Category Archives: Missions

January Update

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This month we celebrated the life change of Kyle and Noah. These two friends attend the University of Washington and are on Fire for Jesus, and we pray that they will be lights on Washington’s most extensive University campus. Our value of Kingdom expansion means that we aren’t committed to JUST making converts; we are called to make disciples that make disciples. We believe what Robert Coleman said is true: “A barren Christian is a contradiction.”

Disciple multiplication is God’s plan for reaching the world. We believe that the Kingdom of God expands farther and faster by ordinary, Spirit-filled Christians, making disciples than in big, entertaining worship gatherings.

Please pray with us as we prioritize the equipping of the church for gospel advancement in Seattle and beyond.

Awakening Church is partnering with Reach Ministry to join forces in engaging the homeless community in our city. We are committed to living the life of a Jesus follower: Depending on Jesus, displaying His love, declaring the gospel, and deploying on mission to make disciples. As Jesus is to us, we are called to be to others. Theologian Carl Henry said, “The gospel is only good news for someone if it gets to them in time.”

As we meet the physical needs of this hurting population, doors open to build relationships with others. Whether it’s coffee, food, or supplies, consistency builds friendships, and friendships create opportunities to speak the life-changing gospel to those without Jesus. On the first Saturday of every month, we corporately deploy on mission in our community by serving the often overlooked people in need. Please pray for our outreach teams as we engage people with the gospel.
Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Almost every day, we battle against an enemy who has owned our streets for far too long. We need your prayer as we fight in the power of the Holy Spirit against the stronghold of Satan. We are growing in desperation for God’s presence, power, and provision in our lives, moving from independence to dependence. Each week we gather together, surrendering ourselves to pursue God’s agendas. We continue to learn that prayer is more about being in proper relation to God than getting through some list of needs that God already knows.

We believe that our Tuesday prayer meeting is the engine room producing the power for what God is doing in our church. Please pray that we stay dependent. 
The last time we were in India was January 2020, right before the world shut down. We are excited to be taking a team of 10 to India in early May. Once again, we will be working with a dear ministry partner outside of Mumbai. We will host pastor training, evangelistic rallies, and Kids Camps in rural tribal villages on this trip. Our partner operates a non-profit called the Immanuel Foundation that engages unengaged/unreached people groups through starting schools, primary medical clinics, and planting churches.

Since our planning began last September, we have had many changes and obstacles to overcome. We need your prayer for our team, the villages where we are going, and the decreasing spread of Covid-19 that could impact our ability to go. 

Our passion for engaging unreached people with the gospel and planting churches drives us to risk much. We need your support and prayers as an army lifting us and pushing us forward to the front lines.

Thank you for joining us for the journey as we strive to reach Seattle, The West, and The World. With every step of faith, we are in desperate need of God’s redeeming grace, and he is deepening our love and passion for His Kingdom.Please continue to pray, give and encourage us on the battlefield! We need you and are grateful to God for you. Please pray for:

–Equipping of the church for gospel advancement in Seattle and beyond.
–Our outreach teams as we engage people with the gospel.
–That we stay dependent.
–Our India mission team, the villages where we are going, and the decreasing spread of Covid-19 that could impact our ability to go. 

Jesus Loves Sex Workers

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We aren’t just called to easy and convenient ministry; we are called to the marginalized, broken, and often neglected areas and sects of society with the message of Jesus Christ that has the power to redeem and transform lives. In 2021, we felt convicted and compelled to bring the gospel into the sex industry in Seattle. Through this weekly ministry, we were invited to have a booth at the annual Exxxotica Expo in Miami, D.C., and Chicago. This expo is a 3-day adult-themed event with vendors, performers, and consumers.

Each of these opportunities brings incredible spiritual warfare. Awakening Church and partners have committed to giving, going, and praying desperate, bold, and persistent prayers as we enter the battlefield. Read below a short testimony from this past expo.

