• Search for:

    Yearly Archives: 2022

    1. Home  - 
    2. 2022
    27Oct, 2022
    Winter Break Camp for Disadvantaged Children

    winter break camp

    Breakaway’s KidVenturez program will be providing a winter break adventure camp experience for disadvantaged children in our community, December 28—31.

    • Delicious holiday meals
    • S’mores around the campfire
    • Laser tag
    • Hot chocolate
    • Recreation and team building activities

    We serve kids affected by parental incarceration, economic insecurity, trauma, and a wide array of other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). These children depend on full or partial scholarships from community partners to help send them to camp. You can use the link below to make a secure donation to sponsor a child for winter camp. A full scholarship is $145.



    Breakaway Outreach
    P.O. Box 3452
    Cleveland, TN 37320

    10Oct, 2022
    2022 Camp Year in Review

    2022 “Camp Year in Review” Highlights

    If you’d like to learn more about the great work God is doing through our camp partnerships and discover opportunities to join us in the mission, just send us your contact info!

    Highlights include:

    • Camps in Tennessee and Alabama for at-risk kids
    • East Tennessee baseball camp for youth ages 6-14
    • NASCAR KidVenturez retreat for boys
    • Sports camps in Northern Ireland, England, Italy
    • Winter English camp at an orphanage and baseball ministry in Dominican Republic

     

    bristol motor speedway
    4Aug, 2022
    The NASCAR KidVenturez Experience

    nascar bristol motor speedway

    Our NASCAR KidVenturez weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway has been a 12-year tradition. This action packed weekend for boys offers enrichment around the thrill of motorsports along with outdoor adventure. Our group participates in many speedway festivities before attending the night race followed by a Sunday morning chapel time. This is one of our most popular KidVenturez experiences.

    The Bass Pro Shops Night Race

    The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. It is one of two NASCAR Cup Series races held at Bristol, the other being the Food City 500, but it is by far the more popular of the two. The race is currently the final race in the NASCAR playoffs’ Round of 16.

    Bristol Motor Speedway

    Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all-concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks. The track is billed as the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile”, even though that designation technically belongs to the Volusia Speedway Park dirt track.

    Bristol Motor Speedway is the fourth-largest sports venue in America and the tenth largest in the world, seating up to 153,000 people. The speeds are far lower than is typical on most NASCAR oval tracks, but they are very fast compared to other short tracks due to the high banking. Those features make for a considerable amount of car contact at the NASCAR races as the initial starting grid of 40 vehicles each in the Cup and Xfinity Series, and 32 in the Truck Series, extends almost halfway around the track, meaning slower qualifiers begin the race almost half a lap down.

    5Apr, 2022
    The Mentor Toolbox: A Handbook for Mentoring Youth

    Every young person deserves to have a caring, committed mentor in their life to listen and help them realize their God-given potential.

    For over 28 years, Breakaway Outreach has been enriching the lives of young people through a myriad of mentoring relationship contexts (churches, schools, neighborhoods, recovery programs, juvenile detention centers, youth chaplaincy services, sports coaching, re-entry and aftercare ministries, orphan and foster care, domestic violence outreach, and much more).

    In this handbook you will find a treasure trove of wisdom gleaned from the experiences of hundreds of our volunteers over the past two and a half decades.

    Mentoring Chapters

    1. Introduction: Mentoring Matters
    2. The Role of a Mentor
    3. Biblical Examples of Mentoring
    4. Mistakes and Pitfalls to Avoid
    5. Getting the Mentoring Relationship Off to a Good Start
    6. Sample Match Icebreaker: Getting to Know Each Other
    7. Give the Young Person a Voice and Choice
    8. 100 Activity Ideas for Mentors and Mentees
    9. 30 Conversation Starters for Mentors and Mentees
    10. Faith-Based Mentoring (for Discipleship)
    11. 100 “Make-a-Difference” Quotes(to keep you motivated!)

     

    Research consistently reveals the long-term positive effects of mentoring.

