These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:7

There is a place in God where it is good to remember where we have come from and how we got here.  

Here are some personal memories. As some parties have completed their race - our facts are maybe not altogether correct.  Some of these stories are old and our memories are not as “fresh” as they once were - so bear with us.  We do not want to embellish and if any memories are “off” or incorrect - please share so corrections can be made.

The Lord mightily used Norman and Phyllis Labrentz to start and grow Teen Challenge.  Many of us are thankful for how the Lord used them  wonderfully in their obedience at Teen Challenge, Grande Prairie.

I was not present for some of these events in the pre-TC Days, but Norm had shared some of the beginnings with me.

Norm was the Pastor in Barrhead with the Pentecostal Assembly of Canada Church - Glad Tidings.  He was also the Presbyter for the Northern Alberta area with PAOC.

The Lord started to lay on his heart to help “the young people” in Grande Prairie.  Now, at this time the PAOC and the Independent Pentecostal churches had an agreement that if a community had an Independent Church then the PAOC would not start a work in that Community and vice versa.  The Lord was laying on Norm’s heart to go to Grande Prairie but by the agreement he could not go and start a new church.  So… he decided to go to the Independant Pentecostal Church as Pastor, in Grande Prairie - known as Zion. In the process he gave up his Presbyter position and his papers with the PAOC.   I do not think we appreciate the sacrifice Norm, Phyllis and Family  made to serve the Lord in Grande Prairie.  Thank you Jesus for their sacrifice!  

Norm and Phyllis pastored Zion.  The Lord continued to burden Norm with desire to see the young people saved and set free.  Many of the elders were not happy with Norm’s ministry to the young.  The kids of the day were unkempt, etc.  Norm also was involved in an evening coffee house at the Salvation Army Church, where young people were meeting with the Lord.

The Evangelist’s - Reuben and Betty Korpi of Seattle preached at Zion.  Their daughter Robyn and son-in-law Ron McQuot lived in Elmworth and over the years when Reuben and Betty visited them; they would also come and preach at Teen Challenge - but this was before TC started.  At the end of a service at Zion, Reuben went to Norm and said he could see a burden on him and wondered if he would share it.  Norm shared his burden for the young people and that it wasn’t being accepted at Zion.  Reuben asked what he wanted and Norm said there was a building the Lord was putting on his heart.  Reuben asked to see it and they went to the Oliver Funeral Home and Reuben laid hands on the building and dedicated it to the Lord and then told Norm that it would be his and that Reuben would be back within a year to hold meetings.  And he did.

Norm and Phyllis ended up buying the funeral home and turning it into Teen Challenge.  The work was not a Teen Challenge “work” in that David Wilkerson had set up Teen Challenge works to assist getting people saved and off drugs.  Norm wrote to David Wilkerson and explained he wanted to use the name.  David wrote back with permission. And so over the years we have called it TC. I think the money to purchase came when Norm and Phyllis sold their GP home.

Many wonderful things happened as they turned a funeral home into a building to bring the dead back to life.

In the fall of 1972, David and Shirley Moffat needed to go from High Level to Grande Prairie for  their eye glasses.    So Bruce and I accompanied them to and we  visited with Mary Cornell who insisted we must meet Norm Labrentz;  as he was starting a new work with the youth.  She took us down to the basement of TC during a Saturday night coffee house and introductions were made.

Next, there was a weekend youth retreat at the Bible School in Sexsmith. Some of us came from High Level for the weekend.  We went to Friday service and then we slept at the Bible College, but Saturday morning as I was awakening the Lord laid on my heart to go to Grande Prairie Teen Challenge. So i hitched hiked into town and knocked on the door.  Norm answered and asked what I was doing there.  Phyllis was downstairs and heard the noise  and asked Norm what was happening and he said Monty was at the door.  She told him to send me downstairs as she was praying deliverance and was asking the Lord to send more prayer warriors to assist.  We prayed for this fellow who needed deliverance, for the rest of the afternoon.

The Easter Long Weekend rally at TC was when I came to GP and stayed.