“I spent the majority of this trip focusing on building relationships with the performers and other vendors at the convention. I did this by walking through the expo to visit each booth and see if there were any needs we could meet. I brought dinner to some performers, snacks, and hydration to others, and often I would bring a bag of candy with a note that said how loved they are by Jesus and by us. Most people were amazed when I told them what we were there and why we were serving them in this way. One vendor looked up after receiving the candy and the note with tears in his eyes and said, “Wow, we never get this. We never hear this from your people.” These words utterly broke my heart. This man was saying that the people in the sex industry never hear a message of love from the Church but rather a message of hate and condemnation. Needles to say, this opened the door for deeper conversation and broke down the wall of deception of what the gospel is and what it isn’t. The man continued to seek me out throughout the convention to ask questions about Jesus and His love for people. This is what it’s about. The root of everything we do has to be love, just as the Father sent the Son because of LOVE. If we aren’t starting from love, we are doing it wrong. He draws us in and accepts us right where we are. This is the seed that we plant at these shows because we know that His kindness draws us to repentance, and when people know they are loved, they want to learn more.”

Casey Flagg – Awakening Church, Light of Love

Quotes from Exxxotica staff:
“…if no one tells you often, you should know that you are doing a tremendous job for everyone you are coming in contact with. Being around sex workers for the years I’ve been around them, not all feel loved. It’s important to know we are all loved, and I’m a relatively religious person, and I know Jesus loves you, me, and all of us regardless of the lives we choose to lead. Letting a sex worker know that it’s crucial.”

“Thank you for all you and [your team] do for us. We love having you at all the shows, and it makes such a big difference when you’re around. Hope to see you at the Chicago show.”

Thank you for partnering with us as we strive to reach Seattle and beyond by living the life of a Jesus follower. With every step of faith, we are in desperate need of God’s redeeming grace, and he is deepening our love and passion for His Kingdom in Seattle, The West, and The World.

Would you please continue to pray, give and encourage us on the battlefield? We need you and are grateful to God for you.

Please take a moment to pray for:

  1. Our endurance through daily spiritual warfare
  2. New doors of opportunity during the Christmas season
  3. Deepening community/personal relationships

Strip Club Outreach – Reclaiming Hearts

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Awakening Church was planted in metro Seattle to enter into the dark places of our city with the hope of Jesus. A new dimension to this city engagement is to serve women who work in the adult entertainment industry. We are ministering to these women right where they are, in the strip club. Each Wednesday, our Outreach Team gives hope by going into strip clubs displaying the love of Jesus and declaring the gospel. 

Through actions and words, we proclaim Jesus to strippers because He alone is their hope to be free from all bondage. Our ultimate goal is to demonstrate and introduce their Redeemer to them. 

This ministry can make people feel uncomfortable. But as we model the life of Jesus, we desire to meet, eat with, love, give favor and extend grace to sinners of every kind. He spent time with those whom society overlooked and cast aside. Jesus didn’t leave anyone as worthless, but instead made them worthy with his very own blood. 

May we always remember that it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4). That only the blood of Jesus makes us holy. Jesus was never afraid of walking towards those society had the least regard for (Jn 4:4-42). 

Each week, relationships are being built and trust is being established. We pray these relationships lead to social interactions and deeper relationships to display and declare the good news of Jesus. We pray they will come to personally know the love of Jesus and the extent he went to bring them back. Jesus alone can bring heart transformation.

Please partner with us by praying for our outreach team, those they are engaging, and divine appointments. We need you, prayer warriors, to uplift our arms as we engage in this spiritual battle.
We have been called and equipped to engage our city so they will see that God is FOR them! We are branding our local GO TIME and city engagement  “FOR BELLEVUE.”

DONUTS IN THE PARK: Each Saturday we gather at DOWNTOWN BELLEVUE PARK to engage people with a FREE DONUT. This is an intentional missional opportunity to show our city that we are FOR them.

