Young Adults connect at Breakaway event
Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, but [Breakaway] was very effective in helping me 'break' free of some hindrances and ruts in my life, reported on young adult.
The recent weekend event was designed to be an opportunity for young adults to breakaway from the routine of their lives and come together with other young adults to dream god's dream for their lives and the Church
Another evaluation from the event noted, [Breakaway was a] great chance to share ideas and to learn from others--also to make us feel like we have a voice in the church.
Helping young adult leaders discover their voice within the Church was not only important for the success of the Breakaway event, but also for the North Alabama Conference which has continued with an aging membership and membership loss.
During the Sept. 22-23 event participants heard from speaker Brian Mavis and also enjoyed music by Adam Wright and Ethereal. Bishop Willimon also spent time with the young adults and lead them in a closing service of Holy Communion.
During a time when many young adults share frustration in trying to connect and have a meaningful role in their local church, Breakaway participants shared that being able to meet with the Bishop and other Conference leaders was important. One noted that the best part of the event was having the Bishop and church leaders present to hear our ideas and viewpoints. Another added how wonderful it was to learn, that our opinions matter and were valued.
It was also a pleasure to meet the Bishop and the other young people throughout our Conference, Chris Lucas of Gardendale-Mt. Vernon UMC wrote. I came away so energized! My hope and my prayer is that this event can get bigger. I'd love to see this as an annual event that is THE event for all young persons in our Conference.
The fellowship and connection with other young leaders in the church encouraged the participants that the spirit of Breakaway was not just to gather for an annual event, but to connect with others throughout the year and to offer their gifts and energy to the church.
On their evaluations several participants volunteered to become more active in a variety of Conference ministries. But, more importantly, they also felt inspired to take the energy and spirit of Breakaway back to their home church and district. In fact, on the Breakaway discussion forum on the Conference website one participant reported that a group from his church had already began to intentionally try to connect with other young adults not currently involved in church.
To see more pictures of the Breakaway event click here.