Victory Academy for Boys a safe-haven for young men from spiritual attacks. Here is our biblical program.
Victory is safely nestled on 120 beautiful acres in the North Woods of Wisconsin. Not only is it rustic and inviting, but it's also a safe haven from the spiritual attacks your son is experiencing from today's culture, his hurtful relationships, and accessible sin. Our location also gives us great opportunities to teach your son about God's creation, hard work, and Christ-honoring fun. Our program is unique in that we function less like an institution and more like a family. Your son will live in a house-setting with a staff family and support staff. It's within that context that the Residence Counselor (House Dad) will disciple your son by providing biblical truth and modeling it in love.
"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." Ephesians 4:15
"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." Ephesians 4:15
Formal counseling
Our goal in counseling is to help individuals grow in their understanding of themselves and lead them to a place of a stronger relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ through the teaching and application of Scripture. We believe that a living relationship with Christ is the key to interpreting life correctly and living life with the blessing of God (even through tough and difficult circumstances).
We use a Nouthetic approach to our Biblical Counseling, which is a “come along side and lovingly confront with truth” approach (Romans 15:14). We utilize biblical material from both The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors and The Christian Counseling Education Foundation. We recognize that the Bible answers all the questions about what a godly life is and how to live in a way that pleases God (2 Timothy 3:16).
We also recognize that the brain is a very complex organ that impacts our interpretation of life and our responses to life situations. We believe that a medical exam where physiological tests are done in an effort to understand the impact of the physical body on the emotions/feelings can be a helpful tool in both understanding the problems and bringing the symptoms under control so that the spiritual needs of the person can be addressed.
While we appreciate solid research in psychiatry and psychology, we put biblical teaching above man’s reasoning when it comes to heart issues and the resulting behaviors. A student may exhibit behaviors classified as symptoms of ADD, ADHD, or ODD, and there may well be a physiological issue that provokes those behaviors, but if those behaviors are sin issues, we will be constantly holding the student responsible for making those sinful choices.
Your son will have one-on-one counseling sessions with one of our counselors to regularly discuss where he's growing and where he needs to grow. An Individual Growth Plan (IGP) is developed for each student upon arrival and will be adjusted and edited as needed. This IGP serves as a road map for the student and counselor.
Informal counseling
The only expected part of "life-on-life" ministry is that it happens at unexpected times. For this reason, our staff is trained to:
"Be ready in season and out of season" to "reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching"(II Timothy 4:2).
"Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (I Peter 3:15).
In addition to counseling students in these "pause life" moments, we also have regular times of teaching our students from the Bible. The Residence Counselor (House Dad) leads a morning devotional time daily and an evening chapel three times a week. At these chapels, we lay the biblical framework for the character standards on which our demerit system is based.
Respect
Obedience
Responsibility
Love
Honesty
Self-Control
Diligence
Teachability
Gratitude
The students attend church weekly with their house family at Country Bible Church.
Residence structure
There are three unique facets of Victory Academy for Boys that sets us apart from other boarding programs. One of those facets is the fact that the boys do not live in a typical dormitory setting. Our "House Parents" not only provide experienced authority within the home, they run the home as much as a normal, Christ-honoring family as possible. Since the desire is for the boys to eventually return home to a family that functions the way God requires, we believe it best for the boys to learn (and have opportunities to practice) how God would have them participate in the family while they're away from home.
Work Opportunities
God loves work. He created it, does it Himself, and sets the parameters for our work. At Victory, we teach our students the meaning and value of good hard work. Our students complete household chores and learn to apply themselves at school. They learn to cook meals as they builds relationships with the other guys and the house staff in the kitchen. On Saturdays, we stack wood for the burners, clean the campus, and tend to the many needs around our property. Since we all enjoy the benefits of our property, programs, and equipment, we teach our guys to be good stewards of the possessions God has given them. We work to enjoy what we have. We also believe our work should profit others! This is why we adopted the highway near our property and spend some of our work days ministering to the elderly and disabled in our community.
Recreational Activities
Building a relationship with your son is fundamental in helping him change. We are blessed with an amazing facility and many recreational opportunities. Through these tools, we invest time into our students. It is often through the platform of these activities that we are able to speak valuable truth into a student who is willing to listen.