices during the internship
Shannon’s Story: Part 1 Read More »
“So, I’m convinced your deepest problem is not with the cigarettes you smoke or the alcohol you drink in secret. It’s not in the slander you speak and the gossip you cherish. It’s not the pornography you pleasure yourself with when no one’s looking. It’s not about the baby you aborted; it’s not that you
What’s Our Problem? Read More »
I really, really do. And so do you.* God does not expect us to be good Christians. He knows that in our flesh “dwells no good thing.” Its absolutely impossible for us to become better by our own efforts. The funny thing is – we don’t realize this (and I’m speaking to myself here). I
I Suck as a Christian Read More »
If you join the Honor Academy, you can! Here are a couple of excerpts from the blogs of 2 current interns about ESOAL 2009. Apparently, when sleeping outside in cold rain, you are not allowed to shiver: And there was this weird “ESOAL rain” that fell most of the time; it was this sort of
Would You Like to Roll Through Your Own Vomit? Read More »
I was never in the Honor Academy. Honestly, I don’t think they would ever have let me in. But my experiences with Teen Mania have really colored the way I look at missions today, how I view TM, and the HA. I went on a GE trip to New Zealand. It was a terrible experience
ESOAL came and went, and time carried on. I still got up for corporate, went to classes, did my homework, went to my ministry placement, had my quiet times, met with my accountability partner…completed all of my duties as the “perfect intern”; however that feeling that something wasn’t quite right still plagued me. It was
Ashley’s Story: Part 2 Read More »
This thought is only partially developed, and its a little rough around the edges. Stick with me and maybe you can help me fully flesh it out in the comments. Firstly, actions speak louder than words. If you tell me that God is love when you are filled with hate – which lesson do you
Recently, a few readers have asked how to know what date these posts are published. Unfortunately, the template I’m using doesn’t include the dates. But, there is a way around that. If you’ll look at the time stamp on the post, the minutes value will always reflect the date of the post. For example, if
Why Aren’t Posts Dated? Read More »
Sadly, the common thread that I see in almost every former intern I talk to is shame. Shame about who they are, shame about not measuring up, not being enough, not fitting into the Christian mold they were taught. And yet, all the while, God created them to be themselves, to honor Him by walking in their uniqueness.
Break Out of the Mold Read More »
Isn’t it ironic that Teen Mania will travel across the world to reach a tribal witchdoctor but befriending a local bartender is considered scandalous? Isn’t it ironic that TM teaches that the honorable, the statesman-like and the disciplined are blessed, but Jesus said that the broken, the hungry, and the poor in spirit are blessed?
Editor’s Note: This is the 2nd story of sexual assault I’ve been told in the past 2 weeks. If you have a similar story, this is a safe place to share it. You may remain anonymous.I graduated HA in August of 2004. I was 17 and was sexually assaulted during my Unreached People Group LTE. I
My big problems are the long lasting physical effects I have had from the internship. Ear trouble – I had an ear infection that went untreated for two weeks because I couldn’t get anyone to take me to a doctor. I have hearing loss in that ear. Ovarian Cyst – I experience this for the first time
Stephanie’s Story: Part 2 Read More »
I just want to start off by saying that the Honor Academy was not the worst moments of my life…I’m not bashing it or badmouthing it in any way, I’m just bringing to light that there are those of us (myself and my husband included) that had a very difficult time growing and maintaining our
Ashley’s Story: Part 1 Read More »
(2021 Moderator’s Note: Allie’s Story is part of The Vault, a series of drafts that were discovered in a backup file from 2011. These posts were not published for some reason but are now being published. If you are Bobby and do not want your story to remain published, please email me at recoveringalumni at
I had a mixed experience at the Honor Academy. I did not leave hating Teen Mania or the HA. In fact, during a time of struggle in my life I went back to volunteer for a month during that summer. I found some clarity while there, but it also showed me that some problems I
Stephanie’s Story: Part 1 Read More »
What is preventing you from receiving God’s love, right now? You are the child God always wanted.
Another Question for the Day Read More »
The End is near: So all that happens, and then it comes time to apply for a second year. Notice how I haven’t mentioned anything about my 6 month probation from when I wasn’t given a chance to defend myself against an accusation? That’s because I was given a list of requirements, and no one,
Derek’s Story: Part 2 Read More »
Things got extremely difficult for me when I returned home from my missions trip. Teen Mania does very little to prepare kids to return to the “real world” after being part of a Global Expedition. I had many strong emotions when I returned from my trip, but I didn’t feel like anyone could really understand
Robbie’s Story Part 3: The Aftermath Read More »
Due to the recent nature of the comments, I think its worthwhile to re-visit the reasons behind why this blog is here and who it is for. This blog (and the forums) are intended to be a SAFE place for wounded and hurt people who were, at one time, part of Teen Mania. This is
The Purpose of This Blog – Revisited Read More »
