Yesterday was radically encouraging and inspiring, I think you guys are right where you should be at
Last night – happened to be at this garage, they could seat 30 people on all these couches. It was a killer venue. Eric and Jessica, Basil and Daylene shared their hearts, it was so God inspired, it really was. I was like wow these guys are coming, they are of no reputation, no great schooling, not like trained speakers but it was resonated and the people like locked on, this one guy just kept sighing, it was conviction coming on him.
At the end – asking the Lord how to end it. Truth is powerful, truth will reign and people looking for truth will lock onto it. You just need to keep walking in authority and that’s what you’re doing.
A question came out to you last night, how do you speak in Asia, how do you get out in Asia? We have connections all over the world, we gotta recognize that we are numb to this.
We are bridges to the body, this is one of our greatest commodities.
Being around you guys, many of you I know very well, others I don’t know, Gill said it yesterday, do you hear my mother’s heart for you? I want to express, I know we all share the same vision and heart, but I’m just so proud of all of you. You’re just awesome, you’re just stellar, not just trying to pat you on the back, God is doing mighty things through you. I am really proud of you guys
Things to be chewing on: There is a spirit in our world and it’s idolatry of education. Who are you worshiping? Are you worshiping education and knowledge or the Lord? Is God not too big to bring people into jobs and places to make money without an education. I would so much more hire someone who understands Afghanistan and China than someone who has been studying in a library for four years.
What about the pay scale? What about God?
YWAM is not anti-education, but just be careful
You are vulnerable to the spirit of the age, that you will be substandard and out of it but that’s not true
Education needs to be there to serve us, not for us to serve it because we’re trying to serve it and fulfill the dreams and desires of the culture.
If you’re not sure why you’re doing it, don’t do it. Don’t serve it, let it serve you.
You can do whatever you want with that.
I’m for college if its going to get you where you’re going to be
The disciples were called unschooled but they had authority. They recognized them as unschooled but they had authority.
Guys coming from Taiwan – involved in SBS, I’ve been walking with SBS for 10 years, staffing, teaching.
We had a huge stigma that SBS was head knowledge and nothing was happening.
There was heat on the program because of that – that has changed.
You’re using the Bible knowledge that you had radically to transform nations.
UNDEFINED
Meg: It’s nice that it doesn’t have a catch phrase because then we have to explain our hearts vs. a quick phrase.
Shawn: I would imagine that this doesn’t set really well with a lot of you guys, would you like it defined?
Matt: I like the idea of that, but that doesn’t mean you can say ok we’re done, you can define stuff and still be with the heart of undefined.
Dan S: Network of networks – Loren has always spoken stuff and it doesn’t make sense but it’s starting to. We are a network, and the Taiwan guys brought more people from Taiwan. Matt brought some from Montana originally, if we were to continue on with that we’re almost catching other people with that fire. A network of network is the beginning of a movement, it expands, explodes.
Andrew: Each one of us here represents a different network. I have a network here of people, you guys have different networks, the SBS network in Taiwan, we’re just representative of different networks that we are responsible for. It’s something that multiplies.
Mike: That’s why it was cool, the commanders of thousands and then of hundreds. Jen is the one who can network nurses into the network of Awaken and as it grows it becomes its own thing, different from the youth group of Colorado but also so much the same. Jill said that we are like the commanders of thousands and we will all network and it’ll become a movement.
Shawn: It sounds like YWAM, it sounds like a recreation of YWAM. There are all these networks tied into YWAM. It’s like AWAKEN is a new breath of life into an organization, this is even more fresh, starting a new wave of networks coming out of this old network of YWAM.
Dan S: We’re not just called to YWAM
Andrew: We’re not tied down to structural places, classroom without walls. It’s not something where we are confined to something, it’s a message to the body of Christ everywhere.
Shawn: This is something that is new to man, Loren and Dar love it, they want to know what the Lord wants from this thing. They see you guys as something very fresh and new
Mike: Can you define this classroom without walls? I want to commend you with the teaching team and Titus that you are breaking the old stigma
CLASSROOM WITHOUT WALLS
Shawn: Not anchored in one location, broader experience in the world but still together. In classroom through relationship, through e-mails, in Denver for 2 weeks, you are a class, but you don’t have walls, you can spread out of here and there is no classroom structure. I think we can meditate on that, and we could come up with 50 advantages to that.
