An Important Part of Our Lives
We have been a part of City Awakening Church from its beginning. God led us to this church plant where we have been able to deepen our relationship with Christ. We are so blessed to have pastors who are passionate about presenting the truth and teaching us to see life through the lens of the Gospel. We feel that the message each week is relevant and translates to our daily life. We are fortunate to have a Gospel-drive church that doesn’t just focus on certain areas or topics of Scripture, but is intentional about preaching from the whole Bible, pointing to Jesus through both the Old and New Testament. Pastor Louis is great about including important historical facts which helps to confirm the truth of the Bible. It really makes us confident in inviting people to a church with solid teaching, but also where everyone is welcomed. We love to invite neighbors, family, and friends who don’t attend church or who don’t even know God.
Being a part of City Awakening has encouraged us to have a more outward focus in our daily lives. We feel better prepared to share the Gospel and to demonstrate God’s love to others. We have even become more aware of the gifts that God has given each of us and how we can use them to serve others and be a better witness for him. This has given us the confidence to be bold and unashamed when it comes to interacting with others. As the days unfold, we believe that God is preparing us to step out of our comfort zone today more than any other time in our lives. And because of our church, we are able to be more focused on God’s promises in these times of uncertainty rather than the negativity and fear that is in the world around us today. We love being able to share the hope and peace we have with people who are hurting and searching for answers.
One of the ways we have been challenged to grow is through our Missional Community Group. Each week we attend a small group Bible study where we’ve been able to build friendships, study God’s Word, and find accountability. Some of the greatest blessings of our group are serving one another, praying for each other, and celebrating the prayers that God chooses to answer at that time. It’s incredible to know that these small groups are happening around the city throughout the week, and for all ages.
We were both long-time educators in the public school system, so it makes us happy to know that City Awakening is intentional about discipling both young and old. Children are able to learn of God’s love through the guidance of excellent volunteers each Sunday during the regular service, and the middle school and high school students also have groups that meet in homes for Bible study and fellowship.
There are even times for men and women to connect, too. I (Mary Kay) thoroughly enjoy when the ladies get together for the “IF” Gatherings once a month. It’s a great opportunity to meet other women and learn more about each other. I was also blessed by the recent women’s conference that we hosted. The teaching and fellowship were both impactful.
One thing that Jeff has really enjoyed is getting together with some of the men to play golf. Several times a year he gathers a few guys together for a small golf tournament. It’s a great way for men to connect with others they don’t know, and it provides an opportunity to invite in some guys that may not be connected to a church body.
City Awakening has become such an important part of our lives. It is our community, our friends, our family. We love the music, the baptism celebrations, the missional community groups, the teaching, and the relationships. It give us many ways to grow in our faith and we look forward to being a part of the work God continues to do through our church!