One early memory which was typical of the moving of the Holy Spirit was that Norm asked me to go with a young man who had just got saved but needed to go to Court because he had got busted.  (Sometimes getting busted helped people to turn to the Lord.)  As we got to the Courthouse, we prayed.  We prayed that because  Jesus had become this fellow’s Saviour and forgiven his sins; that the Lord, JUDGE of ALL would sit and judge his case.  When the judge started the proceedings and asked for the evidence - the police officer stated they could not find the incriminating evidence, that it had been there on Friday but now it was gone - The Judge ruled - Case Dismissed - Lack of Evidence. Praise the Lord!

One of the major parts of TC was the prayer room.  A small room that got "rugged", floor to ceiling - covered in pieces of rug.  Almost every night there would be people in there praying.  Many people were delivered and had their lives changed.  Many demons were cast out.  I remember "Fingers" (don't remember his real name. His nickname came from sacrificing his fingers to Satan.)  During a service, I saw "Fingers" come up from downstairs.  He told me he had gone to the prayer room to summon his "demon".  He drew a pentagram and tried to summon, but it couldn't come into the prayer room because the Power of God was so strong.  Fingers then came upstairs and joined the Sunday Morning Service cause Jesus is more powerful than the enemy.  Not sure what happened to him, but I do remember he brought his mother to a Sunday Morning Service.

Another memory.  One weekend a group of us went to Edmonton, using Alger Henry's car. We were returning to Grande Prairie Sunday night and had to stop in Barrhead area to pick up Ralph Woehler.  When we got there, we had to wait until the bread Mrs. Woehler was baking was finished.  I got frustrated as there were kids in the car that needed to go to school Monday morning and it was getting late.  Finally, the bread was done and we drove on to GP.  When we got back, 2 or 3 am; I remember apologizing to Phyllis for getting back so  late, but that we had to wait for the bread.  She said it was ok, because she had been praying the Lord would supply bread for sandwiches for tomorrow's school.

Another important memory that differentiates TC and the other early Jesus People Churches -  was the singing in the Spirit.  It was “normal” at Peoples Church in Edmonton, St. Margeret’s in Vancouver and one in Calgary (I think it was Anglican?).  To describe the praise/worship services will be hard. But SO wonderful to experience.  There usually would be some singing in English - hymns, scripture songs, etc,  then the Holy Spirit would have people switch to singing in tongues and HE would start to be the conductor.  The voices would blend and rise and fall as the Conductor led.  It sounded heavenly and as you praised you found your praises starting to turn into worship and with arms raised you would feel yourself being taken into the the Presence of the King, Lord Jesus.  4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalms 100:4

There were many times you knew Jesus had come to enjoy the worship.  You felt an intimate closeness to Jesus and gained more and more love for Him.  You wanted to stay in His presence forever - dwell in the House of the Lord.  But then the Conductor, Holy Spirit would cause the heavenly singing to slowly get quieter and quieter till silence rang supreme.  Sometimes there would then be prophecy or speaking in tongues with interpretation or just a Holy quiet time.  So Precious, So Sweet, So Lifegiving, So Wonderful!

One Sunday morning at the Evangel Assembly (Teen Challenge, GP), there was a “happening” that describes one of the reasons for the success of TC.  As usual before the start of the service we would greet people as they arrived.  There was one fellow who was a street person but enjoyed coming to the services.  Now, he was fresh off the street and he Stunk!!  The aroma was ugly and powerful and when I went to give him a welcoming handshake - it was with a very extended arm.  I kept my nose away from him as much as I could, while welcoming him to church.  Service started, i returned to my seat and started singing and praising.  We went as usual into praise and worship and allowing the love of God to fill us as the Holy Spirit conducted the worship.  After the Spirit had finished, Norm announced we should greet our neighbours as per our normal routine.  This Sunday, the Holy Spirit led me to go and find the homeless person.  I found him and because the Love of God was so strong - I gave him a great big hug.  The Love of God covered up all the smells and sins.  I truly believe that one of the reasons for the success of the Jesus People was worshiping/praising the Lord until the King of Glory came in and getting filled to overflowing with the Love of God! (Psalm 24)

There were so many of these God Interventions that it was “Normal”and life-changing!