Home
About
Wake Kids
Staff
Giving
Media
Contact Us
We are so glad you had an opportunity to visit our site. We want to invite you to join us Sunday Morning at the Hixson YMCA. We start at 10:30am.
Our goal is to create community in and out of the church: 1. In Community: Grow and equip Christ followers so that they be transformed into the people God has made them to be. 2. Out Community: We want to reach people that are far from God in our community.
awakencc.org
Welcome
History
Beliefs
Purpose
Awaken was started this past year and the word has been spreading to people, specifically college students and young couples, all over the Chattanooga community. We are committed to teaching straight from the Bible in a way that relates to your everyday life. We want to help everyone learn more about our Creator and His desire for our lives.
Our goal is to create community in and out of church: 1. In Community: Grow and equip Christ followers so that they be transformed into the people God has made them to be. 2. Out Community: We want to reach people that are far from God in our community.
Look forward to seeing you,
Justin
The4
Core Values
Justin Deweese
Lead Pastor
Tony Holland
Executive Pastor
Sam Marks
Worship Pastor
Joey Young
Technical Director
Brian Currier
Program Director
Amanda Harris
Childrens Director
Jenn Gibbs
Admin Assistant
eu blandit vel magna Fusce nec orci eget tellus sodales vehicula Maecenas condimentum lectus vel eros Donec id felis et metus lacinia gokj
Contact Form
Lead/Teaching Pastor
Justin Deweese serves as the Lead and Teaching Pastor at Awaken. Justin has been communicating the truth of Gods word for 11 years. During this time he has spoken to thousands of people and has seen hundreds come to know Jesus Christ. Justin's desire is to lead a church to the feet of Jesus. With his engaging and interactive teaching, his goal is to make sure each person that enters, can deepen their faith in their spiritual journeys with Christ.
Justin and his wife Faith have been married for five years and have two children, Kylie and Abigail.
Back
Executive/Connections Pastor
Tony and his wife Amanda have been married for 8 years and have two children, Alexis and Charlie. Tony serves as the Executive/Connections Pastor at Awaken.
He and his famly have a heart to help and serve people.
Tony's dream is to see people live out authentic Christianity in Chattanooga.
Chidren's Director
Amanda has a huge heart for kids and many years of experience. She goes out of her way to develop one of the best kids ministries around.
Amanda's heart and goal is to see children come to know the Savior and make Him known.
Administrative Assistant
Jenn Gibbs serves as the Administrative assistant at Awaken. Jenn and her husband Blake, have been married for three years and have one son, Blake Jr.
Jenn is currently pursing a degree in accounting and works retail. Blake is currently training for his second deployment to Iraq. The couple has a large heart for community outreach and hopes to be a part of a change in our city, where people band together, love one another, and love Christ!
Worship Leader
Samuel and Lindsey Marks are vibrant worshipers who desire to see the church connect with God not only through passionate and intimate worship, but also through social action that demonstrates the kingdom of God here, now and coming.
Currently serving as worship leaders for Awaken Community Church, they plan to continue serving God through their gifts and talents as worship leaders, while pursuing their dreams as singers/songwriters/recording artists in the music industry.
Lindsey is also pursuing her Masters in Community Counseling at Lee University, where both Sam and Lindsey received their Bachelor's in Vocal Music.
Brian Currier serves as the Program Director at Awaken. He has been a part of leading and directing programs for over 10 years.
Brian has a heart to lead and train a team in the technical field at Awaken.
Technical and Sound Guy
With years of knowlege and plenty of experience, Joey Young serves as our Technical Director. Joey has been with bands on the road and has put on production for venues with 100,000 plus people. With graphic design and website building knowlege, Joey is a fit for Awaken Community Church.
