Eagle’s Nest Academy (ENA) is a ministry of help and hope to families who are at the end of their rope because of their at-risk teenage son.  Here at ENA, God has prepared a safe, secure place that is secluded from the distractions of the world and is equipped with a team of godly staff.  ENA’s desire is to help encourage and inspire each student to aspire to be the man God created him to be.  ENA serves as a catalyst, used by God, to begin the necessary process of turning hearts to restore families to each other and to the Lord.  As it says in Malachi 4:6, “And He (God) will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”

 

Restoration:

From the beginning, God has created each person in His image, for His glory and for His specific purposes.  Whenever a person goes outside of God’s design for his life, it does not work because every other way is contrary and destructive.  In his pursuit to make it work without God, a person cannot find satisfaction because the only alternative is the emptiness of the lies and deceit of the world.  As a result of his empty pursuit of the world and its pleasures, he becomes increasingly frustrated, angry and rebellious.  Furthermore, most of his relationships are filled with turmoil and distress. This is the condition of the typical student enrolling at ENA. What he needs is to be restored to God. That is why we are here.

 

At ENA, our first priority is to restore at-risk teenage boys to their families by restoring these young men to their Lord. Prayerfully, as he begins to see God for who He is, and starts to daily walk with God, the student will begin to understand who God has made him to be. Only then can he begin to experience peace, joy, and satisfaction in his life because he will be learning the value of knowing God, and God’s desire for him. It is our desire to turn the student to God from his destructive path, and to help restore damaged or lost relationships within his family.

 

 “The family relation is the institution of God lying at the foundation of all human society.” - Unger’s Bible Dictionary. The family is among the first and most precious of God’s institutions. He designed it, established it, and blessed it from the beginning. Prayerful and careful counsel, discipleship and application of the powerful truth of God’s Holy Word, coupled with a time and space separation, helps bring peace, unity, and harmony back into these families.  At Eagle’s Nest, it is our belief that the family is a cause worth fighting and sacrificing for.  That is why ENA is a last resort ministry for families who have reached the end of their rope and are seeking help. We know that desperate times call for desperate measures and that is why we exist-- to help restore families to God’s intended purpose.

 

Providing sound Biblical counsel and discipleship:

Biblical Counseling is the process where the Bible, God’s Word, is related individually to a person who is struggling under the weight of personal sin or suffering, so that he might genuinely change in the inner person to be pleasing to God. This definition is based on three important beliefs.  First, we believe that the Bible, given by God, is sufficient for life. When properly interpreted, it reveals to the believer all the data necessary for one to understand his need for Christ, how he can please the Lord, and how to live in a God-honoring way regardless of the circumstances, whether comfortable or troubled. Second, the Bible is also the authoritative source with which all claims--including those made by science and history-- must be evaluated.  As a result, we reject all counseling theories that use presuppositions, principles, and/or methodologies that are inconsistent with the proper interpretation of the Biblical text. Third, we believe that genuine heart change is totally dependent on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Thus, our view of counseling practice includes the importance of prayer, dependence on God, a thorough knowledge of the Word of God, and an understanding of ministering to people.

 

The program at ENA is decidedly Biblical because we believe that the Bible is “given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16). Although discipline will be used for inappropriate behavior, ENA is not focused on behavior modification. Biblical counseling and discipleship apply the principles of Scripture, and by God’s grace, produce lasting change in the regenerated heart.

 

Providing a Biblical view of God, authority and the world around him:

Many students will come into ENA with a distorted world view. The instability of their worldview will be challenged as we present a Biblical worldview, and strong reasons to believe it.  ENA presents Biblically the Person of God: His nature, His attributes, His desire and His purpose for each individual. Staff members work and pray to help each student develop a perspective shift from self to focusing on others and the Lord, and to possess a longing for a deeper personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. The staff at ENA also works to help him develop a respect and appreciation for, as well as a humble submission to, the authorities in his life. By God’s grace, he will see through the noise and confusion of the culture around him, and that he was sovereignly brought to ENA.  Prayerfully, as the student sees and accepts God’s purpose for him, he will fulfill his responsibility to his family, his church, and the people around him.

 

Setting him on course for his journey to Biblical manhood:

Most young men today don’t have a clear definition of what it is to be a man, nor the process to become one. At ENA, we believe our society desperately needs godly men. Therefore, a portion of the program is designed to guide each student on his path toward Biblical manhood. God gives a clear definition in His Word of His design for men. We teach these characteristics through Christian example, discussion, life-skills training, vocational skills training, and regular outdoor activities.

 

Equipping and training parents:

There is never a time in any individual’s life when he is done growing.  Because ENA is a ministry to the family, our mission is not only to help equip the student, but also to equip his parents so that they may grow in grace as husband and wife, father and mother.  While their son is away, the parents will be given the opportunity to restore their home in a turmoil-free environment, while they receive counsel and discipleship from their pastor, who will be working directly with ENA staff and materials.  The education that these parents receive goes hand-in-hand with the education their son receives in the program. That way, when the family reunites, it is a smooth transition and, by God’s grace, provides what is required for full family restoration to take place.