Set the Framework

A house doesn’t look pretty (or even much like a house) for the first few days or weeks of construction. There’s the concrete slab that has to be poured, the pipes and plumbing that have to be installed, the leveling of the land, and the studs for the walls. But for a house to stay standing, it needs all of those things. You can’t prop up sheet rock and put a roof on without the framework. The framework is the part that often goes unseen, but provides the structure to go higher and stronger.

This Sunday at Awaken, we begin a new series called Framework. It comes right on the heels of our 38 weeks in the book of Revelation. After dealing with the Antichrist, the Tribulation, the Second Coming of Christ, and heaven and hell, we’re going back to our foundations. Framework is a 10-week series that will help us learn and develop the infrastructure of our faith, without which, we won’t be able to go higher or stronger.

I can’t wait.

We’ve been working hard on the planning and preparation for this series, and I can’t wait to begin it this Sunday. The all-new stage setup looks amazing, and the topics will be so great each week: salvation, God, prayer, church, etc. I figured we’d start off real simple with salvation and discuss God’s sovereignty vs. man’s responsibility. No big deal.

The series and the stage are great, but the point is to get as many people there as possible to hear it, so we’ve set up a few ways to help you get the word out. Next time you’re at Awaken, you can grab the new invite cards in the foyer and the Connect Kiosk. Also, for the first time ever, we’ve added a new page on our website that enables you to invite, post, and tweet about the event from there. All you have to do is go to awakenchurch.org/framework, then click the links. Spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, or by email.

And as you’re studying along with us (in Clarksville, Charlotte, or wherever), make sure to tell us and the world what you’re learning. Email us at info@awakenchurch.org or use the hashtag #SetTheFramework on Twitter or Instagram!

A Week Without Social Media

Last Monday, I decided to do something that I ended up enjoying more than I anticipated: I took a week off of social media. I deleted the apps and disconnected my accounts from my phone: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. I wouldn’t call myself a social media addict, but I was on them a lot.

I learned a few important things during my hiatus that I decided to pass on… And of course since I’m a pastor, I figured I’d alliterate.

Without social media…

I’m more productive

During my week off, I found that my study time was more productive and happened quicker. During times when I may have normally been browsing my Instagram feed or checking Twitter, I read instead – sometimes my Bible, sometimes a book. It felt like I had more time and that my time was less divided.

I’m more prayerful

I also found it much easier to continue a prayerful conversation with God throughout the day when it was not punctuated and interrupted by social media. During times when I may have normally been browsing social media, I found myself talking to God (and man did He answer prayer this week!). It was refreshing and powerful.

I’m more present

In an attempt to be connected with thousands of friends and acquaintances on social media, I can become disconnected with the people who matter most. Since my study time was more productive, I had more time to play with my daughters (Barbies, “sassy stamps,” princess puzzles, and some time on my skateboard while they rode scooters). I took pictures and videos simply to remember the moment instead of tell the world. I also hung out with my wife, spent multiple evenings praying together with her, and enjoyed some extra time with the Lord.

Don’t hear me wrong: I’m not anti-social media. I’m not saying you should delete your accounts and go back to flip phones.

Social media can be a great tool, if used in moderation. It’s a great way to connect, however, our desire to connect can actually cause us to disconnect. And after a week off, surprisingly, I don’t feel near as disconnected as I thought I would. Sure, I don’t know what your latte looked like yesterday or what you were griping about on Facebook the other day, but I’m ok with that. Also, I didn’t get “poked” and I didn’t get any invitations to play Bubble Safari, so that’s great!

I’ll probably be back on social media (in moderation) soon. I don’t know when. However, I look forward to enjoying less time on social media outlets and more time with my family, good books, and real flesh-and-blood friends!

Every Platform Possible

This week at Awaken, we debuted our brand new, first-ever mobile app! It’s available in the Apple App Store and Android Market Place NOW!

We didn’t want only an outlet to listen to teachings, we wanted an app that we can use for ministry…and that’s exactly what this app does!

