Ascent College partners with churches and organizations worldwide to provide accredited online collegiate education blended with hands-on ministry service. Our partnership with Adult and Teen Challenge has opened the door for God’s healing power to shine brightly in the redemptive stories of brave men and women who are trusting Him as He works for their good and His glory.
Co-founder and Executive Director of the Adult and Teen Challenge Virginia Beauty for Ashes Women and Children’s Home, Cindy Zello, recently shed light on how their partnership with Ascent College has blessed the women and children entrusted to their care.
Beauty for Ashes Women and Children’s Home provides long-term, residential recovery support and care for expectant mothers and women with children. Too often, mothers who find themselves caught in the vicious cycle of addiction do not seek treatment for fear of separation from their child(ren) or for fear of losing them altogether. At Beauty for Ashes, mother and child are both welcomed into the safe, loving home environment and find hope and healing – together.
A comprehensive recovery support program is offered to our women, and the children are welcomed into our beautiful daycare environment so their mothers can go through an array of classes that focus on their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wholeness. Through these classes, chapels, devotion time, and investment by our staff and community, the women begin to breathe again and allow their hearts to dream again…and motherhood becomes second nature.
Many of our women never thought they’d be able to dream again. Many thought they’d never be capable or able to pursue any form of education, let alone a college education…but God! His provision for His girls through Ascent College is nothing short of miraculous. Beauty for Ashes educates, equips, and empowers our women to be engaged mothers and productive community members, and to pursue their purpose to impact eternity. Through Ascent College’s partnership, all of this is becoming a reality! The heartbeat of Ascent College is the heartbeat of God. Thank you, Ascent College, for not just loving our women and children but for loving them so well.
“Dreams really do come true,” says every woman who goes through the Beauty for Ashes program. We look forward to the day our first resident from the Adult and Teen Challenge Virginia Women’s Home takes her first steps into her Ascent College journey!
God is so good!
We praise God for all He is doing in and through the women and children encouraged and supported by the Beauty for Ashes program. We celebrate every dream breathed back to life by His saving grace and limitless love for His daughters and their children, called and purposed for mighty Kingdom impact.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (2 Peter 2:9, NIV)
If you would like to explore joining the Ascent College partner site network, we’d love to speak with you! We are always excited to connect with new churches and organizations that hope to provide the individuals and families they serve access to academic programming that fuels their development as passionate, principled, and practical ministry leaders. Fill out our contact form today!