Monthly Archives: August 2019

Awakening Church August Update

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This past month our mission team poured into a God-appointed group of underground house church leaders, ministry leaders, and other persecuted Christians in SE Asia. Our theme for this years Awakening Conference was “Walking with Jesus in Hard Places.” Here is a brief testimony of a family we had the privilege to serve…

During the Awakening Conference 2019, I was strengthened as a leader, restored as a wife, blessed as a mother, challenged as a kingdom builder, and encouraged as a member of a loving family.  I was FILLED BACK UP again as a Warrior in His army!! Thank you SO MUCH for remembering us!! Even though we are so far from home base! And thank you for RENEWING us with your support, teaching and mentoring while also blessing SO MANY in our community and partner ministries as well! Words could not possibly express the DEPTH of eternal investment made in us during your time serving us! We are truly forever grateful!” -Smith family

display weekend!

This week, the Seattle area families are in in full-blown back-to-school mode. This time of year offers incredible opportunities to reach out to our community. For the second year, Awakening Church was a part of serving the teachers at Eastgate Elementary as they prepare for the new school year. For us, these opportunities are all about establishing partnerships with a vital part of our city. Partnerships allow us to go beyond meeting a single need. But as we develop deeper relationships with the staff and kids, the outreach can go far beyond buying pencil sharpeners. We pray that these relationships will continue to develop as we engage Bellevue with the gospel. Please pray for the development of these school relationships as we partner with our city for the advancement of the gospel.

On Sunday morning, 19 churches in Bellevue closed their doors to worship together at Downtown Bellevue Park. It was a beautiful picture of unity as we elevate our oneness in Christ to show the world what the gospel is all about!

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This months marks the re-launch of our ESL Bible Study. This weekly class gives us and opportunity to show recent immigrants that we care about them. It also opens the door to introduce them to Biblical Christianity, Awakening Church, and a weekly community where they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our study introduces the gospel in a way that people from non-Christian worldview cultures need. We began in Genesis 1:1 and unfolded the Bible’s BIG redemptive story all the way through the Old and New Testaments. We provide the overall Biblical context that makes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ clear and meaningful, even for people who know nothing about the God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ. Please pray for our leaders and students as we kick-off our class this week.

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Over the summer we have been going through the book of Acts as a church. As we read the pages of scripture, we see that the growth of the early church was unstoppable and could not be explained. A small group of unqualified people with no money, no power, and no influence turned the world upside down and changed the course of history. This series through the book of Acts is helping us discover and refocus on who we are called to be as we lead the charge in Bellevue, WA. Click here to messages from the Unstoppable series. Please continue to pray for Awakening Church in the coming days as we intentionally create a DNA for a healthy and vibrant ministry in Bellevue, WA!

Thank you for your partnership and commitment to see the gospel of Jesus spread throughout the Pacific NW and beyond.

In His Service,

Pastor Jonah Easley

Joy in the Trenches

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I’m here in a very beautiful part of SE Asia. In this land filled with such natural and cultural beauty, there is an evident covering of darkness and lostness.

For decades now, A massive crackdown on religious freedom has been underway, where churches are being demolished, Bibles confiscated and posters of Jesus replaced with portraits of government leaders. In this country, the government sees the spread of the Christian faith as a threat to their culture and way of life.

12 Years ago we were called to sacrifice much to the call of international missions. Since our return to America, The doors that God had opened to us have remained open in this closed country. Now through Awakening Church in Bellevue, WA…God has called us to faithfully do our part.

I often preach about the obligation of every believer to be involved in missions. It is not difficult to find a text to emphasize this biblical truth. There is much in the Bible that demands that the Gospel be preached to every person in every generation. I preach much on both of these subjects. But, my favorite subject is the joy of missions.

In order for the Gospel to be preached to all nations and tribes, three things are necessary as far as man’s part is concerned. Someone must go. Many must pray. Many must give. When someone commits himself to go and others promise to pray and give, it brings great joy. The faithful missionary William Carey said,

Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.

Because of the nature of our God…we should be willing to attempt anything and everything possible to get the hope of Jesus to the ends of the earth. Our main focus in this SE Asia country is to train and empower indigenous leaders. Our ministry is more about teaching others to fish, rather than bringing back my own prize-wining catch. What I’ve learned is that missionary service is…well, service. It’s others-centered. It’s not glamorous. It’s about finding joy in the trenches. To put the work of the Gospel first, essentially means that I must learn to place the ministry of others above my own ministry.

As we encourage a tired and discouraged group of church leaders, I urge you to pray. Pray for big faith, endurance, encouragement and joy as they give it all for the sake of the gospel. Missionaries are real people with real doubts, fears, challenges, and struggles. They face spiritual battles, cultural and language barriers, and physical exhaustion. They need our prayers to face each day with wisdom, grace, and strength from the all-powerful God. Thanks for partnering with us as we do all we can to impact the nations with the gospel of Jesus.