This has been a valuable opportunity as we gather to connect with people in our city. Pray that this would continue to open doors for new relationships in the days and months to come.
For 72+ weeks, we have partnered with other local churches to help meet the needs of people in our community. The people of Awakening Church have faithfully continued to help supply much need food and hygiene items to over 700 families in our local area. We pray that these families physical and spiritual need will be met through this challenging time.
Many kids in our area live in extreme poverty
Some schools in our community report 70% of students receive free lunch. And that number has increased over the past year. Many people work multiple jobs to provide for their families. In our area of continually rising cost of living, the $65 – $100 for a new backpack and school supplies is more than difficult, as many families have to spend increasing more than ever before on just housing and food. Receiving a backpack filled with school supplies makes a world of difference to each child and their parents. Each filled backpack costs just $25. As a church, we are sponsoring 50 backpacks.

Decisions For Christ as COVID Cases Rise

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The challenging and uncertain days remain consistently unpredictable. I am proud of the resiliency and faithfulness of the Awakening Church family as we navigate this season. The official announcement hasn’t been made yet, but based on the current increase in Covid-19 cases, we anticipate tighter restrictions in the near future. In spite of this lingering news, we remain encouraged about what God is doing in and through this church family. God’s grace and your ongoing support for our church and family are keeping us engaged on the front battlefield lines. Your prayer and financial support are helping us not only survive, but thrive in following Jesus and living out the calling of our lives. 

This past month we had many gospel conversations and saw 3 people surrender their lives to Jesus. And this past Sunday, we celebrated one baptism! Praise God for drawing people to Himself! Your prayers are meaningful and impacting us each day. Thank you!

Pastor Jonah Easley

Over the past couple months, Sister 谢 (Xie), has been joining us for worship and engaging in deeper relationships with Awakening Church. 

She said, ” From the first time I heard I believed, but I didn’t know how to come near to God. I couldn’t find a place where people could help me. Ryan has been in my life for a while and always told me to come to church. I just wanted to maybe read a little in my home and do good things. But, he continued to encourage me to go to church. Because we don’t speak the same language, I didn’t understand very well. But, I always felt like God was telling me to come to him. But, when Britton told me believing in God means I am a child of God. So, I confess Jesus with my mouth. I believe him in my heart. I believe him with everything. I don’t have any problem with this confession. I feel very happy and grateful. God has allowed me to return to him. This is His grace.”

We have been called and equipped to engage our city so they will see that God is FOR them! We are branding our local GO TIME and city engagement  “FOR BELLEVUE.”

  • DONUTS IN THE PARK: Each Saturday we gather at DOWNTOWN BELLEVUE PARK to engage people with a FREE DONUT. This is an intentional missional opportunity to show our city that we are FOR them.

This has been a valuable opportunity as we gather to connect with people in our city. Pray that this would continue to open doors for new relationships in the days and months to come.

This past month, we have been using this card as a simple way to bless people in our city that we don’t yet know. We are reminded that we are the presence of God in this generation. He has called us right here…right now to live the life of a Jesus follower. This means selfless and relentless love, desperate for the souls of men, women, and children in our city and around the world.

Pray with us as we continue to engage people without the hope of Jesus, with the hopes of declaring the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

Running Toward The Pain

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The pandemic has upended the economic stability of our church and community. But with that shaken foundation, we have seen great opportunity to meet needs all around us. Over the past few months, Awakening Church has been consistently working with other local churches in our community to provide much-needed food, diapers, and other personal hygiene items as families in our local area face trying times. 

While our personal needs have increased and our resources have decreased, we have stayed intentional about running toward our community needs, instead of away from them. As a result, we have seen many needs met and many lives changed. Each week we pick up and deliver many pallets of food from one of our local partners. That food is brought to a local non-profit that sorts and distributes that food based on the individual family needs. At it’s peak, we were serving over 620 families. Today there are 565 families in the program (approx. 2542 people, 28 churches involved, and over 16,500 grocery orders provided).

