Breakaway
by CJ McDowell
The room is dark except for the low blue lights illuminating the stage. Adult leaders drift through the secret side entrances and spread out towards where their students will gather. There are hushed murmurs, and it is difficult to make out the faces of leaders in the mostly dark room. There is a stillness in the room, a quiet, a waiting. Separated by the large barn doors at the back of the club room is a completely different scene. Students pack tightly up against the doors, the crowd spilling down the stairs, chattering with excitement. It is difficult to hear much over the collective conversations, so the volume mounts along with the anticipation.
Then the sound of the band playing rises over the noise. The barn doors, heavy as they are, are thrown open and two hundred and fifty students flood in, running, jumping down the steps to make it to the front. They join in singing. Some jump with their hands up, some clap to the beat, others throw their arms around their friends, voices lifted high.
These students don’t know it yet, but before the weekend is over, many of them will have tears running down their face after Jared Burke gives a talk about being Zealous for Christ in how we set our minds. Some will look over and see their friends sitting, knees to chest and head down, and sit with them in prayer until they are ready to stand again in worship. A high schooler will shed his tough shell as he comes to his leader for prayer, sobbing into his shoulder. Students who have come the last three years seemingly just for the fun will start asking their leader what it means to live as a man of God. Small groups will go deep as students open up about their struggles. Students from small youth groups will feel connected as they realize so many people their age also love and worship Jesus. Middle schoolers will confess that they don’t respect God the way that they should and that they want to change. A girl who almost didn’t come will give her life to Christ.
Welcome to Breakaway.
One of the many beautiful things about Breakaway is that it is not just one church youth group, but a partnership with many church youth groups coming together for both the high school and middle school weekends in worship and unity. A total of thirteen DOMA churches were represented this year: All Saints’ Church, Christ Church Vienna, Christ the King, Christ the Saviour, Church of the Good Shepherd, Church of the Resurrection, Grace Anglican, Immanuel Anglican, Redeemer Anglican, Restoration Anglican, Trinity Burke Anglican, Truro Anglican, and The Falls Church Anglican. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a unified church to raise a generation.
Please join us in prayer that the Lord would continue to ignite zeal for Him in the hearts of the youth. If your church is interested in learning more about the Breakaway winter retreats, please contact the TFCA Youth Ministry staff at studentmin@tfcanglican.org.
CJ McDowell is the Youth Ministry Coordinator at The Falls Church Anglican in Falls Church, VA.