Meg: Going back to the words that Jill got yesterday – fluid and flowing, in a classroom with walls if there are pools they can’t flow out, without walls it can flow out.
Dan S: are we seeing fruit question again,, what we heard was that yes Awaken has fruit its just not what people think.
Shawn: I think it’s a joke that you are questioning that you don’t have fruit. We’re insecure in it
Matt: We need to learn to be secure in who we are and what we’re called to.
Shawn: Don’t slam this thing into a box. I remember all these times that I wanted in a box and I thought it was going to get lost because it was not a box. But we’re trailblazing, trying to understand God’s spirit, it’s embarrassing to not be able to understand it and explain it to our pastors, but look at Loren and Darlene when they stepped out, that was absolutely out of the box. They were told that they could not take young people into missions, but he was obedient and even had to leave his church.
They are totally behind you on this, they’ll nail you if you try to put it in a box
Dan S: Can we sit on that, what’s the fruit?
Dan L: Part of that is about it being a message
Awaken is like a ripple effect, I drop a stone into waters, it’ll spread the whole way across the pond. If I didn’t know Athena and I was talking to her, or last night Eric speaking he might not know the immediate fruit of that, but who knows some of the guys might have been radically changed, so that is the ripple. He dropped the rock and those people are going to go out and talk to more people and it’s not like this tangible thing, but I just continue to see this ripple effect in my mind, and trust that God is going to use what we are speaking
QUESTION OF FRUIT
Derek: What I had on my mind, I talked to the sighing guy last night, I think it’s the individual person that’s Awakened and they go and awaken another person.
Radical power is displayed through simple obedience.
A picture of a heartbeat behind Awakeners. There isn’t a structure, we hear things and we obey and that’s it. If we want to simplify it.
Athena: Part of the fruit is this right here, God has put a message on all our hearts and without this group here we would feel alone in that. Even if we are alone all year we can come back together and recharge and go out
Shawn: There is a degree of holiness and authority on this group that is important. If this was a DTS there would be stuff to work through which is cool, DTS has become that we’re learning to work with that. In this group, everybody has a sharp perspective of what God’s got on us. You’re sold out, there’s nobody here thinking about turning to Islam. That brings a degree of authority, righeousness and purity that will launch you quicker, Psalm 133 – commanded blessing of God is going to be on that. This is a choice harvest, recognize that.
Andrew: Fruit is good, obedience is key. Sometimes we’re constantly trying to measure fruit, make that our gauge of success. We know that we know that he’s called us to it, but there’s no fruit. we need to know that we are obeying God, that’s why we’re doing this.
In Awaken, we aren’t calling them to us, we’re telling them to go, yeah there’s opportunities in India now, go for it!
Who knows who went into University with the message of Awaken that we’ll never know about.
There’s something with that
FRUIT IS GOOD BUT OBEDIENCE IS KEY
Shawn: Message make sure to be bringing, to basketball court or grocery store, that God speaks.
What are we obedient to unless we’ve heard from him. Frankly you guys, in any given DTS a good portion of that DTS isn’t sure that God does speak. The vast majority of people don’t know God speaks.
The vast majority. If we’re not speaking that message… man
Those guys getting all excited last night at youth group
Donna Jordan will not speak anything but hearing God’s voice, she says without that nothing else matters.
Garret: The school I’m at has very conservative Baptist roots, this is so foreign to them. That alone breaks my heart. I want to just agree with you on that.
Shawn: When Athena went to India I got a picture of her in a nun outfit, and when she went to India, and then you guys (Barlows and Breeses) went and that so encouraged me.
You hearing God’s voice is key in everything even in the future.