Recently, there has been an surplus in food so many of the leftover food boxes have gone directly to a local hispanic church that has faced great challenges. Their pastor has expressed deep hurt and questioned the survival of their church. And he’s not alone. According to the Barna Group, tens of thousands of pastors are unsure if their church will survive the coronavirus pandemic. However, 2020 has given us a glimpse into just how fragile our churches actually are. We are learning first hand how you don’t know how able God is until you find yourself in a situation that you can’t handle and requires the divine providence of God. We need God’s providence in these days!

You don’t know how able God is until you find yourself in a situation that you can’t handle and requires the divine providence of God.

But praise God, He is providing! And he’s using Awakening Church to help provide for other families, churches, and neighborhoods across our region. This past Friday, 370 food boxes were picked up and delivered directly to this hispanic church. They have 67 families in their congregation, so they are using the food boxes as a way to reach out to their community, minister to their felt needs, and build relational bridges into their immediate neighborhood.

In a year of uncertainty, we are continually looking for ways to love our community and share the message of hope through a relationship with Jesus. Despite facing ongoing challenges, Awakening Church will continue to operate virtually and prepare for the day when we can worship together again physically. Please continue praying for us and our boldness to proclaim Jesus in a hurting city.

Find more ways to connect and support at www.AwakeningSeattle.com

Engaging Our City

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We know that the impacts of COVID-19 will be long-lasting emotionally, financially, and even spiritually. The future is uncertain, but our goals remain the same. As we move forward with faith and wisdom, we will make decisions based on our vision, mission, and values. These will be our guide as we confront difficult issues in our community. We are committed to serving those around us and meeting as many needs as possible. The needs far outweigh our abilities, but we are putting them all into God’s hands in prayer.

Here are some ways we have had the opportunity to serve…

  • Covid-19 Food Drive – Practicing hospitality as a Jesus follower demonstrates Christian brotherhood and good Samaritan care for those whose lives are upended and in need of help. Each week we’ve continued to help provide for this overwhelming need in our community. Here is a message that was sent out by the food drive coordinator this week…

“We didn’t think a market would be possible today, as there just wasn’t sufficient food and items to make it worth it. We don’t want to open the market, if only a small number of families can benefit. Over the morning, Awakening Church arrived with three car loads of food!..Suddenly, we had fresh gallons of milk, hard boiled eggs, guacamole, tomatoes, potatoes, red onion and Trader Joe’s yogurt. Hastily, we set up the market, and it turned out to be one of the coolest yet…Thank you Casey, Pastor Jonah and Awakening Church!”

  • In connection to the food drive, we provided 40 $25 Target gift cards to families that needed specific items that weren’t accessible through the food drive.
  • Awakening Kids and families are putting together 250 goodie bags for families with children (including Lifeway activity books, stickers, glow sticks, candy, etc.) that will be personally given to families receiving support through the food drive.
  • We were able to supply some much needed financial support in providing necessities for families of students in our neighborhood through the Seattle Area Youth For Christ.
  • For 7 weeks we prayer walked our church neighborhood followed up with gift bags with encouragement and the hope of the gospel, the Jesus film, and microwave popcorn. This opened the door to reveal new relationships and gospel conversations.
  • Several of our Awakening Church family members have been deeply impacted by the coronavirus. We have been able to provide grocery gift cards to help them make it through.
  • We helped one of our members relocate to a smaller apartment.
  • We contributed to a local back pack drive for children in need. Some schools in our community report 70% of students receive free lunch. Many people work multiple jobs to provide for their families. In our area of continually rising cost of living, the $65 – $100 for a new backpack and school supplies is more than difficult, as many families have to spend increasing more than ever before on just housing and food.
  • We continue to gather weekly though digital platforms for prayer and worship. We’ve seen an increase in connection points and a more intentional time of focused prayer.

