October 2019 — Breakaway Outreach

Questions about life, faith, social issues, and more.

Youth discussion questions to get young people talking in group environments or mentoring relationships.

What does it mean for you to be created by God? How does that play out in your life, or does it?
What is hard about accepting yourself?
How would you describe your personality?
Do you find you are harder on yourself than other people? Explain why or why not?
What is one question you would like to ask God in person?
What are the things that you like about yourself and what do you not like about yourself. Explain why?
What do you think is the purpose of the Bible?
Is it hard to change? Explain why.
If there is one thing you could instantaneously change about yourself, what would it be and why? What’s preventing you from working on that change (if applicable)?
Is prayer important to you? Why or why not? Is it hard or easy for you?
Who is one person you would like to go back in history to interview? Why?
What kind of things do you tend to worry about or get anxious about?
How do you feel when another person notices a quality or attribute about you?
Who are your role models and why?
Do you think people live in poverty because of their own decisions or because of uncontrollable circumstances that happen to them, or both?
Is there a biblical character you identify with and why?
Do you act differently in certain situations than others? Do you act differently at school than at church? Different at home than with your friends?
How do you deal with pressure or stress?
What are healthy ways to deal with stress/pressure?
Do you have a pet peeve that makes you irrationally angry? Why gets under your skin?
How would you describe good leadership? Would you call yourself a leader? Why or why not?
Do you think the Bible is relevant to your life, why or why not?
Why do you think we have so much anger in our society?
Do you feel pressured to be someone that you’re not? Explain.
Why do you think some people bully or attack others? What is their motivation?
What is your biggest fear? From where do you think most people draw their self-esteem? What gives them identity?
If you’re feeling down, what cheers you up?
Do you think you’re a patient person? Why or why not?
How does it feel to not have what you want when you want it?
Is it easy for you to work towards a goal, or do you get frustrated and quit quickly?
Have you ever set a long-term goal for yourself to work toward? What was that experience like? (Examples, improving in sports, music, hobby/activity, academics)
Do you set realistic expectations for yourself? Explain.
What qualities make someone a good friend?
If you were standing before God and He asked you, “Why should I let you into heaven?” What would you say?
Who would you die for?
Do you consider yourself a good friend? Explain.
Do you sometimes think you’re capable of doing more than you are?
What’s it like to get in over your head in a situation and not be able to solve it yourself?
What is the one thing that motivates you the most everyday?
What is something that demotivates you, or zaps all of your energy to make progress?
If you had a terminal illness and only had six months to live, how would you spend your time?
Do you think Christians are easily recognizable to others? Why or why not? Should they be?
If you could change one thing in the world for good, what would it be?
Do you think you’re the same person in your social media that you are in person? What is different?
Why do you think people go to church, or should go to church?
What kind of things do you willingly post about yourself on social media?
What is something you wouldn’t post about yourself on social media?
Have you ever thought about what God’s calling is in your life?
What does it mean/look like to have healthy relationships in your life?
Can you think of any biblical examples of healthy relationships and what can they teach us?
What makes relationships hard?
Do you find yourself giving up on relationships or people when things get difficult?
When a relationship has an issue—what techniques or problem solving strategies do you like to use? (Example, having an intentional conversation about the issue, writing a letter, bringing in a mediator, etc)
Do you feel you are good at conflict resolution? Explain.
What’s the most important element of a good relationship to you and WHY?
Do you find yourself to be confrontational or more passive when conflict arises?
What does the Bible mean to you?
Have you ever lost someone, either through death or a broken relationship that was important to you and you’ll never get to talk to them again? What has that experience been like for you?
How do you feel when someone tries to get you to do something you don’t want to do?
Why do you think some people brag or exaggerate about themselves? What do you think they’re hoping to accomplish?
Why do you think people talk badly about other people sometime? Why put someone else down?
Which best describes you during conflict among friends and family—a peacemaker, a fighter, a defender, an instigator, or a hider? Is there another way you’d describe yourself?
Among groups of friends, are you the person who comes up with ideas about what to do, the person who goes along with what everyone else is doing, or a combination of the two?
Have you ever held a grudge against someone? What was that experience like for you?
Why do you think some people give up on life?
Are there certain people you don’t like following on social media? Why?
How often do you read the Bible?
What do you think when you hear someone making fun of a group of people different than them?
How does someone follow Jesus? What does it look like?
What confuses you about prayer?
What is social justice to you, and do you think it is important?
What does equality mean to you?
What could you do, as a young person, to help improve the life quality of someone in need (Go-Fund Me, Kickstarter, could lead into mission ideas).
How often do you help others? How?
Have you ever taken part in mission or served others? What was the experience like?
How would you like to be remembered? (Your legacy)
How do you show Jesus to people who are different than you? What are actual examples from your life?
Do you find most of your friends are similar to you or different?
What is a good way to get to know someone different than you? Think situations or conversation topics.
If you could take away someone’s pain, whose would it be?

6Oct, 2019

Christmas Outreach: Children affected by homelessness and violence

If you arrived at this page because you are seeking help for relationship abuse, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline today at 1-800-799-7233. They are available 24/7/365.

1 in 30 Children Affected by Homelessness

One of the major causes of homelessness for children in the U.S. includes experiences of trauma, especially in the area of domestic violence. According to The National Center on Family Homelessness, there are 2.5 million homeless children in America—one in every 30 children—who go to sleep without a home of their own each year.

Breakaway Outreach partners with churches, agencies, and community volunteers around the U.S. to help provide Christmas shoebox gifts for children affected by domestic violence, homelessness, and transitional living. If you are interested in packing shoebox gifts for kids in your region, CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.

More Info About Children Affected by Domestic Violence

The U.S. government’s Child Welfare Information Gateway provides a review of some research about the effects of domestic violence on children. Studies indicate that child witnesses, on average, are more aggressive and fearful and more often suffer from anxiety, depression and other trauma-related symptoms when compared to children who have not witnessed abuse or been abused. Children growing up in violent homes often feel they are responsibile for the abuse and may feel guilty because they think they caused it or because they are unable to stop it. They live with constant anxiety that another beating will occur or that they will be abandoned. They may feel guilty or confused for loving the abuser or getting mad at the victim. Children may be at a higher risk of alcohol or drug abuse, experience cognitive problems or stress-related ailments (headaches, rashes), and have difficulties in school. The Family Violence Prevention Fund offers a good overview of facts related to how children can be affected by domestic violence, and provides many additional resources.

Domestic Violence Statistics

Every 9 seconds a woman is battered in the United States and one in four women experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

About four in ten female victims of intimate partner violence lived in households with children under age 12.

Forty percent of teenage girls age 14 to 17 report knowing someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.

One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.

Young women between the ages of 16-24 in dating relationships experience the highest rate of domestic violence and sexual assault.

15.5 million children in the United States live in families in which partner violence occurred at least once in the past year. Seven million children live in families in which severe partner violence occurred.