A New Partnership

The vision for 2013 for Awaken is for us to be further invested in our community than ever before. We kicked the year off with a diaper drive for Hope Pregnancy Center, where we collected over 6,000 diapers! We also held our Easter service on the APSU campus and saw 14 people come to Christ over that weekend. We have more plans for the summer and later in the year, but our current venture is a new partnership.

Awaken will be partnering with the local chapter of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) to begin what they call a “Good News Club” at Rossview Elementary School, here in Clarksville!

Good News Clubs are an amazing way to take the Gospel to kids right where they are: at school. Once a week, kids will have the opportunity to attend this club, immediately following school, where they’ll learn about the Bible, missions, Jesus, and church.

There are currently 14 operating Good News Clubs in our local Tennessee area. Last year, over 700 kids attended the clubs, and over 100 kids prayed to receive Christ! That’s HUGE! Statistics show that if kids don’t accept Christ before age 12 or 13, the likelihood of ever doing so drastically decreases. Elementary age is a crucial time in every kid’s life, and we will now have an opportunity to take the Gospel to them!

I announced on Sunday that Awaken will be the sponsoring church behind the Rossview Good News Club. We need a team of at least 10 people who are ready to commit to the Club before we can start. We filled 7 of those 10 spots in our very first weekend! (I LOVE my church!)

I believe God has great plans for us as we partner with CEF. I love the thought of people serving throughout the week in locations around the city, taking the Gospel to the people. THAT is what the Church is all about!

If you want more info about getting involved, you can find it on the events page of our website.

From Death to Life

Awaken Easter was only two weeks ago, but things have been moving so fast, that it seems so long ago. Not only did we have our biggest service yet on Easter, but on the following weekend, we got to baptize a few of the 14 people who gave their lives to Jesus! There’s no way to tell all of their stories, but I wanted to share one in particular…

A little over a year ago, Michael Graham (now a pro MMA fighter) began attending Awaken. He came a few weeks, then attended our first-of-many Uprising events last March. He was 1 of 40 people who gave their lives to Jesus that night! Life went crazy for Mike after that, and although he strayed a bit, God was right there with him as always! For months, Mike was witnessing to a friend of his, Nick, a fellow fighter, and even brought him to a few events we had at Awaken. Nick wasn’t quite ready to commit, but Mike didn’t give up. He invited him to Easter, and as I gave the invitation that Sunday, Nick was one of the first people out of his chair, making a public decision to follow Jesus!

Last Sunday, Nick was at Awaken ready to take the next step in his walk with Christ: baptism! Nick, along with 17 other people, made their faith public through baptism last Sunday!

Nick (left), Mike (right)

Mike wasn’t done though. This week, he texted me and told me he had gotten to lead another co-worker to Christ. That co-worker, Will, came to church with Mike this Sunday, along with his whole family!

That’s only one of many stories of what God is doing as He builds His Church! When the Gospel grips someone’s life, Satan better watch out!

Make sure to check out the recap of our after-Easter baptism here…

Together We Build

Good Friday and Easter weekend was amazing – we saw lives changed and got to reach more people on one weekend than ever before! It was our biggest weekend (yet). Last weekend (April 6/7) we launched “Awaken All Weekend” as we added a Saturday night service to our 3 Sunday services, making for another huge weekend for our church. We saw almost as many people at Awaken in our 4 weekend services as we did at our huge Easter service at Austin Peay! And if that wasn’t a cool enough weekend, we also baptized 18 people on Sunday afternoon. God is moving in big ways among us, and we’re honored to be a part of it!

But He’s not done…

After a lot of hurdles and negotiation, God has also provided some additional space for Awaken Church to grow into. It’s a Band-Aid, not a permanent solution, but it will help immensely. We’ve finally been given the go-ahead to begin buildout in the adjacent 1200 sq ft next to our current building. This will improve the flow of Awaken Kids and provide some extra work/office space as well, which is much needed.

We’ve had MANY people ask how they can be involved, so I wanted to give a quick update. There are 2 main ways you can help…

Physically

Pastor Nate will be leading our first Together We Build meeting this coming Saturday at Awaken. We’re asking anyone who wants to help us build, lay carpet, put in ceilings, paint, etc. to come. Pastor Nate will be casting the vision for the new space, giving a brief overview of what it will look like, and seeing who can help with what. However you’d like to be involved, come out this Saturday at 11am to find out more!

Financially

As with any building project, it will not only take work, but also money. This is where anyone (in Clarksville or anywhere else around the world) can be involved. You can donate a gift of any size securely online HERE. Make sure to include “Together We Build” in the comment section. Any excess that we bring in will go to our current building fund as we continue to seek God’s provision and guidance for a new building (which is a big need as well!).