Fruit:
- bands
- connections
- Spheres – media, government, education
- Internet connections (for yourselves and for others who get on the website and read about Acts in the 21st century)
- Short term missions
- Local churches
- fruit is good but obedience is key
Andrew: I’m called to be obedient and being obedient with Awaken
Dan: Tell me if all of you believe this
“That we are better off connected to this message/ vision than we were disconnected, to live out the call of Awakening that God has put on our lives because if gives us reason, purpose, direction, accountability, assurance, inspiration, encouragement to do this”
It gives words to what we’re hearing
Everybody agreed
This Awaken vision is keeping us accountable, it’s keeping the fuel in us
Shawn: The whole idea of keeping the fellowship of believers is huge. These connections here are key and incredibly encouraging.
Dan S: If we really believe that we are better off now connected to this than we were before, then wouldn’t the cry of our heart, when we see people that were like us, wouldn’t we want them to be connected too and have this for them too?
When Matt meets someone at Bethel, who wants this too, wouldn’t he want to bring them in.
Matt: Want to give chance for criticism.
Amy’s Mom: What are you doing differently because you are a part of Awaken than you would do in your ministries on their own.
Derek: Would we really be doing these things anyway if we didn’t know about our friends doing things in their ministries. I can do this in my country because they are doing it there.
Community and fellowship, after I’m here I’m so recharged to live my life better.
Synergry
Brittney: Just the fact that I have people saying yeah you can do this, yeah you’re not crazy, even that peace meant a lot. God said to go overseas and do this crazy trip and having all these guys saying yeah you can do that was so encouraging. Even my parents were like WHAT? To have a network that says yeah, we believe in the call that God has on your life and its been empowering to see others believe too
Mike: When we’re in community, we’re not only focused inwardly but also focused outwardly. This is important to focus on with the gathering.
Dan L: The whole aspect of communication, I’m not just coming in, I’m also calling them to come with me. If I was just a YWAMer, huge emphasis on going, Awaken is different because there is a heart to come back and call others to come back in an intentional way. It’s like, we’re gonna gather together and speak in a very intentional way and communicate the stories of what God is doing.
Shawn: With York with this media thing, as God moves, York can put that together and further transmit that to the body for greater transformation
Amy’s Mom: That’s what I was hoping that this was, you guys are all spread out and you all have these incredible stories, and it’s these stories that ignite people, you have this network of stories to tell. Instead of telling them within your ministry, explode them out to the church, its incredible.
Matt: With awaken, I want to bring authority to us in this group, a lot of times when we’re solo, we feel like we don’t. Claim it, it’s truth, if it takes the label of Awaken to know that you have authority then use it for a while. I’ve seen friends who have gone out alone and they crashed. If I feel down and then I realize that Derek is over there doing the same thing, I want to keep going.
Criticism – network of networks. What is our fruit, what do we want? Is it for people to come to our gatherings or is it for people to become Awakeners.What are we preaching, for people to sign up to this Awaken website or for people to come organically.
Derek: Network of networks – maybe not goal that we are going for but it becomes a strength for us. Organic quality of Awaken that grows naturally, it’s not our goal to make it this, but it naturally is that – strength for us.
Shawn: You guys need to be over the top an encouragement for one another.
If I say one negative thing to my son I can destroy him. It takes about 10 positives to bring him into a place of really believing in himself.
Tacoma team – they are like ridiculously encouraging. I was in Kona and they just started speaking encouragement to me, and I just started weeping and laughing because I was like you are just weird, you don’t know me and you are more encouraging in truth of me and who I am more than people that know me.
You guys be radically encouraging to one another. Any time you can say something to someone, don’t hold it back let it fly.
If this is only fruit, that’s radical.
This is a bit of a rebuke: I’m hearing this.
People are praying against things and I’m hearing bits and tabs of jealousy. There is no room for that whatsoever. It was just in bits and pieces of prayers, here’s why I know it, I’ve walked in it myself.
When I first became a Christian I went to Hati and our hearts were right and God was with us. And I got super jealous of Steve, he always got to drive, all these stupid things. I got so mad that he was doing quiet times, I couldn’t keep up with it, I would turn his alarm off.
Here’s the point – as a young man, I was jealous of Steve because of certain gifts and disciplines he had. I couldn’t keep up.
