Some Golf Marathon Highlights from 2012

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The sun came up bright! In 15 years, there has never been a rain out!

The 15th Annual Teen Challenge Golf Marathon came and went... but the memories and blessings of that day will long remain.

Thanks for taking a few moments of time to check out a few pictures of the event and to read a few stories about how the day came together.

HOLE SPONSORSHIPS
Obviously the purpose of the event isn't just to golf. Golfing is just a way we raise money to support the ministry that God has called us to. Students can raise money and golf in the event, staff are required to raise money and golf in the event (when they are not working the event) and then we are blessed by many friends who want to support the ministry of Teen Challenge by raising money and then spending the day with us on the golf course. We also have many business and corporate sponsors that help make the day very profitable relationally, spiritually and financially.

Andy Klindt made it feel a bit like "Ireland" -with his red beard and kilt-like shorts!

We ask people to raise money per hole that they golf or just ask people to make a donation for their efforts. We ask each golfer to set a goal of raising $1,500 in pledges and donations. Some do way more than that. In fact, this year we had three students who shattered the old student fundraising record and raised thousands of dollars each! 

The goal of the day is to golf 100 holes! If you are a golfer you know that is a huge challenge! I think a lot of people get over 50 holes. Some may golf into the seventies or eighties, but very few get in 100 holes. But every year there are some who do it. Usually those are the people who are by themselves or one other person and they are working the course all day long! I did around 75 holes my first year, approximately 35 holes last year, and about two dozen holes this year.

My good friend, Adam Steen participated in this event as a hole sponsor!

There are a few factors behind the decline in my production. One is that each year I have more personal friends out on the course with me and we're usually having a good time talking about the Lord, testimonies, and meeting students. Another thing that has happened is that I have become more aware of all the things that are happening behind the scenes and when someone needs something done, I actually know how to get it done. The first year I was on staff I was walking around looking like a deer in the headlights. I now find much more enjoyment working than I do "golfing."  But when you only golf one day a year I guess that isn't too surprising.

Newsradio 1040 WHO RADIO

The lights were provided by our great friends at Star Equipment!

We have enjoyed the presence of Van and Bonnie who have broadcast their morning show from the golf course for many years now. Van wrote on his morning page

"Today we broadcast our morning show from Willow Creek Golf Course and the Teen Challenge Golf Marathon.  Heartfelt thanks to those of you that called the pledge line and made contributions to help in the battle of addictions and dependencies for central Iowans.  Its important work and they do an amazing job of helping Iowans.  Their success rate is phenoomenal."

During the broadcast people call in and make pledges. We had several special guests from Valley Bank and the Iowa Speedway who would make putts on behalf of the people who called in and if they sank the putt their name was entered in a drawing. It was a lot of fun and a great way for listeners to get involved, literally; from all around the world.   

Van Wall Equipment and Motor Sports is a great friend and supporter of Teen Challenge! Once again they provided an awesome hole-in-one prize! I was hoping that if I could hit one good shot off the tee on Monday, this would be the hole where I would do it!

It wasn't.

Oh well, there's always next year!




Let me tell you about a few of my friends who helped out in making this event successful. Jack and Denise Willis are both Lifeline Connection facilitators in Union County and are great supporters of the ministry. Their heart to help people is so evident! Jack grew up in a not-so-perfect environment and has dealt with his own addictions and legal problems.

But once Jack surrendered his life to Jesus Christ, he began to give God 100%! He is a great friend and he is always to do more to help more people. Some of the people in his Lifeline group were referred to the group by their probation officer and they have told the probation officer that it is the best thing they have ever seen in Creston! He was a hole sponsor for this event and even though he never golfed before in his life, he wanted to come and be a part of it. He even brought his sons with him who volunteered all day setting up and serving meals to the people who participated!

Another friend who was a huge blessing was Mike Stout. I was hoping that Pizza Ranch would provide lunch for this event. When they informed me that they would be unable to partner with us this time I started to scramble since the event was only a couple weeks away. My friend Mike Stout in Newton called his friend Brian Smith.

Brian is the owner of the Culver's restaurant in Newton and he has a huge heart to help people. He offered to provide enough pulled pork and roast beef sandwiches to feed everybody who participated. He also provided a bag of chips and a serving of ice cream custard to every person. It was an awesome blessing.  If you live in Jasper County or are ever driving past Newton on Interstate 80, please stop by the Culver's there and support them if you can. Tell them thanks for supporting Teen Challenge and for helping to make a difference in people's lives!