I think it goes without saying that we also ask for your prayers. Please thank God with us for providing this new space, and pray for provision and safety as we build.

However you’re involved, remember: we’re in this together! TOGETHER WE BUILD.

This means war!

Last night kicked off the Easter weekend party with our Good Friday service. It was an amazing night – full house, heartfelt worship, Communion, and even salvation! After service, a whole group of us headed over to the Austin Peay campus, where we’ll be holding our Easter service, to pray. We spent about 30 minutes in the dark cold parking lot crying out to the Lord and asking Him to move powerfully this weekend across the city.

Tonight continues the fun as we gather together with the team of servants who are making Awaken Easter happen. Many visitors will show up on Easter at APSU and not even think about the countless hours and team members that it has taken to get to that point. With that  team of servants, tonight, we’re going to worship loud, pray big, and get stoked. This is our version of a tailgate party before the big game. The difference is, we’re not going into it wondering if our team is going to win - He already won!

I’m honored to go into battle with the people of Awaken Church who selflessly serve week in and week out. One thing I love about them is that they’ve caught the vision – they know this is war, and they know that it is won through prayer. One of the items of our CODE at Awaken says…

The Battle Is Super And Natural. God has promised the victory, but that doesn’t negate our responsibility. We will do everything we can within our natural abilities and trust God for the supernatural.

We believe that with all of our hearts. We’ve given our all to this event, but we know that our resources are very limited. Anyone can put on a show and draw a crowd, but only God can change hearts. We’re going into this weekend with prayer and expectation as we give it our all to see God move.

The Easter Team Rally will also get us stoked and warmed up for the kick-off of Awaken All Weekend beginning next Saturday & Sunday. Whereas most churches get a break after Easter is over, we launch into our fourth weekend service and baptisms next weekend! I’m telling you, the people of Awaken Church are nothing short of amazing. They are a gift to me, to the church, and to this city.

This means war. Let’s go into battle in prayer, Awakeners. BIG things ahead!

Fasting: Replacing Good with Better

Easter is less than 3 weeks away and it’s all hands on deck! We’re believing God for big things, and tomorrow, we’re going to pray for big things. We often take time to pray as a church, but tomorrow is an extra special day as we also fast while we pray. Since fasting is new to a lot of people, I figured I’d post a quick blog with a few guidelines for fasting…

WHY FAST?

In Matthew 6, as Jesus begins talking about fasting, He says, “When you fast…” assuming that His followers will fast. In Mark 9, a demon-possessed boy is brought to Jesus because the disciples couldn’t cast the demon out. Jesus casts the demon out (none stand a chance against Him), and the disciples ask why. He replies, “These can only come by prayer and fasting.” It seems that there are certain victories that can only be won through extra time dedicated to prayer and fasting. Although we’re not casting demons out tomorrow, we are waging war on the spiritual realm, and fasting is a tool that God has given us to sharpen and deepen the power of prayer.

Prayer doesn’t always have to be accompanied by fasting, but fasting should always be accompanied by prayer. Fasting without praying is just starving yourself, and Jesus wasn’t laying out a hyper-spiritual dieting plan. Instead, fasting is replacing something good (food) with something better (prayer & worship). Fasting disconnects us with earthly things and connects us with the things of God. Instead of feasting on a meal, you have extra time to feast on God’s faithfulness (Psalm 37:3).

What if I can’t skip meals?

Fasting in Scripture is almost always from food, but there are lots of ways to fast, especially for those who medically can’t skip meals. You can substitute time that you would normally spend watching TV, sleeping, on social media, or just 1 meal instead of all 3. The goal is not punishing yourself – it’s clearing your schedule to devote more time to prayer.

The practical side of fasting…

Wean yourself off of food. Don’t shove an entire tub of ice cream down your throat at 11:57 as your “last meal before the fast.” That will set you up to fail.

Stay hydrated. When I’m fasting, I drink way more water than typical. Since your body isn’t taking in nutrients through food, make sure you stay extra-hydrated.

Watch out for coffee. I’m a big coffee drinker, except for when I’m fasting. I’ve found (for me) that coffee on an empty stomach is a bad combo, so I lay off for the day.

Work out spiritually, not physically. Doing lots of hard labor while not eating can be dangerous, so be careful. I go to the gym often, but not typically when I’m fasting. And if I do, I’ll eat a small meal afterwards, just to replace what I just burned.

Ease back in. Don’t slam 7 bowls of cereal the next morning after a fast. Ease your body back into a normal routine of eating by eating fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of water.