Seeking to desire God and to know him more intimately is Joey's journey. He is called to make disciples wherever he is.
the Scripture
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible, and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12, 13).
the Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three personsFather, Son, and Holy Spiritco-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
the Person and Work of Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:12, 14; Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished ¬our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry as Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9, 10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:12). We believe Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1).
the Person and Work of The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:811; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:1214; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18).
the Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adams sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; man is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:13, 12).
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 2:810; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:1819).
Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by Gods power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:3740; 10:2730; Romans 8:1, 38, 39; 1 Corinthians 1:48; 1 Peter 1:5). We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of Gods Word, which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for the flesh (Romans 13:13, 14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:1115).
the Ministry and Spiritual Gifts
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts. It is, however, the believers responsibility to attempt to develop their sovereignly given spiritual gift(s). The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and is the placing of the believer into the Body of Christ. We also believe that particular spiritual gift(s) are neither essential, nor prove the presence of the Holy Spirit, nor are an indication of deep spiritual experience (1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, 13; Ephesians 4:78). We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, in accordance with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14, 15). We believe that it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister according to the gift(s) and grace of God that is given to him (Romans 12:18; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 Peter 4:1011).
the Church
We believe that the church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:2527; 1 Corinthians 12:1214; 2 Corinthians 11:2). We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 18:22; 20:17; 1 Timothy 3:13; Titus 1:511). We believe in the autonomy of the local churches, free of any external authority and control (Acts 13:14; 15:1931; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16; 1 Corinthians 5:47, 13; 1 Peter 5:14). We recognize believers baptism and the Lords supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:2326).
Church Leadership
We believe Gods word just how it is written. Therefore we observe Elder leadership as a church government (1 Tim 3:1-7). Deacons roles are to be servants and serve the Elders in the ministries of the church (1Tim 3:8-13). Also Titus and Ephesians.
Lead pastor, Justin had the vision and passion of one day leading a church that functioned with a sense of real community. Chattanooga is a very religious and traditional city. He felt that there needed to be a place, a church, that was created to focus on real relationship and real life.
Real relationship: To teach believers about things that they are going through in life: Marriage, Raising Kids, Jobs, Media, Music, Pornography, Identity, Family and more, in a relevant way, and from a biblical view. Now Justin has gathered a team in the Hixson/Soddy area and is setting off on that journey.
Heres the breakdown
October 07 Justin goes to a church planting conference and starts to read books, meet church planters, talk with mentors, pray hard, meet pastors, read blogs, searches scripture, all for the goal of starting something that will give hope to our community in Chattanooga.
November '08 God closes the door of 11 years of Justin's youth ministry experience and Justin and Faith start to raise funds to support their family and the church.
January '09 We have had tour first two meetings. God is continuing to do amazing things through Awaken as Justin and Faith continue to raise support to get on board full time. Many administrative things are in place and members are getting ready to serve in different areas of ministry. Around 65 people are interested in Awaken and the word is still spreading.
Summer '09 Throughout the summer the core team has grown to an average of 40 people meeting together. We are ready to launch Awaken Community Church September 13th. Come join the vision.
September 13th Awaken launches at the YMCA in Hixson with 70 people of which many are unchurched or dechurched.
We are now meeting every Sunday morning at the YMCA in Hixson at 10:30. If you do not go to church and want to be a part of something that will change your life, then I invite you to enter into a relationship with the the God that created you. Come to Awaken, we'll love you and come beside you as you become closer to Jesus.
Our purpose is to: To reach and grow a community by equipping believers in Christ and reaching those that are far from God. We want the Hixson/Soddy Daisy community to be different because Awaken Community Church exists.
In-community: This is the body of Christ. We want to build real community in the church. This happens through community groups and accountability.
Out-community: We want to reach those that are far from God. People that may have given up on church and or God in the past. They are helpless and hopeless trying to fill their lives up with anything they can find. We want to go and get them. We want to build meaningful relationships with these people where they are in life. We will spend large amounts of time and money making a difference in our community.
The 4
The4 is our simple and effective ministry process that we take our members through here at Awaken. We believe that this Biblical process is needed for every follower of Jesus to grow closer to God and people.