    • Increased high school graduation rates
    • Lower high school dropout rates
    • Healthier relationships and lifestyle choices
    • Better attitude about school
    • Higher college enrollment rates and higher educational aspirations
    • Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence
    • Improved behavior, both at home and at school
    • Stronger relationships with parents, teachers, and peers
    • Improved interpersonal skills
    • Decreased likelihood of initiating drug and alcohol use

    (MENTOR, 2009; Cavell, DuBois, Karcher, Keller, and Rhodes, 2009)

    Mentoring has also been linked in studies to social-emotional development benefits, improvements in youth perceptions of parental relationships, and better prospects for moving on to higher education. Mentoring can help youth as they go through challenging life transitions, including dealing with stressful changes at home or transitioning to adulthood. Close, healthy, supportive relationships between mentors and mentees that last for a significant portion of time (i.e., more than one year) are central to success. Without this, mentoring programs run the risk of harming young people who are paired with mentors ill-equipped to meet the mentees’ needs. Specifically, relationships with mentors that last less than three months; where there is irregular and inconsistent contact; where there is a disconnect between the personalities, interests, and expectations of the mentors and mentees; where mentors are unprepared and lack skills to relate to youth; and where there is no emotional bond between the mentor and mentee have been found to be harmful to youth (Jekielek et al., 2002; Rhodes & DuBois, 2006). “The Mentor Toolbox” can help you, or your volunteers, become more equipped to go the distance in your mentoring efforts.

    4Apr, 2022
    UK Baseball Mission Trips (Belfast and Bristol)

    Baseball Ministry (UK Mission Trips)

    Join us for an exciting missions opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus using the game of baseball to reach youth/children with the gospel and make disciples. Whether you are a returning Breakaway missions team member or looking to serve with us for the first time, these baseball camps offer turnkey models for stepping right in and making a difference with your love for Jesus and passion for the game of baseball. The Belfast camp will serve children ages 5-11 and the Bristol camp will serve ages 9-13. Contact us for more details if you are interested in either or both of these 2022 UK baseball missions opportunities, or for information about other Breakaway baseball camps in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.

    3Apr, 2022
    Sponsor At-Risk Children for Summer Camp

    Every child should have the opportunity to go to camp… it’s an unforgettable adventure that has indelible impact for years to come…

    For over 16 years Breakaway Outreach has been providing life-changing adventure camp experiences for at-risk and underserved children. We offer summer camp scholarships for kids affected by economic insecurity, family hardship, trauma, parental incarceration, domestic violence, and other ACEs (adverse childhood experiences). Our camps have been a place of refuge for the orphaned, the distressed, and the fatherless. Virtually all of the campers we serve would not be able to experience a summer camp without our community partners providing them full or partial scholarships.

    Your gift can make a difference today and build HOPE for tomorrow…

    Find out more about how your sponsorship can begin a process of healing and be the gift that keeps on giving. READ MORE

    This summer our campers will be learning about the story of Jonah and the God of second chances, how God is relentless in His pursuit of us and how He loves us too much to give up on us. We will also see through this story how we are to show mercy to others, including those who have wronged us in the past (our own “Ninevites”).

    DONATIONS: We need partners who are willing to help with full or partial scholarships to give kids camping experiences that shape eternity in their hearts and build resilience in their lives. A gift of $300 will provide a full scholarship for a child to attend summer camp. A gift of $60 will sponsor a child for a day (2 days $120). A gift of $2,400 will fill a cabin (8 campers). Any GIFT amount (full or partial scholarship) makes a HUGE difference! You can make a secure online donation by clicking the “DONATE” button or mail your check to the address below.



    Breakaway Outreach
    P.O. Box 3452
    Cleveland, TN 37320

    10Mar, 2022
    Rise Against Hunger Meal Packaging Event

    rise against hunger

    VOLUNTEER Opportunity: Rise Against Hunger is a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives and responding to emergencies. On March 19 we will again be partnering with our friends at Ooltewah UMC for a meal-packaging event coordinated to help feed tens of thousands of hungry children. We need many volunteers (ages 5 and up) to help pack the meals on Saturday morning. This is a great outreach opportunity for families to work together in a fun way to prepare nutritious meals for underserved communities and crisis situations around the world. Contact us for more details if you would like to serve.

    7Mar, 2022
    Bible Camp Theme or VBS Curriculum: JONAH

    VBS Curriculum: JONAH

    This Bible camp theme and VBS curriculum is based on the Old Testament story of Jonah. Jonah’s story as a runaway prophet getting swallowed by a “great fish” resonates with children in many ways. Jonah had to learn the hard way that God loves those we might not like, and calls us to demonstrate mercy in the same manner in which we have received mercy.