Don’t flaunt it. Jesus says that if you use fasting (or prayer) to be seen by men instead of heard by God, you’d better listen up for everyone’s applause…because that’s all the reward you get. Instead, take good care of yourself and smile! The joy of the Lord is your strength.

PRAY MORE. That’s the whole point of fasting. During the time when you would have normally been preparing a meal, eating, or doing whatever activity you’re giving up, spend that time in prayer.

Fasting is a great tool that’s highly underused. Let’s bring it back. And remember: God is big. Pray like it!

If you’re joining us in praying and fasting tomorrow, make sure to follow Awaken on Twitter and Instragram (@AwakenChurch) and like our page on Facebook for updates on the hour every hour from 8am-5pm!

Church Planting Day 6: Small Groups

“We were created for community.” –It’s a phrase I say all the time at Awaken, and that’s evident throughout Scripture. After all, according to Genesis 1:26, God created us in His image, and God Himself is a community. So, it would only make sense that the most accurate way that we can reflect His image would be from within community. Today we discussed the why, when, and how of launching, structuring, and growing small groups within a church.

If you know me, I’m passionate about this subject, so it was fun to talk about. We began class by discussing the reason behind small groups, which admittedly, was something I didn’t fully grasp until just a couple years ago. I didn’t grow up going to churches that had small groups or emphasized them, so I didn’t really feel the need to implement them. I knew the church needed them, but I didn’t personally feel the need…until I got involved! Now I love them!

We began our discussion on the why and how with a video from my good friend, Josh Bowers, the Small Groups Pastor at Fresh Life Church in Montana. I learned a lot from their structure and vision for groups as we were launching ours, and theirs have been very successful, so it was great to hear from Josh.

After the video, we discussed the sermon-based small group structure of Awaken Groups, how we train leaders and co-leaders, what a semester of groups looks like, and how we utilize the website and other technology to enhance groups. We also covered some key lessons I’ve learned and challenges we’ve faced along the way…

Start with your vision. Vision defines structure.

This is one principle that applies not only to small groups, but to many other things as well. The what determines the how. Beginning with the vision helps you to define how you’re going to get to the goal. One of the questions that was asked was about any of the negative sides of sermon-based small groups. I’m not aware of any negative aspects of it because they help us to fulfill the vision of the groups: the social aspect and the application aspect.

Cut the competition.

If you looked at an Awaken events calendar, you’d notice a clump of events over winter break and a clump over summer break, but not much during semesters of Awaken Groups. There’s a reason for that. Americans are naturally busy people, and don’t have time to commit to their families, jobs, church, and small group, while also attending other programs and events. Although the extracurricular programs and events can be good, often times the good things can compete against the best things. At Awaken, this realization led to a complete overhaul of our calendar of events, and even led to the end of our Wednesday night service (Shocking, I know. Get over it, and get in a group!).

Satan hates small groups.

Although Awaken Groups is the place where we see the deepest growth, it’s also a place where some of the greatest attack and division can stem from. We cover each semester of Awaken Groups in prayer, and recognize that especially in areas where God is moving deeply in people’s lives, Satan will kick back. My philosophy is this: if Satan hates it and is trying to stop it, I must be doing the right thing! In fact, if he hates it, it must glorify God, and I want to do it even more! I wanted to remind the students that small groups, along with many other aspects of ministry, is a spiritual battle that must be fought with spiritual means.

Awaken Easter

Jesus is alive…which is a pretty big deal. It’s a big enough deal that the Bible says if that fact weren’t true, our preaching is a lie, our faith is in vain, and we Christians are the most pitiable people on the planet (read 1 Corinthians 15 for the exact wording).

I cannot wait to deliver the most important message any pastor can ever talk about: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this year, Awaken’s Easter service will be our biggest yet. We’ll be gathering as one on the Austin Peay campus at the Music Mass Communication Building on Sunday, March 31 at 10am. We have seating capacity for over 500 people and we couldn’t be more excited! In addition to a Gospel message, special Easter stuff for the kids, and a huge worship service, we’ll be joined for special music by one of my favorite artists, Jimmy Needham!

You won’t want to miss this day, so mark your calendars for March 31 and plan to be there.

We have invites for you to hand out and for your kids to give to their friends, so make sure to grab some next time you’re at Awaken. You can also swing by awakenchurch.org/easter soon to invite your friends from there!

JESUS IS ALIVE! LET’S TELL THE WORLD!

Church Planting Day 3: Where do I start?

Where do I start? That was the main question we answered today during Day 3 of Church Planting Class. We began with the unglamorous and often unmentioned side of Church Planting – the business side.