Not only can you listen to our teachings, but you can also follow our social media, post prayer requests, take sermon notes, see upcoming events and post photos while you’re at an event, get directions to the church, give, and more — all right within the app!

The release of this app goes right in line with one item of our Awaken Church Code:

We use every platform possible.

We will harness technology, trends, culture, and any other platform available to preach the Gospel from. The methods are constantly changing, but the message never will.

The way we worship is constantly changing, but the God that we worship never does – He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever! Christians need to reclaim multimedia for the Gospel instead of letting it only be used to pump junk into our brains. It’s an unprecedented tool for the Gospel that we will be held accountable for.

Copy & paste these links into a tweet or Facebook post:

Apple (iPhone): https://itunes.apple.com/app/awaken-church-clarksville/id575011500?mt=8

Google (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app_awakenchurch.layout&hl

Make sure to leave a review when you download and let us know what you think!

You can also download the pictures below and post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Google +.

The Big Push

Today, we are officially 4 weeks away from the second Uprising here in Clarksville. We’ve spent months and months of planning, prepping, and praying, and this weekend begins the big push…

Tonight at 6:30pm is the Join The Movement meeting, where people from around the city (I know of at least 5 churches that will be represented tonight) can come and sign up to get involved! It’s a big night as we get the teams stoked, united, and praying. We’ll have a couple giveaways as well, so it’s sure to be a good time.

This Sunday at Awaken is also a big push for The Uprising. Only twice in our 3 years as a church have we taken up a special offering, and this Sunday will be the third. One of the items of our “CODE” at Awaken is: Souls are the best way to invest. We believe it’s a privilege to partner with God in His pursuit of the lost, and one way that He’s given us an opportunity to do that is through our finances. As a church, we’ve taken this week to pray about how God would have each of us be invested in The Uprising. This Sunday, we’ll watch as God provides through our generosity!

Since we’re only 4 weeks out, this weekend also marks a great time to begin spreading the word everywhere we go. If you’re in the Clarksville area, I hope you’ll spread the word through social media, personal invites, and more. Be creative, have fun, and pray that God would change lives and change this city!

Here are some ways to get involved:

PRAY: Join the “1 Month of Prayer” Facebook group and get daily updates on what to pray for.

SERVE: Come to the Join the Movement meeting tonight at 6:30pm at Awaken and sign up to serve on a team.

GIVE: In addition to giving at Awaken this Sunday, anyone (from any location around the world) can give online through The Uprising website.

PROMOTE: Grab postcards and posters tonight at the meeting or this Sunday at Awaken and start spreading the word. Tonight, you can also sign up for “Cover The City” by selecting a section of the city that you’ll be targeting with prayers and invites! We’ve got an advertising kit ready to go for everyone who signs up tonight. If you need refills on promo material, let us know at info@wearetheuprising.com.

FOLLOW: Make sure to connect with The Uprising on Facebook, Twitter (@UprisingEvent), and Instagram (@UprisingEvent), and tell your friends to do the same. We’ll have a few social media giveaways as the date draws nearer, so you’ll be glad you connected.

This city is in need of Jesus. Let’s spread the word and fill up the Red Barn on November 9!

The Uprising

It’s hard for me to put into words the excitement behind finally going public with what has been on my heart for so long.

Since before we moved to Clarksville, I envisioned an event that reached beyond church walls and boundaries, embraced a crowd that’s often overlooked, and reverberated into eternity. I believe we’re in the beginning stages of being a part of such a movement here in Clarksville, TN.

Last week was the first time I got to share this idea with anyone besides my staff. I met with our ministry leaders and shared my vision for 2012. Our vision is huge and our focus is simple. We’re called to reach this city, so we’re positioning ourselves to do whatever it takes to see as many people as possible come to know Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 1:8 – For from you, the word of the Lord has sounded forth…

We’re turning the volume all the way up on the Gospel!