I bet you guys are feeling this way… DON’T GO THERE it is of the enemy, you’ve got to see the gifts in one another. Call out the gifts you see in Andrew, you have to do this in the body. We beat ourselves down more than anyone beats us down. Yank out the gifts in people and call them into being. I can see gifts in people and my favorite thing is to call them into being. I did that in Michael in Samoa and you guys have that ability, that’s what Paul did, what Jesus did. This is HUGE in Awaken
This website thing is key – there has got to be a commitment. Make a commitment that you will go on the website once a week and stay faithful to each other. Get over the difficulty of putting it on the website. It’s not complicated, we need to be in touch with one another and talk about what we’re wanting to do.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, you have to be in touch through the website, ask God he’ll show you what to do.
Athena: Something unique about this group is that everybody in this room is a leader in some way in their life. It’s not easy being leaders sometimes because you feel lonely or get tired of having to make the calls. Bringing a group of leaders together to encourage each other is so good so we can go back out to our ministries.
Shawn: There is this pediatric office where you have to go out and do a two week ministry… commitment
Maybe you guys need a commitment like this.
Meg: These gatherings do inspire you to go but its almost by the end of the year it’s like dying out inside of you. Being the only one is hard and it dies out by the end of the year.
Shawn: Even a quarterly deal, a bi-annual trip, something so that you can continue coming together, think of practical things to keep the flame fanned.
You can’t have worship every day, what are those things?
What else did you hear?
Anything you don’t agree with?
Kai: Started out with focus on America, then West, now the church in general. I think the words we got, the main focus we got was America, yes we need to be out in the world but it seems like America is where God is leading us. We have lots about America. Obviously God is transforming us a little bit, but I don’t want to let go of the words that God has spoken to us. We can’t just forget about the old words. A big focus was America, Awakening the Western church in America, communicating to the church here, it seems like we’re going like out to the world.
Shawn: Responses?
Hannah: I felt the same way. When we started talking about the words and I think about what the Lord has spoken. God’s promise was for America to be totally awakened to Him, I felt like God’s words were completely open to America. Most of us are from America. I don’t necessarily resonate with the vision of the whole world, I resonate with America.
Kai: We’re in the world influencing, but the message was meant to awaken America.
Athena: There is something about coming back to America and sharing what you’ve seen all over the world, also a challenge to get out of where you are comfortable, out of America. Starts in the west, but challenge to go out, out of walls, comfort zone and see God in a new way. You can hear other people’s stories and we can share stories, its great to do ministry where you are living as well, but you’re still comfortable, unless you’re challenged in some way here you have to be out of your comfort zone.
Shawn: The eyes were to be opened in America… is this right?
Dan S: It was origionally for America, and I remembered feeling awkward with Dan at first praying for America. But I think in my heart God was shifting us and saying nope, there’s more to it. Yes I started you with America because that’s what your ears were open to hear, now I’m wondering if it’s more than just the western world, is it the church as a whole? It’s amazing how much people in Egypt and Cambodia who are Christians need to hear this as well.
Recently, we went through how the young people were to go into missions and it transformed, there were all these seasonal things. God challenged them to set new parts of the vision, like God set the vision, God said different things were a part of this. We haven’t gone to God as a corporate group.
Hannah: It’s also like what am I believing God for, I want to know what I’m supposed to be believing God for.
Dan S: The body of Christ has always been our focus, our message is to the body of Christ. Ultimately because the message is to the body of Christ it will go to the world.
TO THE CHURCH FOR THE WORLD
Is that just the US, or to the church of the world?
Mike: can we define that more? Awaken is an individual message, individually I feel very called to the lost, bringing the message of the 10/40 window to the church.
Dan S: You guys are only going to be teaching Christians in SBS and teaching the Bible, you will be teaching the church.
Derek: My stories and testimonies come from the lost. Once we’re together we’re sharing with the church. You can’t neglect either of them.
Dan S: We aren’t necessarily going to go awaken Darmsala because there are no Christians there.
Shawn: Now I see you trying to box it in, get over the box thing, the Lord’s not gonna let you do it.
Matt: We’re trying to connect these two networks, ok Dan is trying to go to India and also do Awaken and we can’t really connect these, but its like our identity and how we do this.