Some authors have paralleled Jesus to a CEO and try to pull business principles from His ministry. Although He was the greatest leader the world has ever known and we have endless things to learn from Him, I don’t like viewing Him as a CEO and I definitely don’t think His Church should be viewed as a start-up business. We’re His bride, not His project.

However, for any church to have longevity, there are certain legal and structural guidelines that must be followed. Everything from the incorporation process (including bylaws and a board of directors) to 501(c)(3) applications and payroll. Jesus said to “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s” and like it or not, “Caesar” may be more involved than many people realize!

Like anything though, there must be a balance. If you overlook the business side of the church, it won’t last. But if you run the church entirely as a business, it will prevent you from taking steps of faith. After all, there have been quite a few times in just my 3 years of planting Awaken that I’ve undertaken a project or outreach that didn’t exactly measure up on paper (The Uprising)!

In addition to the un-glamorous business side of the church, we also talked about the practical side of how to figure out where to go, and some things to keep in mind when you first get to your city.

We watched a quick video from a friend of mine, Chuck Musselwhite, who is one of the leaders of the Calvary Church Planting Network (CCPN) that helps train up and mentor prospective Calvary church planters. I also passed on some helpful links:

CCPN: http://calvarychurchplanting.org

Here you can get resources to either be mentored as a church planter or mentor other church planters. You can also listen to and watch sessions from their ReEngage Conference that they had last year. You can hear great, practical stuff from Brian Broderson, David Guzik, Ed Stetzer, and more!

Calvary’s main website: http://calvarychapel.com

On Calvary’s main site, you can check out the church locator to get an idea of an area of the US or the world where they could benefit from a Calvary. You can search within a 1,000-mile radius by zip code, state, or city!

Calvary Chapel Association: http://calvarychapelassociation.com

Once you have a place in mind and/or you’ve already moved there or begun the process, you can go to the CCA site to begin the affiliation process. By selecting the region of the US or world that you’re in, you can find out which pastor(s) to contact to get the ball rolling on affiliation with Calvary Chapel.

We also covered some practical things to think about before and during the launch of the church. We discussed the importance of a vision statement that’s concise and catchy, that communicates why your church exists. We talked about the pros and cons of different types of church planting timelines: denominational, interest meetings, preview services, and the route I took, “Hit the ground running!”

One of the most practical part of the day was a 15-minute personal project where each person scoured the Bible for practical examples of people who used what was in their hands to benefit others and glorify God. There were tons of great examples which led to great discussion: things like David’s slingshot and harp-playing skills, Esther’s position as queen, Tabitha’s clothes-making skills, the boy who gave Jesus his lunch, Moses’ staff, Paul’s prison sentence, and so much more. Some of the examples seemed positive, others seemed negative, but the point was simple: God uses ordinary things for extraordinary purposes.

On Tuesday we had covered inadequacies and fears that many people have going into a church plant or ministry. The goal of the exercise in today’s class was to help us all understand that we are probably much more equipped then we realize. We refuse to allow a perceived need to prevent us from preaching the Gospel. We’ll embrace our limitations, get creative, and use what’s in our hands to benefit others and glorify God.

On deck for tomorrow: hermeneutics & homiletics!

Church Planting Day 2: The Calling and the Equipping

Teaching for 3 hours and 45 minutes each day is akin to each Sunday at Awaken. The difference being that after 3 Sunday services, I have a day off and 6 more days to recover before I do it again. Not here. It’s a sprint…but I’m loving it!

Today, we talked about the calling and equipping for ministry, as we took a look at some personal and Biblical examples. I shared about how God began to train me up for teaching, pastoring, and planting a church when I was 16 at a summer camp. For me, that was the start of my journey into ministry from starting a youth group, to leading a high school Bible Club, to eventually serving on staff at a summer camp and becoming a youth pastor.

Yesterday, I handed out a questionnaire to the class, asking about what they’re hoping to learn from the class and what some of their fears and obstacles are in church planting. A recurring theme in the responses I got is that people are stressed about their own inadequacies in ministry. Nobody is going to show up, there’s no money, feelings of inadequacy and inability, and so much more. I referred back to one time when I got to teach to the staff guys at the summer camp I served at, and I taught on God’s grace being sufficient in our weakness. We also discussed guys like Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah – all great men whom God used in powerful ways, but all who felt inadequate for the task at hand.

We discussed how resources, teams, funds, and buildings are great tools, and God may bless us with them at different points along our journey, but ultimately, God has given us all that we need right now to take the next step. Gideon, for instance, ended up using less than 1% of his original army (from 32,000 soldiers to 300) to defeat an army that was innumerable. The driving point was this:

The resources and team you think you need may be the very things that prevent you from giving God the glory!