We believe that the key to a new movement of the Spirit of God will not be in a new technique, but in renewed passion of Gospel proclamation, earnest prayer, and yearning for the Spirit of God.

Please pray with us as we continue looking for ways to engage our city. In addition, we are planing to host 2 Backyard Bible Clubs this summer (Aug. 10-14 & Sept. 14-18). We had planned on a VBS, at the end of June, but had to adjust due to the current reality. We are praying for support from individual partners and mission teams to come alongside us for our Bible Clubs. Please pray about personally coming and/or bringing a team of 3-5 people to support these incredible opportunities. We need you!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

In His Service,

Jonah Easley

 

Ready to Launch

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This month we are launching new City Groups. In a nutshell, City Groups serve as the main growth point of Awakening Church. In its purest form, we define our City Groups as, a safe place where people can encounter God, and find the resources and relationships to nurture their spiritual growth.

We love to worship together on Sundays. But larger group settings restrict opportunities to personally connect with others and there just doesn’t seem to be much opportunity to share personal prayer requests in the Crowd.

City Groups, on the other hand, are perfect for creating a sense of intimacy and close fellowship. It’s in your City Group that everybody knows your name. When you are absent, people notice. And you are missed if you don’t show up.

Carey Nieuwhof speaks of the paradox of our current age, He says, “we’ve never been more connected as a culture, and we’ve never felt more alone. Churches must prioritize community. Real community.”

Relationships are the glue that holds a church together. And at Awakening Church, our methods of ministry flow solely from engaging our city and the relationships that form. 

  • Please pray for our new City Groups and group leaders as they live out the great commission.
  • Pray for new relationships, gospel conversations, and ongoing disciple making.

We are rejoicing in God’s faithfulness in working though our mission team in India. Thank you for joining our team by your praying for God to work through us. May God continue to bless our partners as they give their lives each day to serving Jesus in India.

  • The orphan camp had 86 children in attendance and we saw 16 of them give their lives to Jesus.
  • The pastor training was an encouraging time as we poured into 65 pastors from the region.
  • During our Sunday worship gathering, 17 gave their lives to Jesus!

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It’s with great excitement to introduce our new church partner, Chinese Baptist Church, Seattle. We thank the Lord, who continues to bring partnering churches along side us to further establish the roots of Awakening Church. Most of our partners are geographically far from us, but CBC is a local church that makes local partnership in city engagement possible. 

  • Please pray for us as we seek ways to unify, pray for, and work together to push back the darkness in the Puget Sound.

 

Transforming Communities – Planting Churches

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This month Awakening Church will be sending a team to serve alongside an ongoing partner in South Asia. The commission to pray, give, and go is at the forefront of our hearts. We are called to “go and make disciples of all nations” and India is one of the places that God has called us to go. India is the most unreached nation on earth. When they face life’s greatest challenges, millions of Indians are left hopeless and in desperate need of the Savior. Please be in prayer for our team as we prepare for this challenging and faith testing trip.

WHAT WILL WE DO?

  • ORPHAN CAMP: (need 3-4 people that love serving) Part of Pastor D’s ministry includes an orphanage for desperate and hopeless children. Our Orphan camp will introduce children to Jesus through engaging activities, songs, and prayer.

  • CHURCH PLANTER TRAINING: Over the past 25 years, Pastor D has helped to plant over 60 churches. Those leading these churches have no formal theological training but are learning as they go and have a great need to develop sound doctrine. Our training will create an opportunity for us to invest in these church leaders as they faithfully serve in extremely challenging circumstances. Our focus will be on multiplication as we see each of those churches plant more churches this year.

The work that we are able to do in the Seattle area and around the world is directly linked to your prayers and partnership with Awakening Church. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing. May he receive all glory and honor.

At 1.2 billion people, India has the second-largest population in the world. Recent statistics show that the percentage of Christians in India has remained steady at just over 2% percent.