Shawn: It’s good to go through the conversation to see where we’re at together.
Awaken is a people who think that they are living in an extension of Acts, that’s almost a catch phrase
Garrett: Its in us to reach the lost, that’s what the body of Christ does, is, will ultimately be. Its in us to do but obviously this Awaken thing is so crucial within ourselves to go and do that. I’ve been wrestling with that, is our focus Awaken or the kingdom of God?
Matt: Right on
Erica: Alicia was just saying how in Revelation there are hot people and cold people, are we hot people trying to heat up cold people.
My question and understanding of how I have seen you guys is that you guys are a group of people who are serving the Lord actively throughout the whole world and you come back to the US, the US is so blessed but we’re not blessing others, Impacted me in DTS is that you are blessed to bless others. You guys as Awaken are calling the US to be a blessing and coming together to encourage others and call others that they can do things to. When Mike has talked in our church, he’s shared the Casting Crowns song and wrote a poem specific to the US. When I explain what Awaken is I say its trying to Awaken people in the US to what God is doing, the God of the Bible is still the God of today.
Dan S: The message of Awaken is to the church, it is, it just is, I do think yes that its for the US, but I do believe there is more to it, not just the US>
Athena: think it’s the US effecting the outside world or…
Dan S: Body of Christ
Athena: If people in Mongolia see a Mongolian embracing their culture and at the same time becoming a Christian theres a lot of power in that.
Matt: For me a big chunk of my heart is for America, broader sense – I’m with Dan, it is to the church for the lost for the world. My heart is just ringing true, its to come back and share God stories, to my hometown and my college.
I’d love to go to New Zealand with Lake but my deepest heart is for America
Mike: We have actually talked about going to New Zealand but my deepest heart is my homeland. Perhaps it is that vision, to the church for the world, within that each persons mission and network is gonna be different, we have to be ok with that.
Shawn: The make up of this group, you’re gonna have a hard time trying to fine tune this as just America just by your make-up, I don’t know that you have to be too concerned and parked on it. Where the awakening is happening, don’t be too concerned, you don’t really have to worry about that, make sure you are walking in obedience to these things. Maybe too big of a deal.
Dan L: Mike I want to affirm you dude in speaking about the lost. I believe that every person in this room wants to reach the lost. One aspect of that would be going to the church and challenge the church to go out and reach the lost, whatever stories I use, that is what I’m doing is using those stories to reach the lost. I want to affirm Matt and Dan that the message is for the church. I do love America but it has to be bigger. We’re a group of 20 year olds. D-rice is love being in India, but he loves being in Philly too. I love being here, I love being in New Zealand and I love being in Taiwan and encouraging them to raise up and join the church. Maybe we just need to encourage one person from Mongolia, and I just think of the impact that she is GOING to have when she goes back and I believe that she is going to have when she goes back.
Kai and Hannah I want to affirm your heart for America and the issue of obedience. I want to affirm that in you as well. I love that you guys love America. If you never go overseas again, that’s ok. If you go or don’t I know it’ll be obedience
I want to go to America, to New Zealand, to Taiwan, to Cambodia, it is to the church
Dan S: Origional word was go to the lost but don’t forget your own people. I did just think the US, but I think that God could be changing within me… when I was thinking of my people I was thinking about the Christians, the nominal Christians. My own people is the body of Christ as a whole. Because I know I’m called to the lost, but I’m also called to my own people who have already heard, so they could unthaw
Andrew: Acts 1:8 in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
What’s your Jerusalem? What were you called out of when you were awakened? Be faithful to what you were called out of, from your own home and then outwards from that.
Be faithful to your Jerusalem, then out to Samaria. A lot of us were called out of the dead church, so we need to be faithful to be going back and communicating that, then going to those Judeas and Samarias and the end of the earth.
Shawn: It sounds like God is speaking, lets check in with Him. You want to walk in obedience and unity as well.
Question is this: Is Awaken called to the US church then to the worldwide unsaved people OR to the church for the world (unsaved)
Marc: Why would we say who this is for? Testimony is for everyone, not just for Christians specifically. I’m wondering if its like a wholeistically thing, people will connect with the testimony, it is what it is.
