New Stuff at Awaken

Today seemed like the day for new stuff at Awaken - we got lots of packages in the mail and there's much more to come. Here's a quick look at what's going on...

NEW BUILDING
That's right. This time last week, we didn't have a building that was legal for assembly. Exactly 1 week later, we have a building that will work much better and be much more comfortable. We only have 11 days till our first service (yes, we're still on for Saturday, September 19 at 6:30pm) and plenty of cleaning to do. No, the sign isn't up yet, but it should look pretty similar to the photoshopped editions you're looking at. We have a work day scheduled for this Thursday, September 10th from 9:00am-noon to start the cleaning, and of course there will be more after that. Let us know if you want to help. We're stoked to see how God uses this building and glad that with just a couple minor touches, it measures up to fire code and satisfies the city's zoning codes. That's a nice change. There will be a map and more info posted shortly on the website on the when & where page.

NEW DECALS
Does your car/Bible/friend's face need some style? We have just what the doctor ordered. Our new are you awake? decals just arrived today (thanks to woventhorns.com) and you'll love them. Beginning this weekend at Riverfest, you'll be able to grab a decal, submit a picture of it on your car to our Twitter, Facebook, or email, and you'll win a prize (more details to come)! They'll be available for free on a first come, first served basis, so make sure to swing by the Awaken Church table and grab one for your car! Once they're gone, they're gone.

NEW ARTWORK
We just got the posters for our first 2 books of the Bible that we'll be studying. On Wednesday nights beginning September 23, we'll be studying the book of Acts in a series called To the End of the Earth. On Saturdays beginning September 26, we'll be studying Philippians in a series called To Live is Christ. Both books are powerful and have specific application to us as individuals and as a church. Can't wait to dive in! Download the artwork and listen to past teachings on our teachings page.

Some other new stuff...
- a new pulpit (it broke during shipping, but we'll have a new one by next week)
- new chairs (padded, even!)
- a nice projector and screen
- a nice Pearl drum kit donated by Calvary Chapel Rivergate (we just need a drummer)

I'm so stoked to get this thing off the ground and I really hope you'll be a part of it. There will never be another first weekend of Awaken Church, so plan on being there Saturday, September 19...but don't stop there - keep coming! In the mean time, join us for our last 2 weeks at the Edlers' house on Wednesday nights. Grab a map here.

Coffee and confirmation

Every once in a while, God must think He needs to confirm to us that we're in the right spot, doing exactly what we should be doing. That's what He did tonight.
Denver and I got off work early, so we went in to study at Starbucks. Turns out it closed an hour earlier than we thought, but there was certainly a reason we went. As we got up to leave, here's the conversation I had with the girl behind the counter...

"Is your name Kevin?"

"Yes."

"Are you a pastor?"

"Yes, (starting to get a little weirded out at this point because that's never happened before in Clarksville) how did you know that?"

"This is crazy, but about 2 months ago you must have left a bunch of business cards in here when you were in here. I was cleaning up, saw the card that asked 'Are you awake?', wondered what that was all about, and stuck one in my pocket. I got home, did laundry, totally forgot about it. Yesterday, I put those pants on, and your business card was in there - totally intact, even after going through the wash. I was like, 'What is the Are you awake? thing', so I looked up your website. The first thing I saw was that you guys were doing outreaches in a park. That's so cool - my church used to do that. My husband and I have been looking for a good church and we can't find ANY around here that are any good. I saw your site, and I thought, 'We have to check that out.'"

"Well, we're actually kicking off a Bible study..." (I was going to tell her about tomorrow night's Bible study, but she interrupted me)

"Yeah, September 19th, right?!"

"Well yeah, that's our first service, but we're kicking off a Bible study tomorrow night. Check our website for a map and info."

"Really? We're there. We'll see you then."

Then I turned around and received a really dirty look from the other Starbucks guy who apparently really wanted us to leave. As Denver and I walked out the door, we realized why we had come to Starbucks tonight. It seems like every once in a while, God loves to give us another glimpse of some confirmation that we're doing what we should be doing. I told Denver, "I knew we were in the right spot!"

I really hope we get to meet Mrs. Starbucks lady (I didn't get her name) and her husband tomorrow (we'll call him Mr. Starbucks, since his wife works there).

I love those moments.
I love these people.
I love our God.

NEW Are You Awake? video posted!

We just posted a brand new Are You Awake? video at awakenchurch.org. Here it is. Let us know what you think...

Are You Awake?

In just about 1 month, the city of Clarksville will begin to see business cards with the question "Are You Awake?" all over the place. It's the beginning of our summer outreach that we'll be kicking off Saturday, July 11 in parks across the city. For 8 straight Saturdays from July 11-August 29, we'll be grilling up some food, hanging out, and sharing the Gospel with people who show up. Everywhere we go, we'll be leaving these cards (not all will look this creepy, but they will be eye-catching) that simply ask the question "Are You Awake?" and refer people to awakenchurch.org.
With the goal of the church to focus on awakening people to the relevance of God's Word, our hope is to point out their need for it and stir up a hunger in the city. As each week of outreaches goes by, we hope to develop a core group of people who will begin to reach out to the city with us and eventually become the congregation for Awaken Church. Pray for the outreaches and pray for us as we do our best to do something we've never done!

Stay tuned here for more details. You can also follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/awakenchurch or by texting follow awakenchurch to 40404. Enjoy!