Outside the Lines

I feel very blessed for the ministries and churches that I have been able to be a part of and serve with.  From the time that I spent at a great church in Indiana that taught me the value in reaching guys to my home church in Akron, OH where I learned how to deliver God's Word.  The biggest thing that God has taught me over the years and through these ministries however is that the church needs to be outside the walls.  We better not be contained inside four walls and the moment we are we stop accomplishing God's Mission to the World.

This past week we finished our fourth year of hosting a free soccer camp for kids in the community.  I still remember the first year there were about 8 of us hosting a camp for about 30 to 40 kids.  Each year we learned how to reach out to the community better.  This year we had more volunteers than we had kids the first year.  We had 40+ volunteers and had close to 175 kids participate.  It was a great success.  One of our volunteers (Katie) did a phenomenal job planning and organizing the camp and already has ideas how to make it bigger next year.

Then just yesterday during Worship we had an awards ceremony for any families that wanted to come out.  Again the turnout was incredible as we literally packed in 160 kids and parents.  This is by far the biggest Sunday Awaken has had sense the launching of the church a little over 2 years ago.  Why I ask?  I believe God is blessing because we refuse to be a church inside four walls. 

For more pictures please visit our Facebook Page:  Awaken Facebook

Please Pray For New Challenges:

• We are running out of space.  Several weeks ago we had to take some of our kids outside for worship because we were out of room.  We need to be in a new space by October 1.  Please pray for God to provide.
• We are continuing to steadily grow, but have taken a hit this summer in our local giving.  We are several thousand behind budget for the year.  Our goal is to be at 75% internally supported by 2013.
• We are accomplishing our vision.  We have commissioned out 17 military in the last 6-9 months due to deployments and transfers.  Pray we make up for their leadership and giving back at Awaken and that they take the gospel with them throughout the world.
• We have started a new initiative as a church in fighting against Human Trafficking.  We are currently putting in the place the leadership and team to help us build awareness and help people coming out of this horrible enslavement.
• Praise God with us for a great turnout for our Soccer Camp.  Pray that God will help us now reach some of these families with the Gospel.
• Pray that we continue to be a church outside the lines of a building.