Shawn: If Dan is in Spain, he should not talk about Awaken? Its good to be back, it never hurts to go back to the Lord so we’re in unity.
Marc: I just see that testimony is powerful and when I describe it to people who know the Lord or who don’t, I don’t need to change it either way. I tell Dan’s story all the time, and I don’t change it. I wonder if it’s just what it is
Derek: I think maybe it started with America cause we’re Americans…. but this word is for each of us… Go but don’t forget your own people. Dan Lake may want to minister in America, but he is called to New Zealand to not forget his own people. Maybe its people from every nation going to their homes
Garrett: God’s church is not just America, God’s church doesn’t have a nationality. I feel strongly that Awaken is for God’s church. That’s everywhere.
Jacqui: I saw a picture of flowing water and a human hand trying to grasp it.
I feel like we’re trying to define something that’s undefinable. I think it’s wisdom to try to think on it but I think we are trying to put it in a box.
Andrew: I think it’ll always be our tendency to be like it’s fluid but what is it. When I was praying I got
Christ said, He was in Awaken. What he was doing was going out and awakening, he was very intentional and going to the Jewish people, he was intentional with them and also very intentional to the lost. That’s what he was doing was awakening people. Christ was saying to follow Me, he was the origional awakener, it’s not about religion, he was very intentional also about hanging out with the lost. Going out and living it and telling the church to look at what we are doing and challenging them to do the same. Follow us as we follow Christ. Come with us out there and be a part of it.
Jacqui – not completely solid keeps our focus on God about what we are doing. Fruit is good, I was seeing this machine and the fruit just comes out, but if we keep looking back at God, it forces you to come back and listen rather to force it into a box.
Meg: Back to the fluid, as Erica said we are hot people, hot is fluid and an ice cube is hard, solid cannot move.
Matt: The comment of that its to the church doesn’t mean that it ignores the lost, its that there is a huge army of people who love the Lord and they want to hear the Lord, there’s a whole army and you’re like God IS this and then they can go out to the people. I love hanging out with people who don’t know the Lord
Shawn: John 3:16
I think you guys hit it right off when you first said it. I think you’re gonna constantly be challenged with trying to put it into a box, this hand trying to grab water is something you’re gonna have to remember.
In Samoa whenever we had extra money we fought over what to do with it, this was our biggest problem.
Now we know exactly what to do.
I would imagine, THIS issue is going to come up year after year, the enemy is just going to try to trick you in this thing.
Dan S: The reason I brought up fruit in the first place, I constantly get people within this group feeling very insecure about Awaken because its not defined. I’m fine with that, we’re all secure in it being undefined now, will you continue to be insecure in this being undefined?
Well, are you really secure after we leave this week with it being undefined? I feel like God wants us to be confident in our weakness, I don’t want us to kinda whimper when people ask us about this, we need to be confident in the Lord and what he is saying. I am FINE with the direction of where this is going, but I want to know what I’m gonna hear in a couple months
Shawn: If this is from God, and people aren’t comfortable with that, they need to deal with that with Him, it’s a personal matter between that individual who is saying I have heard from God but that’s not good enough for me. Maybe a fluid movement is good enough for some of you
Dan S: What are you responses going to be when a leader comes to you and asks you what it is, are you gonna say it is undefined and here’s why….
Shawn: I think it would be fine to throw up a couple catch phrases. Chapter 29 is fine, that’s ok to help people grasp it, I would encourage you to have some of this to share with people that need this.
Andrew: The first thing that comes to mind to tell people is that its communicating that the God of the Bible is the God of today and this catches them. It’s ridiculous how excited people get when you just tell them that.
Matt: Being a community of people who are willing to be available, obedient and expectant.
Shawn: You guys got all these, put them on the website, memorize them just so you have them.
Derek: Awaken is the ocean, no country contains Awaken, we’re intentional about going home. If we contain it it becomes a lake.
Dan Lake: I’m changing my name.
Rebecca: Before when we prayed and were silent, Its for the world. There’s people dying and going to hell, not to forget the lost. The reality of it is that people are going to hell, and that should break our hearts. The reality is that God is alive and moving, look what he’s doing with Christians and the lost, people are dying and going to hell. We can’t grab it but we can’t forget the lost.