Sometimes God strips things away from us so that He can receive the glory and our ministries and churches can continue on a miracle basis.

We had a great time discussing the qualifications for elders in 1 Timothy 3. We learned that although the context is specifically for elders/pastors, most of the qualifications are basic things that all Christians are held to: not drunkards, not lovers of money, gentle, hospitable, self-controlled, etc.

We ended the class with a video interview of my wife sharing her viewpoint on church planting. She talked about ways she supports me as her husband and pastor, as well as ways she’s seen God provide and teach her along the way. It was great to have her (virtually) in class for part of it!

We also talked about the importance and logistics of balancing church with family and marriage. Just like you have to put your oxygen mask on first in an airplane, the same thing needs to take place for your family in ministry. If your marriage and family fall apart, you lose your ministry too. To be effective long-term in ministry, you have to start with your first ministry: your family.

Unity within the church and between other churches is another vital step to reaching a city. We discussed practical ways to fight for unity and build bridges.

It was another great day. Tomorrow we discuss the business side of church planting and answer the question, “Where do I start?” Can’t wait!

Church Planting Day 1: What it is and what it’s not

I have the honor this week and next of teaching a 2-week block class at Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, CA. It’s a crash course in church planting where I’ll be teaching for almost 4 hours each day for 8 days! To put it in perspective, I taught a little over 30 hours in the 38 weeks that I taught Revelation at Awaken, and I’ll be teaching about that long in 8 days here! Thankfully, it’s a subject I’m passionate about and that I’ve given my life to: preaching the Gospel and training people for ministry.

I’m only 3 years into my first church plant, so I’m certainly not an “expert” by any means, but I am very honored to be teaching this class. I have 25 students enrolled in my class, and it’s a great, diverse group. Some are already on church planting teams, gearing up to head out. Others hadn’t really heard of church planting before, but were interested in finding out more!

Here’s a quick recap of what we covered on Day 1…

Day 1 was an intro to myself and the story of Awaken Church. It’s always fun to relive the story and recount God’s faithfulness, confirmation, and provision even in the years leading up to the launch. It’s easy to get so caught up in the action that I temporarily lose sight of all that God has done to get us to this point.

After sharing pictures and stories from the first couple years of Awaken, I began by dashing their hopes and dreams of what church planting is really like. We discussed what church planting is not and what church planting is.

Church Planting is NOT…

COOL. Unfortunately, church planting has become “trendy” lately. It’s what a lot of young guys are doing and have done, and some have unfortunately fallen into the trap of stepping into something that seemed “cool” without counting the cost.

FUN. If you think church planting will be a fun way to get some neat experiences, you’re wrong. It’s a fierce battle that will tear your family to shreds if you’re not prepared. You will have fun planting a church if it’s what God has called you to do. But even that will only come after lots of hard work and dedication.

ABOUT YOU. Whether it’s planting a church or just ministry in general, some people step into ministry to prove something to others or to themselves. We addressed the tendency and dangers of using ministry to compete against others or boost your ego.

A HOBBY. If you’re just looking for something to pass some time, fly a kite, read a book, or plant a garden, but please don’t plant a church. The stakes are too high. Souls are at stake and the reputation of Jesus and His Church are on the line!

Church Planting IS…

HARD. It’s hard mentally, physically, and spiritually. It’s hard on you, your team, your family, and your marriage. But generally speaking, nothing that’s easy to do is worth giving your life for!

EFFECTIVE. Planting a church is one of the most effective ways to preach the Gospel and reach a city. God uses it in HUGE ways in those who are leading and those who get involved.

REWARDING. There’s a big difference between “fun” and “rewarding.” “Fun” can be as simple as throwing something off a balcony and watching it explode when it hits the ground. “Rewarding” implies investment and perseverance. As you pour your life into the church, there will be exciting temporal milestones, but there are also eternal rewards that are accruing (1 Corinthians 15:58, Hebrews 6:10)!

A BOOST TO YOUR PRAYER LIFE. I thought I had a decent handle on praying…until I planted a church. I learned more about the power of prayer through the avenue of church planting than through any other event in my life. Simple reliance on the Lord through prayer is huge.

Toward the end of the class, we spent some time discussing why the church exists, Biblically and practically. The class divided into groups and came up with some great answers. The church exists to preach the Gospel, train for ministry, stir up good works, reach the world, impact communities, and so much more. We had some great discussion that stemmed from that research.

Day 2 is tomorrow: the calling to ministry, qualifications, priorities, and more. Can’t wait!