|
|
 |
thank you
|
|
|
Business owners and Breakthrough volunteers, Tami McQuown and Kathryn Miller, asked one of their supplier partners, Bunzl, to donate plastic goods and cleaning supplies to Breakthrough. Tami and Kathryn run the U.S. Compliance Center
Thanks to their efforts, we are now receiving free quarterly shipments of trash can liners, toilet paper, disposable cups, plates and utensils, hand soap, bleach and other supplies.
Click here to find out how you can help with other items Breakthrough needs.
|
|
|
leader brief
|
| Taking Time to Listen |
|
 |
| Arloa Sutter |
Mary came home from school late one day. "Where were you, what happened?" her concerned mother asked.
"Mommy, my friend Suzie fell on the way home and her porcelain doll broke into tiny pieces."
"Oh, so you helped Suzie put her doll back together?"
"Oh no, Mommy, there was no way the doll could be fixed. I just sat down with her on the sidewalk, and we cried together."
There are times when we go through things in life that can't be fixed: A spouse leaves. A child dies. A best friend becomes disabled in a tragic accident. Someone rejects us. We are left to sit in sorrow. We don't need anyone to try to fix us or give us answers. We just want to know that someone feels our pain and understands our sorrow.
At Breakthrough we take time to sit with people who are in pain. We invite them to meet Jesus who is "touched with the feeling of their infirmities" (Heb. 4:15) and who was described as "a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering." (Isa. 53:3) We encourage them to trust that God is in control and that He loves them.
I am thankful for the people in my life who have cried with me or listened to me without casting judgment or trying to fix me when I have gone through difficulties. It is that experience of love and understanding that compels us to reach out to others with the unfailing love and comfort of Christ.
|
|
|
partner with us
|
"God loves a cheerful giver"
(2 Cor. 9:7) |
|
In his book, The Treasure Principle, author Randy Alcorn shares, "The more we give, the more we delight in our giving�and the more God delights in us. Our giving pleases us. But more importantly, it pleases God."
Many of our donors tell us about the joy they experience in giving to Breakthrough. They know their gift is empowering people with the love of Christ. You can experience that, too! Donate securely online at our website or mail your gift to Breakthrough at 5251 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60640.
|
|
|
mark your calendar
|
|
|
| Breakthrough is hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Event on Saturday, April 5. We'd like to thank you for your time and dedication to Breakthrough and our ministry programs. You're invited for dinner and an encouraging time of worship and fellowship! Volunteers, RSVP online today! Please RSVP no later than Tuesday, April 1st. |
|
|
|
|
|
volunteer spotlight
|
| Contagious Servanthood |
|
 |
| Volunteer Dan Linquist, with his two sons, Daniel and Josiah. |
Dan Lindquist volunteers every Monday night with Breakthrough's Youth Outreach. He leads a Bible study for high school boys.
"As a volunteer with Breakthrough's Youth Outreach, I am reminded of how much pain exists in this world. The young men in my group live with the challenges of growing up amidst poverty and difficult home situations, and the temptations of drugs, gangs and sex."
What led you to become involved with the ministry?
I heard about Breakthrough through a foundation I'm involved with. Over time, I learned about the vision God gave to Youth Outreach Director, Bill Curry, and his wife, Marcie, for youth in the city of Chicago. Their enthusiasm and joy for serving is contagious, and I asked them how I could become involved.
What happens on Monday nights?
Neighborhood kids meet with staff and volunteers to worship. Then we break off into smaller groups and meet at various locations for Bible study, discussion and more prayer. The youth involved with Breakthrough's sports leagues and after-school tutoring choose to come out for this. Breakthrough is working to develop urban youth into Christian leaders in their community. Through the help of volunteers and staff who invest their time and lives, God is transforming the lives of youth and their families.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering at Breakthrough?
It's great to see God at work in the lives of youth in East Garfield Park. Most of the boys in my group are coming to understand that He is the only real and lasting solution to the challenges they face. They are learning to see the Bible as a practical tool to help live a better and fuller life. Volunteering with the Youth Outreach has allowed me to communicate the love of Jesus and the lasting hope and joy that can be found through relationship with Him.
I also enjoy the time I get to spend with my two sons on Monday nights. They come with me, so we're able to worship together before breaking off and meeting with our own Bible study groups.
What do you do for a living?
I'm in Investment Management.
What is your church affiliation?
My family and I attend College Church, a non-denominational congregation, in Wheaton, a western suburb where we also live.
Click here to find out about more Youth Outreach volunteer opportunities.
|
|
|
ministry update
the latest news from Breakthrough
|
| A Father Reconnects with His Children |
|
 |
| Kiwanis with his three children: Kiwanis Jr., age 11; Kewon, age 9; and Nyrere, age 13. They are involved in Breakthrough's sports activities, after-school tutoring, and Bible studies. |
Until eight months ago, 30 year-old Kiwanis spent the past 10 years of his life in and out of prison.
A former drug dealer and gang leader in East Garfield Park, he was feared by many people in the community and despised by the police. Addicted to drugs and filled with anger, Kiwanis found it difficult to change his lifestyle and was trapped in a cycle of despair.
After his release from prison last summer, Kiwanis had difficulty finding a job. With time on his hands, he went one day to watch his son play baseball with one of Breakthrough's Youth Outreach teams. There he met Dave Brecheisen, a Breakthrough coach and volunteer. Dave engaged him in conversation by telling Kiwanis about his faith in God. He later invited Kiwanis on a camping trip with others, and the two soon became friends.
Kiwanis recognized something different in Dave. He saw a hope he had never experienced before. Over time, he grew to desire what Dave possessed. Later in the summer, Kiwanis finally acknowledged that he was powerless to change his life by himself, and he made the decision to turn it over to God.
Since then, Kiwanis has joined Dave and other Breakthrough men in a weekly support and prayer group. In search of honest work, he was blessed to get a job as a detox counselor at a drug treatment facility. In his free time, Kiwanis coaches Breakthrough teams and helps in the tutoring program. His children's involvement in Breakthrough's Youth Outreach programs creates a wonderful opportunity for Kiwanis to reconnect with them. He spends quality time with his children and has slowly regained their trust. They now ask for his advice. Kiwanis Jr.'s conduct grade in school has improved from a D to a B. Each Sunday, Kiwanis brings his kids to the house church hosted by Dave, Bill Curry and other neighborhood families. With their encouragement and support, he continues to strengthen and grow his family.
Click here to find out more about Breakthrough's Youth Outreach.
|
|
|
|
|
|