Sunday Morning: This is a time when the whole church comes together to worship, learn from Gods word, pray and fellowship.
Community Groups: Community groups are small groups set up in homes all around the city. These small groups help believers growing deeper in their relationships with one another and God. Our community groups facilitate doing life together and reaching out to the community around their houses and neighborhoods.
Accountability: Accountability is intentional one on one time between individuals throughout the church. The main purpose of the accountability is to hold each other accountable in our journeys with Christ. This is the hardest, yet most rewarding parts of our ministry process. This is where sins are confessed; marriages are restored, porn addicts get help, drunkards break free and liars find truth.
You and God: The most important part to our Christian lives is our relationship with Jesus. We need to continually be asking ourselves Do I love God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength? We can grow closer to God on our own with studying His Word and praying to Him.
Core
Values
Biblical Truth
As Christ followers, we believe that God's Word is the forerunner for our ministry. We make God's Word one of our core values, because it holds the essential truths for our life. It is our handbook and blue print for Christian living.
Real Relationships
We want to make a great impact in our community by building relationships. We will invest in humanitarian events to help change our city, give to the poor, work with the mayor, and be all we can be in Christ to shine as a light and a hope for our community. Matthew Jesus always had compassion on people everywhere he went. He changed communities. We want to be real and build real relationships with people. This is one reason a there is a "Come as You Are" type dress code at Awaken. We believe that just as it is said in 1 Samuel 16:7, God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance. We want you to be real with us, with God, and with yourself. Be who you are and we will love you for you. Our heart at Awaken is to build our church one relationship at a time. We honestly care about who comes through the doors and care about your marriage, finances, temptations and more, and want to come beside you and walk with you through life. We want to "do life" together by encouraging our members to get plugged into a community group and an accountability mentor/partner.
Creative Excellence
God is a creative God. Just look at the atmosphere. Look at our lives and how we can see in color and think in sound. We are complex beings. God took time out to create us in a specific way. Everyone in the world has a different tongue and a different fingerprint. God is creative. At Awaken, we like to take the creativity that God has given us, and bring it to Him in a form of worship. From pictures to media and movies and dressing up the stage, we want to use our creativity as a catalyst to bring people closer to God. Matthew 13:34 says about a multitude of people: Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. Everything we do we want to do with excellence. From Sunday morning worship to community groups. We think through all messages, media, community group curriculum and ministry processes to make sure that things work well and God is glorified.
Transformation
We want to see transformation in a Christ followers life as well as in those who do not have faith in Him. The vision is to bring people to Christ, and once they know him, to build them up in their faith where they are equipped and well grounded. (Ephesians 4:12).
Relevance
Gods Word is relevant all on its own. We do not want to water down the Word or conform it to our society. With that said, the Word of God should change society and the hearts of humanity. We just attempt to do that in a way that is relevant to the culture. For example: through the use of music and media, we can draw people into the presence of God.
Thank you for checking out our giving page. Half of the money that comes into Awaken from tithes (or Christians being generous givers) goes back into the community and missions. We call it Community Involvement. Here's how it works: If you write a check for $100, you are giving $50 to a kid to get a backpack or shoes, or maybe a single mom in need. We are a church that is active in our community.
Our vision is that the Hixson/Soddy Daisy area be different because we exist. If you are interested in giving to Awaken you can give one of three ways. Giving is meant for believers to have passion and to be excited about what God is doing in the church.
We should be generous and cheerful.
1. You can give at one of our Sunday morning meetings at the YMCA in Hixson.
2. You may mail a check to:
Awaken Community Church
2301 Rodeo Dr.
Chattanooga, TN 37421.
3. Direct Debit - If you are forgetful and you want to make sure you are faithful to giving, you may want to choose our direct debit option.(coming soon)
4. Online Giving Click Here for onling Giving. Create an account and follow the directions.
Community
Involvement