The Uprising is far bigger than a concert, a gathering, or a one-time event. It’s a movement. I’ve been praying that this movement does 3 things: 1) unites churches around the city, 2) empowers Christians to use their gifts to reach the lost, and 3) impacts eternity as we see many come to Jesus. We’ve gone out of our way to make sure this is not “an Awaken Church event.” We want to make sure to include any church that wants to partner with us. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be connecting with other churches, pastors, and ministries, as we drop the things that divide us and unite under the name of Christ!

Our first-ever Uprising event will take place on the Austin Peay campus (Music/Mass Communications Building) on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 7-9pm. Doors open at 6:30, but you’ll want to be there early. It’s FREE and it will be PACKED. Seating is very limited. The night will feature amazing worship, music from HEAD (featuring Brian “Head” Welch, formerly of Korn), as well as an interview with Brian “Head” Welch. The key element of the night is a message about eternity and an invitation for people to give their lives to Jesus. Make no mistake: we’re all about JESUS!

Let me make this clear: this is not a concert for Christians. This is an opportunity to bring friends, coworkers, and classmates to a hear about the hope of Jesus.

There will be much more info coming in the near future as we count down the days to March 14, 2012. In the meantime, here are a few links for you to check out…

Donate HERE.

Website: wearetheuprising.com (more updates coming soon)

Facebook: facebook.com/uprisingevent

Twitter: twitter.com/uprisingevent

You can also find us on Path and Instagram (@uprisingevent).

Spread the word. Join the movement.

The gift that keeps on giving

Merry Christmas!

Let me guess, you’re reading this while still in your PJs? That’s ok. It’s Christmas Day! Just do us all a favor and put some real clothes on before walking out of the house today!

I wanted to invite you to join us online for a Christmas message we put together for today. I’ve been encouraging our church to be intentional and invitational this Christmas season, and we wanted to give them a hands-on way to do that. So, at each of our Christmas Eve services yesterday, we handed out “Christmas Kits” complete with hot chocolate, candy canes, a Christmas card, and a DVD with a special Christmas message.

If you weren’t able to make it to one of our Christmas Eve services, you missed out on an awesome time, but you can still watch the video below.

Before you do that, though, would you do me a favor?

Copy and paste the sentence below into a tweet, Facebook post, email, or whatever other method you choose to spread the word. We pray this creates a way for you to discuss the story of Christ and the impact He still has today.

Merry Christmas! Take a few minutes & watch this short Christmas message with some family or friends! http://www.awakenchurch.org

Jesus gave Himself once as a baby in a manger, again as a man on a cross, and He keeps giving today by providing mercy and grace whenever we need it (Hebrew 4:16). Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving!

Merry Christmas and God bless!

The Awakening

It seems like every week I get to announce something new and exciting at Awaken! I love it!

Last night, right before our study began, I announced a day of prayer, fasting, and worship that we’re calling “The Awakening.” It will be an all-day even, but in a much different way than you may think.

From 6am-6pm, we’ll meet digitally – through Facebook and Twitter. Every hour on the hour, we’ll be posting new things to pray for. Throughout the day, all around the city, we’ll be fasting and praying together for these topics. The day will culminate with a night of prayer and worship at Awaken from 6:30-8pm.

Pillars

On Wednesday nights, we’re in the middle of a mini-series called “Pillars” where we’ve been discussing the “pillars” that supported and strengthened the early church – preaching, fellowship, and prayer. My vision for this series has been to not only provide somewhat of a report card for Awaken, but also treat it like a launch pad for some new things.

Repairing what’s been broken

In addition to wanting to implement more prayer into the church, I recently read through Nehemiah again and was struck by his brokenness for his city. When he learned of its devastation in Nehemiah 1, he immediately responded in prayer and fasting. He cried out to God to gather His people and restore what had been broken down. That’s our prayer for The Awakening.

We want to see God repair broken lives, marriages, and families.

We want to see a fresh move of the Holy Spirit sweep through Clarksville in a way we’ve never seen.

We want people to catch the vision that God has for them. It’s much bigger than most people realize.

