FAITH BASED MODEL

Petty Creek Ranch is a faith-based youth program that promotes the spiritual growth and moral development of the struggling teens who are in our care. As a Catholic organization, we advocate Christian principles and encourage each child to develop a personal prayer life and relationship with a Higher Power. We will not attempt to “convert” your child but believe that the Christian message will help your son overcome anger and bitterness, improve his obedience and humility, and teach him how to practice forgiveness.  

Petty Creek Ranch accepts teens of all religious backgrounds and has a deep admiration and respect for the diverse spiritual practices of the clients we serve. We begin each day with a group reading of selected scriptural passages that are discussed to help the boys realize the presence of a Higher Power that is active in their lives. As many of the boys we work with are embedded in a culture of self-gratification, we find that participation in daily prayer provokes a thought process and personal examination that helps them develop an honest integrity and ability to exercise self-restraint.  

In our view, traditional 12-step programs are effective for this very reason, as they enable participants to focus on the fundamental relationship between self and God, which discourages secrecy, selfishness, and impulsive behavior. Themes of “promptly admitting fault” and of “making amends to those we have wronged” are pro-social principles that have a basis in Christianity.