Shawn: Kai say what York was saying.
Kai: I was confused because God did say America. York’s word brought clarity – we are called to Jerusalem and to the world. America I am from and feel called back to, and Dan to New Zealand, we all have a different part and called back. What’s your Jerusalem?
Shawn: This is a really white American group, weird. It wasn’t weird like bad but its just curious to me. I had forgotten that America thing, I understand now why it is this way. I would expect next year that it would become more diverse. I don’t say that to sound weird, but it did go through my mind.
Dan S: As we’re concluding here, we will jump back into this tomorrow. We’re gonna take this to our meeting and go super practical.
We want to highlight some of the big things we’ve come to conclusions on
Picture of network of networks
Message of Awaken that draws us together
2002 in Cambodia I was amazed at what God was doing, it was burning on my heart God why didn’t I know this? “Dan you are called to the lost, don’t forget your own people”
After a few years I shared it with other people, they shared it, they shared it, we are here today.
It started off with the four people, and they shared it, and it expanded
Main Message – shared with four, shared with three each, shared with two each, shared with ten each etc, it naturally happens we are all connected to the center message
Difference between an Awakened and an Awakener
Awakener is called to go out and take the message
Shawn: Categorized in Kona because reports to Kona, under the counsel. Name of the segment that we are under is “ministries” but we are not a ministry. There is some confusion that needs to be taken out of this. You are moving into a movement, not a ministry. The Lord is molding you in this, like the hand trying to grab water
Early in the early stage, I remember talking with you guys, Dan was concerned about having too many people join this because there were people joining who were not great public speakers. How do you tell people not to be a part of this because they aren’t good speakers? How does God start what we thought was a ministry with only letting some people in?
This is not right that it should be so exclusive, needs to be more broad and open. It does need to be more open. In retrospect we can look back and see why, its about bigger things, bands, media. Anybody can be a part of Awaken if God calls them to it.
Don’t get lost in the tension, get used to the fact that you are part of something that there is going to be something that cannot be defined.
Mike: On behalf of the leadership, know that poop travels uphill. what happens is that when we are unconfident it goes back to your leadership. When we are back in our ministries we need something to say when we are out, that’s why looking at fruit.
We need to be confident in whatever it is that God has said, and the new people always bring things new. As I’ve been in this longer and longer I want to define this, but someone new has always said you cant grab the river. Be confident that we can’t grab it. Make sure that we don’t throw things in insecurity.
We can’t try to grab hold of the river.
Poop travels uphill – when we can’t define it to other people it puts a bad name on leadership… if I just say ooo I’m with this guy…. I’m not saying that’s whats going on but it could happen.
When you go back home they’ll want to know what you bring back to them, not just Oh Dan Shannon called me to go
Shawn: Be encouraged that these guys will get you some things to hang onto. There’s gonna be some catch phrases that will help you, definition to this undefined thing. It’s not going to be this fully nebulous shadowy thing, part of this is saying it’s a river we can’t pin down.
Jacqui – Awaken is not the only face of this movement, this is just one view of what God’s doing. It’s not about being an Awakener, it’s a message on the heart of all who want to show who God is and what he is doing, this is God’s thing. This is holy, this is not ours.
Erica: Streams that come off. Psalm 46
Shawn: Initially thought that it was speaking engagements, changing.
In your meetings, be wise about who you invite to these meetings. We’re not trying to be exclusive, but you’re trying to be wise in your inclusiveness. If you are a youth pastor in an inner city church next year, probably don’t want to load up a bus and just bring everybody, make sure they have a heart to also Awaken.
An awakener is someone that has that call on their life. There’s tons of people who have this in them.
Andrew: I think its like the disciples needing to fill the place of Judas, has to be someone that has walked with Jesus… we need to make sure that people can be in the right place in the body.
Amy: Something hat I got a lot from talking to people in Taiwan is to ask God if God wants to be in it, ask God if its something for you, if its not then don’t come. We have to rely on the word of the Lord in this. Its on people’s hearts, is this specific part of God for you
Andrew: When I was in Kona, there was a guy who came out and God clearly said no and so he went home. We have to be faithful with God and realize that God will bring it.