Although India is a land of joy and deep cultural richness, it has also been a land of profound suffering, oppression, and injustice. A 2017 report showed that India was ranked fourth in the world—after Syria, Nigeria, and Iraq—for the highest levels of Christian persecution.

And yet, I’ve heard countless testimonies expressing gratitude for the persecutions they have experienced. Christians continue to testify that the persecution has heightened their sense of commitment and love for Jesus and His love for them. It has shaped their Christian identity and has increased their faith. One Indian believer said…

I understand that being a Christian and persecution are one and the same things… We are strengthened by the fact that God is present with us, even when we are suffering and persecuted… We can trust in him. He is always there and never leaves us, no matter what happens.

Out of Indian theology comes a faith that is more than a personal relationship with Christ, or even salvation in the life to come. It is also about upholding human dignity, striving for justice, resisting evil, and creating community. Ultimately, it is about the coming of the kingdom of God, on earth, as it is in heaven.

For many years, Christians have engaged in meeting the great physical needs despite the presence of inequalities, exclusion, and conflict. These have been strategic platforms for us as well as we partner in helping to start schools, training centers, and planting churches.

When churches are part of the cultural transformation and find their own role in their communities as conduits for hope, healing, health, and learning—they will contribute to God’s mission in ways not otherwise possible.

Awakening Church is actively involved in engaging social challenges, making disciples, and planting Churches. And by God’s grace, we will be able to continue this partnership for many years to come.

Christians in India have a bright future not because of the current cultural and political scenario, but because God wants to bless this nation through his people. I am confident that God will continue to empower his people and through them, bless the nation of India. Even though there is an evident effort to push Christians to the margins, the people of God will continue to contribute to the nation and its people. We are driven by love, compassion, and a God-given mandate to go and make disciples.

Please join us in praying, giving, and going to the ends of the earth as we make disciples and plant churches.

A GLOBAL IMPACT

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Copy of Copy of Turquoise Map Travel Trifold Brochure-2The commission to missions was given to every individual follower of Jesus. As God breaks our heart for the lostness in our city and the 7,165 unreached people groups,1 we come together throughout the month of December to push back the darkness in a concentrated and sacrificial way though our World Mission Offering. There are many reasons that we have such a big heart for missions, but here are a few that keep us focused and moving forward in a sacrificial way.

World missions is the call of the local church.

Vance Pitman says, “God’s activity in my life locally is always connected to his activity globally.” And as I read through the pages of scripture and better understand what it means to follow Jesus…

I believe that if we aren’t doing everything we can to make and multiply disciples of Jesus, we haven’t really believed or understood the gospel.

Every follower of Jesus is called to obey Christ’s command to make disciples who know and obey his Word. But how does he intend us to do that? His Word is clear about our call to dependence, obedience, disciple making, and churches planting through the local church. The local church is called to send out missionaries (long and short-term) and care for those that are sent. And the aim is to plant healthy, reproducing local churches as a result of our missions effort.

Prioritize equipping missionaries & indigenous leaders. 

“62% of the world’s pastors have no formal training and will probably never get any formal training from Bible school.”2  Our role is not merely to assess the problems, but to actively equip missionaries and indigenous leaders. As we help plant churches in South and South East Asia, training pastors and leaders remains a priority. Missionaries need encouragement to continue faithfully serving in their difficult contexts and new local pastors need solid Biblical training. We don’t take this responsibility lightly.

Long-term partnerships have the greatest long-term impact.

We have been intentional about cultivating long-term missional partnerships. Part of these partnerships involve the goal that we would deploy members to serve long-term in their contexts for the sake of the gospel. Being long-term focused means more than giving financially, but also includes short-term going with a long-term mind-set. We don’t just provide “missions experiences,” but we see our short-term work primarily as a way to support our long-term partners, and secondarily as a way to raise up new leaders to join the work. Missionaries and indigenous leaders need more boots on the ground, not just friends passing through.