Brian is a successful business owner, but found himself battling addictions.

 Next year I am looking forward to having my friend Jeff Kelderman on board as a hole sponsor. I am also looking forward to being able to serve Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast! But since his restaurants are not even built yet I turned to Casey's to ask for help. Sue is the store manager at the Casey's on Douglas Avenue here in Des Moines and she was a huge blessing as she was willing to work with us to provide donuts, along with Hy-Vee fruit and energy bars that were donated.

Bob Hanson, with TC staff Joel Byford & Scott Reddish, watching a student tee off.

It was also great to have representatives of the Iowa Speedway at the event as they have become corporate sponsors of Teen Challenge! I enjoy working at the speedway during race weekends as a volunteer chaplain and I am really grateful for the many friends I have made who are associated with the Speedway. Former Iowa Hawkeye and professional NBA player, Bob Hansen is now working with the Raceway and he came out and golfed in the event. Debb Smith who oversees the Iowa Speedway Foundation also came and visited with Van Harden on the air and showed her appreciation and support for Teen Challenge.

Staff Member Mike Crable just missing a putt

Adam and Kasey Steen, who are also very involved with me at the Urban Center with Lifeline Connection, were hole sponsors with Kasey's law firm. Adam golfed with Kasey's father, Coral Johnson. It was a great time getting to spend time with both of them. It was their first Teen Challenge Golf Marathon experience and they were both very blessed and excited to be part of the day. We were blessed and excited by their participation. When I talked with Adam at our Tuesday night Lifeline Connection meeting he was ready to start raising money for next year's golf marathon! What a blessing!


The golf course is always beautiful. And the day is always a highlight of the year! And what makes it so awesome is the time you spend getting to know the discipleship students who are making a year-ling commitment to transform their lives. Some of our students start struggling with life-controlling problems while in their teens. For them, the first success they find in life as adults occurs at Teen Challenge.

For others, like the student pictured to the left; they had successful careers but found their dreams hijacked by addictions. Lonnie was on the payroll of a Major League Baseball team and had a lucrative career in the sports industry. But being around alcohol made it easy for him to drown out the disappointments and hurts that life deals. After a period of time, life without alcohol was impossible and at that point his life began to crumble down around him. He came to Teen Challenge jobless, broke and homeless.

But Lonnie has testified in several churches now how life has once again become an exciting and fulfilling adventure. He often testifies how he knows he was speeding down a road that ended at a cliff and if it wasn't for Teen Challenge he knows he would not be alive for much longer. But now he is not only alive, but he has a new reason to get up every morning and is loving what God is doing in his life. That's why we're here. Lonnie is a senior student and is an obvious leader. I am looking forward to what God is going to do in his life next!
 
Nate is a member of a local church here in Des Moines and he came out to golf in the event. He not only raises money to help the ministry of Teen Challenge but he was all over the course ministering to the guys and blessing people.

I took this picture when I found him giving a lesson to some of our students. I tried to learn as much as I could by eaves-dropping but I think my golf game is pretty much hopeless unless God does a miracle.

At the end of the day I was driving around the course picking up all the hole sponsor signs. The course was empty, the sun was setting, and I was alone with my thoughts. The presence of God surrounded me in such an incredible way I think I could literally and tangibly "feel" Him. It was surreal. It was emotional. And I felt His joy and I think what I felt Him speaking was that every dollar given, every sacrifice made, was going to come back in the form of miraculous restoration in lives that are touched by this ministry.

When it really became emotional for me is when I started thinking about the sons who were out there golfing with their parents or grandparents. Just thinking about the pride and joy of those parents for their sons, and how happy they were to be able to spend time together as a family, is why we do what we do. And just thinking about it again is making me emotional as I try to finish this blog so I can get it posted.

I want to thank you for taking the time to read this. And I want to say a HUGE Thank You to everyone who prayed for and participated in this event. If you gave to support me, I may have let you down in the number of holes I golfed, but I hope you are blessed by knowing how your gift is making a difference in lives every single day! If this is an event that you would like to support, it is NEVER too late! We would love to hear from you if you would like to help. If you want to make sure you get an invite to participate in next year's golf marathon, let me know that and I will add you to my 2013 Golf Marathon mailing list!

There is so much more I want to say, and that I need to say about this event. So you might want to bookmark it and come back again later. Because I am just getting started. Hopefully we'll have some exciting numbers to share and I know I have a lot more people I want to thank as well.

Blessings,

Jeff Arp