    Jonah’s story is about someone being rescued by God. Yes, the Ninevites were spared God’s wrath, but the story also shows that God did not give up on Jonah. God gave Jonah a second chance (and more). He didn’t let him run away, and he didn’t let him drown. He could easily have called someone else more faithful to go to Nineveh, someone who had some compassion and mercy toward others. Maybe he used Jonah because Jonah needed God’s rescue―not just from drowning, but from his hard heart.

    This resource was designed as a Bible camp curriculum for children 8-12 years of age but can also serve as a VBS theme, a 5-week Sunday morning children’s ministry teaching series, Sunday School lessons, Backyard Bible club, or kids’ sports camp curriculum.

    • (DAY ONE) Jonah Runs From God
    • (DAY TWO) God Rescues Jonah From a Dark Place
    • (DAY THREE) God Gives Jonah a Second Chance
    • (DAY FOUR) Jonah Points to a Real Superhero (JESUS)
    • (DAY FIVE) Jonah Learns About Compassion and Mercy

    Includes:

    • Lesson Guides (5 Sessions)
    • Group & Team Building Activities
    • Object Lessons & Illustrations
    • *Craft Ideas & Music Playlist
    • Printable Handouts (Talk Sheets)
    • Logo Files & 4K Media Graphics
    • HD PowerPoint Template
    • T-Shirt Logo Design
    • Staff Devotions

    *Contents does not include craft materials or music files, only links to craft ideas and short playlists with suggested songs to go with each daily lesson theme.

    14Feb, 2022
    KidVenturez: Dominican Republic

    Breakaway’s KidVenturez program is expanding to the Dominican Republic in 2022. This May, we will be partnering with our friends in Barahona to offer a weekend adventure camp experience on the beach for hundreds of children living in bateyes. Bateyes are villages comprised of mainly Haitian sugar cane workers who live in extreme poverty. Many in the DR are committed to raising the living standards of batey residents through development efforts and community initiatives. We are thrilled to be giving children in these villages—many who have never even had the privilege of leaving the batey—an unforgettable weekend retreat that will include swimming, recreation, worship, Bible discussions, and much more! It only costs $25 per child to make this beach camp possible.

    DONATE to give a child the gift of a KidVenturez weekend at the beach!

    26Jan, 2022
    Chad Buckner Story: Overcoming Childhood Trauma

    Chad Buckner’s story is one of redemption, healing, and restoration. Abuse. Abandonment. Suicide. Cancer. Divorce. Loneliness. Despair. Watch this video to hear how God’s faithfulness redeemed Chad’s story and gave him a new hope and a “second chance” at life. This is a fitting video resource with discussion questions for youth and young adult ministries, small groups, mentors and leaders, juvenile center and prison chaplains, domestic violence support groups, and many other ministry and outreach contexts.

    Youth Discussion Questions

    1. Chad prayed for his story to be used for the glory of God. Why do you think that is important?
    2. Chad said that he grew up in a “functioning dysfunctional family,” where anger, abuse, and domestic violence had an effect on his upbringing. In what ways are you a product of your upbringing?
    3. The spiritual leader in Chad’s home was his mother. She modeled faith for him in distressing circumstances. Do you know someone like this?
    4. When Chad lost his father to suicide, he said that trying to work through pain got him “sideways” with his faith, and confessed to making bad choices as a result. Have you ever struggled in this way?
    5. During the biggest crisis of his life, Chad felt like the people who should’ve been there for him were not. Can you relate to this tension?
    6. When diagnosed with cancer, he likened it to a death sentence, in which fear tormented him. When has fear or anxiety hijacked your life to such an extent that it felt like a death sentence?
    7. While going through radiation treatment, someone handed Chad a piece of paper with the Bible verse Isaiah 41:10. It read “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” What promise is attached to this scripture that can encourage us when going through a crisis?
    8. Though being healed of cancer, Chad still went through a painful divorce. How did God give him a “second chance” and show Himself faithful and good in Chad’s life?
    9. In what ways do you think God wants to take your “mess and turn it into a message,” like Chad suggested?
    10. In what ways do you sense that God wants to meet you right in the middle of your mess? How can you respond to His love and kindness in this moment?

    DOWNLOAD the Discussion Guide PDF