About Us
Our Mission:
Rescue women in crisis by rebuilding a life with Christ and restoring hope and joy in their lives.
Grace House Adult & Teen Challenge is one of the centers that serves women 18 and over here in central Indiana. Grace House is a part of the legacy of David Wilkerson. We are so thankful that over 65 years ago he was obedient to God. Grace House is now located in Lebanon, Indiana. At Grace House we exist to help all women find freedom from life-controlling issues through the power of Jesus Christ.
Led by incredible faith, David Wilkerson made a seemingly bizarre step from his country pulpit in 1958 to the streets of New York City, where a murder trial of seven teenage boys churned society’s antipathy toward them. Even Wilkerson was bewildered by his sense of compassion, but despite doubt, he followed the Spirit’s prompting to help the boys.
Wilkerson’s outreach to gangs in New York led to the development of Teen Challenge. From our simple beginnings, Teen Challenge has grown to over 215 locations in the US and over 1000 around the world. The explosive growth of Teen Challenge continues to be a true move of God.
Nearly six decades later, that same divine thread wove itself into the life of Charissa Stephens, a woman who had long felt a special calling. As a teenager, Charissa read The Cross and the Switchblade, David Wilkerson’s account of his journey, and prayed for the chance to one day serve with Adult & Teen Challenge. She couldn’t have imagined then how God would answer that prayer.
Fast forward to October 30, 2023, when Charissa felt God prompting her to search for a new role. Despite her initial efforts leading to closed doors, her husband reassured her of God’s timing. Moments later, a text arrived from a friend asking if she would consider joining Grace House Adult & Teen Challenge as their next executive director—a position uniquely tailored for her as an ordained Assembly of God pastor. Charissa’s heart leapt at the opportunity.
What began as a part-time Campus Pastor role during Thanksgiving week 2023 soon grew into her full-time position as Executive Director on May 1, 2024. In this role, Charissa has embraced the same mission that David Wilkerson championed decades before: reaching the lost, restoring hope, and witnessing God’s transformative power daily.
Charissa’s journey is a beautiful continuation of Wilkerson’s legacy—a testament to how God’s work through Teen Challenge not only changes lives but also calls others to carry the torch of faith into new generations.
Learn more about the staff at Grace House here: