Michael Breaks Free!

“My name is Michael Swalley. I serve full-time in Break Free Ministries, a ministry that uses breakdancing to reach out to young men in urban areas, most of whom are fatherless.

“This ministry is based upon building relationships.  Breakdancing is an effective way to enter into the lives of a very diverse group of young men.

“It is our desire to see disciples made by putting ourselves in position to invest in people one-on-one.  It is through these men that the urban neighborhoods will start to change.  I have served in this ministry for nine years.

              

Michael Begins to Break Free:
“I have been an adopted son of God for the majority of my life. But there has been a weight that I carry with me everywhere I go – the weight of hiding.  The weight of trying to pretend to be something I’m not.

“The weight I feel is a desire to be fully known, but I’m scared that I won’t be accepted.  I fear being known as I really am, so I hide my true self behind selves I think will be more acceptable.

“God has faithfully and graciously guided me and used me. Yet the weight has remained; these false selves continue to weigh me down. I read about freedom in the Bible, and I can see it in others. This freedom has seemed foreign to me.

“I saw this weight putting pressure on my marriage and bringing about frustration in the ministry I serve in. I had to believe this is not the way it was supposed to be.

“As I tried to be a more extroverted husband, or demonstrative leader, I would become more weighted down, because this is not who God made me to be. But I thought these traits were ‘better’ than being an introverted, quiet leader.

“This weight was shackling me in ways it should not. The pastor at my local church recommend I start to meet with Randy.

“The first time I met with Randy, the word that comes to mind is ‘safe.’ To be able to earn trust in five minutes is a supernatural work of God, one reason that I see God has uniquely gifted Randy for this ministry.

“Randy had me share my story and in this time of sharing, with Randy asking some clarifying questions, as well as providing timely silence, I started to see how much my identity was tied to my performance and what others thought of me.

“From this first meeting until now (seven months later), God has been working faithfully in my life to bring freedom. The weight, though still there, is becoming noticeably less. I am more free to serve my wife, not from a place of fear, but from a place of love! I am starting to love people more than myself, thinking of what would be best for them and not me. Loving like this has been a new experience for me.  God’s grace through Randy has been instrumental in this process.

“As I am now more free to be transparent, bold and confident, God has worked in amazing ways. Instead of worrying what others are thinking, I can listen with more intentionality, ask better questions, and share truth more clearly and with more love.

“I am able to have more crucial conversations with Christian brothers, which has opened the door to talk about both the dangers of sin and the amazing grace of God.

“I have had more opportunities to share about my faith and the gospel, with the bboys the ministry serves, because these young men see a freedom in me that is supernatural.

“Life has not been easier. It is more messy. But it is better! The messiness comes from my desire to be open, bringing to light the struggles I am feeling. In marriage, this means I will ask my wife to address frustrations she has with me. As I become more confident in my identity as a son of God, I can hear her frustrations with a greater freedom. This also holds true in the ministry I serve in, asking for feedback and opening the door to hear areas where I am falling short.

“Additionally, in loving confrontation with others, sin is exposed (theirs and my own) and pain is brought to the surface. This causes immediate discomfort, but as it is brought to the surface, it can finally be dealt with and grace can be applied. As this grace is applied, our love and confidence in God becomes greater, which increases freedom even more!

“Sometimes it is hard to objectify love, freedom, and sanctification. But in my short time with Randy, I have seen my relationship with my wife, kids, and people in my ministry grow deeper in ways that I can actually see. I feel less of a desire to perform, and more of a desire to make God’s grace known through the messiness of my own life. – Michael Swalley

 

One Ministry Success Story:
“I met Geovanni when he was 16 years old in East Dallas.  I started to teach breakdancing classes, and Geovanni wanted nothing to do with them. He wasn’t rude, just not interested.

“After a few weeks of teaching the class, Geovanni started to get interested. As he started to breakdance, he faithfully committed to the ministry. He not only made all of the classes, but he took an interest in the Bible studies and in using this dance to reach others with the gospel.

“Two years after meeting Geovanni, I left Dallas.

“Two and a half years later, Geovanni continues to carry on the Dallas Break Free chapter by reaching the kids in the same neighborhoods he grew up in.

“A college student now, Geovanni teaches a breakdance class and leads a Bible study after each practice.

“He is passionate about investing in the kids of his community, using breakdancing as an avenue into their lives.

“He is passionate about making disciples!  God is using Geovanni in ways that I could never be used.” – Michael Swalley

Will You Help Others Break Free?
There have been 2,561 shootings in Chicago this year, as of November 2nd; 379 of them died.  The majority involved young men.  Problems like this don’t truly change by adding more police or building more jail cells.  I believe true life-change comes through assisting God in changing people’s hearts.

The young men who are ministered to by Break Free Ministries need someone like Michael who will enter their world right where they are at, and then help them along the transformational journey by investing time in them, giving them the love and attention they are crying out for, sharing the love of Jesus with them, keeping them off the streets through an activity like break dancing, developing them, bringing out the best in them, and equipping them to lead others into life, love, and redemption.  Change an influencer and you change a whole community.

And leaders like Michael need to be poured into as well.  Michael himself understands what it is like to be fatherless.  His father died when he was 18 months old.  His mother never remarried.

Not only are we helping Michael grow personally, but we are helping him grow in his mentoring skills and in his intimacy with Jesus.  We’ve barely begun the process.  I look forward to seeing what God will do in and through Michael as we continue to journey together.

Thank you so much for your generosity in making this possible.  If you haven’t already, please partner with me in helping other young people Break Free.

Contributions are tax deductible!

In His Love,
Randy