God has given us a many instructions on the global mission of the church. Not only on what it is, but he gave us the “how-to’s” as we faithfully, joyfully, and confidentially deploy. Because we have been loved by God, we honor him by working toward his final goal—worshipers from every language, tribe, people, and nation. He gives us a mandate with a promise that his global mission will advance through dependent lives, as we display Jesus, declare the gospel, and deploy for his glory.

Our World Mission Offering will support ministries and missionaries who are making disciples and multiplying churches among unreached peoples and places around the world. Please pray that Awakening Church will continue to make a global impact as we cultivate a heart for the the Kingdom of God. Thank you for your encouragement and being actively involved in this global work!

Here is the breakdown of our 2019 World Mission Offering.

Local 15% We have strategic partnerships with local ministries that help be Jesus in our community. We encourage individuals, families, and City Groups to partner with us as we seek to be His hands and feet - Displ

DO YOU TRUST ME?

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do you trust me?.pngMinistry is so much more than the organizations we establish, the programs we execute, or knowledge we accumulate. The call and work of ministry is heart wrenching, tear shedding, and dependance testing! I often speak of the deploying and declaring the gospel is the easy part…but displaying the love of Jesus to the world can be the most challenging part.

It all looks great on paper, but once you hit the streets, it never plays out the way we have imagined that it would. This remains true for Awakening Church as we finish year one, and I’m confident that it will remain true until Jesus returns and brokenness is restored. One of our key leaders at Awakening Church is a young woman named Casey.

IMG_0186.JPGShe has a challenging past of living on the streets as a teenager and a struggle with addiction. She got mixed up in many difficulties, but God got a hold of her heart and in full surrender, gave Him everything.

Through her experience, God has given her great responsibility in using her story to help others overcome similar things. She’s now ministering at a women’s shelter that helps women get off the streets and out of addiction or abusive relationships. I want you to hear how God is working in her as she reflects on the past year…

God has put me through the wringer this year…highs and lows like I could never imagine. The lowest part of 2019 was watching our close friend, Amanda, dying of cancer and rejecting the gospel through it all.

God made it clear I had been appointed to stay by her side, to be a witness and testimony of His love and salvation.  He also promised He would be faithful and rescue her. But he wasn’t! And the longer she suffered, the harder her heart grew. And the harder her heart grew, the harder mine grew.

I became so angry with God I would spend sleepless nights driving around yelling and swearing at Him. “What are you doing God!? You’re making it worse! I thought you were going to save her! She is going to DIE without ever knowing you! What’s the point of me being here!? DO SOMETHING!!!”

I blamed God for my hard heart, and it was His fault I hated him so much because He was in control and He wasn’t doing anything. But I stayed and the Lord would whisper back, “Casey, do you trust me? Do you trust that I love Amanda just as much as you and I have a plan?” and the last and most difficult question, “If you never get to know if she comes to Me will you be okay with that?” And that was where I had to contemplate how much I truly believed His promises.

Well, turned out, God is faithful all the time. In those moments, it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally painful to sacrificially trust Him with it all – that is when He comes through and His glory shines 100-fold!

Not only did Amanda come to saving faith in Jesus as her Lord and Savior, but that urgency for the gospel and saving of lost souls has sparked a fire that can’t be contained. Since Amanda’s death, we have celebrated 16 souls coming into relationship with Jesus. So now I see, that the struggle with Amanda and with God wasn’t just about me or even her, but about so many others that will now spend eternity in Heaven because the Lord took me to such a dark place of desperation for Him.

I have learned that the most excruciating of lows bring the richest of treasures from the Lord. So, lead me to the valleys, Lord, because when I am there I know it’s exactly where You need me to be… Amen!”

God is clearly at work in and through the lives of Awakening Church. Thank you for your continued partnership with Awakening Church and your investment in the daily lives of Casey, Amanda, and all those we have opportunities to point people to Jesus!