Challenge Choir at Christian Assembly

The Christian Assembly in Waseca played host to the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge Choir Sunday, March 26.

Based out of Rochester, the choir has 42 members, all of whom were Christian men with troubled pasts. The purpose of the choir is not only to give them an outlet while fighting against addictions or working to become better people, but to help them find their faith in God.

Sara Friezen, who works within the Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge organization, shared that over 100,000 people in the United States died from alcohol-related issues in 2022, while in 2021,107,000 people passed from chemical use.

“We’re seeing the trends rising in large numbers every year since 2020,” she said. “That’s why we do what we do and have the ministry that we have. We’re in the business of saving lives. The Lord is doing amazing things through this program.”

After further explaining the organization’s mission, the challenge choir performed for the congregation, starting with “Amazing Grace.” Throughout the performances, various members performed individual verses as solos. In between numbers, members shared testimonies of how they faced their addictions and troubles with the help of faith.

Christopher, the first to share a testimony, said that he was raised in a loving, Christian home. But when he turned 13, his family split and the stability he knew turned into everyone around him using alcohol and violence to cope with the problems. “We had left the church,” Christopher said. “I found my comfort in other teens with similar dysfunctions.”

As an adult, he strived to better himself, and in 2015, when he first graduated from the Teen and Adult Challenge program, he built a better life and got married. He now has his family and church community “fighting for him.”

“There’s a battle for my life,” he said. “What gets me sober is the Lord.”

Another testimony came from Joelle, a 28-year-old who was born in Haiti but grew up in Wisconsin. He also struggled with addiction as a teen and found God. “It’s amazing how backwards following God is, because the rest of the world tells you to put yourself first,” he said.

Andrew Bruno, another 28-year-old from St. Paul, didn’t know his parents for a while. “My mom wasn’t ready for me,” he said. “I grew up with my grandparents. There was a lot of love, but not a lot of discipline.”

He talked about the times he went to prison, bringing up how his father, who also went to prison, became a born-again Christian. It inspired him to find God himself and begin a relationship with his mother, who is going through a journey to his. “I’m proud of her; she is currently an assistant manager at Wendy’s,” he said.

After the testimonies and the choir’s performance, Pastor Brad Wickersheim invited the congregation and the choir to make a semicircle, place a hand on each other’s shoulders, and pray for each other. The congregation and the choir then enjoyed a potluck dinner after the service.