Covenant News

'Breakout' Challenges Youth to Real Faith, Real Action

CHICAGO, IL (May 23, 2002) - A total of 185 junior high and middle school students from 21 Central Conference Covenant churches attended Spring Breakout at North Park University May 17-19 with pastor Bennie Simmons as the keynote speaker.

Spring Breakout, a biennial event for those in sixth through eighth grades, was sponsored by the conference's Commission on Education and Leadership. The theme of the weekend (based on Micah 6:8) was "Keeping it Real: Real Faith/Real Action." It included service options for the students in a dozen Chicago settings on Saturday.

The Center for Student Missions in Chicago helped organize service sites and Stan McDavid, youth director at Community Covenant Church in Calumet Park, Illinois, served as site coordinator.

Service sites ranged from soup kitchens to homeless shelters, from community cleanup to sorting shoes and software, and from transitional housing preparation to grocery service for HIV-infected individuals. A primary goal of Student Breakout was for students to explore the service component of their faith, said Kirsten Nelson, director of leadership development for the Central Conference.

Simmons, who is part of the Church of Gary Covenant Church in Gary, Indiana, shared stories from his 18 years working as a regional director for Youth For Christ and his work with the Gary-based Youth Family Renewal Center. During three plenary sessions, Simmons challenged the youth to develop a real faith, exercise real love and be assured of real peace in their lives.

A worship band led by Covenant Point Bible Camp staff member Erik Strom was complemented with special guests - the Stewart Family of Gary and Teens of Praise of Oakdale Covenant Church in Chicago.

Spring Breakout Council members include Marc Eix of North Park Covenant Church, Chicago, Illinois; Chris Ek of Hope Evangelical Covenant, Crystal Lake, Illinois; Dave Ahrens of First Covenant, Rockford, Illinois; Joan Fisher of Evangelical Covenant Church, South Bend, Indiana; Rich Cudmore of Evangelical Covenant Church, Princeton, Illinois; Dave Diller of Naperville Evangelical Covenant Church, Naperville, Illinois; Jennifer Pope of North Park University and McDavid.

For more information on Central Conference youth events, call Nelson at 773-267-3060.

Printable version of this page.