Shawn: Those who are here are of God.
Need help on this catch phrase
Awaken is a movement that is like 90% individual and maybe 10% corporate. You’re corporate now, on the internet, on trips sometimes, when working with Marc and the band, very powerful and significant individual aspects to this thing. That leads to confusion because Awaken sounds corporate. It’s primarily individual.
Jessica: Corporately individual
Dan S: The Awaken call is not on the corporate group, its on the individual. That holds it together, keeps accountability.
Derek: Gone to so many church camps and even at home church, we say we commit to follow God this year, and it’s a recommitment because it didn’t happen last year. I don’t want awaken to be like that. We should be different, it should be doing our jobs and then building and building and building.
Shawn: I think the corporate can be more defined now, but once we leave on Sunday that’ll be harder to define.
Dan L: Awaken is a movement of Christians who are collectively individual in the expression (communcation) of the message that the God of the Bible is the God of today.
Shawn: Corporate aspect can be somewhat defined, I think the website is key. That is really important, has got to get up and running, encouragement on there, you guys hit each other with communication and all that. Emphasize this, you will find yourselves back at this place again next year. Be aware that you cannot grab the water, you’ll find yourself there, when you start to feel frustrated, say I don’t think I’m trying to put this in a box, am I trying to grab the water or not? You’ll probably say I didn’t even know I was doing that.
Dan S: We all want to put it there, but the thing that can fuel you, we all get stirred when we hear the word movement, you can’t make it a lake, you gotta keep it an ocean, it’s a movement, keep it that way.
Jen: Why don’t we take it confidently and embrace it, we don’t have to process and recommit, we commit to communicating, we’re going to fast and pray etc.
Dan S: The reason we’re doing this is because these questions come at us all the time so we’re doing this SO we can get to that point.
Shawn: The process is tedious but the end is good
The aspect of missions trips is not on the leaders shoulders, its in your shoulders, you cant wait for the leaders to put this together, maybe the leaders will show up too. There’s not a whole lot of templates for it, its exciting to be in something fresh. This is how we did this, its weird, I’d love to throw it in a box but God won’t let us.
It’s exciting. I’m excited to write to Darlene, they’re looking to you, excited to hash it out with the Lord and see what happens.
Should we take a break or hit a few catch phrases.
What are some cool catch phrases that help us
“Communicating that the God of the Bible is the God of today, and is alive and working”
Mama J – explains message, not necessarily us.
Marc – God of the Bible is the God of today, I really like that and it draws attention among the church, but if we’re gonna say that this is just…
I see this generation, at least my experience with it, it seems like people are tired of this “track” of what is normal for lives, school, work etc.
“Awaken is the account of God’s blessing in the world”
We did this event and this guy died, we called it “Can God be trusted?”
If they actually knew what the blessings of the world meant for relationship.
Eric: What if they don’t know the God of the Bible, what if they don’t LIKE the God of the Bible?
Shawn: They don’t understand him.
Garrett: Unsaved friends at home, this would be intriguing to them. They are so turned off by the church and it breaks my heart, but this communicated in this way, I just see my friends being like this is cool.
“This way “ – bringing all these stories, God is not a Sunday School time in this building.
Hannah: “Calling people to respond the reality of God”
Dan S: We’ve said God’s active all over the world, are you?
Marc: The undefinedness of it, putting orthodox around it might scare people go. When we begin to start using Christian language, what are we doing, that will only associate us here and here but not everywhere.
Shawn: My hope is that you can walk out of here and your pastor asks how Denver was, that you would have something to give them, that could be something to look at
Dan L: Continuation of the book of Acts.
Mama J: Because there seems to be different audiences, maybe different phrases for each person, probably will be (90% individual)
Shawn: What if everybody brought five things trying to explain what we talked about today, not a ministry, a movement, not defined with borders. Trying to bring these things in.
Dan S: Communicate to leaders five things that we learned today about what Awaken is and what it is not. I want you walking out thinking that is COOL, I totally understand it now and I’m excited about it!
