Dear Parents of Teenagers,
Hey there. How’s it going? I’ve got something that you might want to check out. And it’s called, Breakaway 2017. What is Breakaway, you may be asking? Well, for starters, it’s a weekend retreat for teens, in 7th through 12th grades that is coming up February 3rd (which is a Friday) through the 5th. It’s part of the Youth Group program at Eastport Bible Church.
The goal of Breakaway is for teens to get a break, away from every day normal life, for a weekend of fun, together. Which means that you, as parents, also get a break as well.
What do we do at Breakaway? Clearly, one of the goals of the weekend, is sheer fun.
We also have four sessions where we encourage our teens through worship, an amazing speaker (this year, our friend Adam who is an amazing Youth Pastor from Buffalo), and meaningful and encouraging interactions with their peers in small groups.
Let’s face it. Teens go through all sorts of challenges through the Jr. and Sr. High years. So anything we can do to encourage them and to encourage their faith, is definitely something that they all need.
We also enjoy a lot of time outdoors.
We stay at a camp where there is a Tubing Hill and other fun things for the kids to enjoy.
We always get a game of flag football in as well.
On Saturday night, we have a talent show which is always a highlight of the weekend.
Memories
And legends are made.
Let’s be honest, parents. The teen years, are weird. But that is where we come in to help. Breakaway has been an amazing weekend for teens for years and years. Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention. We really encourage the kids to put the technology away for the weekend. It’s about being together and doing life together and amazingly, they always have an incredible time.
The cost for the weekend is $150, but if there are ever students who need financial help, we will figure out a way to make it work. We leave on Friday after school and are back on Sunday, in time for the Super Bowl. Jeremy Herr, who is the Youth Pastor at Eastport Bible Church (and my amazing husband) heads up this trip each year (I believe this is our 14th year of Breakaway, though the program started well before us). I will be there with him, along with a great team of our leaders. If you have any questions, please feel free to message me or email: lauraherr8@gmail.com. You can also always call the church to talk to Jeremy as well, 631-325-8164.
We also specifically have a parent meeting for Breakaway, on Thursday, January 26th at 6:00pm.
I know firsthand how challenging it can be to raise a teenager well. Sometimes, as parents, we need all the help we can get. Trust me. This weekend helps. We’ve had years and years of teens go to Breakaway and it’s always a highlight. We would absolutely love to have your teen join us for this trip. They will be encouraged, you will be encouraged, and it will be another step to helping them as they navigate through these challenging years.
Lastly, here is a link to our video from last year, to give you more of an idea of what Breakaway looks like:
And permission slips can be found here:
https://jherrdog.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/breakaway-2017-permission-slips.pdf
Laura Herr Photography 