So, like Nehemiah, we’ll spend the day fasting and praying (even if you don’t want to fast or can’t for some reason, you can still join us in prayer), then the evening worshiping and praying. If you live in Clarksville, whether you go to Awaken or not, you’re invited to join us. Everyone, regardless of where you live or where you go to church is invited to join us online on Friday, March 4 in prayer for our city and church!

If you haven’t already, “like” our page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

We want to see our city awakened for Christ. Fighting that battle begins through prayer.

Another exciting addition to Awaken: AWAKEN STUDENTS

You don’t have to be old to love Jesus.

That’s the basic thought behind our newest addition to Awaken Church, Awaken Students (an extension of Awaken Groups).

Youth ministry is nothing new to me. I’ve been going to summer camps since I was old enough to go. When I was about 15, God grabbed me at a summer camp and never let go. We got back home, and since our church was small and didn’t have a youth pastor, we decided to start up our own youth group (which, by the way, is still going today – I’m designing t-shirts for them soon!). That’s where it all began for me. From there, I went on to run the Bible Club at my high school, go to School of Ministry after high school, then go on to be the Middle School Youth Pastor at Calvary Albuquerque. Needless to say, youth ministry played a big role in who I am today.

Awaken Students isn’t a youth group.

I’ve been asked if that’s what this would eventually grow into. Probably not. I see a deeper value in taking a different approach than what might be considered “the norm” for reaching teenagers for Christ.

One unique thing about Awaken is that we have such a broad mix of ages. We have grandparents all the way down to 6th graders worshiping together. In fact, on Sunday, 2 of the 4 people who gave their lives to Christ or recommitted their lives to Him were students (14 and 17 years old)! Here’s the idea behind Awaken Students…

We want students, from the time they graduate out of Awaken Kids and hit 6th grade, to begin worshiping, studying, and applying God’s Word with the rest of us. By providing that opportunity, as well as outlets for them to serve and get together in small groups, we’re training them how to involve themselves in the body of Christ. By the time they graduate high school, hopefully it is ingrained in their brains that part of being in the body of Christ is worshiping through singing, studying the Word, serving, giving, and being part of a small group.

Pies, Ketchup, and Truth or Dare

Youth groups have the unfortunate reputation for being a place where students can go for “Christian entertainment.” Whether you’re 16 or 60, you are BOMBARDED with entertainment throughout the week! What students (as well as the rest of the body of Christ) really need are real, genuine, Christ-centered relationships outside of the church walls. Entertainment is everywhere; genuine relationships are not.

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with a pie in the face or some ketchup-smothered eating challenges every once in a while, but that’s not what Awaken Students is centered on.

That said, Awaken Students isn’t sans-fun. In fact, we have an exciting announcement coming tomorrow night at Awaken about an event we have coming up just for the students of Awaken! Rest assured, Awaken Students will be everything but boring.

Walking out Christianity

We want student to develop real, genuine, Christ-centered relationships. We want to see students grow deep in their walks with Christ from a very young age. That doesn’t mean boring, stale group therapy sessions. That means being real with each other – talking openly and honestly about what’s going on. We all need that at every age and every stage along the way.

How it works

Awaken Students works a little differently from the rest of Awaken Groups. They will be discussing the Sunday message, like many of the other groups, but the students group will be an OPEN group. That simply means that we won’t be putting a limit of how many students can come to it – it will remain open for them to invite friends. Awaken Students will be meeting at the church on Sunday evenings at 6:30pm to discuss the content of the Sunday message. They’ll be split up into gender- and age-appropriate groups with leaders for the discussion and prayer. Like the other groups, they will also have 8 weeks of discussion, 1 week of community outreach, and 1 week of fun/hangout each trimester.

Awaken Students meets Sun, March 6-May 8. Students can sign up for the group beginning TOMORROW – Wed, Feb 23 at 6pm!

Keep up with Awaken Students on Twitter, Facebook, and at AwakenGroups.org.

If your student attends Awaken, or is simply looking for a great place to connect with other students, this is the place!